Why no seatbelts on Splash?

[MinnieMouse84]

When I went to DLR in April, I was surprised that there were't seatbelts or any restraints on Splash Mountain. I assume it's safe, but I was a little worried that I'd fly out.

 

[mom2rtk]

You don't need them. They only added them in the MK to keep guests from crawling out on purpose. They weren't added because physics was making people fly out.

 

[tarheelalum]

Not needed.

 

[SteveMP]

They are more worried about the topless photos than seatbelts on that ride.

 

[chickapin parterre]

slides in the parks.....we all learned to stay between the lines when sliding down the public slides....but a good question, I always wondered.....in 2010 on this site, there was 111 posts on the very subject, within 24 hours, but it got derailed, really derailed, evidently gravity was not their friend

 

[MinnieMouse84]

They are more worried about the topless photos than seatbelts on that ride.

Ha! Good point.

 

[lalasmama]

Gravity and safety wise, they just aren't necessary. The drop isn't steep enough to need them, no matter how it feels

--Signed, the mom who held her child with a death grip on that drop, 100% sure that we were going to be the first accidental fatalities!

 

[goooof1]

Physics is wonderful!!

 

[ashley0139]

slides in the parks.....we all learned to stay between the lines when sliding down the public slides....but a good question, I always wondered.....in 2010 on this site, there was 111 posts on the very subject, within 24 hours, but it got derailed, really derailed, evidently gravity was not their friend

What?

 

[lalasmama]

Gravity and safety wise, they just aren't necessary. The drop isn't steep enough to need them, no matter how it feels

--Signed, the mom who held her child with a death grip on that drop, 100% sure that we were going to be the first accidental fatalities!

Physics is wonderful!!

@MinnieMouse84 If you are worried about safety at all, "The Science of Disney Imagineering" DVD series has an episode about this. I think it was the gravity one, but may have been one of the other ones. At any rate, whatever episode it was, it was nice to see the safety reasoning behind it.

 

[chickapin parterre]

slides, ...it all started in the public playgrounds and none of us questioned why we didn't fall, we didn't question it because we were taught to stay in-between the lines. coloring, four square, no dangling of the legs over the edge of the slide...stay in between the lines......so I did some research....and wouldn' you know, a May,2010 thread from this site had over 111 responses, in 24 hours, could have gone on for ever....but the subject matter become no longer about slides but something else, anyhow, the subject of falling off splash mountain slide was no longer the issue.....because gravity was no longer their friend, allowing them to keep the course of discussion.....on why we don't fall off.

Of course when my students ask me why they have to read Gravity's Rainbow.....I tell them....because the earth rotates on its axis....the only truth there is if gravity is not our friend.

 

[Niltiac]

You know, I hear what everyone's saying about the physics of it and I believe that (since we don't see people flying out every other day, it must be true). But it still always seemed strange to me that there aren't restraints to prevent people having a panic attack and trying to climb out before the drop. I'm sure in that scenario they would see it on the cameras and stop the ride, but it stills seems so hazardous.

But at the same time, I know there are problems with putting serious restraints on water rides in case the ride vehicle somehow tips over and people need to make a wet exit. So I suppose someone qualified has weighed the risks and determined that this is the better option.

 

[ashley0139]

slides, ...it all started in the public playgrounds and none of us questioned why we didn't fall, we didn't question it because we were taught to stay in-between the lines. coloring, four square, no dangling of the legs over the edge of the slide...stay in between the lines......so I did some research....and wouldn' you know, a May,2010 thread from this site had over 111 responses, in 24 hours, could have gone on for ever....but the subject matter become no longer about slides but something else, anyhow, the subject of falling off splash mountain slide was no longer the issue.....because gravity was no longer their friend, allowing them to keep the course of discussion.....on why we don't fall off.

Of course when my students ask me why they have to read Gravity's Rainbow.....I tell them....because the earth rotates on its axis....the only truth there is if gravity is not our friend.

...o...kay....

 

[wenrob]

Gravity and safety wise, they just aren't necessary. The drop isn't steep enough to need them, no matter how it feels

--Signed, the mom who held her child with a death grip on that drop, 100% sure that we were going to be the first accidental fatalities!

First time I took my younger DD on Splash she suddenly decided she did NOT want to ride right before the drop. I had to physically hold her down in the seat, my leg pinning hers, my arm/elbow acting like a restraint across her chest. She's ridden many, many times since then but I still make her ride in the back with one of us just in case.

 

[bumbershoot]

You know, I hear what everyone's saying about the physics of it and I believe that (since we don't see people flying out every other day, it must be true). But it still always seemed strange to me that there aren't restraints to prevent people having a panic attack and trying to climb out before the drop. I'm sure in that scenario they would see it on the cameras and stop the ride, but it stills seems so hazardous.

But at the same time, I know there are problems with putting serious restraints on water rides in case the ride vehicle somehow tips over and people need to make a wet exit. So I suppose someone qualified has weighed the risks and determined that this is the better option.

At wdw apparently there were enough people doing this that they put the bar in. At Dlr it's different.

At wdw it's a side by side seat; easier to get out of. The normal seats at Disney land are nowhere near that easy to get out of!

 

[wdwfan22]

As others have said, they put them in at DW to keep people from getting out. But it isn't because people change their mind about the drop, it's because they were getting out to be jerks and walk around the sets. Stupid people are the biggest reason rides go down so often.

 

[dina444444]

As others have said, they put them in at DW to keep people from getting out. But it isn't because people change their mind about the drop, it's because they were getting out to be jerks and walk around the sets. Stupid people are the biggest reason rides go down so often.

You're also not required to pull the lap bar on splash in wdw.

 

[bardays]

and yet there are seat-belts on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train

 

[WonkaKid]

They weren't added because physics was making people fly out.

Really? I've never ridden SM and not fallen out. In fact, I ride it every Sunday and every Sunday I end up somewhere in the middle of ROA. One time two years ago I was thrown over TS Island entirely and landed on the top of the Mark Twain -- fortunately it happened to be passing. Yes, it was fun and made the ride a little more exciting, but it also feels unnecessarily dangerous at times. Starting tomorrow -- why I didn't start this years ago is beyond me -- I'm bringing my own seat belt. I've had enough.

 

[mom2rtk]

Really? I've never ridden SM and not fallen out. In fact, I ride it every Sunday and every Sunday I end up somewhere in the middle of ROA. One time two years ago I was thrown entirely over TS Island and landed on the top of the Mark Twain -- fortunately it happened to be passing. Yes, it was fun and made the ride a little more exciting, but it also feels unnecessarily dangerous at times. Starting tomorrow -- why I didn't start this years ago is beyond me -- I'm bringing my own seat belt. I've had enough.

Maybe it was just so commonplace they stopped covering it in the news?