How safe is Space Mountain?

[Cmdr_Crimson]

What disney world deserves and needs is this:

Pffft...I'd rather have this....

 

[msg7]

I would rebuttal like I usually do, but I don't want to cause any paranoia, since the likelyhood of death or injury by coaster is pretty rare.
I will just say don't go to a fair for rides.

I totally understand this. I normally don't like to go on fair rides either..

 

[ChanduTail]

I would rebuttal like I usually do, but I don't want to cause any paranoia, since the likelyhood of death or injury by coaster is pretty rare.
I will just say don't go to a fair for rides.

I have to agree, and I’m someone who will ride absolutely anything. The closest I have ever felt to death was during a ride on the “Salt & Pepper Shakers” at a local carnival. My best friend and I said our goodbyes to one another between what sounded like bolts rattling around as we went up & her seatbelt coming unfastened as we went down.

 

[Neverland44]

I heard from the bus driver that engineering is extremely concerned about Space Mountain. I think they feel that the steel structure is starting to weaken and that it’s only a matter time before something catastrophic will happen. And yes because of the thinning of the steel bars the cars are definitely going faster which is very concerning. I definitely think you should write a letter and express your concerns.

I didn't feel safe during our ride this past trip. My seat restraint actually popped up before taking off and even when I secured it, I was afraid it was going to open. It was very fast and when it would turn or dip, I was sure I would fly out. Never again.

 

[Neverland44]

You're more likely to get injured on your car ride to the park than on a roller coaster itself... Roughness comes with the age of the ride. (Space Mountain's track style is an older design which is rougher right off the bat then some other coasters...) And the clack was probably one of 2 things... A block brake (another safety feature of the ride which prevents the trains from becoming too close to each other; think MAPO on the monorail) or the chain dog which is a steel piece attached to the bottom of the train which will prevent the train from rolling back if the lift shuts down. The click-click-click sound you hear on coasters while going up on the lift is the chain dog bouncing up and down on the anti-rollback teeth.. Sometimes it can hit the track.. Anyways, you have nothing to worry about when going on Space Mountain or any coaster for that matter... It wouldn't be running if WDI and the state don't think that it's safe.

A kid got decapitated on a water ride in Kansas. They thought that was safe too. I say use your sense and if it feels wrong, listen to your gut. People do die on rides. Nothing is 100 percent safe. It's built by humans! And we're not perfect ourselves.

 

[msg7]

A kid got decapitated on a water ride in Texas. They thought that was safe too. I say use your sense and if it feels wrong, listen to your gut. People do die on rides. Nothing is 100 percent safe. It's built by humans! And we're not perfect ourselves.

Verrückt was a mess even before that accident... That was one of the rare instances when something did happen.. You said it best. Nothing is 100 percent safe... However, the proven stat is that you have a "1 in 24 million chance of being injured." - IAAPA

 

[Prince-1]

A kid got decapitated on a water ride in Texas. They thought that was safe too. I say use your sense and if it feels wrong, listen to your gut. People do die on rides. Nothing is 100 percent safe. It's built by humans! And we're not perfect ourselves.

A bus driver told me that back in the early 80’s a rider lost an arm because he was reaching for the giant space cookie (look it up if you don’t know) and it hit a beam.

 

[Damon7777]

A kid got decapitated on a water ride in Texas. They thought that was safe too.

Are you confused?
I remember news of a water slide strap taking off a boy's head in or just outside of Kansas City, Kansas.

 

[Neverland44]

Verrückt was a mess even before that accident... That was one of the rare instances when something did happen.. You said it best. Nothing is 100 percent safe... However, the proven stat is that you have a "1 in 24 million chance of being injured." - IAAPA

Exactly. The park skirted regulations and was regularly warned about incidents. That was awful and didn't have to happen. The stats show most of us will be safe so it's up to the person to take the risk.

 

[Neverland44]

Are you confused?
I remember news of a water slide strap taking off a boy's head in or just outside of Kansas City, Kansas.

