Avatar Flight of Passage safety and warning cards being handed out to guests

[youngdeb]

We just rode last week and the only issues we had with the glasses were on our 5/6 year olds whose heads were not big enough for the glasses to fit. They really should have some smaller pairs for kids. I spent a lot of the ride trying to fix the glasses on the child beside me. I didn't really notice the smells at all, but that could've been where I was positioned in the ride. We didn't receive a warnings card either, but we went through the FP line

 

[fauna]

My husband will not ride Soarin or Mission Space (due to confinement and fear of heights) and gets major anxiety on both those attractions. We have now done FOP multiple times and he loves it. I think the one picture that was shown of the ride from the floor up looking at all the ride vehicles, while a cool picture, makes it look alot more intimidating then it really is. You don't feel like you are that high off the ground in any way while riding, and you can look backwards and still see your bag and items in the box waiting for you. These cards are basically just Disney covering themselves to say I told you this was not a boat ride...

Regarding the glasses every time I put them on I have the same thought why are these so big they are going to fly off, yet each time no problem. It must be something with the fit that makes you feel that but I don't see glasses flying off anyone while riding. And seriously complaining about a scent is just a little ridiculous to me . The poster that commented and said its like complaining that the seats are blue in Space Mountain made me LOL!

I had no problem with the glasses the first few times I rode. But last time, maybe I had a real "stretched out" pair and they fell off (my admittedly small head) like 3 times. I finally had to just hold them on. Maybe I'll bring my own strap next time.

 

[Rich Brownn]

I'm really surprised they haven't monetized this. I've thought the same thing before. Seems almost like a no-brainer if they could have various designs and styles that were also more accommodating.

Except all of the 3D systems used aren't the same. Star Tours uses Dolby (changes light waves), Muppets and other use polarized, and I am not sure what FoP uses (seems very clear for polarized).

 

[fractal]

The reason they're giving out these cards is two-fold:

1) The fact that they have huge lines and have no bathrooms inside.

2) The bigger issue at hand is they're trying to weed out people who are either can't fit and those who are prone to motion sickness. From people I know who have worked at MS and currently work at FoP, the issue of people throwing up there are actually much more severe than at MS. Likewise, the way they have to clean everything up is also extremely tedious (components have to be disassembled and reassembled if it's bad enough), resulting in hour+ downtimes for a ride room.

As for the glasses comments: I'm someone who has had prescription glasses for years and there's some rides where the 3D glasses (typically the 3D shows) I have issues with, but ST, FoP, Spider-Man and the others at Universal (except Shrek) I have never had a problem with.

As for how big is too big, the issue usually lies with either the gut or calves. If you have big arms or thighs, you should be fine.

Surprised by this (vomiting). MS orange gets to me, but no issues with FoP.

 

[KaliSplash]

With as few spoilers as possible can someone explain the mechanics of this ride to me? I am trying to decide if my husband can handle it. He is very much afraid of heights.

He doesn't do rollercoasters because they terrify him so much that his chest hurts by the end of the ride.
On Soarin he asked for his restraint to be released so he could leave before starting because being lifted the short distance into the air while his feet dangled was too much for him (he says that short distance would have been fine had it been an normal enclosed seat where his feet would be setting on a solid floor).
Simulated heights seem to be ok for him as he loved the Simpsons ride at universal. He also enjoyed the helicopter ride we took at a local festival a few years back which I found really weird since he is afraid of heights in all other settings.

I don't want to just Google for the answer because I would like to try and avoid too many spoilers about the ride for myself. Because the lines are so long for it I don't think riding by myself and then again with him will be an option.

If you've ever ridden Magic Carpets of Aladdin at Disneyquest, that's the ride vehicle, combined with the up close visuals of Missiiong:Space

 

[Jones14]

With as few spoilers as possible can someone explain the mechanics of this ride to me? I am trying to decide if my husband can handle it. He is very much afraid of heights.

He doesn't do rollercoasters because they terrify him so much that his chest hurts by the end of the ride.
On Soarin he asked for his restraint to be released so he could leave before starting because being lifted the short distance into the air while his feet dangled was too much for him (he says that short distance would have been fine had it been an normal enclosed seat where his feet would be setting on a solid floor).
Simulated heights seem to be ok for him as he loved the Simpsons ride at universal. He also enjoyed the helicopter ride we took at a local festival a few years back which I found really weird since he is afraid of heights in all other settings.

I don't want to just Google for the answer because I would like to try and avoid too many spoilers about the ride for myself. Because the lines are so long for it I don't think riding by myself and then again with him will be an option.

The seating is like if you went to the gym and worked out at the tricep curl machine. The only difference is that instead of the slanted pad to rest your elbows on, there's a small screen with some theming and bicycle handlebars. A small pad swings up behind your back and secures you between it and the front of the tricep curl machine, as well as two leg restraints. The leg restraints likely won't touch your legs unless you're on the taller side, and even then they don't feel restrictive. If you want, your legs can be planted on the floor from ride start to finish.

