Sad news out of Florida tonight: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-richard-petty-fatality-20150412-story.html

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the love one that lost their life in this accident. This experience was scheduled to close in the near future and I wonder if this accident will make it close immediately instead.

That's horrible!

It's important to note that while the track is property of Disney, the driving experiences are run by the vendors, Disney acts merely as the track provider, with the vendor paying all insurance and safety-related costs. One of the main reasons for the track's upcoming closing was Disney's unwillingness to install a SAFER barrier, which both NASCAR and Indycar both requested. Had it been in place, perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided. I don't believe Disney has plans to shut down the track any earlier than announced. Recall the closing date was pushed back to August 31 from June 1.

One thing to notice is that, based on various articles I have read, they were operating these driving experiences with the vehicles traveling in the opposite direction intended by the track design. This resulted in an exposed end of a safety barrier that would not have been a hazard traveling the other direction. Something was going on there that was not right..

Given what I'm sure are Disney's air-tight contracts w those driving experiences, I would expect to see them released as a party from any future civil suit if they were so named.

In the public eye, still perceived as a death at a Disney place.

Indeed, perception is often much more powerful than reality.

But...isn't it reality?

A death.

At a Disney place.

No?

The perception refers to Disney having anything to do with the death, other than being the owner/operator of the facility. That is, unless, of course, they knew that their client was utilizing their facility in an unsafe manner and decided to do nothing about it.

They could have modified the wall, but apparently chose not to?

I don't know the relationship between client and track, therefore I cannot say. However, if they knew of the running backwards and did nothing, then I would believe they ought to have ensured that the track could be safely run backwards.

The decision not to modify the wall was the reason IndyCar and NASCAR ceased racing there, given the speeds those cars achieve during the race. As for Petty and the Ferrari vendor, I suppose we'll have to wait for a civil suit to see if the wall would have made a difference if it were there. There have been lots of deaths at Disney; just none officially on property. Such proclamations are routinely done by the Orange and Osceola County coroner off property.

Not unlike how the State of Florida doesn't inspect amusement rides at large Florida theme parks, for some...ahem....mousey reason...and for large parks the Florida approach is universal in that state.

What, is Florida's Department of Agriculture too busy inspecting orange groves to inspect amusement rides?

Orlando's consent to basically turn control over all of WDW's infrastructure to Reedy Creek (a Disney creation) was shortsighted at best, disastrous at worst. Disney does subcontract certain services back to Orange and Osceola counties, but Reedy Creek has final say over most matters. In the early 70s, after the MK first opened, Disney did offer to pay for a widening of I-4 to 8 lanes from its then 4. Orlando scoffed and said the interstate would never handle that much traffic thank you very much. Anyone who traversers I-4 today knows the wisdom of that decision. There's a reason a lot of people are forking over $5-6 in tolls to take the Greenway and Osceola Parkway from the airport to Disney (even though its only about a 15 mile journey) rather than make that same trip over the Beachline and I-4.

And now there is an extensive widening of I4. For the next 4 years, if I remember correctly.

And at the expense of....

All the folks that come here for vacation?

There is no Income Tax in the state but they have ways of dealing with that.

Cost us nearly $800 to Title/Register our 2 cars. Over half of that was just for the plates. I don't believe it costs that much to stamp out a thousand plates let alone two. The state welcomes all newcomers for a very specific reason.

Cost us nearly $800 to Title/Register our 2 cars. Over half of that was just for the plates. I don't believe it costs that much to stamp out a thousand plates let alone two. The state welcomes all newcomers for a very specific reason.

You know that you're not just paying for the metal, right..?

Yes, believe or not, yes. I may have been born at night.......

If you're gonna be sarcastic, you have to make it obvious.

Sorry, I thought it was.