Child's Death at Epcot

[LoriZH]

so you are saying this is how the child died?

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A 4-year-old boy died after passing out while aboard Walt Disney World's "Mission: Space" attraction — a ride that has caused previous concerns because of its intensity.

That is just what I got from the news, I don't know myself how he died, just what I read.

 

[LisaR]

He believes that either way, Disney should change their policy about this ride and toddlers because if the child did have a medical condition, they just may have been too young to relay this to their parents, which I agree.

You are missing the point. The speculation is that the child had an UNKNOWN medical condition. If that turns out to be the case (and I am not saying it is, it is just speculation) but it then wouldn't matter if this child would have been 2, 4, 10, 15, or 28 years old. Many people have UNKNOWN medical conditions and die suddenly. Changing the age of MS to 10 (or any other age) will not make the ride any safer for those with UNKNOWN medical conditions.

Lisa

 

[Tinkerchele]

I totally agree with you, rayelias.

If my daughter is too small, she's too small. I don't care how close she is to the line. She is so tiny, I'm so afraid she'll fall out...

I just say, "Next time.."

 

[eaturpasta1]

How very sad I immediately thought (as many of you have too) that it had to have been a pre-existing condition. Epilepsy or a heart condition. Is Disney going to re-open the ride?

 

[Tinkerchele]

How very sad I immediately thought (as many of you have too) that it had to have been a pre-existing condition. Epilepsy or a heart condition. Is Disney going to re-open the ride?

I read that the ride was re-opened today after it was found to be operating normally.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

As for the term 'passing out', there can be hundreds if not thousands of things that can cause someone to 'pass out'. I think the media is using 'passing out' interchangably with the term 'unconsciousness'.
The typical 'faint' that we see when someone sees blood, gets bad news, etc. isn't fatal. But if the person/child looses consciousness due to a cardiac arrhythmia, cerebral hemorrhage, hypoxia, etc. then it can be fatal.
And yes, I am a medical professional.

 

[savs]

We were just there last month and my 7 and 5 yr old rode this with their dad and they all came off and said "no big deal", but I wasn't about to take any chances....I get sick on the tea cups.

As soon as I heard this story about the 4yr old, I went up to each of my boys and gave them a huge hug and kiss and thanked God that I can still do that to them.

My prayers go out the the family, the CMs and everyone that was involved in this tragic accident.

 

[mommykds]

I agree...the child may have had a pre-existing condition that was aggrevated by the movement of the ride. Just have to wait to see what the M.E. has to say. It's a horrible tragedy. The family only went to EPCOT to have some fun.

 

[carl_w]

The thing is, every kid is different. So while the ride may be suitable for some kids of 44", for others it won't. I guess Disney take this into account when setting the height limits, and err on the side of the caution. But what Disney aren't saying is that if you are over 44" it is safe to go on this ride. Any more so than a 60 mph speed limit means it's safe to drive at 60 mph.

The other thing is that the ride simulates high-g forces by spinning the capsule, AIUI. For an adult, the "tidal" effect (difference in "gravity" between head and feet, because they're different distances from the centre of rotation) will be greater because they're taller. This tidal effect is one of the causes disorientation and sickness. Furthermore, at 2g a 4-stone kid will weigh 8 stones, which isn't too bad. Whereas a 16 stone adult will weigh 32 stones. So I think the ride may actually be less intense for smaller kids. It's the same with rollercoasters: as an adult you get much more of a ride than a kid, because you've got so much more inertia and momentum.

At the end of the day it's down to the parents to assess the risks and plan accordingly. I've taken my lad go-karting when he was 7 (and "Motorsport is Dangerous") because I was comfortable about the level of risk involved. Other parents may not have done that. Nothing is 100% safe.

 

[LoriZH]

But an adult can't tell ahead of time if they have an UNKNOWN pre-existing condition so that in effect means rides are potentially not safe for anyone of any age.


In the instance of dehydration, it would not be Disney's fault (or the parent, for that matter, unless the parent was intentionally not allowing the child to drink, which I doubt was the case). When you are dehydrated, your body starts to shut down. Disney does have warnings up stating you should be in good health. Being dehydrated is not being in good health.


Using your logic, children shouldn't be allowed to play basketball because it can lead to death. When I was in junior high, a good friend had a heart attack and died on the basketball court. Nobody was aware of the fact that this perfectly healthy kid had a heart problem. I remember my mom telling me that my friend's mom was so devastated and she blamed herself for allowing her dd to be so involved in sports. Reality is, if my friend didn't die then, she could have died while on a ride in a theme park or maybe when a plane she was on took off. Her heart was defective and nobody knew. The problem she had was not something that would have been caught with a stethoscope. It is tragic but basketball is not to blame for her death.

Accidents happen every day in this world. It is tragic but it is reality. We take risks everytime we get in the car, on a plane or cross a street. If MS has a defect in the ride that can cause death in children and/or adults, then they are 200% responsible. I am NOT defending Disney. But the facts remain that tons of people (including many children) ride MS daily and they do not die. In the case of tragedy we are always looking for someone to blame. Sometimes there isn't anyone to blame. Sometimes it is nothing more then a terrible tragedy.

Lisa

No Lisa, this is not what I am saying. Using my logic would be that Disney should not allow toddlers on such an intense ride due to their inability to communicate with adults regarding health issues and if a ride is dangerous due to health issues then they need to use discretion. I know a lot of adults have underlying health problems they know nothing about, however, they can make their own logical decisions whether to go on a ride or not. A child, especially a 4 year old toddler relies on their parents to make the right decisions and the parent obviously while at DW chose to believe Disney's policy and relied on them. So you're right sometimes there is no blame, however, there is responsibility and Disney will take responsibility. I cannot believe they would risk another child of that age on an intense ride, it's not rocket science here, it's safety and if the ride tends to be too intense for a toddler, then stop allowing them on.

