Tell me about the Tower of Terror harnesses

[penguintux]

From what I see in ride photos, it's just a lapbar... Do you even feel safe in that? I know drop rides at parks like Six Flags and whatnot all have shoulder harnesses..

Convince me it's okay. :]

 

[tinkandonaldfans]

it's just a seatbelt like you would have in a car! you feel very safe but make sure you secure any loose items!

 

[MiJo]

I don't do drop rides in amusement parks (fear of heights) but I thoroughly enjoy the ToT and I feel completely safe. Besides, I don't think you are actually "dropping"; you are being pulled down on a shaft, so it's not like you are in a free-fall. That's how it was explained on a TV show I once saw.
Go for it!

 

[Robo]

Besides, I don't think you are actually "dropping"; you are being pulled down on a shaft, so it's not like you are in a free-fall.

Correct.
But the point of that is saying that you are in a "worse" condition (faster)
than a free-fall.

Free-fall is slower than ToT drops.

 

[goofy4tink]

As mentioned already, only a seatbelt. But, that is sufficient. Just be sure to tighten it securely. I had my bag between the belt and myself...so the belt didn't tighten properly. I must have gone up about 8" in my seat on one big drop!!! It was very cool but most likely wouldn't have been appreciated by someone who is unsure about the ride.
Also be sure you have all your bags/purchases tied down. I had one large shopping bag go floating past my head..that was really funny. Thank heaven I had my wrist through the handle.

 

[bradk]

just to be clear, it used to have a lapbar restraint. but they were replaced with the aforementioned belts.

 

[igk]

The first time I rode it I was very apprehensive, but the thing that made the whole experience less scary wasn't the belt, but the handles either side of you that you can hold on to. Grip those hard and you feel much safer

 

[rsimon]

As mentioned already, only a seatbelt. But, that is sufficient. Just be sure to tighten it securely. I had my bag between the belt and myself...so the belt didn't tighten properly. I must have gone up about 8" in my seat on one big drop!!! It was very cool but most likely wouldn't have been appreciated by someone who is unsure about the ride.
Also be sure you have all your bags/purchases tied down. I had one large shopping bag go floating past my head..that was really funny. Thank heaven I had my wrist through the handle.

I like to leave mine a bit loose to allow the true "Free fall" effect of leaving your seat.

 

[winterman]

it's just a seatbelt like you would have in a car! you feel very safe but make sure you secure any loose items!

It is only a lap belt, not a belt that goes over the shoulder.

 

[Nermel9]

I was nervous about the lap belt at first, the last time I was on the Tot, they had the lap bar still. It's fine though, it goes on very tightly, and there are also handles on the sides of the seats to hold on to.

It's much more fun if you don't hold on at all, though!

 

[WantToGoNow]

A harness would take the fun out of the ride. You are supposed to feel the negative-gravity, that's part of the attraction. Now I do agree the lap bar wasn't the best idea because you put a pooh-sized like me and a small child in the same bar and the child is likely to float right out of there.

 

[CleveRocks]

From what I see in ride photos, it's just a lapbar... Do you even feel safe in that? I know drop rides at parks like Six Flags and whatnot all have shoulder harnesses..

Convince me it's okay. :]

I'll convince you using math. I'm guessing at the numbers ... but the point will be exactly the same even if my numbers are pretty far from reality.

Tower of Terror has been around for maybe 15 years. It has 3 lifts, and 2 cars usually cycle through each. Each ride takes about 2.5 minutes, meaning that one is climbing up the lift while another is doing the fun parts of the ride. Each vehicle holds 21 people, so at full capacity, it holds 126 people every 2.5 minutes, or 256 people every 10 minutes, or 1,536 people per hour.

On average, over the course of a year, let's estimate that ToT runs 10 hours a day. That's 3,650 hours per year. That's 54,750 hours since it opened.

If 1,536 people ride per hour, then 84,096,000 people have experienced the ToT ride. 84 MILLION people. Give or take a few million.

And I've never read of a single injury caused by someone slipping through the restraint system.

 

[goofy4tink]

I like to leave mine a bit loose to allow the true "Free fall" effect of leaving your seat.

That's what I do as well...but that one time, the bag must have left a larger than normal space. My legs were no longer bent, at a 90 degree angle anymore!!! It was really funny.

 

[DisneyFed]

If it makes you feel any better ...

I feel MUCH safer with the TOT safety belt than I do in a Blackhawk's Five Point Safety restraint---and I'm not just talking about being on a ride vs. buzzing around in a Helicopter

You're not going anywhere with that seatbelt on!!!

 

[Peanut&Piglet'sMom]

Quick Question....

What year did they replace the lap bar with belts only?

We went in 2007 and DH and DD - who was only 5 at the time - rode it, DD came off terrified, didn't want to ride again and so I didn't go on. I'm pretty sure it was the bar. If this is the case and they now have belts, I'm thinking she'll be OK on it.

A large person in a row that also has a tiny 5 year old will cause a bar not to sit against the tiny 5 year old - causing the 5 year old to feel she's going to slip out!!!!

 

[Silver Queen]

In addition to watching your packages be mindful of anything that you may have in your front shirt pocket. The first time we rode ToT DBF saw his cell phone suspended in front of him as it flew out of his shirt pocket. He grabbed it in mid-air!
We felt very secure in the seat belts and it was fun to be lifted a bit out of four seats.

 

[Robo]

Quick Question....

What year did they replace the lap bar with belts only?

We went in 2007 and DH and DD - who was only 5 at the time - rode it, DD came off terrified

They began the change-over to the belts in Aug-Sept. of 2002.

 

[Silver Queen]

In addition to watching your packages be mindful of anything that you may have in your front shirt pocket. The first time we rode ToT DBF saw his cell phone suspended in front of him as it flew out of his shirt pocket. He grabbed it in mid-air!
We felt very secure in the seat belts and it was fun to be lifted a bit out of our seats.

 

[avalanche1977]

Seatbelt is plenty fine. You're not going to fall out.

 

[ssawka]

As others have said, the seatbelt is fine. On ToT, you are actually inside of a "cage" not open like on freefall rides at other amusement parks. Especially if you are not in the front row. ( Just make sure someone is in front of you to break your fall! )

Actually, given the events here in DC over the last couple days, I feel safer on any ride than I do on mass transit.