Motion Sickness Bags Are Now Being Handed out To Mission Space Riders

[raidermatt]

If Disney installed the same "puke bag hander outer" or whatever we end up calling these things on some other attractions, would the same sort of controversy come up?

On an existing attraction, no, because nausea has not been brought up as an example of a problem on other rides.

I think one of the issues here is that folks don't know if they will be impacted or not (pun intended). For example, somebody who knows they are prone to motion sickness is going to avoid this type of ride anyway, just like they avoid ToT. But what we seem to be hearing is that being prone to motion sickness isn't a very good indicator of whether or not M:S will make you nausous. So somebody who will ride anything is not expecting to get ill, but then does, or at least doesn't feel well for hours afterward.

I'm not saying that the installation of the dispensers makes the attraction a failure, but I'm sure that:

1. Its not something Disney wanted to do.
2. However bad the nausea issue is, its worse than they thought it would be.

It may not be a disastrous thing, but it definitely falls on the "bad" side of the ledger.

 

[DisneyKidds]

This is the first ride Disney has ever offered sickness bags for.

seems fairly significant, don't you think?

Yes, I agree it is something that seems to have not been necessary in the past and might be seen as significant (although I found the ride to be pretty tame and don't see what all the up(chuck)roar is about).

However, the discrete availability of bags for the one in 500 (in 100?, in 1,000?) guests who get sick on M:S seems a bit diffeent from the partrayal in the article that Disney has to offer riders a spew sack, don't you think?

I have no problem with discussing the pros and cons of the need, however great or little, of chunk catchers. I do have a problem with an article portraying something that doesn't necessarily exist, thereby perpetuating a largely unfounded fear and possibly discouraging guests from riding.

Disney pushed the envelope of thrill rides on M:S. I think that is a good thing.......................so long as it doesn't result in a $100+ mil ghost town. The news article pushes the envelope of responsibility.................and might help to create a ghost town where it need not exist. Really, do you think the purpose of the article was to altruistically warn unsuspecting guests...........or to create a headline that would help to sell papers?

 

[Dznefreek]

induces a feeling of weightlessness so realistic that "many guests experience severe motion sickness."

I don't think so.

I think it is more the effect of a big lunch.

 

[disrailfan]

DW and I just came home from there on Saturday December 13th and we did not see anyone getting sick on the ride nor did they hand out any kind of bags for people to throw up in. If this policy has started it has been in the last 3 days. Is this some press outlets way of making the ride sound worse than it really is. My wife even rode it and she does not ride roller coasters. Basically it appears that there are people that are not heading the warnings throughout the beginning of the ride indicating that they should not look left or right nor should they attempt to push their head forward.

Just another point of view.

 

[raidermatt]

However, the discrete availability of bags for the one in 500 (in 100?, in 1,000?) guests who get sick on M:S seems a bit diffeent from the partrayal in the article that Disney has to offer riders a spew sack, don't you think?

There's only two spots in the article that refer to the bag. Neither says anything about handing them out to people.

Putting them in the cabins is offering them to riders, and that's what it says. "Offer", and "made available".

The quotes from Jim Hill aren't all that incriminating... He only says it won't be the success Disney hoped for. Something the dear departed Scoop has also said. (Not that it wasn't a positive, only that it wasn't the positive hoped for)

There's a quote from Jim Lovell which is actually a complement.

There's also a quote from a Disney spokesperson.

The only part that might be over the top is the reporter's statement about "custodians scrambling to clean up after riders,", though actually, I hope they are scrambling when cleaning up is necessary.

On the numbers, if I understand correctly, there are 4 riders in each pod, so an "incident" inside a pod would have a pretty bad effect on 4 people, not just the ill person. If it happens after exiting, but before getting to a restroom, even more people are not going to be very happy.

Plus, that doesn't account for people like Larry described, which don't actually lose anything, but are not feeling well for quite awhile.

Again, I'm not trying to blow this out of proportion, because frankly, I'm still not sure how big a problem this truly is.

I'm just saying the article is not all that misleading, and this is certainly a problem that Disney didn't want from an attaraction it is promoting in national TV ads.

 

[airlarry!]

Pirate, agreed. Especially after reading these posts, I see that it is a person-to-person thing. I'm glad I read them, because it reminded me that it was the last or last two events that really caused the 'pressure' for lack of a better term.

What I did not like was that on other attractions there is a 'thrill' component (be it anticipation of a sudden drop, flume drop, accelaration to 60 mph quickly, loop, barrel roll, up and down motion in the day or dark) that was missing here. It seemed to want to imitate or simulate being in the middle of an action-packed thriller movie. Basically, it was the old Mission to Mars with g-forces instead of rumbling seats.

I just couldn't help feeling that (unlike Pooh or ToT or RnR or even Philarmagic) this wasn't the best Disney could do. I couldn't help silently begging the ride to be over soon (again near the last or last two events).

I was dutifully warned (and warned my family, too), not to look left or right or anything else that would 'spoil' my enjoyment of the attraction. I never did.

So it is a person to person thing.

