Should Splash Mountain have safety restraints?

[ntsammy5]

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.

I'm 6'3, 200# and I have a h*** of a time getting in because of my long legs. Restraints would be impossible. I can't imaging anyone falling out of this ride unless it was done on purpose!

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[disneydad1013]

There are a height requirements to ride all WDW rides. The CM's will tell you prior to entering the ride if you are tall enough with or with out a parent and or adult. It is up to the adult to watch their child. I have 2 DD's. One is 10 and tall for her age the other is 6, average height, and when we ride I am always with her and I always have one arm across her body. Please watch your children!!!! As parents we are here to be child-like but at the end of the day we are parents.

 

[dizprincess717]

Groovee-

Are you serious? Splash is one of the most popular attractions and just because this has happend twice in the 14 years it's been opened you're not going to go on it? It hasn't happened in years. YOU ARE SAFE! What do you think goes on during park close hours? Maint. comes in and inspects that thing to a T.

The flume itself isn't that deep. But there are spots that, yes, the water could crest the top of the log. In some spots it's around 6 feet deep (like the part after Drop 1, or what you'll recognize as Slippin' Falls) so it would be possible to sink there.

Also, one time while I was working there the pumps stopped working and all the water in the flume drained out in about 15-20 minutes. We had to evac the entire ride and people had a pretty fair jump out of the log. It is deep enough to sink.

When you're on attractions, anything and everything could go wrong. But the maint. crew at Frontierland is top-notch. Every few weeks the rubber belts are replaced, whether they need it or not. All in the name of safety.

Just because this freak accident has happened does not mean you shouldn't go on Splash. It's a silly reason, really. Just go on the attraction. Trust me, everything will be satisfactual.

And I don't think this thread should be turned into a scientific debate. Since I worked at Splash I know a lot about that attraction. Notice I didn't say everything, but I do know a lot more than the average Guest thanks to extensive training and a 101 question exam I had to pass with no more than 5 questions wrong in order to work there. The CMs at the attractions know what they are doing.

The bottom line is that if you're child meets the 40" requirement, or 42" at Space or 48" at Roller Coaster, they are 100% fine. They will not fall out of the log. You will not fly out of the log going down Drop 4.

The only thing that will fall of is your hat if you don't take it off before Drop 4. And no, there's no magical place where all the lost hats congregate at the end of the night.

 

[Groovee]

Groovee-

Are you serious? Splash is one of the most popular attractions and just because this has happend twice in the 14 years it's been opened you're not going to go on it? It hasn't happened in years. YOU ARE SAFE! What do you think goes on during park close hours? Maint. comes in and inspects that thing to a T.

The flume itself isn't that deep. But there are spots that, yes, the water could crest the top of the log. In some spots it's around 6 feet deep (like the part after Drop 1, or what you'll recognize as Slippin' Falls) so it would be possible to sink there.

Also, one time while I was working there the pumps stopped working and all the water in the flume drained out in about 15-20 minutes. We had to evac the entire ride and people had a pretty fair jump out of the log. It is deep enough to sink.

When you're on attractions, anything and everything could go wrong. But the maint. crew at Frontierland is top-notch. Every few weeks the rubber belts are replaced, whether they need it or not. All in the name of safety.

Just because this freak accident has happened does not mean you shouldn't go on Splash. It's a silly reason, really. Just go on the attraction. Trust me, everything will be satisfactual.

And I don't think this thread should be turned into a scientific debate. Since I worked at Splash I know a lot about that attraction. Notice I didn't say everything, but I do know a lot more than the average Guest thanks to extensive training and a 101 question exam I had to pass with no more than 5 questions wrong in order to work there. The CMs at the attractions know what they are doing.

The bottom line is that if you're child meets the 40" requirement, or 42" at Space or 48" at Roller Coaster, they are 100% fine. They will not fall out of the log. You will not fly out of the log going down Drop 4.

The only thing that will fall of is your hat if you don't take it off before Drop 4. And no, there's no magical place where all the lost hats congregate at the end of the night.

I think I'll be the judge of whether or not I get on it instead of a huge critism off someone who doesn't know me as a person at all.

 

[TheGoofster]

I apologize if my approach offended you.

Thank you, I appreciate that. And I apologize as well for responding in kind. Although to be honest, it wasn't so much that I was offended. I used to spend a lot of time on the Yahoo boards, so believe me I don't get offended easily, it's just that on this boards, I have been pleasantly surprised at how civil and polite most people are (and believe me, it's a very nice surprise) even when they disagree with you.

