Thin 4 year old on Splash Mountain

[kaetra]

My DD is very petite and I'm not. I sit her next to DH on Splash because the bar comes down further for him than it does for me. They like to sit in the front and duck so I get a wave in the face. They're rotten like that.

 

[LaurenT]

There are no "airtime" moments on Splash---even on the drop, you are not dropping faster than gravity would pull you. The only way to get out of your seat during that ride is to stand up.

In fact, I can't think of a single ride at WDW that has a negative-G moment. Thunder probably comes the closest, but even that doesn't pass the zero-G threshold.

Actually, according to our guide on the tour we took, Tower of Terror is not really free falling, it's being pulled down faster than gravity. So you will get airtime on that one!

 

[CounselorX]

Actually, according to our guide on the tour we took, Tower of Terror is not really free falling, it's being pulled down faster than gravity. So you will get airtime on that one!

You beat me to it. ToT does pull you down faster than gravity. I love that stomach feeling .

 

[Brian Noble]

That's correct, I totally forgot about that one!

And, they did switch from shared lap bars to individual seat belts on Tower for exactly that reason, IIRC.

 

[L&Lfan]

You just feel the typical butt lift you get whenever you experience a big drop. Completely safe. Best part of the ride, imo!

 

[HM]

My DD and I have ridden rides together for years, since she was 4 and 40 inches. She's always hated when we ride something that covers both our laps, because she is not in tight. She didn't like the feeling, but she's never come close to falling out of anything. She's 19 now.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

nobody has ever fallen out of Splash Mountain no matter how thin or young they were (riders do have to meet the height requirement.) Doubtless there have been riders who were thinner and younger than the OPs daughter. So no, not unsafe.

Splash Mountain has lap bars now because some years ago an adult man voluntarily climbed out of the ride while it was in motion, fell and hit something which killed him. Not because of kids flying out on the drop.

 

[limpy]

My daughter was 4 yrs old, 41 inches and 30 pounds when she went on it and she was fine.

 

[Emacneil]

My son was just under 3, just over 40in, and about the same weight. He was fine. He held onto my arm during the ride.

 

[wareagle57]

That's correct, I totally forgot about that one!

And, they did switch from shared lap bars to individual seat belts on Tower for exactly that reason, IIRC.

I don't really remember the lap bars or what the ride used to be like. But I thought they instituted some kind of change because kids were riding the ride without a restraint somehow. So they made it to where the ride wouldn't operate if you unbuckled, or made it impossible to unbuckle or something like that. Anyone know exactly what the change was? I know last December the guy sitting next to my BIL claimed he wasn't wearing his seat belt.

 

[Brian Noble]

http://towersecrets.com/tower-of-terror-safety-features/

 

[mgentry210]

I second the BTM. My nieces first roller coaster and she slid down the seat and her chin was under the lap bar. I grabbed her with a death grip. Thank goodness for the next lift hill. I pulled her up and put her in a headlock for the rest of the ride. She was 4 and just barely made it by her pony tail. I was traumatized, she wanted to ride it again! Little dare devil!