Walt Disney World Epcot Discussion Thread

[Coasterlicious]

Its on the news right now... They had a family go experience the ride, and the kids were screaming and they didnt like it. They have some guy talking about park safety...

 

What exactly does the ride do?.. How does it recreate gforces like that without having hills or loops like a coaster?.

[EpcotLova]

The ride spins riders around really fast in centrifugal (sp?) motion. It is just like the ball that spins around that the astronauts train in. You would never know you are spinning though, due to being inside the capsule.

 

I think its one of the most amazing rides ever and it doesnt deserve bad press because of idiotic parenting.

[Movieguy]

I haven't been on this ride yet. I don't know if it'll be open when I'm down there in July. If it's not, I'll live with it. Part of me still misses Horizons anyway, just like Elissa.

 

This is a terrible, terrible thing to happen in a place like WDW. Whenever I hear about these things, children dying while having a good time there, it breaks my heart. Same thing happened with Body Wars a number of years back.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Its on the news right now... They had a family go experience the ride, and the kids were screaming and they didnt like it.

 

Right, because it wouldn't be newsworthy if the family got off and said "meh, it was alright." Kids screaming, however...that's a friggin' newsstory.

[maliboomer]

OMG! Kids...were....screaming! Why the hell didn't California Screamin' get closed and removed! I heart kids screaming on it as well! FFS! Disney is so evil! They even put the word screaming on a ride!

[CoasterFanatic]

My guess is that the ride will go back up (if it hasn't already) as soon as the cause of death is determined. I could almost guarantee that it had little to do with the ride.

 

A Gravitron at your local carnival (3 G's) has more force than Mission:SPACE (2.5 G's) and sustains it for a much longer duration. I really despise how the news has hyped it. Most of the articles that I have seen lead into it with stuff like "so intense that many have compained of chest pains". Chest pains are not a sign of motion sickness. They are a sign of panic attacks that were most likely brought on by the very claustrophobic nature of the ride.

 

Mission:SPACE is not a bad ride. These were not bad parents. This kid most likely had something wrong beforehand (although not detected) and all the ride did was act as a catalyst. He may had lived another day, another week, another year, etc. We will never know.

 

All I can think is how I feel sorry for the family in their time of loss. I wouldn't even want to imagine what they are going through at this moment. Ride or no ride.

[JT3000]

I just have a simple theoretical question: What will those of you who are pretty much gauranteeing he had a pre-existing condition think if it turns out he didn't? So far, they haven't been able to find a reason for his death. So what then? I mean, were talking about a 4-year-old here. His body was far from fully developed, and it makes you wonder how much thought they really put into this technology and the effects it would have on small children (among others) who just happen to meet the height requirement.

 

I think it's a very real possibility that this attraction is simply dangerous for many people. And I don't just mean those with common health concerns. I have no known health conditions, felt perfectly fine prior to riding this attraction (and rode RnRC multiple times earlier in the day), yet I had serious trouble breathing for the duration of this ride once the G's kicked in. It was pushing down on my chest the entire time. I was unbearably sick for 3 hours. Keep in mind I have NEVER felt this way due to any other theme park attraction in my entire life, including roller coasters that pull more G's than this thing supposedly does. Which, right off the bat, must mean this thing is more dangerous than most roller coasters. Of course, many of you had no problem. But I simply don't think this attraction is safe for everyone who qualifies to ride it by being a measly 44 inches tall and free of obvious health concerns. If it turns out he didn't have anything wrong with him, this will be an example. He met the only requirement. I question the existance of technology used to train astronauts in a Disney theme park. This is the last ride I would be making that kind of gaurantee for. We can only wait and see.

[maliboomer]

Remember what JT300 taught you kiddies

DISNEY IS EVIL

[JT3000]

I don't recall saying Disney is evil.

 

 

But Mission: Space is.

[EpcotLova]

Give me a break JT. Just because you dont like one ride doesnt mean Disney has to tear it down.

 

Others actually enjoy the feeling of launching off into space, and can actually take the G forces without getting sick. Its not all about YOU, JT.

[CoasterFanatic]

Keep in mind I have NEVER felt this way due to any other theme park attraction in my entire life, including roller coasters that pull more G's than this thing supposedly does.

 

There is a BIG difference between G's and sustained G's. While a coaster may hit as much as 5 G's it is only for the blink of an eye. Mission:SPACE sustains these forces for a much longer duration.

 

I also never guaranteed anything. I said that I can "almost guarantee" that there was a pre-existing condition.

 

Another Article (An opportunistic Markey rocks the mic):

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-06-14-ride-death_x.htm

 

The ride reopens the next day:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ride15jun15,0,1367378.story?coll=la-home-nation

[SpartanTS]

As stated before, apparently there was some type of condition that possibly triggered what happened to this child. The ride/experience is a good, and personally I don't see anything "Evil" about it.

 

But, allowing a 4 year old to ride Mission Space wasn't a good idea. For rides that create a sensation of going into space, the child should be at least old enough for to attend space camp. I'm sure NASA wouldn't allow 4 year olds to come to a Space Camp.

