Wednesday fatality was second in a year linked to intense...

[eagle4life69]

ToT I think this has the same warning Not sure though

[delray]

Okay, so there are plenty of warning signs and we know that on the ride you can pull about two Gs. What I don't know is how pulling two Gs could cause you to die if you already have a heart condition or high blood pressure. Maybe people don't understand the significance when they read the signs and of course we know that a lot of people cant' read and a lot of people can't understand what they read. Any MDs or physiologists out there who can explain the what happens when people who are at risk go on this ride?

Regards,
Delray

"Properly warned ye be, says I."

[js3901]

I think alot of it has to do with the shock of the drops, and also he blood ruching to/from the head with the drops/raising (for tot). it's kinda like a rollercoaster like that, you're not doing anything but sitting there, but due to the shocks of the turns, your heart starts racing a bit because of the drops and turns. For m:s, it's due to the centrifical force created by the ride. The same technology used by the ride is also used to separate things in the blood (or other fluids) in labs, that kind of force is VERY strong.

[rudekick]

The Orlando Sentinel said that 8.6 million people rode the ride before the first death. That means that less than 0.0002% of riders have died. And both of them had preexisting conditions. That's safer than driving a couple hundred miles on a road trip. Should we ban road trips? Or maybe driving all together?

The person who made the ride shouldn't be fired. The ride is great. What needs to happen is people need to get a freaking grip. More people ride Disney rides than anyone elses rides, so more people are going to die on Disney rides than on anyone elses rides. It's actually amazing, given how many people go to Disney parks, that MORE people haven't died. Disney has already "tuned down the G's" once. It's less intense right now than it was on opening day.

Anyways - long live Mission Space and down with the track that's playing right now! (california adventure - parades & shows - eureka! - a california parade - 03 float three (loop))

[FlatlandMounty]

I've been in rides similar to this one that go up to 3 G's. Mission Space only simultates about 2 G's. The warning signs are available, and its a calculated risk. There should be no reason for this to be valid.

[AKLRULZ]

We see kids collapse on the basketball court or football field later with the same heart conditions that the boy had who died after his experience on Mission Space and we're not quick to rush to judgement on banning basketball and football.

It sounds like this woman who died had high blood pressure yet chose to ride anyway. I think we need to step back and realize that personal accountability has to come into play at some point or acknowledge that it was a freaky occurence.

I really don't mean to sound insensitive, but to me this just isn't something we can blame on Disney or Mission Space.

Disney pays the price now with bad press and ultimately you and I pay the price with toned down thrill rides and with higher admission costs passed down to us since Disney will now pay legal fees in lawsuits and ultimately pay higher insurance premiums.

[kgmadorin]

This is a great debate, and one I think is absolutely necessary. Thanks for all the posts and feedback!

As you can read in my previous messages, I do not think Mission: Space should be closed, dismantled, or have the story line altered. I also do not think the imagineers who designed the attraction should be fired, tortured, drawn and quartered, or boiled in oil. I think the technology is amazing, I love the idea of Disney collaborating with NASA, it's great that Disney has sole ownership of this ride concept, and I know it's a great draw at the gate.

Now, with that being said, I think some people over at Walt Disney Attractions have to sit down and brainstorm about the future of this attraction.

Walt Disney once said, "Whenever I go on a ride, I'm always thinking of what's wrong with the thing and how it can be improved." Think about what has happened with Mission: Space. Is there really no room for improvement with that attraction? Even for improved warning signage?

As I posted earlier, nine guests have died at Disneyland since the park opened in 1955. However, EVERY ONE of those fatalities occurred because of an accident. The deaths on Mission: Space were not the result of an accident, but rather occurred while the attraction was operating as intended. That raises some alarm. Is Disney to blame for those deaths? There were warning signs in place, and guests did not adhere to them. Well, that's not exactly true... [PLEASE READ ON!]

Last June, the four-year-old boy who died on Mission: Space had an undiagnosed heart condition. That means that even though his parents may have read and understood the warning signs, they wouldn't have known to avoid the attraction. The woman who died on Wednesday was a tourist from Germany. Could she read the warning signs? I don't know, but if anyone has further information, please elaborate. When I stopped working at Walt Disney World three years ago, no attraction warning signs were printed in German, only English and Spanish.

