Teen flown back to UK Hopital* Update Teen Suffers Cardiac Arrest

[dizprincess717]

While I do feel sorry for the family, I can't help but get a bit aggrivated with them as well. If I was a parent who KNEW that my daughter had a special condition that could be aggrivated with thrill rides, then there would be no way I'd allow her on ToT, especially since it's always being shown as one of the top thrill rides in WDW, along with Mission: Space and Rock N' Roller Coaster.

It's horrible for injuries, in some cases suicides, and deaths to occur at Disney World. But what's even more horrible is the media that report them. It's just like the darn papparazzi reporters - If I were famous I'd give them a piece of my mind every time I'd come into sight of them.

But WDW is huge, the biggest vacation spot on the States, and the site of many peoples' dream vacations. Of course people are going to want to bring them down - It's like the squeaky-clean reputation of Kobe Bryant. Remember him back in the day? He was the "perfect" role model, but people got the best of him and he got the best of himself in a way as well. It's sad, but true: People are going to try their hardest to bring Disney down, even if it's just blowing up a story.

And I still stand on my belief that I would never, EVER, let a 4 year old who meets the height requirement on Mission: Space. That, in my opinion, is a bad parental judegment call. It's called common sense people, and we all have to use it.

Just because it's Disney World doesn't mean that there's an invisible shield that will protect people from injuries and death, and it sure as heck doesn't mean that you can overlook good ole common sense.

*Steps off soapbox*

 

[beattyfamily]

Sounds like we're debating what a debate is, so I guess you are correct, sir.

Maybe we are...I'm a woman, not a sir.

 

[riu girl]

Besides, Mission Space, TOT and Rock n Roll coaster, are there any other rides that you would you consider "top thrill" rides that might cause an underlying condition to surface?
Thank you for any info.

 

[westjones]

Besides, Mission Space, TOT and Rock n Roll coaster, are there any other rides that you would you consider "top thrill" rides that might cause an underlying condition to surface?
Thank you for any info.

I would include Space Mountain at MK on the list.
DJ

 

[Feralpeg]

Besides, Mission Space, TOT and Rock n Roll coaster, are there any other rides that you would you consider "top thrill" rides that might cause an underlying condition to surface?
Thank you for any info.

Depending on the condition, the Pooh ride could cause a problem. An aneurysm can break from simply bending over. I know this because it happened to my mom. She died.

If you don't feel well or if you really are nervous about a ride, don't do it. Otherwise, have fun and do what you want. Life is so tenuous. You could die in a car accident tomorrow. That wouldn't keep you from getting into a car. It's not good to live in fear of what could happen.

 

[Loves Disney]

We just got back from WDW today and I heard what was going on while I was there. I was playing mini golf at Fantasia and saw and heard a few trucks and ambulances come whizzing by. I stopped and looked around and saw them headded to MGM and sure enough the media was flying high in the sky. This was no more than 2-3 minutes after the trucks went by. Later that day I saw it on the news and they made it look completely like it was Tower of Terror's fault! While I do feel sorry for the girl and family, I just think that the warning signs make sense and people should understand and follow them. The girl had a preexisting condition, maybe she shouldn't have gone on a ride such as that. I still can't get over how fast media got over there! It is crazy!!!!

 

[black562]

Well here's my question, how bad is mission space really, from people who love thrill rides. I'm going on my honeymoon and my wife has had a heart murmur since birth....but she takes no medication and hasn't ever had any problems. We're both roller coaster junkies and have ridden everything from inverted coasters to the freefall atop the stratosphere in vegas.....I have no doubts that she'll love TOT but having not ridden Mission space myself I'm trying to figure out if its really all that bad or just more or less hype. FYI, "all that bad" in our terms is pretty intense. She especially loves the rainbow which is a ride that spins you standing up and pins you with g forces against the wall....is MS any worse than that or the inverted (legs dangling) coasters like dueling dragons that pull loads of gs throughout the ride?

