Will WDW Add Weight Limits to Ride Signage?

[DisneyCane]

In the wake of the tragedy at ICON park which seems to be the result of the unfortunate kid being significantly over the weight limit for the ride (likely combined with ride staff not paying attention), do you think WDW will add the maximum weight for each ride to the warning signs?

I don't think I've ever seen anything but minimum height which the CMs check for (multiple times). I don't think we'll ever see scales in the queue nor do I think that is necessary. If the max weight is posted guests would be responsible to know if they exceed that weight and are putting themselves at risk.

 

[fradz]

No, simply because there's not that many extreme rides and any responsible theme park employee stops the ride from starting if someone can't fit the ride vehicle. Some parks have test seats in front for their coasters and drop towers, for example.

 

[correcaminos]

It would only be needed on a ride where weight limits are an issue. I do not think any Disney rides fall into that. Size yes, but not weight afaik

The ride at ICON park is a different type all together than what we see at Disney. If a manufacturer of a ride states there is one then it should be posted no matter where. But ICON and Disney rides are apples and oranges. We could expect it on similar rides maybe but that's it.

 

[peter11435]

It would only be needed on a ride where weight limits are an issue. I do not think any Disney rides fall into that. Size yes, but not weight afaik

The ride at ICON park is a different type all together than what we see at Disney. If a manufacturer of a ride states there is one then it should be posted no matter where. But ICON and Disney rides are apples and oranges. We could expect it on similar rides maybe but that's it.

Weight limits exist for all Disney attractions. Either individually or per vehicle. But they are usually high enough to be a non issue and mostly enforced through properly designed restraints.

 

[PuertoRekinSam]

On the Disney Magic cruise ship. They already have a weight limit listed for the Aqua-Dunk. (300Lbs). So it’s not unprecedented with Disney; but as other posters have pointed out, there are not many attractions in Disney’s portfolio that would warrant one.

 

[correcaminos]

Weight limits exist for all Disney attractions. Either individually or per vehicle. But they are usually high enough to be a non issue and mostly enforced through properly designed restraints.

Exactly what I was saying. As I said it would only be an issue on a ride where weight limits are an issue. Safety for rides at Disney seem come with size limit first, not weight. The ride at ICON park had weight limit issues it seems that their size detectors (ie light coming on) did not trigger, so the opposite.

So again AKAIK there are no limits that need to be worried about at Disney. If you all can fit it's okay otherwise it would be listed like the water ride on cruise ships. Hope that makes sense.

 

[monothingie]

You all remember that today is April Fools Day right?

 

[DisneyCane]

Weight limits exist for all Disney attractions. Either individually or per vehicle. But they are usually high enough to be a non issue and mostly enforced through properly designed restraints.

The restraint design is something I was thinking about. I can't remember on the WDW over the shoulder restraints, how low they need to be before the teeth start to engage?

A properly designed restraint shouldn't be able to lock until it is at the minimum safe position. It seems to me that in the SkyFall accident, the issue wasn't really the passenger's weight but his size which prevented the restraint from being in a position so it wouldn't be possible to fall out. However, the restraint locked in that position so if all the ride operators were checking was locked restraints it wouldn't help.

On the thrill rides at WDW, I don't think you'd have an issue even if there was no restraint. I guess on ToT you could get injured after floating and then landing back on the seat. The rest of the rides I think would only have issues in a malfunction like RnRC somehow stopping while inverted (which I don't even know if it is possible by the laws of physics).

I think for WDW rides, the restraints are mostly to keep people from standing up during the ride.

 

[DisneyCane]

You all remember that today is April Fools Day right?

Umm.. What about this thread do you see as a joke? It was a serious question and discussion based on the accident where a 14 year old boy was killed falling out of a drop tower attraction not far from WDW.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Exactly what I was saying. As I said it would only be an issue on a ride where weight limits are an issue. Safety for rides at Disney seem come with size limit first, not weight. The ride at ICON park had weight limit issues it seems that their size detectors (ie light coming on) did not trigger, so the opposite.

So again AKAIK there are no limits that need to be worried about at Disney. If you all can fit it's okay otherwise it would be listed. Hope that makes sense.

Size and weight do not correlate the way you suggest. Rides are machines and they all have a limit to how much they can carry.

There is not a “size detector” on the Orlando FreeFall. The light referenced by the operators indicates that the restraint was locked. It had nothing to do with validating weight or size. While weight may be determined to be a contributing factor, right now the issue seems to be that the restraint was not set to close enough and after the west tilted placed a sizable gap directly below the direction of the rider’s motion.

 

[monothingie]

Umm.. What about this thread do you see as a joke? It was a serious question and discussion based on the accident where a 14 year old boy was killed falling out of a drop tower attraction not far from WDW.

The ludicrous idea that Disney would put scales in queues or that CM are going to be charged with checking guests weight. Disney to their credit takes safety very seriously and does extensive testing to ensure guests will have a safe experience. This entire thread is a solution in search of a problem.

