Safety Restraints on Attractions

[Doingitagain]

I am OK with dips and dives and drops on attractions, but what I struggle with are the safety bars that come over your head and lock in place. Is there somewhere I can go to see what kind of safety restraints are used on attractions? If I get to the start of an attractions and I decide I can’t handle it, is there usually a way to exit without going on the ride? Thanks!

 

[bumbershoot]

There is always a chicken exit.

Scraamin’ has over the shoulder restraints.

I can’t think of others.

 

[DizMe]

Agree with bumbershoot. As far as I can recall, Screamin' is the only one that has that kind of restraint, unless they change it (doubtful) now that's about to become the Incredicoaster. But you can always exit a ride if you change your mind.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Screamin went upside down so that one isn’t changing with Incredicoaster imho. You can absolutely always decide to exit the ride once you get to the front. It is always an option, although you may need to have a cast member point you in the right direction.

 

[dina444444]

Incredicoaster is going to be the only ride with over the shoulder restraints. I don’t think they will be changing them to hydraulic lap bars with shin restraints during this refurb since the images recently released just show a new paint job on the trains.

 

[Malcon10t]

They were test running Incredicoaster yesterday, still has shoulder restraints.

 

[bumbershoot]

Screamin went upside down so that one isn’t changing with Incredicoaster imho.

FWIW it’s not the loop that requires the shoulder restraints. It’s the bunny hops and the potential for peoples’ stupidity. Physics keeps you in your seat during the loop.

 

[figment_jii]

FWIW it’s not the loop that requires the shoulder restraints. It’s the bunny hops and the potential for peoples’ stupidity. Physics keeps you in your seat during the loop.

I actually think the shoulder restraints are for the loops...in an emergency when the coaster stops and there is a car stuck in the loop.

OP, as others have said, Screamin'/Incredicoaster is the only attraction with over the shoulder restraints that I can think off. If you opt to forgo the ride, most have an easy way to exit near the loading point. Just tell the CM and they'll explain how to get out of the ride (e.g., either go straight through the attraction vehicle to the exit or use the alternative exit).

 

[DanieB]

I needed help figuring out seating with three kids and someone shared this link with pics of all the ride vehicles

http://allears.net/dlr/tp/seatpix.htm

It helped me a ton so passing it on

 

[Doingitagain]

I needed help figuring out seating with three kids and someone shared this link with pics of all the ride vehicles

http://allears.net/dlr/tp/seatpix.htm

It helped me a ton so passing it on

This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you so much!

 

[ashley0139]

I actually think the shoulder restraints are for the loops...in an emergency when the coaster stops and there is a car stuck in the loop.

OP, as others have said, Screamin'/Incredicoaster is the only attraction with over the shoulder restraints that I can think off. If you opt to forgo the ride, most have an easy way to exit near the loading point. Just tell the CM and they'll explain how to get out of the ride (e.g., either go straight through the attraction vehicle to the exit or use the alternative exit).

I don't believe it's physically possible for the train to get stuck upside down in the loop. It would either keep going forward or go backward and end up at the bottom. It's perfectly safe to have rollercoaster with inversions that don't have shoulder restraints.

 

[dina444444]

I don't believe it's physically possible for the train to get stuck upside down in the loop. It would either keep going forward or go backward and end up at the bottom. It's perfectly safe to have rollercoaster with inversions that don't have shoulder restraints.

This. Most newer inversion rollercoasters don’t have over the shoulder restraints unless they have a large number of inversions. The hydraulic lap bar with shin guards is becoming more common and it makes for a more comfortable ride.

 

[MonocularVision]

The hydraulic lap bar with shin guards is becoming more common and it makes for a more comfortable ride.

As a very tall human, 100 percent this. The over the shoulder bars on Screamin’ almost make it unrideable. I have to sort of slouch to make it work.

 

[agamble]

As a very tall human, 100 percent this. The over the shoulder bars on Screamin’ almost make it unrideable. I have to sort of slouch to make it work.

My issue with the over the shoulder restraints is that I bump by head/ears against them during the ride if I don't keep my head firmly back on the rest. Ouch!

