another...Mission:Space- Woman Loses Consciousness

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DISNEY_INJURY?SITE=7219&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-07-11-08-26-19

From drudgereport.com

It happened last night 7/10.

I've never been on Mission: Space before so I cannot speak from experience. Why are so many people having trouble with this ride? From the ride description, it subjects riders to 2x the normal force of gravity. That isn't much!! This can't be a good thing for Disney.

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it subjects riders to 2x the normal force of gravity. That isn't much!!

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While coasters can subject riders to much higher G-s than that, those G's are for seconds... not a prolonged length of time. 2G of Coaster G's is nothing... but 2G's for a prolonged period of time might be causing a problem.

You can claim "pre existing conditions" all you want. In cases of illness (or death) on rides, these are often the culprit (next to rider "error" or huge wooden looping coasters that decide to "self destruct")... however what is odd is that there are so many cases of pre-existing conditions being agrivated by one particular ride.

Is it a case of:

a) the (rather low) G forces of the ride for a prolonged period of time agrivating conditions?

b) a false sense that this is a tame ride (i.e. not a coaster) that causes people who would not otherwise ride the more intense rides to ride it? (in other words... does it need more signage to "scare" more people into NOT riding it)

^or
C) We all have some pre existing condition waiting for the proper trigger.

I was under the impression that the ride already has ridiculous amounts of signage.

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FLYINGSCOOTER said:
or C) We all have some pre existing condition waiting for the proper trigger.

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Fair enough, though the question remains... why does Mission Space seem to be the "proper trigger" for so many people's "pre existing condition"?

A person that dies or suffers a serious illness on a coaster that has been running fine for years can be chalked up to "pre-existing condition" with the ride being labeled, for all practical purposes, safe. However, when you take into consideration the amount of time that Mission Space has been opened and the number of "pre-existing conditions" that it triggered... you have to start looking at the lowest common demominator.... the ride itself. (or is this ride just favored by more people with pre-existing conditions?) *** Edited 7/11/2006 5:14:46 PM UTC by SLFAKE***

If this exact ride were located at somewhere like Cedar Point do you think that you would see as many pre-existing condition incidences?

*** Edited 7/11/2006 5:24:21 PM UTC by Rihard***

Yes there are rediculous amounts of signage.

This ride is a space flight (including launch/lift-off) simulator. That is where the similarities in rollercoaster G's stop. Rollercoasters are a lot of G's for seconds here and there. This ride is not as many G's, but prolonged for several minutes. The problem I think is a lot of folks who wouldn't ride coasters for those reasons would still ride this not realizing it; just thinking, "Oh this is a cool themed Disney ride, I'll ride it."

Sometimes when there is that much signage, people go numb to it. Some probably even think that it is part of the theming of the ride, to hype it up and to scare you while waiting - which is a big mistake for someone to overlook.

I love this ride and usually cannot ride normal spinning type rides. The visuals take you right out of it.

^^ I would say yes to that question. I think the same ride would have the same results anywhere it's place, within reason.

And yes, the question does remain. I don't know.

This is sort of an 'out there' question, but: How many G's do Huss Enterprize/Witches Wheel pull? *** Edited 7/11/2006 5:33:08 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

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The problem I think is a lot of folks who wouldn't ride coasters for those reasons would still ride this not realizing it; just thinking, "Oh this is a cool themed Disney ride, I'll ride it."

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In other words... my second answer from above (b) a false sense that this is a tame ride (i.e. not a coaster) that causes people who would not otherwise ride the more intense rides to ride it?)

If that is the case... then there are one of three options. 1) Somehow convey the nature of the ride (i.e. "This isn't your grand parent's "Its a Small World" sort of thing") in a better manner, 2) Tame the ride (the 2G's may be cool... but if they cause problems...) or 3) (and most unrealistically) remove it.

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If this exact ride were located at somewhere like Cedar Point do you think that you would see as many pre-existing condition incidences?

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Considering the fact that most of those who were affected were young or other wise healthy (and not Grampa Joe (with a bad heart) or Great Aunt Gertrude who is 92 years old) yes. Perhaps not the same number of incidents (since Disney is a year round park, etc), but a similar percentage of incidents for the number of people who ride it.

Now THIS ride needs to be looked at for possible removal or reconfiguration! *** Edited 7/11/2006 5:36:47 PM UTC by Marky Mark***

And here's the Catch to signage.
Disney could put up a sign that says: This ride has had a hand triggering pre-existing conditions, in some cases causing death. Please be advised!

I bet the que's would be twice as long.

Person half-delirious: I thought it was just clever advertising... where's my lawyer???

^ Maybe that's it. People can clearly see a tall lift hill, big drops, or inversions, so the faint of heart will avoid them.

But there's nothing apparent outside of Mission Space what goes on inside. You see no movement, and nothing of the ride itself. Like every other Disney attraction, you get at least a half hour lead in from the time you enter the queue until you actually board. In that time, they must warn you every 5 minutes, if not more often, about the forces your body will be subject to during the ride.