 

[lazyboy97o]

On the thrill rides at WDW, I don't think you'd have an issue even if there was no restraint. I guess on ToT you could get injured after floating and then landing back on the seat. The rest of the rides I think would only have issues in a malfunction like RnRC somehow stopping while inverted (which I don't even know if it is possible by the laws of physics).

Tower of Terror wouldn’t just have you floating because it is not actually a drop ride. The ride vehicle is pulled down, so it falls faster than a gravity powered free fall.

There have been instances of roller coasters stuck in inversions. It typical involves some sort of mechanical issue or debris that causes the train to lock. It is also technically possible for one to perfectly balance. It’s not an inversion, but there are videos of Top Thrill Dragster stalled right on the top hat and the situation is resolved a maintenance technician climbing up and giving the train a push.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The ludicrous idea that Disney would put scales in queues or that CM are going to be charged with checking guests weight. Disney to their credit takes safety very seriously and does extensive testing to ensure guests will have a safe experience. This entire thread is a solution in search of a problem.

They’ve been used at other parks, including Volcano Bay.

 

[DisneyCane]

The ludicrous idea that Disney would put scales in queues or that CM are going to be charged with checking guests weight. Disney to their credit takes safety very seriously and does extensive testing to ensure guests will have a safe experience. This entire thread is a solution in search of a problem.

I guess you missed the sentence in my OP where I said, "I don't think we'll ever see scales in the queue nor do I think that is necessary."

 

[DisneyCane]

Tower of Terror wouldn’t just have you floating because it is not actually a drop ride. The ride vehicle is pulled down, so it falls faster than a gravity powered free fall.

There have been instances of roller coasters stuck in inversions. It typical involves some sort of mechanical issue or debris that causes the train to lock. It is also technically possible for one to perfectly balance. It’s not an inversion, but there are videos of Top Thrill Dragster stalled right on the top hat and the situation is resolved a maintenance technician climbing up and giving the train a push.

That's what I meant on ToT, you'd float out of the seat and then fall back into it (and possibly neighbors if you shifted your body). I don't think you'd hit that hard because on many occasions I've let a water bottle float off of my lap. Even when it reaches eye level I barely feel it when it lands.

Good info on the coasters stuck inverted. That's why the restraints are necessary on inverted coasters. On something like EE I don't think you would involuntarily fall out without restraints unless the train derailed which would take some major failures.

 

[correcaminos]

The restraint design is something I was thinking about. I can't remember on the WDW over the shoulder restraints, how low they need to be before the teeth start to engage?

A properly designed restraint shouldn't be able to lock until it is at the minimum safe position. It seems to me that in the SkyFall accident, the issue wasn't really the passenger's weight but his size which prevented the restraint from being in a position so it wouldn't be possible to fall out. However, the restraint locked in that position so if all the ride operators were checking was locked restraints it wouldn't help.

On the thrill rides at WDW, I don't think you'd have an issue even if there was no restraint. I guess on ToT you could get injured after floating and then landing back on the seat. The rest of the rides I think would only have issues in a malfunction like RnRC somehow stopping while inverted (which I don't even know if it is possible by the laws of physics).

I think for WDW rides, the restraints are mostly to keep people from standing up during the ride.

For us small people we are used to floating and landing when lap bars are up higher for average size people. It's not really an issue. Restraints are important though which is why I've seen people denied coasted rides if they didn't fit. If something goes awry you want them safe.

You all remember that today is April Fools Day right?

I think this was serious as a 14yo fell to their death from a ride in which their weight was too much for the restraint.

Size and weight do not correlate the way you suggest. Rides are machines and they all have a limit to how much they can carry.

There is not a “size detector” on the Orlando FreeFall. The light referenced by the operators indicates that the restraint was locked. It had nothing to do with validating weight or size. While weight may be determined to be a contributing factor, right now the issue seems to be that the restraint was not set to close enough and after the west tilted placed a sizable gap directly below the direction of the rider’s motion.

I'm really over arguing something I wasn't trying to argue. To the workers the restraint was down as far as it could go and the light was on. I haven't heard it was just size alone though comments of the lack of belt have been brought up. So far they are focusing on weight which wasn't what operators knew about it seems. Why is the question.

Which again, AFAIK, Disney rides have a size limiter issue before a weight one in terms of safety. If a weight was an issue, they would state it like they do on the cruise ship. No one is saying there are zero weight limit issues but that they are irrelevant as a whole to riders individually. That if one fits, they sits (safely)

Hope I made that clear since apparently you seem hung up on something I wasn't saying. I am talking individual weight limits.

 

[DisneyCane]

For us small people we are used to floating and landing when lap bars are up higher for average size people. It's not really an issue. Restraints are important though which is why I've seen people denied coasted rides if they didn't fit. If something goes awry you want them safe.


I think this was serious as a 14yo fell to their death from a ride in which their weight was too much for the restraint.

The workers for the ride were flat out recorded saying that they checked and were stating the light was on. Meaning the ride was safely locked in place in their mind. So yes, to them the size limit was a concern and not the weight. I have not followed up if this was a training issue or if the manufacturer communication was poor or what, that there was a weight limit to worry first even if the light shows clear. I know the manual stated 287 but why it was not communicated that there is a size and weight limit to be concerned about I am not sure of.

