Should Splash Mountain have safety restraints?

[°O°Joe]

When we were at the Magic Kingdom on Saturday, I convinced DD5 to go on Splash Mountain. She likes the ride but doesn't like the big drop at the end. I told her to just do like she usually does and kind of bury her head / face in my side so she doesn't have to look.

We've done this half a dozen times before, but this time I wasn't holding her as I had my hands in the air (I know - what was I thinking?) and she litterally fell on the floor of the log. I had to bend down and pick her up and set her back in her seat. I don't know if this could have caused any kind of injury, but it scared the living daylights out of her. Has this happened to anyone else's kid(s)?

I didn't tell anyone, although she was no where to be found in the ride photo, but I thought about it later and thought - it is kind of a large hill not to have at least a lap belt or bar...

What do you think, should Splash have at least a safety bar?

 

[SplshMtnLvr28]

No, they have bars you can hold on to.

Besides, the logs are small enough, adding restraints would just make it for difficult for larger people to fit.

 

[julsmom]

I say, how about one row in the log could have restraints for those smaller riders. I won't let my DD ride it yet.

 

[cleo]

No. It's been running since 1992 and no one has flown out of the logs. User error is generally the cause of any problems staying in the seat (not saying anyone made an error here, just saying that's usually the reason for people being injured; specifically, those that stand up during the ride), but if you hold on, you won't go anywhere.

I guess I just hate the idea of over-insulating when it isn't necessary.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

I say, how about one row in the log could have restraints for those smaller riders. I won't let my DD ride it yet.

I definitely feel that this ride should have some type of restraints, especially for those smaller riders with no fear who hold there hands up in the air instead of the side bars!!!! (my 10 year old!)

 

[roryc]

I know what you're talking about.

In July my extremely tall 4yo DD came up out of the log as we went down. I had my arm around her so I was holding on to her, but she actually rose up a good 6 inches probably (or so it seemed to me and in the photo). Enough to scare me and it was caught on our picture. The look of horror on my face looking at her. She didn't look unusual, but she was almost the same height as me in the photo. If I hadn't been holding on to her, I'm sure she could have fallen as we hit at the bottom. I'm 5'5" and she's nearly 4'.

I was thinking even if they had simple nylon restraints in the seats (like they do in restaurant high chairs--that people could choose to wear if they wanted, would have helped in our case and I certainly would have strapped her in. Of course I'm sure they'd be sopping wet, but then my seat always is anyways

Fortunate for us, no injuries at all; maybe just a few extra early gray hairs for me

 

[SplshMtnLvr28]

I definitely feel that this ride should have some type of restraints, especially for those smaller riders with no fear who hold there hands up in the air instead of the side bars!!!! (my 10 year old!)

Well, your 10 yr old will be the first of millions to fly out, so good luck to them.

 

[shovan]

I think if someone's child fell onto the floor of the log or rose up out of the seat, maybe WDW should look into it. However, if they are not told about it, how can they address the issue.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I too have found it odd that there isn't SOME sort of restraint on this ride. Maybe nobody's been injured yet, but it would still make sense to add something for POM. I also find it curious that the restraints on rides like Dumbo are SO flimsy, esp. since rather small children often go on those rides.

 

[°O°Joe]

I think if someone's child fell onto the floor of the log or rose up out of the seat, maybe WDW should look into it. However, if they are not told about it, how can they address the issue.

Good point, I didn't tell anyone. But I would have to imagine this has happened and been reported before, but who knows?

This "experience" was actually kind of funny. She cried at first but later we laughed about it. I said "how did you fall on the floor anyway?" and she said "my seat was slippery from all the water!"

No harm was done (other than the fact that Olivia says she'll never ride Splash again), I just thought that it would be interesting to see what everyone else thought...

I remember a few months ago this summer, one poster had his 12 or 13 year old daughter's foot severely sprained from being caught in the front of the log... I, as other posters did, wondered if maybe it was from standing up - and I wonder if this injury could have been prevented had there been a safety bar or belt...

 

[shafke]

Except for those big splash down types of rides I can't recall ever seeing restraints on a flume ride. The only time I recall ever hearing about someone being thrown from a flume was from someone sitting at the back of one of thos large splash down rides where the person was too large for the restraint to operate effectively. If they were to put restraints on this ride it would severely cut back on the ride capacity as the CM's wouild have to check each seat and make sure each rider were secure. I could see something like that cutting ride capacity in half... rather than just unload, load, check all is clear and every one is seated and sending the boat you would have the following... boat pulls in, everyone figure out how to undo the restraint, unload, load, everyone find the restraint they just sat on, buckle up, CM check each seat and assists thos who do not understand how a seatbelt works, check all is clear and send boat. I just don't see how this could work.

 

[goofy4tink]

My 13 y/o dd would say yes, they need seat belts. I would disagree. I keep telling her my secret but she still feels like she is going to fly out. I know she isn't, she knows she isn't but she still balks at doing this attraction every single time we go to WDW!!!

 

[Spaceship Earthfan]

Splash is already difficult for larger people to fit into, adding restraints I think will make it that much more difficult. I guess seat belts wouldn't be that big of an inconvenience but with the bars to hold onto I don't think it's needed.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I voted no, for reasons others have stated and just because i have never ridden a splash ride like that that did have a restraint and have always been fine.

 

[roryc]

I totally admit that I didn't say anything to any CMs. So it wasn't a big enough deal to me; probably my mind overworking the situation anyways. I never really thought she'd come flying out. It's kind of like when you were little and we could still ride up front in the passenger seat and your mom would come to a stop in the car and put her arm out across you, like she would stop you with the palm of her hand if you went flying

My DD wasn't even really scared, it was me that was more upset. And of course by the end of the ride, I was calm as she was singing Zip A Dee Doo Dah, and asking if we could go again.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

My feeling is if more restraints were needed, they'd be there.

 

[Luv4Disney]

I have never ever been on any type of "log flume" ride that had a restraint, even the really steep scary one at IOA! So I say no.

 

[Becky521]

My 13 y/o dd would say yes, they need seat belts. I would disagree. I keep telling her my secret but she still feels like she is going to fly out. I know she isn't, she knows she isn't but she still balks at doing this attraction every single time we go to WDW!!!

What's your secret?

 

[btuftee]

I vote no, simply because there's no way you'll fall out of the log unless you try to. If they do add restraints, they'd need to be of the automatic lap bar variety, like Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, etc. Seatbelts would double the load/unload time for sure!

 

[dizprincess717]

I WORKED AT SPLASH!!!

There's a reason why we don't have restraints on the logs...

Sometimes (well, it's only every happened twice) logs sink.

Now then. You really don't want to be strapped into the log if this were to happen, do you?

Also, the ride height is 40". The Imagineers didn't make up this height, the ride manufacturer did. If your child is 40" or over, they are 100% safe.

No need to fear. You're safe on the ride. And they won't add restraints unless they redesign logs.