Suspicious device found under Disney bus

ericpabear · Post by **ericpabear** » Sep Thu 17, 2009 4:52 pm

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 5206.story

Susan Jacobson
Sentinel Staff Writer
5:24 p.m. EDT, September 17, 2009

Orange County Sheriff's bomb squad is at Walt Disney World now investigating a suspicious device found underneath a Disney bus, authorities confirmed.
A maintenance worker found the device during a routine inspection about 3 p.m. His supervisors agreed that the device should not have been there.
The maintenance building has been evacuated but normal operations at the theme park have not been affected.

6:36 p.m. EDT, September 17, 2009
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The Orange County sheriff's bomb squad is at Walt Disney World now investigating a suspicious device found underneath a Disney bus, authorities confirmed.
Bus operations have been suspended, but taxi service has been expanded, a Disney spokeswoman said.
A maintenance worker found the device during a routine inspection about 3 p.m. His supervisors agreed that it should not have been there and called the Sheriff's Office. A robot and X-ray machines will examine the device, officials said.
We'll use whatever necessary tools to determine what that object is," sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said.

Check out live WESH-2 coverage
http://www.wesh.com/video/20972444/index.html

If the device can't be deemed safe on scene, it will be removed and detonated in a safe location. The maintenance building has been evacuated as a precaution.
All Disney buses are being inspected as a precaution, company spokeswoman Andrea Finger said. They will be put back in service one at a time, she said. Taxis will take up the slack in the meantime.
"We anticipate that all buses will be back in service within two hours," spokeswoman Andrea Finger said.
Hours at Disney's Animal Kingdom have been extended to 7 p.m., and water parks were open till 6 p.m. -- longer than usual, Finger said.

http://www.wesh.com/news/20971695/detail.html

Disney Suspends Buses As Bomb Squad Checks Package
Worker Noticed Something Strapped To Bus
POSTED: 5:23 pm EDT September 17, 2009
UPDATED: 6:49 pm EDT September 17, 2009

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Orange County Sheriff's Office bomb squad is investigating a suspicious object found under a bus at Disney World.
The resort has suspended bus service, a Disney spokeswoman said at 5:30 p.m.
The scene at Disney World.
A worker doing maintenance on the bus noticed the suspicious device and alerted authorities, the Sheriff's Office said Thursday shortly after 5 p.m.
The bomb squad and a hazardous material team are on the scene, which is reported near Disney's Animal Kingdom but far from places where guests visit. But Disney said it has stopped all bus service until at least 7:30 p.m. as other buses are checked.
Hours at the Animal Kingdom were extended to 7 p.m., since guests who rely on buses can't get transportation. A guest at Epcot called WESH 2 to say an announcement was made over loudspeakers telling guests that they were experiencing backups with bus service, but did not mention a bomb scare.
The view from Chopper 2 shows emergency vehicles around a large building. A member of the bomb squad went into the building. (Live Video Of Chopper 2 Over Disney)
Dozens of buses can be seen lined up near another Disney work facility.
Shortly after 6 p.m., bomb squad members could be seen placing something in an open area near the bus facility, apparently in preparation for exploding it.
Disney buses line up to be inspected.
The Sheriff's Office said the suspicious object was reported about 3 p.m. during routine maintenance at a back-stage maintenance facility.
The incident is the latest in a series of incidents at Disney World. In July, a monorail pilot died when another monorail crashed into his near the Magic Kingdom. A stuntman died during a rehearsal of the Indiana Jones show in August at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Post by **Len90** » Sep Thu 17, 2009 11:38 pm

This seems very interesting. I am extremely curious to see what the parks were like with no bus service. Does anybody know if they hired any outside bus company to help out with moving the guests around like what they did with the monorail incident? I understand they used limos and taxis, but that can't even make a dent in what disney has.

It's scary as to how much trouble disney has had recently. Three deaths over the summer, a robbery, some goofing around by police/security and now this.

timekeeper · Post by **timekeeper** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 7:07 am

Any updates on this?

What a mess that would be to not have bus service.

Post by **acp** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 7:41 am

The item under the bus was found to be harmless and the bus service resumed a couple of hours later. Animal Kingdom remained open until 7pm and the water parks until 6pm to accommodate the guests who were otherwise stranded.

Andy.

PopCentury2007 · Post by **PopCentury2007** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 9:20 am

Good to know, leaving today for our Fall trip...

casrin · Post by **casrin** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 3:10 pm

How does something that doesn't belong there end up there?

MetalRage · Post by **MetalRage** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 9:40 pm

At least it wasn't a bomb. That would not have been good. Why would anyone put something under a disney bus in the first place?

Post by **Len90** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 10:01 pm

casrin wrote:How does something that doesn't belong there end up there?

There are probably many ways to explain this. The only one that I can think of is a disgruntled employee or ex-employee.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 10:10 pm

What was it?

Post by **Len90** » Sep Fri 18, 2009 10:15 pm

Jacca5660 wrote:What was it?

From what I have gathered it was some sort of electronic device and is believed to be a transponder. Both the Orange County Sheriff's Department and WDW officials are looking into this.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Sep Sun 20, 2009 2:22 am

Len90 wrote:
Jacca5660 wrote:What was it?
From what I have gathered it was some sort of electronic device and is believed to be a transponder. Both the Orange County Sheriff's Department and WDW officials are looking into this.

Someone was tracking the bus?? That's strange.

disneylizzy · Post by **disneylizzy** » Sep Sun 20, 2009 11:14 am

It must be part of the next National Treasure movie, lol.

Personally I feel more comfort knowing how Disney responded to this situation. It's also awesome that they kept Animal Kingdom open later that night since the buses were down earlier in the day.

Post by **Len90** » Sep Sun 20, 2009 12:04 pm

disneylizzy wrote:It must be part of the next National Treasure movie, lol.

Personally I feel more comfort knowing how Disney responded to this situation. It's also awesome that they kept Animal Kingdom open later that night since the buses were down earlier in the day.

They did that and I also believe the water parks remained open a little later.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Sep Mon 21, 2009 10:26 pm

The package was and get this......A wireless air-pressure monitoring system. Disney had these installed them in (Drum roll please) 1998 (Yes that's eleven years!)! So some minimum wage CM saved us all from nothing! You get what you pay for!! I want to call this person by their French name Dumas!!

Yes they were tracking the bus!

Post by **Len90** » Sep Mon 21, 2009 11:41 pm

Jacca5660 wrote:The package was and get this......A wireless air-pressure monitoring system. Disney had these installed them in (Drum roll please) 1998 (Yes that's eleven years!)! So some minimum wage CM saved us all from nothing! You get what you pay for!! I want to call this person by their French name Dumas!!

Yes they were tracking the bus!

You can't blame the maintenance CM. He did his job and showed it to his supervisor. I just wonder why they only found one and it took them 11 years to realize that it was there.
Also, this should answer all questions as to what type of bus it was found on. Since it was installed in 1998 it must have been an older RTS bus. The Nova's didn't start until 2003 and then the Gillig's in 2004.