 

[Feralpeg]

Well here's my question, how bad is mission space really, from people who love thrill rides. I'm going on my honeymoon and my wife has had a heart murmur since birth....but she takes no medication and hasn't ever had any problems. We're both roller coaster junkies and have ridden everything from inverted coasters to the freefall atop the stratosphere in vegas.....I have no doubts that she'll love TOT but having not ridden Mission space myself I'm trying to figure out if its really all that bad or just more or less hype. FYI, "all that bad" in our terms is pretty intense. She especially loves the rainbow which is a ride that spins you standing up and pins you with g forces against the wall....is MS any worse than that or the inverted (legs dangling) coasters like dueling dragons that pull loads of gs throughout the ride?

I can't answer this question because I've never ridden it myself, no will I ever. I just wonder why, even if there is just the slightest risk, you would let her take that chance?

 

[snowy76]

The real joke, and I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, is that all of this railling against the "biased" news/media outlets is meaningless. Disney/ABC is one of the biggest, if not the largest news/media company in the world.

I was thinking the same thing. In fact my husband works for an ABC affiliate (not owned by ABC however) and I didn't even know about this incident until DH read it online... from a comptetitor's website! It may be getting a lot of coverage in some places but in others it's been a blip on the radar. I doubt ABC is in any hurry to make this a big story.

By coincidence the biggest news here has been from Florida though -- the commander of the hopefully-next-shuttle-mission is from Syracuse.

 

[WaltD4Me]

If you don't feel well or if you really are nervous about a ride, don't do it. Otherwise, have fun and do what you want. Life is so tenuous. You could die in a car accident tomorrow. That wouldn't keep you from getting into a car. It's not good to live in fear of what could happen.

Excellent point. More people die in car accidents every day than in the entire history of Disney theme parks, but regular, everyday car accidents are a bit boring for the evening news.

Well here's my question, how bad is mission space really, from people who love thrill rides. I'm going on my honeymoon and my wife has had a heart murmur since birth....but she takes no medication and hasn't ever had any problems. We're both roller coaster junkies and have ridden everything from inverted coasters to the freefall atop the stratosphere in Vegas

Well, I've never done Mission Space, but I HAVE done that free fall ride on top of the Stratosphere in Vegas and personally I can't imagine anything being much worse than that thing! -- Once was WAY more than enough for me. -- That being said though, they are VERY different rides and if you are concerned, maybe your girlfriend should consult with her doctor before your trip.

 

[Kristina]

Well here's my question, how bad is mission space really, from people who love thrill rides. I'm going on my honeymoon and my wife has had a heart murmur since birth....but she takes no medication and hasn't ever had any problems. We're both roller coaster junkies and have ridden everything from inverted coasters to the freefall atop the stratosphere in Vegas

I am sketchy on the details but I Believe the difference with Mission Space is that you enter g forces and then stay there for longer than you do on other rides, so it is much more stressful on your body. Now I am a big baby I know but before our trip I both saw online photos of the ride vehicles which showed the motor ( I think) and the arm (if I remember correctly) attached to the vehicle and it just spins in such a tight circle, to me it looked like something they would use to train actual astronauts. It scared me and that, coupled with an article I read in a science magazine about how rollercoasters and other rides are getting rougher scared me right out of line for Mission Space. It showed pictures of the brain and arterys/bloodflow during these types of rides. It was creepy stuff!

If I had any kind of condition that might cause a problem, in no way would I ever take a chance. Never ever.

 

[Uncleromulus]

All I can say about any of this is that no one drags people on any rides. They CHOOSE to get on and it's up to them BEFOREHAND to determine if any ride is "safe" for any family member. Unknown medical conditions are just that--unknown. I read about folks dropping dead while running because they didn't know about a certain medical condition.
But any family who has a family member with a known (or even suspected) medical problem shoud exercise all due caution. Especially on these so called "thrill" type rides.
Sadly, it appears some don't----

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Well here's my question, how bad is mission space really, from people who love thrill rides. I'm going on my honeymoon and my wife has had a heart murmur since birth....but she takes no medication and hasn't ever had any problems. We're both roller coaster junkies and have ridden everything from inverted coasters to the freefall atop the stratosphere in vegas.....I have no doubts that she'll love TOT but having not ridden Mission space myself I'm trying to figure out if its really all that bad or just more or less hype. FYI, "all that bad" in our terms is pretty intense. She especially loves the rainbow which is a ride that spins you standing up and pins you with g forces against the wall....is MS any worse than that or the inverted (legs dangling) coasters like dueling dragons that pull loads of gs throughout the ride?

