Space Mount. question

[Terra]

I have always loved Space Mountain and am so excited that my oldes, who is 5, is now tall enough to ride. He is 46 inches!

Now my concern [you can totally laugh ;)] I'm nervous about him riding in the seat a lone, even though I'd be behind him. I have visions of him flying out or falling out.

In your opinion parents who have BTDT with "younger" children. Do you recommend it? Are they truly secure in there? He's not scared at all and rides BTMR, SM, and TT. So he has no fear, I'm the one with the fear ;)

[busterthebronco]

first of all, i dont think you're crazy.
i worried too.
i did let him ride though.
i double checked the safety bar and worried like crazy, just holding on to the fact that it hasnt happened to thousands if not millions of "small" riders so the math was totally in my favor.
he lived, of course, and i did too.

having said all that, kids grow fast, so if you cant bring yourself to do it just skip a trip, by the time you get back he'll be much larger!:thumbsup:

[SuzieBell]

You are not alone in that fear!! I remember the first time my DH went on Space Mountain, he was 5. I sat behind him and held on for dear life to the sleeves of his shirt!!:blush: He was 12 last time we went and I still worry (as he held his arms in the whole way) but rest asure - he won't fly out! Have a Magical time!!:mickey:

[floridamom]

Just rode SM Saturday. Each seat has its own T-bar that really does keep each individual in place. (Not like the lap bars that only go so far as the largest person in the seat, leaving a gap with children and smaller adults.) Also, there are three seats to a car, so you can choose either to sit behind your child, or in front where you can reach down and hold their legs. I did that the first time my younger daughter rode- she felt better seeing me in front of her. We had friends with us whose 5 year old was just 44 inches and she rode for the first time and loved it. I am sure your son will, too. Have fun!

[Terra]

Thank you all so much! I feel more secure now! I know he will be thrilled to ride it. He was tall enough several months ago when we went, but I said no! Time to bite the bullet and let him grow up ;)

[joonyer]

I know you can't help your feelings, but stop and think about it for a minute.

Space Mountain has been operating at WDW since 1975, and millions and millions of people including children, have ridden it since them.

NO ONE has ever fallen out of a car on the ride. The minimum height requirement makes certain of that. Disney wouldn't be allowed to operate it otherwise.

That doesn't mean it's not possible, but it is a very remote, unlikely possibility. You're more likely to get struck by lightning.

Your son, or anyone else for that matter, is MUCH, MUCH MORE LIKELY to get injured riding a bicycle or going down steps or in an auto accident. All ordinary activities that we don't think twice about about, but that are really more dangerous than theme park thrill rides.

Space Mountain may be scary, but it is NOT dangerous. So relax and enjoy the thrills!

[CU Tiger]

The height restriction DW uses has a saftey factor built into it. DW knows the limits of their rides and you can ease your mind about you child riding any ride that he meets the min height level.:mickey:

[Terra]

Thanks again! Great points :) I can't wait for him to ride. He's been wanting too!

[Main Street Jim]

Nothing to worry about, Terra :) I saw that kind of stuff (parents more scared for their kids than the kids themselves were scared...LOL) every day when I worked the Mountain :)

The very first time my youngest DD rode Space (back when she was about four or five - she's now 14), I put her in the very front seat - because that's where *she* wanted her first "Space ride" to be. Her mom was (understandably) *scared to death* of her being in the very front. She had already been on Tower of Terror, Thunder, and Splash before then. :-)

[Terra]

Awww, what a great memory! Thanks Jim! I'm really excited for him to ride despite my fear! :)

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

This is a ride I will not ride - but have ridden in the past. My daughter is hoping to ride it when we visit in June and while I will not ride it with her (I'm a GIANT GIANT GIANT WUSS!!!!) I have told her to see if she can ride in the back of a car after my only experience on the ride where I was GROPED by a strange teenaged boy for the duration of the ride while my brother and sister rode with mom and dad.

[Kenny1113]

Just rode SM Saturday. Each seat has its own T-bar that really does keep each individual in place. (Not like the lap bars that only go so far as the largest person in the seat, leaving a gap with children and smaller adults.)

I was so worried when I rode jurassic park at US with DS7 (whose thin as a rail). A very pooh sized gentleman was in the same row as us, the bar didn't even come down an inch, and I was sooo worried DS would fall out.