 

By the way, I'm sure the "Space Camp" comment sounds harsh, but it is in no way, shape or form meant to be a harsh comment. Just had to put that disclaimer in there

[DerekRx]

I also believe the kid had to have a pre-existing condition. I'm thinking either sickle cell or a valve problem or something. Even if not, its still not a good idea to send a 4 year old on the ride. But this is Disney, and most people think Disney is just for little kids, therefore every ride is made for them.

[FlyingScooter]

This is unrelated: maybe.

A couple of years ago, my daughter was 12 and played softball on a local summer league. Keep in mind, they had to have physicals before they could join the league. During one game in mid summer, a kid on an opposing team dropped dead of a heart attack right at the plate. The autopsy showed nothing. Death ended up being natural causes. The kid just died. no rhyme, no reason. It was horrible. I've never seen EMT's work so hard to save someone in my life. It's terrible, but sometimes death just happens. No blame...

[sheikra2350]

I think that the parents are to be held responsible for this. My heart goes out to them but I bet you they didn't even think twice about it. He probably had the height but he didn't have the physical strength. On top of that he is still impressionable and was obviously not ready for this. This is a message to all parents out there: They might be tall enough but their physical strength may not be enough, please parents, be careful. And plus, disney will not say goodbye to the "paperweight" that cost them 190 million + and is the most popular ride in the park and maybe the whole resort. I'm a huge disney fan and have studied the history and I am almost positive that they will keep the ride but just bring the intensity down a notch.

[JT3000]

Give me a break JT. Just because you dont like one ride doesnt mean Disney has to tear it down.

 

Others actually enjoy the feeling of launching off into space, and can actually take the G forces without getting sick. Its not all about YOU, JT.

 

That was incredibly stupid. Of course it's not all about me. I never said it was. A kid died the other day, or were you not paying attention? This ride also sent someone I know to the hospital, along with others. The fact that I don't like it is the least of it's problems. So don't even start that crap. You love the ride. You want to have it's babies. We know. But when the company that built the friggin' thing sues Disney for not letting them make sure it's safe for the public before it opened, there's a problem here. And gee, I wonder why were just now hearing about it? Hmm, makes you think.

[arrowfanman]

Yes JT...that does make me think...but that also makes me ASSUME...something dangerous in a tradgedy like such.

 

I think we should all just sit and wait for official news on the kids death, without blaming the ride, without blaming the parents, and without getting all pissy at each other.

 

Just because we are fans of the Amusment industry, something like this happens, and we think we are experts...we aren't. A kid dies, and we think we are all doctors. A kid dies, and we think we are all aeronautical engineers--experts. We are not! And if we were, we aren't there investigating first hand, so we STILL dont know the truth.

 

In the end...if you trust the ride, then ride it...if you dont trust the ride, then dont ride it.

[Sir Clinksalot]

And gee, I wonder why were just now hearing about it? Hmm, makes you think.

 

Yeah, it makes me think that the company that built the ride is trying to capitalize on the current situation for their own gain.

 

Also, I didn't hear that the company was suing because Disney didn't test the ride sufficiently, I heard it was for a lack of payment.

[JT3000]

It was for both reasons. But they can't possibly be trying to capitalize on this situation considering this lawsuit was filed a long time ago. It is just now coming to light due to this incident. So there goes that theory.

[dubaidave]

this page has a link to the 911 call.

http://www.wftv.com/news/4611813/detail.html#

its quite interesting

[arrowfanman]

I watched the video too...it was nice to see all this crap together in a video file.

 

"8.6 Million safe rides."

[freestylenut]

Dag, I posted way back on the 1st page & read through most of this thread and U guys have tall 4-year olds!!! My son is only about 40"-41"! Crap, I hope he doesn't turn out to be a "shorty". I'm 5'10"...but my wife is a midgety 5'0" even!

 

As for intensity, my 4-year old son has ridden Spider-man & Flying Unicorn (with a 40" & 38" height requirement respectively) at IOA and Back To The Future (40" requirement) at USF. Plus ALL the coasters at Cypress Gardens...in fact he enjoyed those CG coasters so much we rode 'em maybe 4-5 times EACH!

 

I haven't been to Epcot in more than 5-6 years, so I know NOTHING of Mission Space or Test Track...2 of the new "intense" rides at Epcot. In defense of the unfortunate parents, if my son was tall enough for Mission Space, I'd probably just bring him along, not necessarily "screening it" for my son beforehand. Considering...

 

A. I'm from out of town/on vacation/won't be back for a LONG A$$ time!

 

B. The wait times to ride the friggin' thing I keep hearing so many bad things about.

 

I honestly think my son can take it. He's a tough little guy.

 

It truly is a tragic thing

[Mr Stratosphere]

This truly is a tragic event that happend. I feel sorry for the family. This ride really is intense, i loved it, my dad, however did not like the feeling he had in his chest. If i recall it pulls a constant 2 g's. We experience rides with 4g's but for a lesser time. Insanity at the stratosphere pulls 3.5 g's but because of the angle you feel the forces in your seat and not your chest. I believe this is why the ride is so different. Rather then feeling the g's in your seat you feel them at your heartline level.

[arrowfanman]

If thats so, then I can see how the ride is intense. The launch on Xcelerator is around that much, and you really, really feel the intensity.

[maliboomer]

^ And the Mission Space one lasts about a minute, not 5 (less?) seconds.