I wish it were based upon the usual "I don't ride things with drops, loops, or heights" misgivings rather than the "I don't want to feel like crap" misgiving.

 

[Another Voice]

As Mr. Raidermatt wrote, people are using past experiences as their guide: carsickness, roller coasters, the teacups, etc. But these events case the "eye-ear disagreement" kind of motion sickness. According to some speculation, 'Mission: Space' is causing the "inner ear fluid turbulence" kind of sickness. It's something most people don't experience frequently and so they may not know they are susceptible to it. Worse if they think they are "immune" to motion sickness based on past experiences, the effects of 'M:S' come as a very unpleasant surprise.

It's been said that the military (who is the only one the puts a lot of people in these things) has noticed the same situation. Some pilots are absolutely perfect in the air, but turn unappealing shades of green in the centrifuge. And some people who can't hack the spinning can fly through hurricanes and not feel a thing.


On the operational side - when a capsule has to be de-proteined it takes down all the other capsules on the same centrifuge. That's one-quarter of the entire pavilion shut down every time a guy with a mop shows up. Given the very short time your actually in the centrifuge, a single clean-up could cost a complete cycle or two. It doesn't take but a couple of people every hour having problems to dramatically cut the attraction's capacity. The bags are simply an attempt to keep the show running closer to capacity.


Personally I think this innovation is long over due. Certainly 'If You Had Wings' could have used something similar (although a blindfold and ear plugs were have been better) - and each and every copy of George of the Jungle 2 should not only come with a full box of barf bags but a complete shower kit as well (one will never feel fully clean again after watching that steaming piece). This could become a whole new level of Disney customer service.

 

[crusader]

airlarry -

I don't know why you had a bad experience. (although it appears this post has crossed AV's and I would agree with the above explanation.)

There was only one person in our group who really felt similar and wound up leaving the park. But unlike you, this individual hasn't had any exposure to a g-force in decades.

I think many people who have no experience with g's are curious and attempting the ride because they don't realize what it is they are being warned about.

I love this attraction. It's cutting edge and it tests your abilities. That's a big deal to a thrill seeker. The fact that it gives us an opportunity to try out that coveted NASA centrifuge is what makes it so great and a perfect fit for EPCOT.

 

[ChrisFL]

M:S I rode once...and it was intense even for a thrill-seeker like me.

I only saw 1 person losing their lunch in the LARGE trash cans they have directly at the exit of the ride capsules themselves. I guess they had a problem with people on the ride itself.

Only one person that time, but I've heard of a lot more people who got sick on it, or at least felt very bad.

IMO, Disney can tone it down 10% and save a lot of anguish while still having quite a good attraction.

BTW, what "abilities" does it test crusader? The ability to look over and push the buttons at the right time without spewing?

 

[betterlatethannever]

Originally posted by raidermatt
... If it happens after exiting, but before getting to a restroom, even more people are not going to be very happy....

This has probably been mentioned, but the restrooms are part of the problem. There are no restrooms in the pavilion. The CMs have to use a trailer behind the pavilion.

The CMs tell the guests to go to WoL. (I hope that the guests only get sick during the peak seasons

Ed

 

[airlarry!]

Jim Hill says the local media is running with this, and that when the National Media picks it up, there will be reprecussions felt throughout the Disney empire.

www.jimhillmedia.com

I understand your point, Crusader, and if the ride ended after the blast off, I probably would have been okay.

Want to fix the ride? Do the blast off, show some cool space effects through the window as a tease.

Then exit the centrifuge as you go to 'deep sleep'. Big SFX as they pretend you are actually out in Space floating toward Mars.

Then you exit your 'sleep chamber' (the old Disney transfer show area) and 'dock' with the space station orbiting Mars.

Then you land on Mars, and get off the 'ship' to explore a recreated Mars landscape.

Hmm....or you could just blast off, push button, blast again, push button, blast again, push button then blast into Mars while pushing a button as a 1950s robotic version of Gary Sinise drones away in your ear.

 

[crusader]

Originally posted by ChrisFL
BTW, what "abilities" does it test crusader? The ability to look over and push the buttons at the right time without spewing?

Hey that can be quite a challenge to an unnerved scaredycat!

"Push the Button - NOW!"

It tests your endurance. It tests your stamina. It tests your physique. If you lose your lunch you're a weenie.

I hope they don't tone down the g's. The launch is excellent!

 

[crusader]

Larry, I hope Jim Hill is wrong on that assumption.

Barf bags only solidify what we already know about this ride. There are those who have the "right stuff" and those who don't. They certainly don't deter anyone from flying and that's the image we all think of.

As far as fixing the ride to omit the flight maneuver is concerned, I'll have to ask one of the real guys next week if this is part of their training.

It was too bad he couldn't join us when we were down there. It would have been great to have a professional offer his opinion.

 

[wdwguide]

Much of what's wrong with Mission: SPACE goes directly back to Disney's marketing/PR department. The way it has been advertised just gives people a completely wrong impression of what this ride is about. It's perfectly fine for what it is, but when you look at billboards of people with their faces frozen in an expression of absolute terror and expect this thing to scare the **** out of you, of course you're going to be disappointed.

