Primeval Whirl Questions

[dekraut]

Hello all,

We are arriving in a few weeks with my DS (9) and my DD(4).

Have been looking at Primeval whirl. I see that it is limited to 48" and above, but ride videos don't look all that bad to me. My DD is about 45" or so (very tall for her age), and I can't help but think it looks like she would enjoy it.

Is it really that much of a thrill ride? and how picky are they about the height restrictions? I am not a pushy person, so I certainly am willing to follow the guidelines. I am just wondering if that ride is worse than the video looks.

Thanks much.

 

[figment_jii]

Is it really that much of a thrill ride?

It spins at it moves along the track. So in that way, yes I think it's a thrill-like ride. If you like spinning rides, then I think it's less intense than things like RnR or EE. If spinning rides (like Mad Tea Party) are intense for you, then this ride is very tough. I like EE and other coasters, but the spinning nature of this one is more than I can handle.

how picky are they about the height restrictions? I am not a pushy person, so I certainly am willing to follow the guidelines. I am just wondering if that ride is worse than the video looks.

Very. If your daughter does not make the height requirement, she will not be allowed to ride. They measure children at the entrance to the queue and again just before loading to make sure they're height eligible.

 

[bookluvingbabe]

They enforced in December 12 when DH tried to take DS (then 5) on it. I think he was somewhere between 45-46 inches.

He was tall enough to do it over Spring Break (although according to his doctor this morning he is only 47 1/4 inches...) and loved it. It is super high up though and pretty herky-jerky. It wasn't my favorite but I could do it again.

 

[bjs1228]

I think it is a very jerky ride, although we all love it. Yes, they are picky about the height restrictions in my experience. The first year we went my daughter was just a hair too short for it and was not allowed to ride it.

 

[JimmyV]

1. As to the height "guidelines", they really aren't that. They are strict "requirements". If a guest does not measure up, they are denied boarding. And the CMs check for platform shoes and hair put up in a bun.

2. The ride is hard to explain. It twirls like a Tea Cup (albeit more slowly) while at the same time going up, down and around corners. Some people have no tolerance for that multitude of movements. And honestly, I'm not sure that height has anything to do with it. My wife will ride EE and RnR all day long. But she cannot even watch DD and I ride PW. The reason the height requirment exists is because of the way the cars are shaped. A small person could slide right out of one of them as the safety restraint doesn't do much. It's not as if you are locked in a la Space Mountain or EE.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Hello all,

We are arriving in a few weeks with my DS (9) and my DD(4).

Have been looking at Primeval whirl. I see that it is limited to 48" and above, but ride videos don't look all that bad to me. My DD is about 45" or so (very tall for her age), and I can't help but think it looks like she would enjoy it.

Is it really that much of a thrill ride? and how picky are they about the height restrictions? I am not a pushy person, so I certainly am willing to follow the guidelines. I am just wondering if that ride is worse than the video looks.

Thanks much.

Primeval Whirl is a fun and wild ride!!!! The bright colors and cool theming literally screams to children. I will never understand why it's 48 inches!!!! I do feel it's a design oversight ----- a cute little mouse trap coaster should never have to exclude the majority of young kids. I don't know maybe it's because of the spinning part. And- kids are always disappointed from being turned away from this ride. Disney is very strict with height requirements!!!! Sorry- but if your daughter is only 45 inches don't even bother!!!!

 

[grimley1968]

I think the height requirement for this ride has everything to do with physics and nothing to do with maturity levels. I think it would be unsafe for a 47" adult to ride this, but completely safe for a 52" 6 YO to ride it. The lap bar on this ride is shared between 2 people (2 lap bars per vehicle). It may fit snugly for the taller person of the 2, but will hardly provide any restraint for the shorter person. Because the spins often stop with a pretty violent jerk, one who is not tall enough to fill up the space in the seat, and for whom the lap bar is not providing restraint, could be thrown.

The ride itself is pretty tame if you can handle the spinning combined with forward movement, but I don't think that has anything to do with height.

Hint: if you feel the spinning movement is getting to be too much, try to focus on one fixed object outside the vehicle (and refocus on it once you come back around to it). That always does the trick for me.

 

[Foltzyboy]

I saw a couple of kids turned away because they were less than an inch too short. Kids love this ride, the theming makes them practically adore it. But unless your good at making someone look an inch or two taller, there really isn't a chance

 

[Indecisive]

I only rode this once and I thought it was super-lame! It is nowhere near as "thrilling" as you might expect for a ride with such a high height requirement. I was glad it was a walk-on when I was there. If I had waited for it or wasted a FP+, I would have been really ticked! Skip it. You won't be missing anything. (Sorry to those that enjoy it. I am just stating my own opinion!).