As to the original post, I was simply making a suggestion based on what my wife told me about her experience. Believe me, I have no desire to see any restraints myself, but if there is a way of making my wife happy, then I would be all for it (You know what they say, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy).

So anyway, as far as I'm concerned, this is a done deal. Disney obviously won't be changing Splash, and my wife obviously won't be going back on. But there's always hope for my Son.

 

[dizprincess717]

It's not a criticism. It's a fact that you're perfectly safe. You're missing out by not going on the ride. Research some American fair and carnival ride accidents and you'll see just how safe WDW attractions are. They're some of the safest in the world. If you're swearing off Splash, you might think about swearing off Thunder Mountain, too, after a little accident involving the "engine" that's in front of row 1 that happened at Disneyland. And then there's Mission Space, of course, and Tower and Roller Coaster...

You're safe. Nothing's going to happen to you. The log's NOT going to sink. You and your family are really going to be missing out on one of the best attractions in the world, and what some consider to be the best attraction in all of WDW.

 

[dizprincess717]

Oh, and Goofster-

I really hope your son tries Splash! 99% of children who go on it for their first time come back all smiles and laughs and do the "Daddy can we go on it again PLEASE?!" speech and it's so cute.

When I'd see that at Photocells (which is the CM at the end of the ride where the photos are who says "thanks for sotpping by) I would give that family a Rider-Switch Pass so they could go on it again with no wait. It was my special way of spreading the pixie dust since it took YEARS to get my little sister on Splash.

The ride's long, too, as you know, so it should distract him from The Big One for a while. And the songs are so catchy, too.

I really, really hope he gets on the attraction. It's so much fun and I really think he'll enjoy it!

 

[TheGoofster]

Oh, and Goofster-

I really hope your son tries Splash! 99% of children who go on it for their first time come back all smiles and laughs and do the "Daddy can we go on it again PLEASE?!" speech and it's so cute.

Actually, he might not have a choice in the matter. My Daughter who will be 7 by the time we go, is very short. But, I think that by next December (2007) she should just be hitting the 40" mark. If she does, then she will be tall enough to go on too, and I KNOW that she will (I have yet to find anything that scares her). Now, if she goes on, there is no way in the world that my son WON'T go on. No way will he allow his little sister to tease him for the rest of the trip.

So, as long as my daughter can just grow about 2 more inches in the next 13 months, I should'nt have too much to worry about. In fact, if both my kids go, I might even be able to convince my wife to go along as well.

 

[epfootballcutie04]

i voted for yes because the reason i wont ride splash is because i dont feel safe on log rides with no bar, belt or anything like that.

Yes i know thye have spots you can hold onto, but that doesnt cut it fot me. I dont like big drops with no 'protection'. I rode ToT this time around, but that has a sealtbelt which made me feel safe. I dont know. I'm torn on this.

Maybe they could put just one row of seatbelts or something. Or, i'm just happy not riding it. They don't need to do anything for me. I'll just go next door on big thunder instead!

 

[°O°Joe]

The lap bar design on Splash Mountain does allow for children of small stature to slide under the bar on landing. (Or if the child is out of riding position, ie curled up, head on the seat, etc.) So...make sure when you ride with your kids, make sure they are comfortably tall enough and ride with their feet on the floor and holding on to the lap bar. Approriate riding position is important on any ride. Please read the posted signs.

There ARE no lap bars. That was the whole point of the thread. All I know is accidents happen, safety restraints are designed to prevent accidents from happening. Splash Mountain does not have safety restraints and my daughter fell on the floor. It wouldn't have happened if the ride had safety restraints. That's all.

Again no one was hurt - scarred mentally maybe, but not physically. I just thought it was an interesting topic for discussion. Thanks for you feedback everybody...

--Joe

 

[Hannathy]

But if your daughter was riding properly she wouldn't have fallen. It should not be the parks responsibility to make sure guest ride the rides the way they are supposed to. Almost all park accidents anywhere are because guests do what they aren't supposed to do. I heard that the only reason Splash's height is as high as it is is because the logs sides are so high and if shorter kids went on they couldn't see and would try to stand up to see and THAT would be the safety hazard not falling out. I don't know if this is true or not but is believable to me. As a very small person all my life feeling like you are falling is the fun part and I have never really come close to falling out of a ride yet, even coasters that I went on years before they added a height requirement and restraint which would have excluded meat the time.

 

[goofy4tink]

What's your secret?