 

[DizMe]

My issue with the over the shoulder restraints is that I bump by head/ears against them during the ride if I don't keep my head firmly back on the rest. Ouch!

Yes! I learned this the hard way as well. I got a nasty sore from my earring.

 

[maltdizzy]

I don't believe it's physically possible for the train to get stuck upside down in the loop. It would either keep going forward or go backward and end up at the bottom. It's perfectly safe to have rollercoaster with inversions that don't have shoulder restraints.

It is very rare, even rarer on a loop, but it has happened once or twice around the world. You are right that it should just roll forward or backward, but every now and then a coin lands on its edge.

But, as noted, there are plenty of modern inverting coaster with just lap and/or calf restraints, and they would work even if stuck upside down (they might even be more comfortable).

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't believe it's physically possible for the train to get stuck upside down in the loop. It would either keep going forward or go backward and end up at the bottom. It's perfectly safe to have rollercoaster with inversions that don't have shoulder restraints.

It is very rare, even rarer on a loop, but it has happened once or twice around the world. You are right that it should just roll forward or backward, but every now and then a coin lands on its edge.

But, as noted, there are plenty of modern inverting coaster with just lap and/or calf restraints, and they would work even if stuck upside down (they might even be more comfortable).

My impression is that all these roller coasters have brakes that stop a train in place. I think I've even seen a picture of Screamin' with a car in the top of the loop.

They'd have to have the brakes that apply in a stop as a safety option - it's not going to be very safe if they just rolled until they stopped. We have been stopped on Space Mt and it's a hard stop right in place.

 

[figment_jii]

I don't believe it's physically possible for the train to get stuck upside down in the loop.

No, it's possible to be stuck upside down in the loop. I've read about it happening at other theme parks, luckily it doesn't seem like happens all that often.

My issue with the over the shoulder restraints is that I bump by head/ears against them during the ride if I don't keep my head firmly back on the rest. Ouch!

I'm with you on this one! I can't ride Rock 'N Rollercoaster in DHS because of this. I had such a headache after the last time I rode.

This. Most newer inversion rollercoasters don’t have over the shoulder restraints unless they have a large number of inversions. The hydraulic lap bar with shin guards is becoming more common and it makes for a more comfortable ride.

I haven't seen any with this type of car yet, but that sounds like quite an improvement!

 

[maltdizzy]

My impression is that all these roller coasters have brakes that stop a train in place. I think I've even seen a picture of Screamin' with a car in the top of the loop.

They'd have to have the brakes that apply in a stop as a safety option - it's not going to be very safe if they just rolled until they stopped. We have been stopped on Space Mt and it's a hard stop right in place.

There are NO brakes on roller coaster trains.

There are brake runs on the track to stop a forward moving train. And rollbacks (ratchets) on the track to stop a backward moving train (these are what you here clicking on coasters when being pulled up the first hill). But these are placed only in the zones were they are needed. A train must roll forward or backward until it reaches one of these zones (or stops on its own). There are NO brakes in or on the loop, the train either has enough inertia to roll forward or rolls backwards until it can be stopped at the bottom.

Many older coasters, especially traditional wooden coasters, only have one brake run at the end (some steel coasters have one or two more in the middle to trim speed). They have chain-lifts and rollbacks of the lift tracks, but otherwise it's entirely free fall...the majority of the time you are on a roller coaster, it really is a runway train with no way to stop.

IIRC, there is one documented case of a train getting stuck at the top of a loop-de-loop (in China), but a few more of trains being stuck upside down at other types of inversions. Almost all of these were because of some mechanical failure that the train to a halt

 

[figment_jii]

IIRC, there is one documented case of a train getting stuck at the top of a loop-de-loop (in China), but a few more of trains being stuck upside down at other types of inversions. Almost all of these were because of some mechanical failure that the train to a halt

I was thinking of the one at a Six Flags park (Texas?), but I think you're right...they were on the outside of a loop (it was the feet dangling type of ride), rather than inside like Screamin'.