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Posted: Feb Thu 15, 2007 9:46 pm
by eagle4life69
it feels close but I know that unless you bypass the safety features you can not get hurt.

Posted: Feb Thu 15, 2007 9:48 pm
by rdeacon
From a non expert point of view I would say no.

I'm sure for safety/insurance purposes there is nothing "reachable". Even though the ride is not super fast, hitting anything at that speed would cause a nasty injury.

Now the slow down tube is touchable, but I think you are going slow enough not to cause injury there.

We need a ride operator for a more expert point of view on this.... oh subsonic...


Rich

Posted: Feb Thu 15, 2007 11:13 pm
by js3901
I know that I am 6'2" with fairly long arms. I hold my hands up while on SM and I've never hit anything.

Once, the lights came on while rideing it and I saw how it looked (how close everything is), but I still kept my hands up and I was fine...

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 8:45 am
by AKLRULZ
The slow down tube is definitely touchable.

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 9:52 am
by horizons1
If you want to talk touchable, what about the Matterhorn? I know they ripped out a lot of the "rocks" a few years ago to make it more lawsuit-friendly, but it still seems close. Or maybe that's the same optical trick as on SM?

Re: Dumb Space Mountain Question

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 11:27 am
by subsonic
bdinger wrote:I have always wondered... If you were to ride Space Mountain with your hands up, would you hit something? In the dark, it feels like everything is so close and that you're going to hit your head on something. Is it really as close at it seems?
Because of the speed and the darkness, it looks a lot closer than it is. It's more than safe. At DLR we used to go with the lights on and I would stand up at certain parts (while still holding the top bar). Stupid, but fun :)

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 12:10 pm
by mindy0509
My husband is not a fan of Space Mountain for this reason alone. He says he always feels like his head is going to get taken off. It does seem like everything is really close.

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 2:01 pm
by eagle4life69
I have a lot of videos of different views, check it out.
http://www.disneymountainrides.com/video.php#wdwspace

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 2:44 pm
by Lion Sleeps Tonight
I'm a pretty small person, and even still sometimes I'll start the ride with my arms up in the air, only to freak out at what I perceive as low head space.

But yeah, if it were the case that it was really low, I don't think Space Mountain would be in operation still.

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 3:15 pm
by Cheshire Cat
Since we've never heard any news about someone hitting their hands on the ride I'm guessing that it's not possible, but just to be sure we need a brave soul to test this theory on the next visit. Any volunteers? :lol:

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 5:44 pm
by acp
I'm sure enough people have done it in the past anyway. I've been on SM at WDW whilst people have had their arms up, and they certainly came off the ride with their arms intact.

Sub: Please remain seated with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the train... ;)

Andy. :mickey:

Posted: Feb Fri 16, 2007 9:31 pm
by jbvenn
I think the fact that you are in the dark just makes everything seem like it is closing in on you. I've seen SM with the lights on during a maintenance period and it looked like there was plenty of space. The only time I ever got hurt on the ride was in college, when my friend who was sitting in front of me jerked her head back and cracked me in the jaw.

Posted: Feb Mon 19, 2007 1:29 pm
by SpaceyMounty
Yeah it freaks me out sometimes! Like when I go down a dip and I pull down my hands and scream!

Posted: Feb Mon 19, 2007 2:41 pm
by Sarah Turp
I always laugh when i see the people infront of me quickly pulling their hands down as we whizz past something. This is Disney! They aren't going to let us hurt outselves that easily. Just think of the lawsuits!!!

Posted: Feb Thu 22, 2007 4:22 pm
by FlatlandMounty
True, You would have to be very, very tall to reach anything in Space Mountain. Plus the parts that are closest are generally near a jerk, or a turn000so the natural instinct is to bring your arms in.

But the Blue launch tunnel and the red slow down tunnel are both certainly touchable. I can drag my hands along the roof of both full palm touching, and I'm only 6'2" I'm a little apprehensive to keep my hands up going into the red tunnel because I have no idea where it starts.