I think part of the problem is that the warnings are part of the theming-- buzzers followed by a pre-recorded voice, etc. Pretty much what people come to expect from watching decades of space launches and Mission Control on TV. So it becomes part of the atmosphere instead of something people actually pay attention to.

I also think most people would be too proud to "bail out" once they get so far. They'd rather risk getting deathly ill than have the other people look at them funny because they decided to get out of line.

Taer it down and rebuild Horizons already!

But seriously, I did not care for the original version of this ride. I can ride the "roughest" wooden coasters for hours straight, but positive g's are not my cup of tea, even on multiloopers where they don't last as long.

And on Mission Space, the g's are sustained, as mentioned above. It made me feel lightheaded and dizzy and after giving it a second and third chance on subsequent visits, stopped riding it.

Then, after the second fatality a few months ago, Disney responded and converted 2 of the 4 ride areas into a "tamer" version of the ride. Same simulated video with seat motion, but minus the centrifuge Gravatron-like spinning which pulls all the intense G's.

So now guests have a choice between the g-heavy original and the new lighter version of Mission Space. And you need a (free) ticket that they give out at the entrance after explaining your options to you for either green team or orange team (can't remember which is which) to get past another checkpoint before getting on the ride.

So its a shame that this is still happening now that Disney has begun taking greater steps to try to prevent it.

Even though I'm a coaster addict and "thrill ride fan", I personally prefer the "tame" version of the ride, as it allows me to ride M:S regularly on my Epcot visits again, and experience the story without feeling like I am going to black out. Mission Space Mach 1 did NOT "thrill" me.

Still, I prefer the classic Horizons dark ride that was demolished to make way for M:S over both versions, but that's just my taste.

Frontrider *** Edited 7/11/2006 7:40:23 PM UTC by Frontrider***

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Frontrider said:
And on Mission Space, the g's are sustained, as mentioned above. It made me feel lightheaded and dizzy

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That's exactly why I love it! Disney already made a pansy version of the ride, what else do you want? People ride at their own risks.

I wasn't saying they should turn all 4 rooms into the "pansy" version as you put it. I just wanted to back up what the earlier poster said about it not being the amount of g's that were causing the problems - but the fact that the g's were sustained.

I do not advocate removal of rides that a certain percentage of people cannot tolerate, because that would be a slippery slope which could be used to justify removal of rides that I enjoy such as "rough" woodies. I actually ENJOY things like "shuffle", "jackhammering", and "washboarding", and have marathoned on coasters for hours that had some of these characteristics with no problem whatsoever - so on that type of ride I'm a lot less of a "pansy" than many people in line for the "intense" version of M:S. I have a different idea of "intense" - different strokes for different folks.

I think the solution Disney came up with for this ride is a good one by offering an alternative for non positive g junkies that still allows them to experience the ride.

My tongue in cheek "taer it down" comment had more to do with the fact that I loved the Horizons ride and always felt that M:S should have been built as a seperate new pavillion instead of a replacement for Horizons, than anything to do with problems some have had with the ride. I do agree that the warning signs are adequate especially now with the new proceedure of having two versions and issuing the tickets for each version.

Hopefully the two options will help Disney get ridership up where they want it to be, because compared to the lines for Test Track and Soarin', M:S pre-modifications was not attracting the size crowds, at least on my visits, that it was intended to.

Frontrider *** Edited 7/12/2006 1:49:59 AM UTC by Frontrider***

I think people should really make sure there feeling up to par before departure. A lack of water, smoking, empty stomach, heart problems, etc. Even the smallest thing can hurt you while taking flight.

Has anyone ever ridden a Rotor? A Gravitron? A Round-up? Scat 2? Those are far more intense and you never hear about these "pre-existing condition" things happening there.

I still say it's partly due to the sheer HUGE number of people that get pumped through this thing... then let coincidence take its course.

i know what your sayin John, but im kinda startin to get scared as to whether i wanna ride Mission Space when i go in October, haha. might lose more brain cells than i already have, haha:)

i do think its mostly bad rap though...Mission Space is a major attraction at the worlds most well known entertainment complex so every little thing that happens is going to get splashed about by the media. ces't le vie....

Just throwing out some other stuff John, not *aimed* to you.

The SCAT2 was OUTSIDE, so I knew what I was getting myself into. I could SEE it operating. It's NOT at a Disney park. And, thankfully, the op didn't run the sucker for a full two minutes (although he could have if he wanted to wear my lunch).

Where am I going again? Oh, yeah. Theoretically, if ANY other park has THAT many people, AND that much media attention, there'd be a more level playing field in terms of reported *incidents*.

By the same token, people DO go into a Disney park thinking they can ride EVERYTHING there...different *expectations*. And that's generally where I see the field is NOT level. That, and you don't really KNOW what you're getting yourself into when the ride is completely hidden from view, REGARDLESS of signage.