So you are not alone I think it is in our nature to be worried for our kids. I was very worried DS7s first time riding space. Turns out I had nothing to worry about he talked the entire ride and now is the thrill junkie of our two boys! You'll prob have to ride again so that you can enjoy the ride bc you prob won't the first time being so worried about kids. :)

[Terra]

This is a ride I will not ride - but have ridden in the past. My daughter is hoping to ride it when we visit in June and while I will not ride it with her (I'm a GIANT GIANT GIANT WUSS!!!!) I have told her to see if she can ride in the back of a car after my only experience on the ride where I was GROPED by a strange teenaged boy for the duration of the ride while my brother and sister rode with mom and dad.
Oh my goodness that's awful!! I keep saying I'm too old for the ride now! :) I'm 40 and say it's way too jerky! lol

I was so worried when I rode jurassic park at US with DS7 (whose thin as a rail). A very pooh sized gentleman was in the same row as us, the bar didn't even come down an inch, and I was sooo worried DS would fall out.

So you are not alone I think it is in our nature to be worried for our kids. I was very worried DS7s first time riding space. Turns out I had nothing to worry about he talked the entire ride and now is the thrill junkie of our two boys! You'll prob have to ride again so that you can enjoy the ride bc you prob won't the first time being so worried about kids. :)
That is very true! I'll send DH with him second time around!:secret:

[phlo8810]

I have the same predicament in May. My oldest (6) is tall enough to go on everything and my Very hesitant to put him on rides where I can't sit with him. I remember being young on SM and going on with my parents, do they not let you do that anymore? I haven't bothered to notice the last couple times I've ridden it. Last time I rode 2 novembers ago it was the first time since the refurb and every single turn I felt like the trains were coming off the tracks. Scarred the heck out of me but I love it anyway.

[BrerGnat]

Maybe this will help you in general, when dealing with theme park rides.

The danger in most rides is NOT falling out. The danger comes from a ride possibly needing to emergency stop (like, go from full speed to stop in a matter of seconds, like slamming the brakes on a car) in the middle of operation, and where the safety bar is in relation to the person's (child) body. On Space Mountain, for example, because the seats are deep, and the Tbar sits just over the hips, the height required for the Tbar to be in a "safe" zone in the event of an impact is 44". Any shorter, and the bar would extend into the abdomen or ribcage of the rider, and a sudden stop could cause serious injury.

Space Mountain at Disneyland, on the other hand, uses a different seating arrangement and different restraint bar. The height requirement there is only 40".

The Matterhorn (with the old bobsleds, soon to be replaced) just used seatbelts, so the requirement was even lower, 35".

Falling out is highly uncommon. Jumping out is more common, but most restraints can't prevent that if a person really wants to do it.

So, in the future, worry only about whether your child wants to ride or not, and as long as he's tall enough, he will be safe. :thumbsup:

[DisneyAggies]

I rode with my 6 year old on the last trip. I put him in the front. Confirmed the safety bar was down and tight, and THEN I got in.

(then I spent the rest of the ride 'holding' him from behind, but I wouldn't reccomend that...)

They'll be safely and properly restrained.

[whitney37354]

DD was 5 when she rode SM. DH was in front, DD in middle, & I was in the back. There was no way she could fall out, but I tried my best to keep a hand on her at all times during the ride. I had a huge bruise under my left arm for a week after that from all of the bouncing around on the ride!:mickey:

[Terra]

Maybe this will help you in general, when dealing with theme park rides.

The danger in most rides is NOT falling out. The danger comes from a ride possibly needing to emergency stop (like, go from full speed to stop in a matter of seconds, like slamming the brakes on a car) in the middle of operation, and where the safety bar is in relation to the person's (child) body. On Space Mountain, for example, because the seats are deep, and the Tbar sits just over the hips, the height required for the Tbar to be in a "safe" zone in the event of an impact is 44". Any shorter, and the bar would extend into the abdomen or ribcage of the rider, and a sudden stop could cause serious injury.

Space Mountain at Disneyland, on the other hand, uses a different seating arrangement and different restraint bar. The height requirement there is only 40".

The Matterhorn (with the old bobsleds, soon to be replaced) just used seatbelts, so the requirement was even lower, 35".

Falling out is highly uncommon. Jumping out is more common, but most restraints can't prevent that if a person really wants to do it.

So, in the future, worry only about whether your child wants to ride or not, and as long as he's tall enough, he will be safe. :thumbsup:

Great points [engineering wise!] That reassures me as well ;)

He's going to be so over the moon! Now I can't wait for him to experience it!!

