Lap Bars

[dynamite100]

They did this on the Ripsaw Falls at IoA a few years ago too. I'm not crazy tall (6ft 3), but I can barely fit my legs in on that ride now. So sad they have now done this on Splash Mountain.

 

[DCTooTall]

I'm 6'6".... so I'm really curious how this will impact my ability to fit.


Sadly i already have to think twice about Space Mountain because the T-bar doesn't play nice with my long legs.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Aw, man! Lap bars!

 

[kadesha]

I'm glad. Makes me feel so much better about my little bitty daughter riding them a million times every trip!!

 

[MYD714]

Aw, man! Lap bars!

I'm with you on this. I dread the thought of lap bars on this ride. I like to sit on the tip of the seat because water usually pools at the back of the seat. If lap bars prevent me from doing this, I'll be one unhappy guest.

 

[sharona]

The Scaredy Cat family is happy to hear this news.

 

[RachaelA]

I'm 6'6".... so I'm really curious how this will impact my ability to fit.


Sadly i already have to think twice about Space Mountain because the T-bar doesn't play nice with my long legs.

Yeah DH is 6'5 and Space Mountain kills his knees and legs. We usually skip it. I guess we'll have to try Splash once to see how he fits, but I have a feelings he's not going to be able to fit his legs in now with the bar.

 

[disny45]

It's been a while since I rode it ( okay YEARS) just wondering as I have a 6 year old wanting to ride it

 

[PlutosRHM55]

This isn't appealing to me. Log rides don't need lap bars and when I was there, I don't recall them stopping the ride because someone stood up. It almost sounds to me like it didn't happen often or it happened when I wasn't there *shrugs*

 

[DCTooTall]

It's been a while since I rode it ( okay YEARS) just wondering as I have a 6 year old wanting to ride it

Space Mountain now has a T-Bar restraint system... So yes, It's a lap bar. (the difference between a "traditional" lap bar and the T-bar is that the T-bar only has one central support with the lap restraint forming a T off the top)

Personally... I MUCH prefered the old Seat Belts. Made it much easier as a tall person to fit comfortably in the ride.

This isn't appealing to me. Log rides don't need lap bars and when I was there, I don't recall them stopping the ride because someone stood up. It almost sounds to me like it didn't happen often or it happened when I wasn't there *shrugs*

I've heard of it happening on more than 1 occasion. Even Universal was forced to add lap-bars to their log ride because of idiots deciding to stand or jump out of the ride.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised that part of the issue the Orlando parks have is that it's a Destination, so you end up with more tourists who get that little bit of extra courage to do stupid stuff they would never do back home. ("What happens in Orlando stays in Orlando" as it were.)

 

[evilqueenmindy]

This isn't appealing to me. Log rides don't need lap bars and when I was there, I don't recall them stopping the ride because someone stood up. It almost sounds to me like it didn't happen often or it happened when I wasn't there *shrugs*

I don't know that it was because someone stood up, but I once had this ride stop for like 15 minutes. . .lemme tell ya, the song loses all of its charm after a sustained 7 minutes or so.

Now if anyone ever stands up on Small World and stops the ride for any amount of time. . .execution is too light a punishment.

 

[sharona]

Is there some type of scientific reason that you don't come up out of the log rides that don't have lap bars? I always hold on to the side bars as if my life depends on it and it sure feels like I will levitate right out of the boat but I see others doing the no hands thing!

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Is there some type of scientific reason that you don't come up out of the log rides that don't have lap bars? I always hold on to the side bars as if my life depends on it and it sure feels like I will levitate right out of the boat but I see others doing the no hands thing!

Yeah, gravity. You fall at the same rate as the log, a penny, a whale, or any other non-aerodynamic object.

 

[DCTooTall]

Is there some type of scientific reason that you don't come up out of the log rides that don't have lap bars? I always hold on to the side bars as if my life depends on it and it sure feels like I will levitate right out of the boat but I see others doing the no hands thing!

Yeah, gravity. You fall at the same rate as the log, a penny, a whale, or any other non-aerodynamic object.

That, plus the lap bars / etc in roller coasters usually aren't designed so much to keep you in on the drops, but on the transition.

When you crest a hill at speed you are more likely to continue on your upward trajectory for a bit longer than the ride vehicle.

 

[Agri]

This isn't appealing to me. Log rides don't need lap bars and when I was there, I don't recall them stopping the ride because someone stood up. It almost sounds to me like it didn't happen often or it happened when I wasn't there *shrugs*

SM is my favorite ride so I go on it *a lot* every trip.

In August there were several rides where the announcement was made more than once. I was on the ride for over half an hour thanks to people standing up. Not fun.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

SM is my favorite ride so I go on it *a lot* every trip.

In August there were several rides where the announcement was made more than once. I was on the ride for over half an hour thanks to people standing up. Not fun.

people. They ruin EVERYTHING!

 

[DebbieB]

This isn't appealing to me. Log rides don't need lap bars and when I was there, I don't recall them stopping the ride because someone stood up. It almost sounds to me like it didn't happen often or it happened when I wasn't there *shrugs*

There was a man killed on it a few years ago. It was in the part where the water dances across. Apparently he got cold feet about the big drop and saw an exit sign and decided to get out. He slipped and fell between 2 logs, getting crushed.

I work in insurance and the problem is if someone gets hurt because of their own stupidity, liability can still come back to Disney because they did not have safety checks in place. Just like they put the gates on the loading platforms.

 

[imthatgirl]

Wow, this is so disappointing. The "thrill" of a fume is that nothing is holding you in...well supposedly.
We all know that gravity works 100% of the time. This is evident by the lack of bodies strewn all over the ground.

 

[hkeller27]

Screamsacpe has pictures of the newly outfitted logs:

http://www.screamscape.com/html/wdw_-_magic_kingdom.htm

 

[Mary T in PA]

Lap bars won't bug me or DD11. But as a few other posters have written, it will most likely affect my DH as he is 6'8" and it's quite a squeeze to get him in.. he cannot ride Space Mountain because he is just too tall.

Last summer we had someone stand up, and it did bring the ride to a halt. We sat for a good 10-15min before we finished, we were way past the drop.