Sit up straight, with the small of you back, and your behind, pressed hard against the seat back. Press down hard with your feet/legs on the floor, feet outstretched as far forward as they can get. I can now do Splash, arms completely upraised....used to be terrified I was going to heave right out. If you lean forward, holding onto the bar, the feeling of 'airtime' is even worse!!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Sit up straight, with the small of you back, and your behind, pressed hard against the seat back. Press down hard with your feet/legs on the floor, feet outstretched as far forward as they can get. I can now do Splash, arms completely upraised....used to be terrified I was going to heave right out. If you lean forward, holding onto the bar, the feeling of 'airtime' is even worse!!

I think this was how the Poster's daughter who sustained injuries to her ankle occurred. She was bracing herself with her feet so intensely her foot became wedged between the front and the bottom of the seating cavity.

(not to add fire to the smoldering embers)

 

[°O°Joe]

But if your daughter was riding properly she wouldn't have fallen. It should not be the parks responsibility to make sure guest ride the rides the way they are supposed to. Almost all park accidents anywhere are because guests do what they aren't supposed to do. I heard that the only reason Splash's height is as high as it is is because the logs sides are so high and if shorter kids went on they couldn't see and would try to stand up to see and THAT would be the safety hazard not falling out. I don't know if this is true or not but is believable to me. As a very small person all my life feeling like you are falling is the fun part and I have never really come close to falling out of a ride yet, even coasters that I went on years before they added a height requirement and restraint which would have excluded meat the time.

You are correct in saying she wasn't riding entirely properly. You're probably supposed to sit up straight, not slouched over with your face burried in your daddy's side like Olivia was doing. She actually does this on lots of rides when she is frightened of something, she's only 5, and there are parts of rides that she doesn't want to see and wants my "protection". It's protection to her anyway, kind of a security blanket. She'll do it on BTMR in certain parts. But there's a lap bar and she doesn't fall on the floor of the roller coaster train. My point was, this was an accident, granted partly my fault. Not all accidents on rides are of mechanical nature. Some are human error, but just because a human causes an accident doesn't necessarily mean they are ignorant. Like I said before safety restraints are designed to prevent accidents from happening. This was clearly an accident, as it was obviously not intentional and a lap bar / belt would have prevented it. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that the way she was sitting would cause her to fall on the floor. In fact, I honestly did not expect that there would be any potential of any harm of any sort come from her sitting like that. Obviously I learned a lesson.

Also, there are SEVERAL rides that have safety restraints where there is zero chance of a rider falling out short of physically jumping out. Dumbo is one of them, Snow White and Pooh among several others. But they have safety restraints nonetheless. But Splash is a "thrill" ride with a 52.5 ft drop going over 40mph and has nothing but a handle bar to hold on to. I still don't quite understand it. And I'm fairly certain that if anybody went through the same experience, they'd wonder why there is no lap bar. I would almost guarantee that.

 

[dizprincess717]

Joe -

That happens quite a bit with children who are just at 40" and a little above that. Some Guests are surprised that the restriction is that short for Splash since Drop 4 is roughly a 45 degree angle and 5 stories. A tip I can give you is what another poster had said - put your arm across her as you're going to Drop 4, or any of the other drops for that matter, especially Drop 2 which is the "roller coaster drop/double dip" in the dark.

Even though I don't work there, I appologize that had to happen to your child and I hope it hasn't scared them to the point of not riding anymore. Assure them that they are still safe to still go on the attraction.

Hannathy -

You're right, it's not the Parks' responsibility. It clearly states that on the ticket waiver. And before every attraction, right at the beginning, there's always a warning. Splash's is something among the lines of "For your safety remain fully seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the log at all times. Be sure to watch your kids and have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah ride!" The parents do have to watch their kids. However, especially if it's their first time on the rides with small children, they may not be totally sure how to "watch them" - in Splash's case make sure they're not on your laps, they're fully seated, theyr'e holding onto the handle bar, and to maybe put your arm in front of them so as to not slide forward.

Splash's height is not set at 40" because the logs are so high - trust me, younger Guests still stand up to "see" what's all around them and it's the CM in Tower's responsibility to get on the PA and instruct them to sit down. Splash's 40" height requirement is just for safety. Any shorter and they wouldn't be able to reach the handle bar, etc.

 

[°O°Joe]

Joe -

That happens quite a bit with children who are just at 40" and a little above that. Some Guests are surprised that the restriction is that short for Splash since Drop 4 is roughly a 45 degree angle and 5 stories. A tip I can give you is what another poster had said - put your arm across her as you're going to Drop 4, or any of the other drops for that matter, especially Drop 2 which is the "roller coaster drop/double dip" in the dark.

