do YOU stand up in rides??

[pinktink83]

I have heard on the DIS boards that some people like to stand up at certain points of the rides "for fun" or to look for hidden mickeys or to take fun pictures. Or stick various body parts (mostly arms) up in the air. And I've seen it happen in person while I was in the park, too.

Do YOU do these kind of things???

I think its extremely irresponsible and dangerous, not to mention setting a bad example for younger kids. The rides are not meant to handle those kinds of weight shifts and it could cause an accident. You could fall out or you could be injured from hitting something. Its almost like some disney veterans get so bored with just sitting in the rides like everyone else that they need to "kick it up a notch" or they think since they've been there so many times that they "know what they're doing" And then there are the teenagers......one word: stupid. (and don't flame me for that, I'm only twenty and I would've said the same thing 3 years ago! I did lots of stupid things and could very well have seen myself doing something like that for kicks and giggles, although I never did)

In fact, when I heard about the accident on Thunder Mountain, my first thought was I wonder if someone was standing up in the ride? Because I distinctly remember someone mentioning standing up during the tunnel part and remember seeing people do it while we were there. Of course, that may be totally off base, and I'm not really wanting to discuss what really happened, since its not the point of this thread.

What I want to know is do YOU do it and why? Or if you don't what you think about others doing it? Have you seen or heard people doing this?

 

[CRCrazy]

While I certainly do NOT ever stand up on a ride, or allow my children to do so - we are very concerned about safety - we have put our arms up in the air on rides, specifically for pictures.

I have never yet seen a warning or advisory for a roller coaster type ride that says do not put your arms in the air. I do think it is part of the fun - roller coasters are meant to be a little bit of a thrill ride, and you certainly shouldn't be expected to hold yourself into a ride - that is what the restraint bars are for.

We put our hands straight up in the air - not off to the side trying to touch anything, and I feel this is certainly expected and safe behavior for a roller coaster.

 

[Cindy'sCastle]

Nope, I hold on for dear life. Especially on roller coaster type rides. And usually I'm holding on to my daughter too!!! It just gives me that little extra security feeling I need to make sure she's gonna be ok.

 

[LadyAurora]

I hold on, but DH likes to stick his arms up in the air. Personally, I think this is covered in the warning "keeps arms inside the vehicle at all times." However, I think most likely everyone could safely make up their own mind about arm raising, because there is generally plenty of "head room."

 

[disneysteve]

pinktink83 - I think you're absolutely right. Standing up on any ride is stupid and asking for trouble. A great deal of amusement park accidents and deaths over the years have been attributed to guest misconduct. Just a year or so ago, someone was injured (? killed, don't recall specifics) on Splash Mountain after actually getting out of their log and being struck by another log.

And I had the same thought after hearing of the BTMRR accident.

I think raising your arms on a roller coaster is different, though. I'm sure the designers plan for this since it is such a traditional thing to do. Although on Space Mountain, I often feel like the frame of the ride is a lot closer than it actually is so I usually keep my arms down on that one.

Steve

 

[DisneyCP2002]

I would never stand up on a ride. I'm not brave enough to stick my hands up on Splash so I'm not going try standing up. I will raise my hands on other rides but for some reason I don't want to on splash.

 

[pintrader]

Interesting question. I don't, but I just had another photo op ruined becuase the people in front of me on splash mountain just HAD to have their arms up and my face is completely hidden behind someone's arms.

Sometimes it's just good manners to think of others first.

 

[WDWAurora]

pintrader, I hate to hear that, but I have to admit, I'm guilty. BUT...I don't think about rides for pictures sake at all...I've been a roller coaster buff since the day I hit the height limits, and this was well before this photography on rides stuff became prevalent. After 15+ years of it being my main goal to get thrills from not holding on, it is difficult to change the pattern, and I think that's a big part of it for many of us...we just don't ride the rides for the pictures, so it's hard to remember that some people do. I have been working on that though, especially on Test Track, where the angle is probably the worst. Keep in mind though, many of us rode well before the cameras on everything, and simply don't always remember that....we just want to ride the ride.

Also, rides are absolutely designed for people to hold their arms up. I've studied the building of coasters (because I'm a nerd ) for years, and that is one of the things counted into the safety precautions. Most rides that are of the thrill nature have bars to hold people down to prevent them from standing up, unless the people hold their hands, etc. in to keep the bars from closing properly. People who insist on standing up, however, are nuts. They must have a death wish or something. Most of the people killed on thrill rides were attempting to stand up, so I just don't understand it. Hands up though....that's fair game and has been tradition since probably before any of us were born.