Looking at just these two cases, is Disney doing enough to protect the guests riding Mission: Space from the possibility of injury or death? Rudekick said that 8.6 million people had ridden the attraction before the first death. True, but according to that same article in the Orlando Sentinel, "a review of ambulance records showed that of 8.6 million people who took the ride before the death of the boy in June, 143 sought medical attention." From my experience working at Guest Relations, that number of 143 is STAGGERING compared to any other attraction.

Let's look into the future--to the year 2053--and hypothesize. In 2053, Mission: Space will have been operating for 50 years. If we project the current fatality rate for the attraction (one death every sixteen months) over the next 50 years, by the year 2053, 37 guests will have perished after experiencing that attraction. That's roughly four times as many than have died at the entire Disneyland Park in the same timeframe. Now, I know that math is full of holes, because you can't really project numbers like that based on two events, but I'm making a point.

I've read all the responses to this post and understand exactly where you all are coming from. However, I find it surprising that many people don't even think altered signage is necessary. The cost would be minimal, and the ride wouldn't have to be changed. All I'm advocating is improving the warnings before guests board the attraction. That's it--PUT UP MORE SIGNS, BIGGER SIGNS, BETTER SIGNS. SCARE THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE TO, BUT TRY YOUR BEST TO DISSUADE HIGH RISK RIDERS FROM EXPERIENCING THE ATTRACTION.

All right, I've pontificated long enough... [getting down off my soapbox]

Thanks for listening. I'm a former Cast Member, and this whole thing just breaks my heart.

[MouseMan]

I must say I was not a bit worried to go on MS in February even after reading about the boy last June. But they repeat the warnings so often that by the time I actually got on the ride I was a bit nervous!! What if my son or daughter had an undiagnosed problem? In the future I think we will avoid it.

As far as the ride goes; It was a cool ride, but not one that I really wanted to go on again right away even though it was a cool day and the wait would have only been 5 or 10 mins to get on again.

[mickster68]

Two people dying on the ride is red flag enough for me! I don't have any pre-existing conditions that I'm aware of, but just knowing it happened is enough to keep me off the ride! When we were in the queue for MS, I thought they made it VERY obvious that this was no ride for the weak of heart. So much, in fact, the warnings alone scared me out of my wit! True, though, you don't expect a ride at Disney, or anywhere for that matter, to be intense enough to kill someone. I think Disney is going to have to either revamp or replace MS altogether.

[Fantasrick]

I'm sure that there is some fine print somewhere releasing Disney from Liability, but I'll bet they will quickly issue a nice settlement to the deceased German lady's family.

[Fantasrick]

Another thing I wanted to add was that there have been several deaths over the years at Disneyland and these deaths never warranted permanent attraction closures, so I think Mission Space will continue operating. At least until the next death....

[Cheshire Cat]

I don't think having enough signs is a problem...I saw enough and almost bailed out of riding it 'cause there were so many warnings and frankly, all the warnings were making me nervous...I think I'm gonna start skipping this attraction also..anyone could be next as long as Disney isn't changing anything

[jbvenn]

When I first rode M:S, before either of the 2 deaths, I thought it was great and wondered what all the fuss was about. Now I have mixed feelings about it. I agree with those who think the signage/warnings need to be enhanced, and possibly other steps taken as well. Maybe in addition to a height requirement, the ride should have an age restriction, the reasoning being that as a child gets older, the chances increase that these pre-existing conditions have been diagnosed. It's not foolproof, but it could help.

[rudekick]

I don't think having enough signs is a problem...I saw enough and almost bailed out of riding it 'cause there were so many warnings and frankly, all the warnings were making me nervous...I think I'm gonna start skipping this attraction also..anyone could be next as long as Disney isn't changing anything

I do research with a professor at my law school on people's risk perceptions. It's crazy, but most people think like you - even though it's completely irrational given the risk of riding M:S relative to other things (I assume) you do in your life. People routinely stear clear of things with VERY low probabilities of occuring, but they underestimate things that have a relatively high probability of occuring. It's nuts. But I guess so long as people have those (irrational) beliefs, Disney will have to cater to them. I guess the length of the queue will determine whether Disney makes any changes - because there certainly isn't anything inherently dangerous in the design of the ride that would dictate any changes.

[Cheshire Cat]

You're probably right
I just don't take any chances