Even though I don't work there, I appologize that had to happen to your child and I hope it hasn't scared them to the point of not riding anymore. Assure them that they are still safe to still go on the attraction.

Hannathy -

You're right, it's not the Parks' responsibility. It clearly states that on the ticket waiver. And before every attraction, right at the beginning, there's always a warning. Splash's is something among the lines of "For your safety remain fully seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the log at all times. Be sure to watch your kids and have a Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah ride!" The parents do have to watch their kids. However, especially if it's their first time on the rides with small children, they may not be totally sure how to "watch them" - in Splash's case make sure they're not on your laps, they're fully seated, theyr'e holding onto the handle bar, and to maybe put your arm in front of them so as to not slide forward.

Splash's height is not set at 40" because the logs are so high - trust me, younger Guests still stand up to "see" what's all around them and it's the CM in Tower's responsibility to get on the PA and instruct them to sit down. Splash's 40" height requirement is just for safety. Any shorter and they wouldn't be able to reach the handle bar, etc.

This might sound stupid to some, but if what you said is true, do you think maybe Disney is expecting too much of the parents to "watch" their kids to make sure they don't fall while riding?

Again, safety restraints would solve this as well as the standing up while riding problem.

And what about the parents who allow a 4 year old (plenty of 4 year olds are 40" tall) to ride alone with say a 10 year old? Most 10 year olds aren't going to have the responsibility to watch their 4 year old sibling to make sure they are sitting up straight, not standing and holding on to the handle bars.

 

[Hannathy]

I believe you have to be 7 to ride without someone over 16. And it is the parents responsibility to not send a 4 yr old on that doesn't know to hold on with any one else but them.

 

[dizprincess717]

Woah woah woah.

Disney is expecting too much for parents to watch their children???

You're a parent, therefore your child is YOUR responsibility, not CMs!

I'm on your side, here. I was appologizing for what happened because I used to work at Splash and I know that ride like the back of my hand! It's your responsibility to watch your child.

And logs can't have restraints or lap bars because logs could sink! You wouldn't want to be all nice and strapped in and, heaven forbid, a one in a billion chance could occur and your log could sink, now would you? Splash Mountain, for that reason, cannot have lap bars!!! This is information that my managers, coordinators, and maint. have all told me!

Do I personally think Splash should have them? No. That's what ride height restrictions are for. If your child meets the requirement, they are deemed safe to ride. It's not our fault that your child accidentaly fell to the floor. Maybe they should have been holding onto the handle bar more firmly and sitting back fully. I can understand the security thing, but they can also just simply close their eyes.

Also, I am not a parent, but if I were there's no way I'd let a 10 year old accompany a 4 year old. In fact, I don't think CMs would allow it. Children must be accompanied by an adult ... That's just a rule I think most people should know.

 

[°O°Joe]

This might sound stupid to some, but if what you said is true, do you think maybe Disney is expecting too much of the parents to "watch" their kids to make sure they don't fall while riding?

Again, safety restraints would solve this as well as the standing up while riding problem.

And what about the parents who allow a 4 year old (plenty of 4 year olds are 40" tall) to ride alone with say a 10 year old? Most 10 year olds aren't going to have the responsibility to watch their 4 year old sibling to make sure they are sitting up straight, not standing and holding on to the handle bars.

Haha, I just quoted myself... Never done that before. I don't mean I don't think parents should be required to watch their children. That's just nonsense.

But if they are expected to hold children tight so they don't fall while riding - their should be some sort of warning written about that!

Warning! Please hold children tight so they don't fall while riding!

I'm sorry, I feel like a big dummy now. But with the way things are these days with people suing for anything and everything, I'm still pretty much baffled that there's not even a seat belt.

Dinosaur and BTMR. Two rides that you can't fall OUT on, but you could fall on the floor. Both have safety restraints.

 

[dizprincess717]

And I didn't say "Hold onto your child tight next time you go on Splash Mountain!" No. I said to simply put your arm across her body as you go down drops. There's no lap-sitting on Splash and if there is the CM in Tower gets on the PA and gives a little spiel. I used to say "Howdy folks, for your safety there can be absolutely no lap-sitting on Splash Mountain. Thank you!"

And if someone was to sue over Splash, they'd lose on account of those nifty little waivers you "sign" when you get your park tickets, the ones that say WD Co. is not responsible, blah blah blah... Also, they'd lose too if the child meets the height requirement.

Trust me about this stuff too, I'm a law student.