[murphy1]

I am so happy you guys are taking this trip!! You really deserve it, my friend :mickey:
I have a funny story for ya. We got to go on it when my sister and I were 6 and 7, right when the ride was brand new in 1974 or 75. My mom hates roller coasters and had no idea what SM was but thought it was some kiddie ride b/c it was Disney before they even had any type of thrill rides or sign warnings like they do now. I remember how she kept screaming her head off on the ride and I was laughing. She was afraid that we would fall out, too. She felt so bad for doing that to us, but I told her to stop b/c I love roller coasters still and take my kids on them.

We had Grad Nite at MK and a few of my classmates from high school got kicked out for standing up on SM (they only had the seat belts back then) and also trying to jump out at Haunted Mansion.They were lucky they didn't get decapitated on SM, I've heard of that before.

[joonyer]

. . . . . We had Grad Nite at MK and a few of my classmates from high school got kicked out for standing up on SM (they only had the seat belts back then) and also trying to jump out at Haunted Mansion.They were lucky they didn't get decapitated on SM, I've heard of that before.

They may have been lucky to have been unharmed, but no one has ever been decapitated on any of the Space Mountains. That is an old urban legend.

[Terra]

I am so happy you guys are taking this trip!! You really deserve it, my friend :mickey:
I have a funny story for ya. We got to go on it when my sister and I were 6 and 7, right when the ride was brand new in 1974 or 75. My mom hates roller coasters and had no idea what SM was but thought it was some kiddie ride b/c it was Disney before they even had any type of thrill rides or sign warnings like they do now. I remember how she kept screaming her head off on the ride and I was laughing. She was afraid that we would fall out, too. She felt so bad for doing that to us, but I told her to stop b/c I love roller coasters still and take my kids on them.

We had Grad Nite at MK and a few of my classmates from high school got kicked out for standing up on SM (they only had the seat belts back then) and also trying to jump out at Haunted Mansion.They were lucky they didn't get decapitated on SM, I've heard of that before.

:blush:Too funny!!

I'm so excited as well. Thank you so much :) My boys are going to be surprised and excited. 4 wonderful nights in the midst of Disney Magic!!:mickey::mickey:

I'm still deciding how to divide up our time and what to do! :)

[jarajam]

we went a couple of months ago and my fearless 5yr old rode it. I was so nervous too. She seemed very secure, but I sat in the car behind her and leaned over my bar and held her as tightly as I could. Needless to say, she was very aggravated with me, and I was quite bruised on my chest and arms when it was all over with!

[MrPeetrie]

Terra, you certainly aren't alone regarding you concerns about your child riding Space Mountain. Nor are your concerns silly. I worried about the same thing this past trip.

My DD8 is on the smallish side and this was the first trip she could ride all the big rides. Prior to leaving for Disney, I expressed the same concerns to my wife.
"What if she panics and tries to get out? What if she's uncontrollably frightened?"
I checked her lap bar, then got in behind her. I talked to her throughout the ride to reassure her. She loved it and we rode it over and over again.
Because of the cars design, I don't think she could have gotten out of her seat before he ride ended anyway.

[LoriSan]

the first time my DS rode, SM,my DH got so upset/nervous, he had an anxiety attack and I had to call 911.

Needless to say, he doesn't ride Space any more. DS still does though :mickey:

[ronandjulie]

I'm still amazed at the small size of a lot of the SM riders. That ride scared me silly when I was little. It only had seatbelts back then. Your child won't have any issues with safety.

[Terra]

Awwww, thank you all again so much and for not making me feel silly!

He's going to be so excited :)

[Terra]

Just had to give a small update!

I took my son for a day trip this past Saturday.
I went ahead and let him try out SM.

I was so nervous still. Put him in the front seat, I was in the middle and my good friend in the last seat.

Okay, I forgot JUST how dark and loud that attraction can be and I thought "Oh boy this may be frightening for my SPD son!"

So they snap the ride picture [which I forgot about too so it was totally candid!].

When we looked at the picture, my friend is in the back with a worried look on her face concerned that my son may be freaking out. There I am in the middle, holding on for dear life to his shirt with this panicked look on my face...

And then...

There's my 5 y.o., LAUGHING and having a good time ;)

He loved it and wanted to go right back in line. I said, wait for dad! :blush:

[RBrooksC]

My 5 yo rode it last May. I sat behind him and held onto him as we rode. He actually fit better in the car than I did. Now, he was scared and this was the only ride he didn't call "awesome" but he never cried or anything like that. He just asked that we didn't ride it again.

[MrPeetrie]

Terra, great update!!!

[mommyprincess]

There are no apologies needed when we are worrying about our kids! As long as he meets the height requirement, the safety devices in place will protect him. He will scream like crazy the first time and then beg to go on it again before you hit the gift shop! :joy: Have fun!