[Question] Earthquake proof?

[CatchAPairO]

So I was researching earthquakes for a report for school and happened upon the great earthquake in Japan which lead to devastating results and massive tsunamis. It was tragic and I couldn't help but look up how it affected Tokyo Disneyland resort. Some videos displayed terrifying events (like the tower of terror ride swaying back and forth), but overall, there was no huge structural damage and no guests who sustained major injuries. It was reported that Tokyo Disneyland was built with earthquake safety in mind and the cast members were all properly trained. It went relatively smoothly during the disaster. My question is...

If a major earthquake were to hit California, as many are warning to happen soon, would Disneyland hold up efficiently (especially considering how old some parts are)? I know of underground tunnels present, would those pose a risk when things begin to collapse? Has Disney thought this all through and are the cast members trained?


Some URLs:
Tokyo second earthquake aftershocks Disney sea 11 march 2011 - YouTube
Tokyo Disney Resort 8.9 earthquake update | Park Thoughts

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: Earthquake proof?

...are the cast members trained?

Nowhere near the training of Tokyo's Cast Members.

In fact, it would appear they're barely trained at all to handle such emergencies.

From Al Lutz' column "Timelines and Faultlines"...

...Anaheim has never conducted a park-wide earthquake drill for its Cast Members, and the few minutes of earthquake training Cast Member’s receive when they hire in is so basic and so vague it comes across as rather meaningless.

...the response for a moderate or severe earthquake is for all Cast Members to abandon their work locations and go to a designated “Cast Assembly Area”, while the park visitors are mysteriously directed by seemingly no one to move to separate yet unlabeled “Safe Havens,” which are open areas away from buildings.

If the earthquake response is carried out accurately, the employees and customers would be segregated into separate assembly areas that are only identified on a handful of dusty maps posted backstage.

Not a single word is mentioned in any of the Cast Member training about how to respond to panicky or injured visitors, or what to tell them, or where to direct them.

The salaried park management have also had just a few minutes of vague and useless training in earthquake response techniques, the same as the average ride operator or shop clerk got, so don’t look to the guy wearing the Dockers and the earpiece for useful direction or assistance either.

...There are vague plans to evacuate the parks along designated corridors in the strong earthquake scenarios, dumping up to 100,000 people at one time out into the Esplanade and/or surface streets around the parks.

[TodAZ1]

Re: Earthquake proof?

I don't think I'd feel safe ANYWHERE if a major earthquake hit!! Disneyland or not!

[StevenW]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Our earthquakes are never as severe as Japan. So you can't expect training to be at the same level. Most people aren't concerned. The worst that can happen is every guest will leave the park when it is actually better than they remain in the park until damage is assessed.

I think the buildings are designed to withstand a 7.0 earthquake. The worst cases are 9.0 and no one can properly prepare for this without a lot of money.

[DisneyIPresume]

Re: Earthquake proof?

I'd feel totally safe on anything at DCA. Inside Disneyland not so much...

[explodingboy]

Re: Earthquake proof?

I would say most everything at the Resort is up to code as far as withstanding the usual earthquakes we get go. Of course, if we were to get anything large and out of the ordinary it's hard to say.

[mickdaddy]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Try not to think about it personally but if you have to be crushed and trapped under rubble what better place the Disneyland!

[ohmyjustin]

Re: Earthquake proof?

How do the ride systems handle earthquakes? I can imagine that all of them would shut down due to emergency conditions, but that could be incredibly devastating for anyone inside since they'd be trapped in a building.

[TTN]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Our earthquakes are never as severe as Japan.

PLEASE go knock on some wood!

Although Japan's earthquakes are generally stronger, since they lie directly in a very active area of the ring of fire, we too lie in the ring of fire, just a less active area. Lying on the boundary of two tectonic plates California has the potential of receiving earthquakes as large or larger than the one Japan just had.

[Rex Dopey24]

Re: Earthquake proof?

earthquakes happen through the world not always but sometimes

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Try not to think about it personally but if you have to be crushed and trapped under rubble what better place the Disneyland!

Anywhere but Winnie the Pooh.

[Bongo]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Being in the park during an earthquake must be freaky. I remember back around 06' I think there was a 6.0 in Southern California. Correct me if I am wrong. Wonder what it was like in the park then.

Also, I know this isn't really Disney related, but at Universal Studios Earthquake segment on the Studio Tour. Earthquake while on Earthquake.

[jaybee]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Being in the park during an earthquake must be freaky. I remember back around 06' I think there was a 6.0 in Southern California. Correct me if I am wrong. Wonder what it was like in the park then.

Also, I know this isn't really Disney related, but at Universal Studios Earthquake segment on the Studio Tour. Earthquake while on Earthquake.

I was in the bathrooms by Rancho Zocalo when that quake hit. Mild type swaying and it wasn't at all scary. They just shut down all the rides for inspections. We went back to the hotel and went swimming for a few hours.

[Kritter]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Nowhere near the training of Tokyo's Cast Members.