As for the ride itself, think Star Tours level of movement, but because the "vehicle" is smaller, it feels more dynamic. The screen is a gigantic 3D screen, and I'm sure that you guys could ask to be loaded on the bottom level due to a fear of heights if your husband is still uneasy about it. I've included a tricep curl machine for reference. Hope this helps!

 

[Pirate Magic]

I thought the ride was great!!! I will say there were some sharp dips and when that happened I would just close my eyes for a second or two. I was fine and so was the rest of the family, but my niece didn't like it and she too wears glasses and she had the problem with keeping the 3D glasses on.

 

[DisneyCane]

Except all of the 3D systems used aren't the same. Star Tours uses Dolby (changes light waves), Muppets and other use polarized, and I am not sure what FoP uses (seems very clear for polarized).

Since you are moving so much and I've not noticed any "ghosting" or other artifacts, I can only assume that FoP uses Dolby 3D (or a similar method). Especially since I assume the projectors are laser, using that technique is very light efficient.

BTW, it doesn't change light waves, per se. Instead of using Red, Green, Blue as primary colors, they use slightly shifted primary colors that are different for each eye. The glasses are narrow filters that let each eye see the primary colors that are intended for that eye.

 

[beertiki]

If there was any issue with glasses flying off, Disney would have made a change very quickly. It also seems that they do not have a huge surplus of glasses, which they would need if they were flying of guests heads and getting lost or stuck in the ride machinery.

20,000 people ride that ride every day, nothing needs to be changed because on person needs to hold their nose. I am sure some vegetarian hates the smell of cooking meat, but they walk by Flame Tree and don't expect something to change.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

According to some other websites, safety/warning cards are now being handed out to guests entering the line for this attraction (similar to the cards handed out at Mission Space in EPCOT). I’m surprised it took this long for a more detailed warning, since I’ve heard of tons of people getting sick on this ride.

I’ve heard so many people compare it to Soarin, but I think it is significantly more intense than Soarin. I have multiple issues with this ride, and even though I’m a local and visit AK frequently, I rarely ride Avatar anymore. I rode it a bunch when it first opened, mainly trying to see if I could sort out the problems that prevent me from liking the ride, but no luck there so it’s pretty much no-go for me unless they fix a couple things.

Problem 1 – Putting 3D glasses over prescription glasses. The very first time I rode FOP, the 3D glasses came flying off. I then learned that I had to hold the 3D glasses on my face with one hand during the entire ride. Anyone who has ridden FOP knows there is significant movement and trying to hold on to the handlebars with one hand for the entire ride is not only incredibly difficult but results in a lot of flailing about. As someone who has to wear glasses (I am allergic to contacts and therefore can’t ever wear them), the 3D glasses are an extremely poor design. And my Rx glasses frames are even on the small side and also work fine with screen-based 3D glasses at other non-Disney parks. But for the FOP ride, given the significant amount of movement and tilting forward, the 3D glasses really should have been designed with some sort of back strap to secure the 3D glasses over the prescription glasses that many of us have to wear.

Problem 2 – That sickly sweet smell that is pumped on you during the entire ride. It reminds of the smell in the Figi section of Soarin, which is fine when it’s just for a couple seconds. But it’s not fine, at least for me, for an entire 4.5 minutes. For me, it’s sickly sweet and makes me super nauseous. But, I learned that if I hold my nose with one hand for the entire ride to avoid the smell, I don’t get nauseous at all. Of course, I’m still flailing about trying to hold on to the handlebars with one hand and the aforementioned 3D glasses slide around at best and fly off again at worst.

So to summarize, I need one hand to keep the 3D glasses on my face so I can see the screen. I need the other hand to hold my nose so I don’t get nauseous from the gross pumped-in smell. That leaves me exactly zero hands to hold onto the handbars!

This was post over at Inside Universal this morning.

 

[es135]

I definitely feel like the warnings and cautionary statements made the ride seem to be much more intense than it actually is. It was a great simulator, arguably one of the best, but the actual motion was pretty limited.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Since you are moving so much and I've not noticed any "ghosting" or other artifacts, I can only assume that FoP uses Dolby 3D (or a similar method). Especially since I assume the projectors are laser, using that technique is very light efficient.

BTW, it doesn't change light waves, per se. Instead of using Red, Green, Blue as primary colors, they use slightly shifted primary colors that are different for each eye. The glasses are narrow filters that let each eye see the primary colors that are intended for that eye.

Id have said yes except the light waves aren't distorted, like Dolby 3D (notice those glasses have a definite red/green shift in each eye and are glossy at the front)

 

[Notes from Neverland]

Can anyone else confirm that there's new glasses?

 

[katelee07]

Can anyone else confirm that there's new glasses?

I can confirm. I rode on 2/27 and had difficulty with the feeling of the glasses falling off. Just rode it this past Monday (3/12), and noticed a new style of glasses. Major improvement and definitely made the ride more enjoyable to not have to continually adjust the glasses.