one scary space mountain ride and a couple weird things

[Simba's Mom]

For some reason, the fact that they put you with that little boy on PW stuck out to me. Although I've never been on that ride, I've always noticed that whenever I'm solo at WDW, the CM always give me my own car, boat row, etc. I figured that they did that so I wouldn't claim another person near me accosted me and sue WDW. Sometimes it's a little embarrassing when there's a long line behind me and everyone glares at me as I get so much unused seating around me. This is the way it's been on every ride I've done solo for 8 years. I've kind of liked having my own "space" and agree-it is really surprising they put you with a little boy-a risk for you too if the boy thought you'd "done" anything when you accidently bumped him on corners.

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

two summers ago in august , my dh, dd13 and her girlfriend alll went on the primevil whirl thing at AK . now my dd loves all rides. well in the middle of the ride , the ride stopped very abrutly, and needless to say (both my dd and friend are very slim and little for their ages) well they slammed into the bar or whatever it is that holds you in. When the ride ended they both got off looking kinda sick. I asked what happened and when they told me i was really surprised they didnt shut the ride down. dd friend said she was ok, but my daughter complained of like chest soreness. I went over to speak to mgr and then went also to the front on the way out. I told them the whole story, all h e asked me was "Do you want to take an ambulance and go to the hospital " We said no that we would keep an eye on her. And shortly after she did feel ok, I just wanted them to be aware. Now we went this summer to and she doesnt ride that anymore. But it is best to let them know, I would of filled out a form or whatever but they didnt ask either. Thankfully they felt better .

 

[SpaceMounatin]

WOW. I know that Arrow (which made SM I believe) and Vekoma cars have restrainse that don't always stay closed propably. It's happened to me on Great American Scream machine at SFGAv. Also a wierd thing happend to me on SM (B). During E-Ticket night. I took a spin on the mountain by my self.When we got to the station the train infront of us waqs empty, and it didn't move for about 5 minutes. The trains kept backing up. There was no speil either. When I left the ride the entrance was closed off. But it was 5 minutes to the end of E-ticket night. Also A side closed 30 minutes early.

 

[CaseyJr]

Wow! Whenever my DS(8) rides ANYTHING I tell him to hold on tight. He's small for his age, but was tall enough to ride RnRC last summer. If I hadn't been holding on for dear life myself, I would have been holding onto him (I actually loved the ride as much as he did).

You know, it's always been my fear that a restraint won't hold (I've been tardy getting lap belts to buckle on Dinorsaur and TT -- a fellow passenger helped me out) and that I'd fall out. I guess I would know enough to hold on to whatever I could. But I never really thought about what would happen if DS became unrestrained and how he would react. Is a child that age capable of staying calm and doing the logical things, or would he freak and panic and make it worse.....?! In rides like SM, riders sit in separate seats, single file, each with his own restraint. If something bad happened, there's no way I would know about it in time, nor be able to help him.

 

[jimmytammy]

Sounds like more of Michael Eisners ideas gone awry!!

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by CaseyJr
But I never really thought about what would happen if DS became unrestrained and how he would react. Is a child that age capable of staying calm and doing the logical things, or would he freak and panic and make it worse.....?! In rides like SM, riders sit in separate seats, single file, each with his own restraint. If something bad happened, there's no way I would know about it in time, nor be able to help him.

nothing like a parent's worst nightmare....I wonder why the bar went up and wish I knew more about the restraints themselves...I hadn't ridden it for a while but it seemed like I do not remember so much "air time" from the previous visits as it seemed to me I was flying out of my seat a lot more than I remembered before( which at the time I thought was fun...hehe, till the bar opened I mean), even before the bar actually lifted up and so I wonder if the bar was loosening gradually and finally just let loose or because I was flying around so much if it put more pressure on the bar or what... I don't know how much force a child being push against it would cause verse an adult. I just assumed( silly me) there was some kind of latch or something that the Cm clamped down after you pushed it down ( guess that isn't what I see some stepping on when you leave the stations to rides.) I don't know how the subjective unemotional way to view this is...do you just* hear* more such things or are there *really* more such incidents. I just know it scared me enough to not want to go on again" just in case"!

 

[Gem85]

Oh No!! I've always been afraid that would happen to me..atleast SM doesn't go upside down! Whenever i get on tot im always scared that will happen.

 

[poohkie]

Welp i'll never be able to ride anything ever again.

 

[Raisenbrand08]

This is ALWAYS my biggest fear....I can imagine something like this happening at a fair or carnival which sets up everything in 1 day but at a big park!! this is Crazy!! and i'm goin on my first trip in a couple of weeks i wont want to ride anything!! Brandee

 

[SpaceMounatin]

Originally posted by Gem85
Oh No!! I've always been afraid that would happen to me..atleast SM doesn't go upside down! Whenever i get on tot im always scared that will happen.

You wont fall out in a loop if your restrain comes off. (Unless you jumped out) it's because of centrifuge-force.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by Raisenbrand08
This is ALWAYS my biggest fear....I can imagine something like this happening at a fair or carnival which sets up everything in 1 day but at a big park!! this is Crazy!! and i'm goin on my first trip in a couple of weeks i wont want to ride anything!! Brandee

please do keep this in perspective...out of the how ever many rides we went on this happened once...but I don't know how to over come it which imo is the worst part since it is basically out of your hands. I always felt safe at parks and never went on any thing at fairs either due to the same concerns. probably the next time we go I'll end up riding SM again since the fear will have subsided but I do have to say I don't feel as safe as I once did at WDW.

space mountain..are you sure about that? is the force really great enough to keep your in your seat? the only reason I am wondering is because the restains for looping coasters I have been on always seem to be the more "heavy duty' shoulder restraints which I assumed was because of more force but that is purely conjecture on my part so I am wondering if you know that for a fact...( I seem to be able to convince myself better if I have concrete facts on my side but it's been a very long time since I took physics)

 

[sus]

I agree with EsmereldaX. I have been on TOT with some very large people too. My sister and I both looked at each other before it started like uh oh, here we go. We laughed and screamed and held onto each other the entire time, because we basicly had no lap bar anywhere near us. Funny now that I look back and we are fine, but not so funny then.

 

[ashjohnson80]

i wish i hadn't read this post. it's taken me forever to be able to ride stuff. I just rode space mountain and big thunder mountain rr last year and i had been to disney world 3 times before then. i hope i won't be freaked out and will still ride. it will ruin my husbands trip if i don't.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by sus
I agree with EsmereldaX. I have been on TOT with some very large people too. My sister and I both looked at each other before it started like uh oh, here we go. We laughed and screamed and held onto each other the entire time, because we basicly had no lap bar anywhere near us. Funny now that I look back and we are fine, but not so funny then.

each seat has an individual lap belt now on tot

 

[LisaRay]

Just saw this thread and had to add that while we were there Jan. 10-17 my 13 year old DD and I were on BTMR and as we pulled away the lap bar which HAD been down, locked, and checked came unlocked. We were just past the CM's when it happened. Scared the crap out of us we both grabbed it and pulled it back down and luckily it locked again! However, I could no longer enjoy the ride.

This just amazes me after it has been closed down for so long you would think everything would be in perfect working order. Well of course the lap bar should always be in perfect working order!

 

[mitros]

You know, after reading the posts on this thread, it causes me to wonder what the cutbacks at WDW are actually doing to the parks. Some of the cutbacks that I have been reading about are indeed in the maintenence dept. I understand that they have cut back on the number of maintenece CMs available at a given time. Maybe it's starting to show.

 

[Tinkbell]

This thread is freaking me out. I'll still ride, but I'll probably be thinking of this too.