 

[kdibattista]

No way... I'm too much of a scaredy cat!!!! I would definitely like to keep all of my limbs... I'm quite attached to them

 

[zman]

I want to add a little something here. First, I am no way a coaster buff (I do ride the rides, though). However, I work with a woman who is a HUGE coaster enthusiast (in fact she’s in Japan right now chipping away at the top ten list of best coasters). Anyway, several months ago she went to a park somewhere here in the east (sorry, I don’t remember the name of it). This park had never had any causalities of any sort, prided itself on its safety record...and it's been in business for I think she said over 50 years. Well, the day she got there, someone had died because they fell out of their car. She has told me that many coaster enthusiasts try to get “air time” for the absolute maximum thrill (which is what happened in this case). They do exactly what WDWAurora states...they purposely try to keep the lap belts and bars loose!

BTW: my co-worker does not condone or practice this behavior but I am amazed to what lengths some people go, endangering themselves and others.

 

[Ted and Holly]

I confess. I leaned a little to the left one time on Spaceship Earth, looking for a Hidden Mickey.

Ted

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

I never did or would not in the future stand up on any ride. I would also never allow my kids to.

BUT I have seen this on several rides at WDW. At first I thought it was a fluke or something, but it turned out to be pretty common the last time we went.

First time was on IASW this teenage girl keep standing up on our boat. No one said anything, but finally after having her back side in my video for the 3rd time I told her to sit her backside down or I'd turn her in to a CM, she gave me a snotty remark, but didn't get up again.

We saw this happen on IASW twice that trip. Also on POTC, Pooh, Pan, and Snow White. I wonder if WDW even monitors the rides while in progress, because you'd think they'd kick those kids out, and yes these were all teens doing this.

You are told to stay seated for a reason and so I listen. I'm not sure what kind of thrill is gotten from this, but it seems pretty dumb to me. LOL

Pammy

 

[WDWAurora]

zman and everybody...Just want to make it clear that I do NOT wear my seatbelts/bars/etc incorrectly....On ToT I used to have trouble riding with the *ahem* heavier males in my family....but with the seatbelts, no problem. I freaked out on RnR because my shoulder bar didn't go down far enough...I thought it did, but then when the ride was going, I felt like I was going to fall out. I wish someone had checked that before we took off.

Also, I can't believe they don't monitor the rides either. They should have an announcement or something when that happens...yeah, it'd make the ride less pleasant, but it could save lives...On Pirates they wouldn't let the ride go until the woman in front of us sat down (she was upset because the seat was wet and was attempting to dry it with napkins before we took off. Let me just add it was 100 degrees, it would've taken 2 seconds to dry outside GRRRR) Ok, that's all for now.

 

[georgina]

Originally posted by pintrader
Interesting question. I don't, but I just had another photo op ruined becuase the people in front of me on splash mountain just HAD to have their arms up and my face is completely hidden behind someone's arms.

Sometimes it's just good manners to think of others first.

Last time we rode Splash Mtn, DD's face was completely obstructed by the guy in front holding his hat in the air. She was really mad!

 

[TEK224]

DisneyCP2002:
I'm agree with you aboout SplMt. I'll admit on some of the coasters I'll put my hands up, usually just half up (does that make me half a chicken?).
But not on Splash Mt. I think because there is no restraint that I tend to hold on to the bar inside the log and if I have a young child, I hold them with the other hand and my body weight.
I love Splash, but not enough for no-hands!
Terri

 

[cinmell]

I'm always in my seat with my hands down.

 

[Ted and Holly]

This past Saturday, we loaded up on PotC with a large group of people that we didn't know. Just as they were sending us off, they stopped us abruptly and a voice came over a speaker that said, "Please stay seated." in an amiable tone. We started again and stopped immediately. This time there was a "Sit down!" in a less amiable tone.

There are facilities to watch the whole ride from the control center of an attraction. Even dark rides have IR cameras. I have seen several times, people get reprimanded for standing, or hanging out of the vehicle. They are watching. The problem is that some rides are moving too fast to allow for CMs to confront people during the act.

Ted

 

[patsal]

Ted,
I have had the same announcement on POTC and Splash. I cannot figure out why people think it is alright to stand on something that moves. I have even seen people light up and smoke on Splash. Then the cars all stop and the announcement is made, etc. The arms in the air on roller coasters I can see, but standing up and smoking I really just don't get it.

 

[pinktink83]

Oh, I guess I should clarify....I wasn't really meaning hands straight up, more like people trying to reach out and touch stuff, or sticking them out sideways.

That is no where no as dangerous as standing up. It just makes me scared to take my kids to DL after I see so many people (especially adults) disregarding the rules. I mean a 200+ lb male even leaning is going to shift the rides weight a lot. I just get nervous thinking about it.

So just a warning to you all, if you see a paranoid mom stating to everyone on the ride before "take-off" to please stay seated *or else*.......that'll be me!! LOL!