one scary space mountain ride and a couple weird things

[jann1033]

after hearing horror stories about attractions I wanted to add my own. just a little before the end of the ride on space mountain my bar flipped open(?). it didn't just "move", it flipped all the way up! I had pulled on the little plastic thing when we left the station and it seemed locked but about 3/4 through the ride the bar just raised up like it does when you get out. I was able to pull it back down and it seemed to be locked again but I put my arms around it upwards and held it down since I was afraid it was going to go up again. I told them when we got in the station what happened and they said they would pull the car but I keep thinking what if it happened earlier in the ride? needless to say, that probably stopped me from ever going on it again even though I really liked it before, just too creepy now. I was kind of panicing thinking we were going to go down some hills or something and I'd fly out but the ride was almost over and we didn't do anything really rough.

It seemed like on a few things they were in a little to much of a hurry to really carefully check the belts. on the dinasaur ride ( think it was that one) my husband couldn't get his strap to click and they just ignored him when we were leaving and he kept saying it wasn't latched. he got it to work but I would think they would have made sure. the CM is saying to pull up on the yellow strap and my husband is telling him his isn't latched and the guy just kepttelling everyone to pull on the strap...HELLO! what's the good of that when they ignore the guy who says his isn't latched!

another weird thing was they put us in a car with a little kid ( maybe 10 yrs) who was by himself on primeval whirl. they knew we weren't in a group. my husband sat beside him and I kept thinking his poor parents were probably having a heart attack wondering why this guy was sitting next to their kid..( I probably would have been if it were my kid sitting by a total stranger!)you'd think they would have had us go seperately especially since there were maybe 4 people in line. just seemed odd to me. at first the little boy seemed really uncomfortable till I started screaming my head off( didn't know it turned around!! very fun!!) then he just acted like he thought I was psychotic!

 

[WDWAurora]

That happened to me on SM a long time ago...My mom hates any and all roller coasters, but she road SM twice. The second time, she sat in front of me, and it happened. I leaned forward and told her. She hasn't ridden it since.

Primeival whirl-that doesn't really surprise me about the loading. I would've appreciated them loading things better when we were there at the beginning of the month. Of course, I remember when Disney rarely left a seat empty on ANYTHING...so it bothers me if there are empty seats now, especially if it's remotely crowded.

Anyway, I hope you still had a good trip!! Did you try any other rides that were new for you? ToT 4, for example?

 

[kaygela]

OMG. That's always my big fear when I ride a coaster. Can't believe it can really happen. I'm so glad that you were at the end of the ride and nothing terrible happened. I wonder if I'll be able to get myself to go on it in a couple of weeks.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by WDWAurora
Anyway, I hope you still had a good trip!! Did you try any other rides that were new for you? ToT 4, for example?

I had been on and loved tot before ( still do) usually the wilder the better for me. thought test track was just so so, a little ho hum except the very end and loved mission space..such a weird but i thought great sensation! husband got really sick on it even following all the directions and didn't want to ride again so I am looking forward to Nov. when we are going with a bunch of "wild"Ones, one who loves to fly so I hope he will love it and I can ride again and again! thought dinosaur was ok just not totally impressed by it for some reason. maybe it would grow on me. love kilimonjari safari though not a"thrill " ride

 

[Fooboy]

i would assume that after the recent accident at Disneyland in Cali that the Disney Co. would institute heavier safety regulations.

foobs

 

[mitros]

You will find that due to the cutbacks at WDW, there will be less CMs to do more work. They most certainly are cutting back on the number of CMs running the rides, and they are told to get as many people on as possible. Any ride in which I know I could go flying out without an operating lap bar or seat belt, I will avoid until they put more people on. It is a noticeable thing, this cutback of people. Since we go every month since moving to Florida in 1996, we have noticed a marked decrease in the amount of CMs available to run things. Thanks Michael!

 

[NotUrsula]

When did SM get lock bars? I haven't been on it for years b/c I think the extra lights ruined it, but I don't remember having lock bars, just a handgrip.

 

[TLinden16]

We had our lapbar on Thunder Mountain unlatch after the cast member did the check on it. It was right as the train was getting ready to leave. As the vehicle started moving, we told one of the cast members that the bar didn't lock, and it was completely open when we went by him. He told us to pull it back, and it would be all right. They didn't stop the train or anything. We pulled it back, and it still didn't lock. We rode the entire ride, hugging that lap bar for dear life.

Karen

 

[goofy4tink]

Oh man!!! And to think I keep telling my dd that she'll be safe on the rides at WDW since Mickey would never let anything bad happen. You guys are not making me feel all safe and cuddly!!! I used to feel so safe. Well, at least until they put me in that front car of BTMR!! THat did give me pause after the accident at DL. Now how do I feel safe??

 

[WDSearcher]

Hopefully, all of you who have had these incidents happen have documented the incident, the date and time, and the place, and have sent that to WDW. If not, then I suggest you do. They can't fix something (a ride or a procedure) if they don't know it's broken. If you can give them very specific info, the incident will be investigated.

