Does anybody else find this ridiculous?

[mattmommy]

Casey Jr. train, although not fast, goes at a decent clip and is a tad high above the ground in spots and has no seat belt for little ones.

Then you look at the Heimlich chew chew train at DCA. It's the pokiest ride I've ever been on. Grass grows faster than that ride and it's slower than the kiddie train ride at the mall during Christmas. They make EVERYBODY buckle up. We thought the CM was joking. She was serious.

 

[Master Mason]

That is because they were built at differnt times with different rules regarding safety requirements. The state can't make them go back and change something per sea, but anything new being built must come to the current code. And if it has a seat belt, you had just better plan on wearing it.

 

[Blackunicorn]

Also, I think the slow pace tempts some people--I know this sounds insane--to get up and try to jump from car to car. Disney has had deaths in the past on very slow rides because kids were jumping from car to car.

I don't really remember the train, the only car we rode in was a cage and we couldn't have gotten out if we wanted to.

 

[sterlingbird11]

Casey Jr. train, although not fast, goes at a decent clip and is a tad high above the ground in spots and has no seat belt for little ones.

Then you look at the Heimlich chew chew train at DCA. It's the pokiest ride I've ever been on. Grass grows faster than that ride and it's slower than the kiddie train ride at the mall during Christmas. They make EVERYBODY buckle up. We thought the CM was joking. She was serious.

You also forgot to mention that by the time you fasten your seatbelt, the ride is already over! It might be slow, but it is amazingly short.

 

[DLR29]

Casey Jr. train, although not fast, goes at a decent clip and is a tad high above the ground in spots and has no seat belt for little ones.

There's also this little ride at DL that goes pretty high up and is the fastest ride in the park and also has no seat belts. it's called Splash Mountain.

 

[4bugzinarug]

There's also this little ride at DL that goes pretty high up and is the fastest ride in the park and also has no seat belts. it's called Splash Mountain.

That totally freaks me out every time I look at it! We have only been on that ride twice since it opened, the lack of seat belts makes me nervous. I won't take DD on it for fear that she will fall out (probably completely unrealistic!).

 

[disneyscootergal]

That totally freaks me out every time I look at it! We have only been on that ride twice since it opened, the lack of seat belts makes me nervous. I won't take DD on it for fear that she will fall out (probably completely unrealistic!).

Yeah, why doesn't Splash have seatbelts?! I've only been on it once, and I've never thought about why until now, but I think it's because of that drop without any restraint.

Subconsciously, I don't want to die!!

 

[LucyKate]

All the rides in that section of DCA are slow, boring and over before you are strapped in.

They were the biggest shock on our trip. We loved just about everything we did in the main park, and thought GRR, TOT and Soarin the best 3 rides we'd done.

But when we did those rides we couldn't believe how bad they were. I know, they are for little kids, but still, I can't believe they couldn't have made them a little longer and more interesting. Even my (then) 5YO declared them boring.

 

[Dukland]

Yeah, why doesn't Splash have seatbelts?! I've only been on it once, and I've never thought about why until now, but I think it's because of that drop without any restraint.

Subconsciously, I don't want to die!!

I asked that question of the CM when I went on it. The answer...if the log turns over, would you want to be strapped in? I sure wouldn't! I especially wouldn't want my kid strapped in!

I agree with the Heimlich ride. I can walk faster than that!

 

[XTinabell]

All the rides in that section of DCA are slow, boring and over before you are strapped in.

They were the biggest shock on our trip. We loved just about everything we did in the main park, and thought GRR, TOT and Soarin the best 3 rides we'd done.

But when we did those rides we couldn't believe how bad they were. I know, they are for little kids, but still, I can't believe they couldn't have made them a little longer and more interesting. Even my (then) 5YO declared them boring.

I agree, we were very disappointed the first time we went on those rides in that area. But we learned our lesson and stay away from them now.

I asked that question of the CM when I went on it. The answer...if the log turns over, would you want to be strapped in? I sure wouldn't! I especially wouldn't want my kid strapped in!

I agree with the Heimlich ride. I can walk faster than that!

lol! It would be hard for the log to flip over that little river thing is so narrow but for sure if it did flip I would want to be able to get out. It's never bothered me that there were no seatbelts, most of the log water rides I've been on (outside dl) have also been no seatbelts.

 

[4bugzinarug]

I asked that question of the CM when I went on it. The answer...if the log turns over, would you want to be strapped in? I sure wouldn't! I especially wouldn't want my kid strapped in!