You're right! I did get confused because they have a park in Texas and that's where the company originated.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Every time I exit the ride I'm like: "Whew.....I made it". Not sure if it's a safety thing or it's the fact I'm creeping into the late 40's and the muscles and joints aren't quite as reflexive as they once were. One thing is for sure...it is a rougher ride than my fifteen year old self remembers. But I'm a glutton for punishment...."So, let's go again".

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Not sure if I’m ok to share this link or not, but I remember Space mountain having several scheduled closures in 2013 for refurbishments. I found this to support that memory, although I cannot recall what all was being done at the time. https://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/attractions/space-mountain/closures
I do recall being very happy that our trip didn’t coincide with any of these closure dates.

The only thing that was done during the referbishment at the time was adding Trim brakes and made the coaster slower. It took multiple refurbishments at the time to add all of them.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I think frankly it needs to be ripped out and rebuilt to be a more sleek and enjoyable experience.

Key word there being "rebuilt". And I'm with you.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I didn't feel safe during our ride this past trip. My seat restraint actually popped up before taking off and even when I secured it, I was afraid it was going to open. It was very fast and when it would turn or dip, I was sure I would fly out. Never again.

Did you report it?

 

[wagner1225]

We have rode for years, going back to when it opened, it always felt as if it came off track, I do believe they have constant safety checks and Florida State checks as well, all in all its an fun coaster to ride, I always felt when the kids were little that they would fly out of the cars, never happened and we still got them...

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

It does not come off the tracks. What you heard was either a block brake opening or an anti rollback chain dog, as explained above. While it’s an old clunker now, there is nothing unsafe about the ride. It is just worn out and far from Disney standards of old. It is literally impossible for the vehicle to “come off the tracks” unless there is a catastrophic failure. Educate yourselves on the subject here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_coaster_wheel_assembly

Disneyland was forced to close their Space Mountain and do a total track replacement early because of a catastrophic failure during testing once morning, where I believe a car did indeed come off the track.

EDIT: I've been advised by Martin that the situation with Disneyland's Space Mountain was not as drastic as I previously had been led to believe. Please disregard this post.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Cyclone at Coney Island, NY was opened in 1927 and it works FINE...it's still considered one of the best roller coasters in the world. That's a wooden coaster with just a lap bar. If you folks think that WDW would EVER skimp on public safety on a ride...perhaps you SHOULD stick to the "safe" traveling carnivals and fairs where rides are constructed and dismantled every week or so...talk about unsafe...as other posters said, the older we get, the more we feel. R n R and SM beats the H-E double hockey sticks out of this 54 y. o. body, but I still love riding them...RELAX PEOPLE

 

[Beacon Joe]

So engineering is informing the bus drivers now

That's not how it works. The bus drivers are the systems engineers. Or at least that's the impression I get from how some of them talk.

Oh, who am I kidding. I never ride the buses, like some plebian.

 

[WondersOfLife]

If you folks think that WDW would EVER skimp on public safety on a ride...perhaps you SHOULD stick to the "safe" traveling carnivals and fairs where rides are constructed and dismantled every week or so...talk about unsafe......RELAX PEOPLE

I'm sure Monorail Red's doors that opened in the middle of transit as a result of fail-safe systems not operating is nothing. As well as that chunk of metal that fell off of Monorail Coral. Or Maleficent's Dragon Head catching fire in the middle of a parade. Or that time the Magic Carpet in Disneyland's Aladdin show flipped two actors upside down dangling for their lives. Or that time in 2005 when a California Screamin' train rammed into the back of another train and injured 25 people as a result of a faulty brake valve.

But I mean... That's like nothing.

 

[TwilightZone]

I'm sure Monorail Red's doors that opened in the middle of transit as a result of fail-safe systems not operating is nothing. As well as that chunk of metal that fell off of Monorail Coral. Or Maleficent's Dragon Head catching fire in the middle of a parade. Or that time the Magic Carpet in Disneyland's Aladdin show flipped two actors upside down dangling for their lives. Or that time in 2005 when a California Screamin' train rammed into the back of another train and injured 25 people as a result of a faulty brake valve.

But I mean... That's like nothing.

That's not skimping, those disney couldn't really control.
Now an example of skimping I can think of is a lady at six flags died a long time ago because a worker let her stay on the ride even though the safety bar clearly didn't fit her all the way.