 

[kevind65]

talk about freaky; I had a shoulder harness that came completely unlatched a couple of years ago on the dueling dragons roller coaster at USIOA....the one with loops....I just wrapped my hands around the handles and pulled the harness in toward me and gravity took care of the rest...obviously, I made it through, but still a little freaky!

 

[kaygela]

Oh my. I may just have to have my family stick to It's a Small World when we go. I always had such faith in Disney, but now I don't know. All these posts are very disturbing.

 

[WDWAurora]

In regards to the fears being expressed...In my experience, that happened to me one time. I've ridden SM at least 200 times, and that's happened once. I've ridden ToT at least 500 times, never had a problem. TM-probably 200 or so, never had a problem, etc etc. These incidents are few and far between. This is a very concentrated group of Disneyites on this board, so these experiences are more frequent based upon the background...More people on these boards have been more times...if that makes sense. While I'm sure people who only go once have things like this happen, it's much more likely to happen to those of us who ride a lot-we just up our chances, if you know what I mean. Did it stop me from riding anything? Nope. Not a bit. I'm just as much of a daredevil as ever.

 

[mazzarafe]

When we were going on Splash Mountain or it could have been COP, I know it was one of the rides that they set you up in rows to load with the gates that open and close for loading.

It was my turn to have DD5 as she kept hogging her Dad and older DD was getting jealous. Well I got in line with her thinking that I should get in first and help her down into the boat. Well I put my backpack down on the floor and turned around and the gate had closed with DD behind it. Thank goodness the ride didn't start yet and I was able to push the gate open and put her in the boat. I know my DD is a peanut but how did the CM miss the fact that I was all by myself and there was a kid that was still standing next to the gate.

DH was not to happy with me, but from then on I put her in first and well if I didn't make it on the ride than at least she wasn't that far from her dad.

Kinda scary to think that if I hadn't turned back to her quickly enough she would have been standing there all by herself so scared. I felt so rushed getting on and off rides even when there was such a little line of people waiting to get on.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by NotUrsula
When did SM get lock bars? I haven't been on it for years b/c I think the extra lights ruined it, but I don't remember having lock bars, just a handgrip.

these seemed like different cars than I remembered but now it has a "t" shaped padded lap bar that comes up from by you feet and pulls down and is supposed to lock in place, the top of the tee going across your lap

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by WDWAurora
In regards to the fears being expressed...In my experience, that happened to me one time. I've ridden SM at least 200 times, and that's happened once. I've ridden ToT at least 500 times, never had a problem. TM-probably 200 or so, never had a problem, etc etc. These incidents are few and far between. This is a very concentrated group of Disneyites on this board, so these experiences are more frequent based upon the background...More people on these boards have been more times...if that makes sense. While I'm sure people who only go once have things like this happen, it's much more likely to happen to those of us who ride a lot-we just up our chances, if you know what I mean. Did it stop me from riding anything? Nope. Not a bit. I'm just as much of a daredevil as ever.

I agree as I thought the same thing but I also keep thinking of the 'what if" since you only get killed once. at least they said they were pulling the car off ( he said it to the other cm so I don't think it was for my peace of mind but he really was going to) and I do not think this is only a problem at WDW but just creepy any way to me. it didn't stop me from riding anything else but maybe next time I will get on this one, maybe not

 

[Selket]

Originally posted by jann1033
I also keep thinking of the 'what if" since you only get killed once.

Really! That is a big fear that something will come open or not work right after the ride is engaged. What about ToT? Anyone got on that and had a lap belt fail? I've always wondered if they would notice if someone flew out of their seat.

Ah....the older I get the more I like the motion rides...at least I know I'm not really going anywhere...

 

[whirlsy]

I keep thinking what if that had happened to my dd 8 she would have freaked. I havent been on that ride in a long time but do you sit two in a seat or one in front of the other? do you have another seat belt on or is that the only restraint you have?

 

[Chim Chiminy]

It was my turn to have DD5 as she kept hogging her Dad and older DD was getting jealous. Well I got in line with her thinking that I should get in first and help her down into the boat. Well I put my backpack down on the floor and turned around and the gate had closed with DD behind it. Thank goodness the ride didn't start yet and I was able to push the gate open and put her in the boat. I know my DD is a peanut but how did the CM miss the fact that I was all by myself and there was a kid that was still standing next to the gate.

When we rode Splash last August, I had my 4 yr old DD sit with me. As I was trying to help her through the gate and into the log, the CM actually snapped at me. The gate was closing on me (kids with little legs sometimes move slower) and he told me to hurry it up, there are a lot of people waiting! (it was an e-night). They didn't even wait for me to fully be seated before the ride started.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by Selket
Really! That is a big fear that something will come open or not work right after the ride is engaged. What about ToT? Anyone got on that and had a lap belt fail? I've always wondered if they would notice if someone flew out of their seat.

Ah....the older I get the more I like the motion rides...at least I know I'm not really going anywhere...

I haven't had a lap belt fail, but I am quite thin and I rode ToT once and had to share a lap bar with a family of people who were quite large and because the lap bar only came down to the top of the most large persons body , I may as well have not had a lap bar at all, because several times, I almost flew out of the seat.

Now I always try to go with the seat belt seat.