Which again, AFAIK, Disney rides have a size limiter issue before a weight one in terms of safety. If a weight was an issue, they would state it like they do on the cruise ship. No one is saying there are zero weight limit issues but that they are irrelevant as a whole to riders individually. That if one fits, they sits (safely)

Hope I made that clear since apparently you seem hung up on my comments over the others stating similarly.

My wife (who has followed that accident very closely because the death of a 14 year old on a ride really hit her hard) said that the kid had been denied at two other rides in the park due to his size. The operators may have assumed that since the restraint locked, it meant it was OK.

It will likely turn out that the issue was three fold. First, his size that allowed for a large gap between the restraint and the seat even though it was locked. Second his weight which created a very large downward force as the ride vehicle decelerated. The final factor looks to also be related to his size. Photos from the ground show that his knees were out quite a distance from the seat. My suspicion is that as the ride vehicle decelerated, the force on his legs and the position of his legs pulled him downwards and forward which then positioned his body in a way where the seat couldn't slow the acceleration.

The whole incident is very sad and disturbing. It is a very poor reflection of humanity that nobody in close proximity went over to see if there was anything that they could do to help the kid. Chances are that he died on impact and there was nothing that anybody could have done but how can you see something like that happen and not want to try to help the person?

 

[correcaminos]

My wife (who has followed that accident very closely because the death of a 14 year old on a ride really hit her hard) said that the kid had been denied at two other rides in the park due to his size. The operators may have assumed that since the restraint locked, it meant it was OK.

It will likely turn out that the issue was three fold. First, his size that allowed for a large gap between the restraint and the seat even though it was locked. Second his weight which created a very large downward force as the ride vehicle decelerated. The final factor looks to also be related to his size. Photos from the ground show that his knees were out quite a distance from the seat. My suspicion is that as the ride vehicle decelerated, the force on his legs and the position of his legs pulled him downwards and forward which then positioned his body in a way where the seat couldn't slow the acceleration.

The whole incident is very sad and disturbing. It is a very poor reflection of humanity that nobody in close proximity went over to see if there was anything that they could do to help the kid. Chances are that he died on impact and there was nothing that anybody could have done but how can you see something like that happen and not want to try to help the person?

I had read about the denying but didn't see which rides they were. I've had too tall friends denied on some rides as their legs don't fit so I guess I didn't assume much from that since he's tall.

What I want to know is where the breakdown in communication occured. I don't blame the operators if they pushed down and it locked. They assumed it was secure. Their knowledge is only as good as their training is. I wonder where a break down occured between the manual stating 287 and the actual ride. While his legs were far out, it did look like the restraint was on him as far as it could go based on a picture I saw. I did not watch any videos of his actual death and kinda refuse to.

Some rides of similar-ish-ness, have a belt between the harness and the seat between the legs much like the idea of Soarin for little ones

Drop Ride | Drop Tower | Kings Island

Feel your heart drop when you plunge a staggering 26 stories from a height of 315' reaching speeds of up to 67 mph on the tallest Gyro drop in the world!

www.visitkingsisland.com

You can see the belt in the video. This one doesn't seem to have a weight limit but a size limit they are concerned about.

Again I have not watched a video of his death or the after math. Just recordings of the workers saying they checked him and photos and clips prior to the ride coming down. I imagine it was extremely traumatic for them all. My state fair had a horrific malfunction that caused 7 injured and one death. After seeing that video I didn't want to see this one. So I cannot comment on the last part. It was horrific and I feel for those who lost a boy they loved so much and to those who witnessed it... cannot imagine either.

 

[lazyboy97o]

My wife (who has followed that accident very closely because the death of a 14 year old on a ride really hit her hard) said that the kid had been denied at two other rides in the park due to his size. The operators may have assumed that since the restraint locked, it meant it was OK.

It will likely turn out that the issue was three fold. First, his size that allowed for a large gap between the restraint and the seat even though it was locked. Second his weight which created a very large downward force as the ride vehicle decelerated. The final factor looks to also be related to his size. Photos from the ground show that his knees were out quite a distance from the seat. My suspicion is that as the ride vehicle decelerated, the force on his legs and the position of his legs pulled him downwards and forward which then positioned his body in a way where the seat couldn't slow the acceleration.

The whole incident is very sad and disturbing. It is a very poor reflection of humanity that nobody in close proximity went over to see if there was anything that they could do to help the kid. Chances are that he died on impact and there was nothing that anybody could have done but how can you see something like that happen and not want to try to help the person?

The seats on Orlando FreeFall tilt and stay in the tilted position throughout the drop. The tilt moved his seat so that it was no longer directly under him and replaced it with the gap between the seat and the harness.

 

[DisneyCane]

The seats on Orlando FreeFall tilt and stay in the tilted position throughout the drop. The tilt moved his seat so that it was no longer directly under him and replaced it with the gap between the seat and the harness.

Now it makes a lot more sense. I didn't know that the seats tilted. The explanation becomes very simple with that information. He remained in freefall with nothing to slow him down since the harness would normally perform that function.