In fact, it would appear they're barely trained at all to handle such emergencies.

From Al Lutz' column "Timelines and Faultlines"...

And a majority of this post that Al said is false.

[BrodyDanger]

Re: Earthquake proof?

PLEASE go knock on some wood!

Although Japan's earthquakes are generally stronger, since they lie directly in a very active area of the ring of fire, we too lie in the ring of fire, just a less active area. Lying on the boundary of two tectonic plates California has the potential of receiving earthquakes as large or larger than the one Japan just had.

While the potential of a quake that large hitting California technically does exist, the odds are almost non-existent. The San Andreas fault is a strike-slip plate, meaning the plates slide against each other. The fault in Japan is in a subduction zone, meaning one plate actually moves under the other and creates much stronger quakes than a strike-slip plate.

If the "Big One" hits, it will probably be between a 7.0 and 8.0... which is definitely a HUGE earthquake. The 9.0 earthquake in Japan was literally 10 times stronger than an 8.0 quake is. Even the 1906 quake wasn't estimated to be an 8.0 though (7.8).

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: Earthquake proof?

While the potential of a quake that large hitting California technically does exist, the odds are almost non-existent. The San Andreas fault is a strike-slip plate, meaning the plates slide against each other. The fault in Japan is in a subduction zone, meaning one plate actually moves under the other and creates much stronger quakes than a strike-slip plate.

If the "Big One" hits, it will probably be between a 7.0 and 8.0... which is definitely a HUGE earthquake. The 9.0 earthquake in Japan was literally 10 times stronger than an 8.0 quake is. Even the 1906 quake wasn't estimated to be an 8.0 though (7.8).

Exactly right.

And a majority of this post that Al said is false.

Exactly wrong. In the 16 months since Al's post, the DLR still has not held earthquake drills or improved its employee training for earthquake emergency procedures.

[pinkertonfloyd]

Re: Earthquake proof?

Just to make a point about the title of the thread...

There is no such thing as "Earthquake Proof" there is "Earthquake Resistant".

Any engineer who calls something "Proof" you need to run far far away from.

I'm from a family of engineers, my grandfather pretty much wrote the book on building dams for the Army Corps of Engineers... and he would never, ever live (nor would my dad, and engineer for both Caltrans, and DWR) in any place under a dam, or in any sorta of flood area, no matter what the risk level was (100-250 Year, etc).

While I don't feel unsafe at Disneyland, in that it still is built to fairly good California Standards for public buildings, it doesn't mean I'm 100% safe, but then again, there's really no place in the WORLD that doesn't have some sort of natural disasters. You still have a higher chance of dieing while driving to the park.

[swampymarsh]

Re: Earthquake proof?

While the potential of a quake that large hitting California technically does exist, the odds are almost non-existent. The San Andreas fault is a strike-slip plate, meaning the plates slide against each other. The fault in Japan is in a subduction zone, meaning one plate actually moves under the other and creates much stronger quakes than a strike-slip plate.

If the "Big One" hits, it will probably be between a 7.0 and 8.0... which is definitely a HUGE earthquake. The 9.0 earthquake in Japan was literally 10 times stronger than an 8.0 quake is. Even the 1906 quake wasn't estimated to be an 8.0 though (7.8).

I think the OP and many of the other posters need to study geology before making comments. Things that happen at TDL can not also happen in DLR because they are in different areas with different properties. It's not as simple as comparing earthquakes of the same magnitude.

[StevenW]

Re: Earthquake proof?

I think the OP and many of the other posters need to study geology before making comments. Things that happen at TDL can not also happen in DLR because they are in different areas with different properties. It's not as simple as comparing earthquakes of the same magnitude.

That is unhelpful. What would studying geology get you the answer to the question of earthquakes in California? It would be better to "Google" it until you can get the sources you need. California State has plenty of on-line sources that deal with its earthquakes since we do have a problem here.

[sdjeff4sc]

Re: Earthquake proof?

I think the OP and many of the other posters need to study geology before making comments. Things that happen at TDL can not also happen in DLR because they are in different areas with different properties. It's not as simple as comparing earthquakes of the same magnitude.

I think one of the problems w/ TDL is that it is built on reclaimed land in Tokyo/Yokohama Bay which is extremely succeptable to "liquifaction"......... The geology of Anahaim is completely different, although liquifaction can occur anywhere, reclaimed/landfill area is extremely prone to it.

If you Google Earth it, you'll see much of the immediate waterfront of ALL of Tokyo Bay (not just TDL) is reclaimed land the formed by dredging because land is so expensive in Tokyo proper. They build a coffer damn (sp?) around a defined perimeter of the land to be "reclaimed" and dredge soil/sand into the perimeter while continuously draining water. Dredged landfill is NOT the most geologically stable base to build upon - anyone remember the Marina District in San Francisco last time they had a major quake? Same principal.........

That being said, I'd feel pretty safe almost anywhere in the DLR during an earthquake.....