If you are thrill ride junkies and love coasters of all kinds, M:S is not intense at all! We love it and it isn't any more intense than ToT or RnRC, actually it's even less intense. Ride it and enjoy...these "accidents" happened due to preexisting conditions that may or may not have been aggravated by the rides. They also could have happened by the vistor overexerting him/herself by sitting on the sofa all of their lives and then, simply walking at a brisk pace in the Florida sun.

 

[snowy76]

Laugh O Grams, I'm a card-carrying Republican but that photo in your sig is FUNNY!

 

[pooh2001]

I too have a heart mumur from birth. Lived with it so far for 35 plus years.
My heart can flutuate if I drink a caffinated drink - so I stay away from those.

I do not do fast rides - roller coasters and those which leave you with the feeling of your stomach in your mouth - like ToT or any other ride which turns you upside down.

But - WDW is a great place for my whole family to have fun - w/o me being turned upside down or wind in my face.


I also agree - I would never put a child under 7 on a fast ride or major scary ride. Or why would a person over 65 or pregnant risk such a ride ?

Should WDW now have people sign a waiver when they buy tickets ?

 

[kellymonaghan]

The girl was apparently complaining of headaches and muscle cramps for several days. I haven't seen any mention of it in the news reports, but these are symptoms of dehydration. It's not too hard to see how a young girl from Britain might not understand the need to keep hydratyed in the Florida sun. It's also easy to see how dehydration could have aggravated a preexisting condition.

Steve Barrett, who is a doctor as well as a Hidden Mickeys expert, cautions people in all his books to be sure to drink lots of liquids when touring WDW, even when you don't feel thirsty.

Maybe this unfortunate incident can serve as a warning to us all.

 

[snowy76]

 

[Disneyrsh]

Well here's my question, how bad is mission space really, from people who love thrill rides. I'm going on my honeymoon and my wife has had a heart murmur since birth....but she takes no medication and hasn't ever had any problems. We're both roller coaster junkies and have ridden everything from inverted coasters to the freefall atop the stratosphere in vegas.....I have no doubts that she'll love TOT but having not ridden Mission space myself I'm trying to figure out if its really all that bad or just more or less hype. FYI, "all that bad" in our terms is pretty intense. She especially loves the rainbow which is a ride that spins you standing up and pins you with g forces against the wall....is MS any worse than that or the inverted (legs dangling) coasters like dueling dragons that pull loads of gs throughout the ride?

Man, if she can do the rainbow, she can do mission: space!

 

[alohacousin]

those poor families, I can only imagine what the horror of hearing the word disney will bring instead of joy. I never really thought much about those signs that read to avoid if you have...or if we have that problem.

 

[westjones]

those poor families, I can only imagine what the horror of hearing the word disney will bring instead of joy. I never really thought much about those signs that read to avoid if you have...or if we have that problem.

Sometimes it is easy not notice the signs. Not because they aren't right there in plain sight, but because if it is your first trip to Disney you are so overwhelmed by all there is to see!

In 1993, I stood in line for 45 minutes for a ride at Epcot that is a motion simulator (where they shrink you and you go into someone body). I was pregnant with twins, and I NEVER noticed the signs along the waiting line UNTIL I got to the front of the line ready to go in. So I told the CM, and DH and I just exited out of the ride.

The funny thing is, I didn't make it back to that ride until 2003, this time with my 10 year old twins sitting beside me!

Anyway, I can understand how you miss the signs. I almost did.

DJ