Fingertips touch something on Space Mountain?

SourcererMark79

SourcererMark79

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
No
Rode on Alpha last month, I'm 5'10'' and I swear I felt my fingertips touch something about 30 secs into the ride. Anyone else had this happen, or could it just be since it's so dark, your senses get thrown off? Never happened on Omega.
 
SirWillow

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
Honestly, if you've got long arms and you're stretching, yes, it's possible. Those beams and supports are closer than you think they are. I've had friends that have had lights on rides, and others slap their hands on beams with the lights off, and heard plenty about it from them. It's one ride that I absolutely won't ride with my hands up.

The good news is that it doesn't go fast enough to really injury you in those spots where it cuts close like that, but it can certainly hurt.
 
Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
SirWillow said:
Honestly, if you've got long arms and you're stretching, yes, it's possible. Those beams and supports are closer than you think they are. I've had friends that have had lights on rides, and others slap their hands on beams with the lights off, and heard plenty about it from them. It's one ride that I absolutely won't ride with my hands up.

The good news is that it doesn't go fast enough to really injury you in those spots where it cuts close like that, but it can certainly hurt.
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Space Mountain most certainly goes fast enough to cause injury if you were to hit something with you hands. Al least a broken finger, if not worse. However, you cannot touch anything while riding it. Just think about the insurance nightmare that would be if you could. Not to mention PR problems, lawsuits, and a host of other issues.
 
SirWillow

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
Phonedave said:
Space Mountain most certainly goes fast enough to cause injury if you were to hit something with you hands. Al least a broken finger, if not worse. However, you cannot touch anything while riding it. Just think about the insurance nightmare that would be if you could. Not to mention PR problems, lawsuits, and a host of other issues.
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love disney said:
No way anyone is touching the ride track, supports, etc. as Phonedave wrote above, but if tall enough you can definitely touch the ceiling in the light tube/tunnel. (Probably shouldn't admit this but I do it every time I ride!)
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There actually are a couple of spots where supports can be briefly touched- if you have a long reach. It's not going to be a hard contact, and it's at places where you aren't moving fast. But I have been with riders who have touched. And it's very clear if you ever get a lights on ride. and yes, there have been a few people that have suffered minor injuries from it. But it's rare and not often or serious enough for Disney to worry about.

Remember it was built at a time where they weren't as meticulous about safety zones as they are now. It's still not something that the vast majority of us are going to have to worry about, but someone that's over 6 foot and with long arms- yes, there is a slight potential for it.

If they were to rebuild it today though, nope, wouldn't have an inkling of a chance.

You get some interesting stories about things like that when you hang around with people who work on the ride. :)
 
BoarderPhreak

BoarderPhreak

Well-Known Member
Take it as a lesson - don't do it (again). Sure, the chances are slim that you'll get hurt (this has been well time tested at this point). But there's always someone, somehow... Look at the poor bloke on the float. Or the guy on PotC. Don't be those guys.
 
W

winniethepluto

New Member
How does Disney avoid having to change at least the red light tunnel portion of the ride per modern safety regulations? I know it was built when safety regulations didn’t really exist but isn’t there inspections and codes space mountain still has to follow?
 
T

Trackmaster

Well-Known Member
A piece of advice when it comes to theme park and amusement park rides:

Don't assume that everything is designed to be 100% safe if you go on autopilot. Its up to you to protect yourself and your family from injury. While you may not be completely informed of the ride systems and risks, use some common sense. Always make sure that the restraints are snug and don't try to be a daredevil by giving yourself more room. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, and do a lap or two before you know that its safe to put your arms up. And this is more for the safety of others -- secure all loose items... especially phones. There are YouTube videos of professional POVs for every ride, don't become another statistic and become another person to lose their phone on a ride -- my recommendation is zipper pockets at parks.
 
SirWillow

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
Trackmaster said:
A piece of advice when it comes to theme park and amusement park rides:

Don't assume that everything is designed to be 100% safe if you go on autopilot. Its up to you to protect yourself and your family from injury. While you may not be completely informed of the ride systems and risks, use some common sense. Always make sure that the restraints are snug and don't try to be a daredevil by giving yourself more room. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, and do a lap or two before you know that its safe to put your arms up. And this is more for the safety of others -- secure all loose items... especially phones. There are YouTube videos of professional POVs for every ride, don't become another statistic and become another person to lose their phone on a ride -- my recommendation is zipper pockets at parks.
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Excellent advice all the way around. Wish people would quit trying to shoot POVs on coasters anyways- the parks or other professionals with park permission and assistance have provided POV's on pretty much every coaster out there anyways. Use their and keep your phone/ camera put away where you won't lose it, and where it won't hit someone when you lose it (seen that more times than I wish I had)
 
erasure fan1

erasure fan1

Well-Known Member
Phonedave said:
However, you cannot touch anything while riding it. Just think about the insurance nightmare that would be if you could. Not to mention PR problems, lawsuits, and a host of other issues.
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Well not exactly. Like others have said you can touch the top of the tunnels. I'm not what I would call tall, 5'11", and I can easily touch the tops.
 
Almac97

Almac97

Active Member
SourcererMark79 said:
Rode on Alpha last month, I'm 5'10'' and I swear I felt my fingertips touch something about 30 secs into the ride. Anyone else had this happen, or could it just be since it's so dark, your senses get thrown off? Never happened on Omega.
Click to expand...
When SDMT was being built, they had a "reach" test rig fitted to one of the cars. As you can see in the picture there are little fins that approximate a long arm's reach in all directions. If any fins come back bent or missing, there was contact.

SDMT Test Rig.jpg

I'm always curious about SM's clearance in the dark. I'm only 6' tall and still feel like my hands would hit something if I had my arms up at certain points.

Once upon a time, I had an idea to do a "straw test" to reach a conclusion, similar to the SDMT test rig. Since straws are everywhere in the park and easy to come by, I could hold my hands out on the ride, but 1 straw length from full extension and then hold a straw. If I feel the straw hit anything, it's not safe to stretch my arms fully. Each ride I could reach a bit further, but if the straw hits anything, game over, obstacles are too close.

... Then I realized the amount of times I'd have to do this, at different distances and angles of reach, the risk of getting kicked out of the park, the risk of being banned, the risk of family disownment, the risk of dropping a foreign item and having it be a safety issue for others, and the fact that such a test would consume an entire day and prevent enjoying other attractions... I decided it's just easier to follow the darn rules.
 
jloucks

jloucks

Well-Known Member
6'3 with long arms. I have learned to be very careful sticking my arms out of coasters. Smacked a beam on the Six Flags over Texas Mine Train and have never forgotten. Hurt like the dickens, but nothing fell off or broke. I think if a coaster is going to perma injure you for sticking an arm out, there is signage that says as much.
 

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