 

[Bigmo]

It is thrilling for the youngsters I guess but not so much for the older ones. I was able to answer my phone and carry on a few minute conversation with my brother while riding it on Monday to give him directions as to where we were in the park. It is basically your run of the day Crazy Mouse coaster you will see at any traveling county fair.

 

[Love Tink]

Primeval Whirl is a fun and wild ride!!!! The bright colors and cool theming literally screams to children.

Literally? Guess I must have missed hearing that. Sounds like it would be unpleasant.

It is thrilling for the youngsters I guess but not so much for the older ones. I was able to answer my phone and carry on a few minute conversation with my brother while riding it on Monday to give him directions as to where we were in the park. It is basically your run of the day Crazy Mouse coaster you will see at any traveling county fair.

Hope you weren't riding with any strangers. Also, the ride is only one and a half minutes long.

 

[ghtx]

I think the height requirement for this ride has everything to do with physics and nothing to do with maturity levels.

I think that is true for all of the height requirements.

 

[dekraut]

Awesome info, thanks.

Yes, it did seem much like a mouse trap type ride, plus the spinning of course.

DD is definitely not going to make the height requirement, so I am glad I didn't use a FP+ on this one.

Thanks for letting me know how strict they are with the height requirements. That is good to know.

 

[DavidNYC]

Crazy Mouse coasters are pretty much the only ones I don't ride. Extreme lateral forces. Always bruises my arms if I'm on an end.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

It is thrilling for the youngsters I guess but not so much for the older ones. I was able to answer my phone and carry on a few minute conversation with my brother while riding it on Monday to give him directions as to where we were in the park. It is basically your run of the day Crazy Mouse coaster you will see at any traveling county fair.

Ha ha!!!!! I was holding on with both hands and crying like a baby on this thing!!!! And- you were talking on the phone????? I really hope not!! Now- I cannot stand stuck up acting wanna be smart folk who feel they have to correct everybody and point out every rule because they have low self esteem. I wish they would go back to the shadows from whence they came and finish lining up their Campbell soup cans in alphabetical order!!!!! Trust me- I am not one of those people......but- in this case.... talking on the phone on any coaster can be very very dangerous!!!! You could have dropped your phone and someone could have been hurt. That didn't happen so no biggie so avoid doing that next time. And- I completely agree that it is your run of the day Crazy Mouse coaster!!

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Awesome info, thanks.

Yes, it did seem much like a mouse trap type ride, plus the spinning of course.

DD is definitely not going to make the height requirement, so I am glad I didn't use a FP+ on this one.

Thanks for letting me know how strict they are with the height requirements. That is good to know.

It's a fun ride but you're not really missing out on much!!!! Hopefully, she'll be tall enough next time you go. Dinosaur should make up for it!!

Crazy Mouse coasters are pretty much the only ones I don't ride. Extreme lateral forces. Always bruises my arms if I'm on an end.

Ouch!! That's a good point!!

 

[Bigmo]

Ha ha!!!!! I was holding on with both hands and crying like a baby on this thing!!!! And- you were talking on the phone????? I really hope not!! Now- I cannot stand stuck up acting wanna be smart folk who feel they have to correct everybody and point out every rule because they have low self esteem. I wish they would go back to the shadows from whence they came and finish lining up their Campbell soup cans in alphabetical order!!!!! Trust me- I am not one of those people......but- in this case.... talking on the phone on any coaster can be very very dangerous!!!! You could have dropped your phone and someone could have been hurt. That didn't happen so no biggie so avoid doing that next time. And- I completely agree that it is your run of the day Crazy Mouse coaster!!

It was the second time in a row through it with no wait. It was only me and my 10 year old in the car so I went ahead and answered when I seen him call. In retrospect you are right and it was a real bonehead thing to do.

 

[Beer Me]

We skipped this when our kids were too small to ride and the line always seemed very long. We finally did it on the last trip. It's not intense at all. Some of the theming and details are neat. I'm glad I did it once but wouldn't bother again unless it was a walk on.

 

[DebbieB]

I took my then 12 year old niece in June 2006. Towards the end of the trip, after visting all 4 parks, I asked her what her favorite ride was and we would be sure to ride it before we left. I was thinking Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, Tower of Terror. What comes out of her mouth - Primeval Whirl! Ugh! So we went to AK late afternoon to ride it before closing (open late).

 

[LBIJim]

It's a standard spinning wild mouse ride straight out of the manufacturer's catalog. (Actually it's two of them side by side.) Exact clones are in plenty of other parks and carnivals. Some people consider this a detriment, that it's not "Disney" enough.

Relatively smooth ride, mild thrills, although it's quite easy to bump you elbow or arm against the car like what happened with a PP.

Jim