The whole motion sickness problem will probably get less problematic with time anyway once repeat ridership becomes a larger percentage of the total guest throughput.

 

[Another Voice]

"If you lose your lunch you're a weenie."

Personally I think that anyone who uses an amusement park ride as a test of their manhood is a "weenie". There's plenty out there to really test your endurance and your stamina, not the cheap and easy thrills found at 'Mission: Space'.

WDW is a place people go to for fun, enjoyment and imgination. If a large number of people don't get that then Disney has a problem.

Burbank has a problem.

 

[crusader]

Relax AV.

First of all, Mission Space is not an amusement park ride.

Second of all, I do believe manhood is politically incorrect when addressing today's NASA trainees. Remember theres that lovely workforce development issue in our Fair Labor Standards Act responsible for all those equal opportunity employers who keep our country proud (and the litigators in business) .

Yeah that's right there's plenty to test your manhood - too bad those "wondercycles" at WoL are no longer going to be accessible off peak.

And we thrillseekers of all sizes, sexes and generations do tend to use attractions the likes of "X" and "top thrill dragster" to measure our meters. Have you seen those lines at cedar point????

 

[WEDWAY100]

Originally posted by raidermatt
On the numbers, if I understand correctly, there are 4 riders in each pod, so an "incident" inside a pod would have a pretty bad effect on 4 people, not just the ill person. If it happens after exiting, but before getting to a restroom, even more people are not going to be very happy.

Matt,

This is exactly my concern. Local news this morning in Tampa did the M:S barfbag story. They stated that 1 in every 100 riders get sick. They didn't say where those numbers came from, or what "sick" means (actual spilling of protien, or just nausea).

I do not get sick on M:S. But if what was stated on the news this morning is true, once every 25 times I ride, someone in my pod will puke, and that's something I really don't want to experience.

 

[raidermatt]

I started to tell my wife about the the bags last night, figuring she wouldn't know about it because (A) its a new story, and (B) she doesn't frequent any Disney fan sites.

She interrupted me to tell me she had heard about it on KCBS, which is a newstalk radio station broadcasting here in the SF Bay Area.

It surprised me to hear that it was picked up so quick here on the opposite coast.


Crusader, we both know we disagree on the extent to which Disney should be including physical thrill attractions, but this is a different animal.

If the explanation AV heard turns out to be correct, people aren't having problems because their meter doesn't measure up. The attraction is measuring something they have no real control over, and has nothing to do with their perceived ability to handle thrills on rides/attractions.

The people who expect to have issues with thrill rides are already taken out of the equation. Now, more people who don't normally have problems are being taken out of the equation.

Granted, we don't know for sure how big a problem this is, but it does seem to be a problem.

This has probably been mentioned, but the restrooms are part of the problem. There are no restrooms in the pavilion. The CMs have to use a trailer behind the pavilion.
The CMs tell the guests to go to WoL. (I hope that the guests only get sick during the peak seasons

If this was mentioned, I missed it.

Can anyone either confirm or deny this? (no offense, betterlatethannever, I just don't want to be accused of jumping to any conclusions based on one post.) I would think that easily accessable restrooms would be a given for a thrill ride of this type....

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by wdwguide
Much of what's wrong with Mission: SPACE goes directly back to Disney's marketing/PR department. The way it has been advertised just gives people a completely wrong impression of what this ride is about. It's perfectly fine for what it is, but when you look at billboards of people with their faces frozen in an expression of absolute terror and expect this thing to scare the **** out of you, of course you're going to be disappointed.

The whole motion sickness problem will probably get less problematic with time anyway once repeat ridership becomes a larger percentage of the total guest throughput.

I haven't seen any of the billboards that show people "with their faces frozen in an expression of absolute terror." I've only seen the one with the boy, who is obviously having a good time, with only excitement shown on his face. But maybe it's how you look at it.

As for the barf bags ... I think it's a gimmick. Sure, people have gotten sick when they've exited M:S. Used to happen all the time on Body Wars too, when it first opened. My bet is that there are plenty of "protein spills" at the exit to some of the super-coasters at places like Cedar Point too. Heck, I've seen people lose their lunch after the teapots ... an amazing number, actually ... and Disney has never offered barf bags there. I think they're doing it to add some urban legend to the ride. To make all those thrill seekers out there take notice of the little Disney ride. If you're a tween, and you love coasters and think Disney is for kids, what's going to get you there? Well ... a ride that might make you throw up is a draw ...

 

[raidermatt]

Wedway, our posts crossed, which is why I didn't acknowledge your comments in my last post, but, yes, your example is what I was getting at. I might be have no problem at all with M:S personally, but if someone around me loses it, or even if another member in our party feels poorly the rest of the day, it would be a significant bummer for us.

Like you, I don't know whether the 1 in a 100 number is true, and even exactly how they define "sick", so again, I'm still not sure how big the issue is. But the fact that the story is getting so much play is significant in and of itself.