Do they think it *can* flip over?

I agree with the Heimlich ride. I can walk faster than that!

LOL! My kids agreed that it was slow, but they liked it for the scented food. It has been dubbed "the Smell-O-Ride", they can't wait to go on it again

 

[disneyscootergal]

Do they think it *can* flip over?



:

My thoughts exactly, 4Bugz!!!

 

[Albort]

Remember though, the Casey Jr IS operated BY a CM... hence, the CM can always be watching... can stop at the moment the CM hit the Emergency button...

BUT, Hemlich Choo Choo Train isnt controlled by a machine... the CM probably doesnt even have a camera to watch the ride go along. It is operated by machine to where it keeps going and doesnt know to stop.

 

[SunDevilDaddy]

I asked that question of the CM when I went on it. The answer...if the log turns over, would you want to be strapped in? I sure wouldn't! I especially wouldn't want my kid strapped in!

I agree with the Heimlich ride. I can walk faster than that!

The final drop on Splash Mountain is 52 1/2' @ a 47 degree angle and exceeding 40 mph. I searched high and low to find the g force that this creates but I couldn't find any information on it and unfortunately I am not a physics whiz. But, my guess would be that restraints are not required on Splash because the gravitational pull (ie g-force) created by the drop would more likely than not eliminate any chance of "falling out" of the log. I'm sure you can manipulate your way out of the log, but you could also undo your seatbelt on numerous other rides and endanger your safety.

Otherwise, I think the CM was partially correct when he spoke about the potential for overturned logs. While it's a slim chance, if a log was to overturn during a wide channel section of the ride you wouldn't want children especially fastened inside!

I'm sure Disney and California have very conservative laws regarding ride safety and depending on the year of design, etc. I'm sure the criteria for slow movers like Casey Jr. & Himlech change quite a bit.

 

[Warlock128]

Well , im just grateful some other rides have seatbelts on them for safety.
Imagine if indy didnt have any....

 

[mattmommy]

I'm all for seatbelts. No problem. I get afraid on the Go Coaster--go ahead mock me. But I can ride tea cups after a full meal. Go figure.

Our state ds6 has to be 8 or 80 pounds before he gets out of a booster. In FL he doesn't need one after 5. Can you imagine? We bring a booster seat everywhere.

 

[noryglory]

Okay since we're on the "seatbelts for safety" discussion and all...how many of you let your kids ride the school bus each day? If you do, are you fearing for their safety? I would be.

Did you know that there is approximately one school bus accident EVERY day of the year? (schools, churches, camps, etc)

I frankly find it appalling and ridiculous that legislators make us use a booster forever (and it's a good thing, I'm not arguing) BUT, and it's a big BUT, you can send your kid of any age or size onto a giant yellow bus with no seat belts and a driver who passes minimum scrutiny--a CDL, a background check (which often doesn't ferret out what it needs to), and who accepts a low wage and crummy schedule. No offense to great drivers or relatives of drivers here on these boards, but the fabulous job of "school bus driver" does not necessarily attract the highest quality people in the world. And you trust your child's safety--both with limited vehicle protection and under the care of what is, in most cases, a perfect stranger you have never met and never will meet (unlike their teachers and coaches and other people who have close contact with your child on a regular basis).

It makes me so mad, but I never do anything about it other than to keep my child off the bus with the exception of a random field trip in which other parents and teachers are on the bus too. I wish I had the time and energy to lobby for more safety regulations. What do you all think? I realize this rant might hijack this thread, but honestly, if we're talking about the safety of theme park rides, let's think about something that affects your life much more regularly...

 

[bumbershoot]

noryglory, I have no experience other than as a student with school buses (and as a former amazon.com employee being shuttled up to Seattle for the quarterly All Hands meetings), and I've done no research.

But for some reason, those tall padded seats and the blips I've read and seen in papers and TV stating that the tall seats are tall and padded for specific reasons, they seem to reassure me. To me, the bus is practically a tank, and I never feared for myself. If they were made of non-tank-like materials, I'd start to worry, though (we were just talking about classic, metal cars vs new smushy cars, and give me a 55 Chevy with no seatbelt ANY day over even the safest fiberglass new car...).

*********
I keep reading on the Dis about how even rides that go in a loop don't REALLY need seatbelts, as the forces would naturally keep you in. But, just in case the ride broke down in the middle of the loop, they put those harness in.