 

[speedyf]

I feel sad for the family and my prayers go out to them...

We were at Disney last week and my 5 year old, 45" tall, son rode Mission Space with me twice during our 8 day stay. No problems....

He rode every thrill ride he was allowed to go on....which was basically everything except for Rock N Roller Coaster and Primevil Whirl. No problems....

I loved Mission Space and had no ill effects from the ride. The ride that I cannot and won't go on is the tea cups. For some reason, I get sick on those "double-spinning" type rides (cup is spinning on it's axis while also rotating around the floor area). My DS5 had no problems on the cups with my wife.

Just like everyone previously said...don't jump to conclusions. Let's see what the actual cause of death of the child is and go from there. Again...this is a tragedy and I cannot imagine having to carry my 4 year old child out of a ride in this condition....

Speed

 

[Disneyjosh229]

Thats very sad!

I doubt Mission Space will be back open for a long, long time.

 

[DMRick]

Additionally, my wife has a heart murmur since birth but she's ridden every ride I have and hasn't had any problems...she's looking forward to this ride as well....but I do worry.

Don't a lot of the rides say not to go on them with a heart condition? Although I think some of their "warnings" may be a bit much..why would you take a chance? Or is a heart murmur not a heart condition?

I certainly couldn't begin (or want) to place blame for this tragedy. How horrible for the family. I'm sure if they could undo the day, knowing what they know now, they wouldn't even have been in Disney.This is just horrible.

 

[back2disney]

I know this is a Disney lovers board, but my first reaction was "Dam_!"
Because I've read how intense the ride is and having rode similiar g-force rides and seen studies of the damage they can do to the brain I was fearful something like this would happen.

But, after reading the 1st 4 pages I had to stop.
There was way too much "Oh he must have had a pre-existing condition" or "I would have never let my 4-yr old on the ride"
Have any of you ever thought to consider that maybe the family has not been to DisneyWorld since Mission Space opened and does not read the Dis Boards to find out how intense it really is. This is DisneyWorld not Cedar Point or Six Flags Magic Mountain. As wonderfully built as the ride is I would rather Disney(barf bags are available-Good Grief!) not have it than to blame the child and keep the ride.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) It is sad this happened.
2) Hopefully they can sort out the cause(s) - child, ride or both.

3) I do not pretend to be a doctor or phyisio qualified in centrifuge affects.
4) I do not pretend to know MISSION:SPACE safety designs.
5) However, I DO know safety for coasters and forces from them.
6) The restraints and safety measures are scientifically devised.
7) They will protect for the body sizes speicified.
8) I can only imagine that M:S is the same.
9) In any case, we will eventually find out.

 

[disneyfan62]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...061405,0,779821.story?coll=orl-home-headlines


very sad : (

 

[LoriZH]

I know this is a Disney lovers board, but my first reaction was "Dam_!"
Because I've read how intense the ride is and having rode similiar g-force rides and seen studies of the damage they can do to the brain I was fearful something like this would happen.

But, after reading the 1st 4 pages I had to stop.
There was way too much "Oh he must have had a pre-existing condition" or "I would have never let my 4-yr old on the ride"
Have any of you ever thought to consider that maybe the family has not been to DisneyWorld since Mission Space opened and does not read the Dis Boards to find out how intense it really is. This is DisneyWorld not Cedar Point or Six Flags Magic Mountain. As wonderfully built as the ride is I would rather Disney(barf bags are available-Good Grief!) not have it than to blame the child and keep the ride.

I agree 100%!

 

[married@wdw]

... if the ride tends to be too intense for a toddler, then stop allowing them on.

Who makes the decision about which rides are too intense and where do you draw the line? We took my nephew at age six and started out "light" with Goofy's Barnstormer, and moved to "more intense" from there. He did EVERYTHING Disney had to offer, multiple times, and loved every minute of it.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong and not to be "nitpicky", but I believe the definition of a toddler is aged 12 to 36 months. This child was much older than a toddler, being at least 48 months, and much taller if he was 44".

 

[deelam]

I have to say that I do believe that Disney is responsible! I agree with LoriZH on some of her points. If adults were having problems, why would Disney keep the height so low to allow young kids.(My guess is they want to encourage more people visiting their park. Making the height limit low would ensure that families would go to Epcot to try this ride) If I didn't know about this ride first I would trust Disney's judgement and allow my child to ride. Disney is at fault for allowing young children on this ride. The child may have had a undiscovered health problem, but if this ride hadn't been so awful he would still be alive today. I don't think this ride is up to Disney Standards.
There have been so many reported sickness'. Not to mention, I bet there are a ton of people who ended up with bad headaches, just like me. Why would Disney want this in a place that is famous for family fun and safety. I just think there is something wrong with this ride. People shouldn't be getting so sick. I think this ride should be shut down.

 

[lucincia]

Who is to blame?

Everyone.

It's a vicious cycle. We are a lawsuit happy society now. To protect itself, Disney put up warnings everywhere until people grew immune to them. Heart condition warning for the stupid race track? Come on. So, people see a warning on the ride just as that, a stupid warning and no one pays attention to them any more.

Maybe this will wake up the parents everywhere about amusement park rides. Don't try to cheat the system by putting platform shoes on your kids to get to the right height requirement. Don't argue with the ride operators to bend the rules and let your kid in. The rules are there for a reason. You don't need to ride all the rides for a "Disney experience". Know your child and know how much he/she can handle. Don't push him/her.

It's not a Disney Experience if you lose a kid.