Woman dies after ride on Mission:Space

[Escapay]

At Epcot, there are some prominent displays of park guides in other languages (Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, those are the big 5). But yeah, all the signs, IIRC, are in English. And AFAIK, the foreign language park guides are just like the regular ones in English, except in another language. So there would be warnings on those guides as well, along with height restrictions, risks if you're pregnant, high blood pressure, back problems, etc.

In the end though, there's nothing anyone can really do to keep these things from happening. It all simply rests on one's own judgement if they think they can handle a ride (and again, the invincibility factor comes in).

For example, for years I had never gone on Tower of Terror. I like thrill rides, like coasters and such (and especially Mission Space), but the thought of simply DROPPING scared the sh!t out of me. Also, I've always been rather touchy about jumping/falling from high places, with the offchance of dying (there was one incident in college that I mentioned in a thread about depression), so that didn't exactly help with me and Tower of Terror.

Anyway, summer of 2004 we're visiting Disney World (mainly to pick up our sister, who did the college program that year), and my brother more or less said, "Come on, go on Tower of Terror! Let's go now!" Even though I was still uneasy about the whole concept of falling, I figured waiting in line and talking with him was better than waiting at the exit for him to come out. So I got on the ride.

And that was my first and last time ever on Tower of Terror. I was *hyperventilating* the entire time, and was rather shaky for about an hour after I did it. I refuse to do that ride ever again. Not even if they paid me. I mean, of course I survived the ride, but I don't want to risk myself getting on it again and feeling the way I did then (pretty much sheer terror and the feeling that I was already dead). It's more a mental than physical thing, but that's what guests have to think about. First, are they physically able to do the ride with little risk? Then they should ask themselves if they are mentally able to do the ride. I'm physically able to to Tower of Terror, I've got no medical conditions. But my extreme fear of that experience keeps me from riding it ever again.

With Mission Space, many guests will think more about their mental condition "Can I do this ride?" as opposed to the physical dangers there may be. There's a reason astronauts have to be in top physical condition. They go through Mission Space times 10 for REGULAR training. So Guests should really ask themselves if they are physically fine, while still keeping that invincibility factor in check. After all, if two people died already, guests should start realizing that there IS a chance it might happen to them, and ultimately decide if they should go or not. I mean, even just a little annoying backpain can turn into something serious.

Escapay

[Karushifa]

With Mission Space, many guests will think more about their mental condition "Can I do this ride?" as opposed to the physical dangers there may be. There's a reason astronauts have to be in top physical condition. They go through Mission Space times 10 for REGULAR training. So Guests should really ask themselves if they are physically fine, while still keeping that invincibility factor in check. After all, if two people died already, guests should start realizing that there IS a chance it might happen to them, and ultimately decide if they should go or not. I mean, even just a little annoying backpain can turn into something serious.

This is a good point, that often people think more about the potential for fear and anxiety rather than for physical ailments. While heightened anxiety can be serious (such as, for people prone to extended panic attacks, anxiety disorder, etc.), it's in most cases not life-threatening or really even physically harmful. But I guess there is a false sense of security that all rides are created equal, and a guest who can tolerate, say, Splash Mountain will be able to equally tolerate all other rides. It's easy to get desensitized to the pre-ride signs, especially if one is not pregnant/infirmed/short (the sort of people who are usually admonished the most to not go on thrill rides), and that's where the "invincibility" thing comes in.

Personally, I like the idea of ratings that gauge the "intensity" of every ride in the park. The Paramount parks (King's Dominion, Carowinds, etc.) supposedly do this (I'm not 100% sure since I haven't been to one in about 15 years), and rate each ride on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being kiddie rides and 5 being the scariest, fastest roller coasters, of which there are usually only one or maybe two of in each park. Since nearly every other sort of entertainment is rated, people seem to respond well to ratings as a succinct way of expressing the appropriateness of something to themselves or their family. My guess is that if people looked on a map and saw that Mission: Space was a 5, they might more likely investigate WHY the ride is a 5, and what makes it so different from Maelstrom, which might rank a 3 or 4. Or they might elect not to go on the ride at all.

[GhostHost]

My guess is that if people looked on a map and saw that Mission: Space was a 5, they might more likely investigate WHY the ride is a 5, and what makes it so different from Maelstrom, which might rank a 3 or 4. Or they might elect not to go on the ride at all.

Maelstrom should be a 1 if Mission: Space is a 5.
1-5 example
1-Malestrom, Soarin
2-Splash Mountain, Test Track, Star Tours, (unless you have motion sickness)
3-Big Thunder, Indiana Jones
4- Tower of Terror
5-Mission Space

[Escapay]

3-Big Thunder, Indiana Jones

Wow, I had no idea a stunt show would be considered a 3! j/k

I agree with the other ratings you gave though.

My guess is that if people looked on a map and saw that Mission: Space was a 5, they might more likely investigate WHY the ride is a 5, and what makes it so different from Maelstrom, which might rank a 3 or 4. Or they might elect not to go on the ride at all.

Yeah, and there's another caveat about a ratings system. People may personally judge the rides themselves and when they see it go, "Mission Space is a 5? No way! It's like...a 2!" and influence others in their party that it's rated too high.

I too would rather see an intensity rating, if only to make it a more proper warning system, and for those of us with no ailments whatsoever, the bragging rights of "Haha, I did four rides rated 5!", lol.

Escapay

[Karushifa]

I too would rather see an intensity rating, if only to make it a more proper warning system, and for those of us with no ailments whatsoever, the bragging rights of "Haha, I did four rides rated 5!", lol.

Disney USED to have a "rating" system back when they had the ticket-per-ride system...although it's purpose was to separate rides based on how much each was "worth" in terms of admission cost, the phrase "E-ticket" persists to this day among old school Disney park enthusiasts as a way to signify the really spectacular rides.

Here would be my breakdown of rides at Disney World, in case a 5-level rating system were to be implemented (in terms of physical stresses, as opposed to how scary the ride is):

Level 5:
Mission: Space
Rockin' Roller Coaster
Tower of Terror

Level 4:
Expedition Everest
Splash Mountain
Body Wars

Level 3:
Space Mountain
Teacups
Star Tours
Big Thunder Mountain
Kali River Rapids

Level 2:
Maelstrom (just for the big drop at the end)
China and Canada CircleVision 360 shows (they can be disorienting at times)
Soarin'
Dinosaur
Test Track

Level 1:
Kilimanjaro Safari
Rio del Tiempo
Great Movie Ride
Haunted Mansion
most other rides I haven't mentioned...a lot of the kiddie rides at Magic Kingdom

There could also be a separate rating for the action intensity of the ride; for example, Dinosaur is not very stressful physically, but it can be VERY scary for young riders, and some parents might opt to skip it.

[Loomis]

There could also be a separate rating for the action intensity of the ride; for example, Dinosaur is not very stressful physically, but it can be VERY scary for young riders, and some parents might opt to skip it.

But not as intense/scary as the Teacups it would seem!

[Karushifa]

There could also be a separate rating for the action intensity of the ride; for example, Dinosaur is not very stressful physically, but it can be VERY scary for young riders, and some parents might opt to skip it.

But not as intense/scary as the Teacups it would seem!

Well, like I mentioned above, I was rating the physical intensity of each ride. I would contend that the Teacups are more physically intense than Dinosaur, but that Dinosaur is scarier. Same goes for...wait for it...It's a Small World.

Oh, you know I couldn't resist taking a cheap shot at the demon dolls on a ride thread...