New Lap Bars for Splash Mountain

kray · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:14 am Post subject: New Lap Bars for Splash Mountain

OrlandoSentinel.com
Disney's Splash Mountain gets safety bars
By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel

10:37 PM EST, January 31, 2011

Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain reopens today after a month-long refurbishment with a new feature: lap bars.

The restraints have been installed in each of the 18-year-old flume ride's 64 log-shaped boats. They are designed to prevent riders from standing up or getting off before the end of the 9-1/2-minute ride, which carries guests through enclosed areas with animatronics and includes a 52-foot drop at a 45-degree angle.

It's an issue that has vexed Disney for years, posing both a safety hazard and an operations headache, as workers are forced to bring the popular Magic Kingdom attraction to a halt when someone tries to exit early.

"From time to time, we have had guests attempt to prematurely exit the ride vehicle. It is our hope that the new lap bars will prevent this from happening in the future," Disney World spokesman Bryan Malenius said Monday.

Disney has considered installing safety bars on Splash Mountain before. The subject drew attention in 2000, when a 37-year-old St. Petersburg man was killed after climbing out of his seat midway through the ride and was struck by another boat.

But the idea had been rejected in the past, at least in part because of concerns that lap bars would slow the ride's loading process and reduce its overall capacity. That is a significant concern in the Magic Kingdom, the world's busiest theme park, with more than 17 million visitors each year.

Capacity constraints are one of the primary reasons Disney is expanding the Fantasyland section of the Magic Kingdom.

Disney said the lap bars installed on the Splash Mountain boats will not significantly affect the ride's load time, nor will they reduce the number of people each vehicle can carry.

daguru · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:02 am Post subject:

I've seen reports that they average 1.3 stops due to people getting out of the ride vehicle a day. Most are during hard ticket events (like Grad Nights), but if you average them over every operating day throughout the year, it is like 1.3 times. While the publicized cases are few and far between, with the other information that is coming out, I can see the need for them.
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jahosifatz · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:31 am Post subject:

I don't think it's really they are doing this for ride jumpers. It seems like too much of any expense just to get a few a folks.

It probably has to do with someone in Burbank getting uppity and screaming about liability.

GrumpyDaddy · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:48 am Post subject:

Doors on the parking lots trams and now safety bars in Splash Mountian.

What's next??? Seat belts on Its a Small World. Smile

Pretty soon it wil have to change the name from the Happiest place on earth to
the safest Place on Earth!!! Very Happy

onecutemoose · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:49 am Post subject:

Boo!

Silly and sillier.

: (

Wizzard419 · Curbside Attendant Joined: Jul 30, 2010 Posts: 442

redbaron314 · Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 12:32 pm Post subject:

GrumpyDaddy · Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:43 am Post subject:

redbaron314 · Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:45 am Post subject:

GrumpyDaddy · Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:05 am Post subject:

Shouldn't there be crash helmits for Test Track, You do crash into the wall!! Wink

Figmentathm · Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:06 am Post subject:

What! There's going to be a bar at Splash Mountain!

Bout time.
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Wizzard419 · Curbside Attendant Joined: Jul 30, 2010 Posts: 442

Was that 1.3 stops per day, week, or month?