Space one of the most intense? Wow!ORLANDO, Fla. -- In a first-of-its-kind investigation, Local 6 News teamed up with news partner Florida Today to evaluate G-forces riders experience on Central Florida's most popular thrill rides.
Questions about G-forces surfaced after the death of a 4-year-old on Epcot's Mission Space ride. A medical examiner recently determined that Daudi Bamuwayme died from a pre-existing heart condition.
Doctors have also been looking into whether an undetected medical problem caused 16-year-old Leanne Deacon to suffer a brain hemorrage after riding the Tower of Terror ride at Disney-MGM Studios.
Officials said G-forces produced by the thrill rides are harmless for healthy riders. However, theme parks refuse to release information about the intensity of their rides.
So, using scientific equipment that measures G-forces, Local 6 News measured the powerful sensations rider's experience.
The report found that Disney's Space Mountain is still one of the more intense rides in the area -- showing more than 3.5 Gs.
Universal's Hulk Coaster had the highest gravitational forces measured in the Orlando area.
"Surprisingly, that is about the same maximum force as Central Florida's newest thrill ride -- Universal's Revenge of the Mummy," Local 6 reporter Mike DeForest said.
"Neither one are super tall," American Coaster Enthusiasts spokesman Chris Kraftchick said. "They're paced very well. In other words, they don't sock you with a bunch of elements and then you go through a lull."
The report found Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to be the most tame steel roller coaster tested, registering at 2.5 Gs.
Disney's Rock-N-Roller Coaster was found to launch riders to near 4.5 Gs in the first six seconds.
"You can feel it, you can feel your body really being pulled back," Kraftchick said. "If you think about it, you're launching up what, 60 mph straight up into two inversions."
The report found that The Hulk roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure quickly changed G-forces.
Going down a hill, riders feel weightless and then are pushed hard into their seats at 4.5 Gs.
The Hulk coaster had the highest gravitational forces measured in the Orlando area.
Dueling Dragons at Universal Studios/Orlando is billed as the first dual coaster in the world deliberately designed so its two coasters speed rapidly toward each other. Universal Studios image.
Amusement ride safety consultant Bill Avery said that based on G-forces alone, coasters that register more than 4 Gs like Universal's Dueling Dragons and Sea World's Kraken are typically harmless as long as the Gs are momentary.
"The body can withstand G's to the 'four' level," Avery said.
It is when coasters combine those high Gs with sudden directional changes that the risk of injure increases.
"If a person just takes a turn and they're still heading toward the right and then all of a sudden the roller coaster takes a quick left, they've never recovered from their initial momentum." Avery said.
Disney's Mission Space ride, which gives riders the sensation of blasting off to Mars, produced the most surprising G-force readings.
"I'm thinking, we must be pulling 8 or 10 Gs on this thing, as you're launching, your face is melting back in the seat," Kraftchick said.
Although the spinning of the centrifuge may make some people sick, the ride itself generatges just over 2 Gs, which is about the same amount as the Test Track ride located next door, DeForest said.
However, unlike roller coaster G-forces, which rapidly spike up and down, Mission Space produces long, sustained G-forces.
During launch of the Mission Space ride, DeForest experienced twice the force of gravity for 15 seconds.
"If you're expecting the greatest thrill to be on the highest G-Force ride, you may be disappointed, Avery said.
-Aaron
