How Dangerous is Mission Space?

[FlatlandMounty]

Seriously, Are people scared to ride Mission Space because of this recent incident? Thousands of people are killed on airplanes and in cars every year. Are people gonna stop riding them? The woman and the child who "died" as a result of Mission Space, both had pre-existing conditions. Both ignored the safety hazard warnings, and both died in a hospital much later in the day. The ride's connection has been so minimal it is hardly worth mentioning. Both people could have experienced the same reaction had they ridden any ride that exerts extra G's on the body or just cause increased heart rate. So why is everyone so scared of this?

[Cheshire Cat]

I said 2, 'cause I really don't think the ride itself is dangerous at all, but there's always a chance that something could go wrong...these incidents were definitley not a fault of the ride though, the ride may have had an influence, but to a healthy person, it is not dangerous

[addlema]

If sick people would stop riding it there would be no problem. I have ridden it 3 times, and there are COUNTLESS times when they tell you exactly what is going to happen (2g's for up to 30 seconds at a time), they tell you how if your sick or not feeling good, or not well that you shouldn't be anywhere near this.

The preshow gives you 3 chances to get out of line, and the cast members ask between 3 and 5 more times as well as explaining the issues.

If you don't know your healthy dont go on it!

[AKLRULZ]

If sick people would stop riding it there would be no problem. I have ridden it 3 times, and there are COUNTLESS times when they tell you exactly what is going to happen (2g's for up to 30 seconds at a time), they tell you how if your sick or not feeling good, or not well that you shouldn't be anywhere near this.

The preshow gives you 3 chances to get out of line, and the cast members ask between 3 and 5 more times as well as explaining the issues.

If you don't know your healthy dont go on it!

Totally agree.

[kgmadorin]

[sigh] I really don't want to get into this whole argument again, but I take exception to a couple things you said, FlatlandMounty.

The woman and the child who "died" as a result of Mission Space, both had pre-existing conditions.

"The woman and the child to "died" as a result of Mission Space..." Why the quotes? They didn't "die," Flatland. They died. They're dead. Gone. They will never see their families again. They will never be able to correct that single mistake they made of riding that attraction. Again, it's almost certainly not Disney's fault, but they're just as dead, no matter who is to blame.

The ride's connection has been so minimal it is hardly worth mentioning.

Oh, come on. Why has this issue become such a matter of pride? I'm sure you wouldn't be so callous if it was your mother or your brother who died. It just seems there's a lack of compassion...

WHY IS IT SUCH A TERRIBLE THING TO TRY TO PREVENT A SIMILAR EVENT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?

Also, your poll really needs clarification. How dangerous is Mission: Space compared to what? Other Disney attractions? Driving on the highway? Actually launching into space? What's the comparison here?

[FlatlandMounty]

The Quotes around "died" were because they became ill on the ride, and died later in the hospital. The ride may have aggrevated their symptoms, but they did not come off the ride dead.

And the scale is called a lickert scale. It is a common practice used in statistics. It is not in direct comparison to anything. It is a personal opinion of an individual quantified.

[kgmadorin]

And the scale is called a lickert scale. It is a common practice used in statistics. It is not in direct comparison to anything. It is a personal opinion of an individual quantified.

Actually, it is called a likert scale (spelled without the "c," named for psychologist Rensis Likert). However, your poll doesn't qualify under the strict definition of a likert scale, because it does not measure either the positive or negative response to a statement. Likert tests are used to measure an individual's degree of agreement, using choices such "strongly disagree," "disagree," "neither agree nor disagree," "agree," or strongly agree." The test is usually used in psychometric evaluations, which are a popular method to identify character traits and attitudes.

I'm tired of this spitting contest. You win, Flatland. D@mn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

[rudekick]

Also, your poll really needs clarification. How dangerous is Mission: Space compared to what? Other Disney attractions? Driving on the highway? Actually launching into space? What's the comparison here?

True, not the best poll in the world (I'm taking a seminar in these types of psychological surveys right now), but given the fact that most people are selecting 1 or 2 (as well as the limitations with making polls on these boards) I think FlatlandMounty's poll was suficient to prove the desired point - people think Mission Space is safe.

[swarlock]

The preshow gives you 3 chances to get out of line, and the cast members ask between 3 and 5 more times as well as explaining the issues.

If you don't know your healthy dont go on it!

Agreed as well. And as I'm not 100% physcially healthy you'll never catch me going on that thing.

[Rach216]

I think it is a fun ride. When I rode it, it had only been open a few months. My sister and I were freaked out by the warnings. We almost considered leaving because we hadn't seen so many warnings on one ride. I'm glad we didn't because it was awesome. We loved it! However, I know my mom would never have been able to go on it, she half the conditions they say you shouldn't go on it with. So we heed the warnings, no mom on that ride.

If the people who died had pre-existing conditions, they took a chance when they got on the ride. If it was because of previously unknown conditions, that is a shame. But, if I had to go from an unknown condition, I'd rather it be on a Disney ride my sister than anywhere else.

[AKLRULZ]

The Quotes around "died" were because they became ill on the ride, and died later in the hospital. The ride may have aggrevated their symptoms, but they did not come off the ride dead.

See, I have to totally agree with Flatland on this - the ride didn't kill them, their pre-existing condidtions did. It could have happened on any thrill ride or just through any routine physical exercise.

Tragic, terrible but totally not the fault of the ride.

[Cheshire Cat]

They didn't die from the ride malfuntioning or anything...the ride was doing the same exact thing it's done a million times before, therefore the ride is not dangerous if it is doing exactly what it's supposed to do

[jrcohen]

I have to say I voted a 2 because I believe that Disney wouldn't let something hit the park that they did not believe was truly safe. The only reason i voted a two instead of a one was because the one time I rode on it, in march, I don't remember the warnings saying anything about people with lower back pain. Even though that should have been a given, I rode it b/c i didn't know when i'd get back to disney to try it again. Needless to say the small pain I was having in my Sciatic nerve shot through my back and down my leg and hurt pretty bad untill around 8 that night. And mission space was the first thing I rode, at around 9:30 in the morning. It is sad t hear about things like this happening, but i don't think we can blame Disney for it. I can't say in this particular instance b/c the only people who truly know are unfortunatly not here anymore, but most of the time these deaths and injurys happen b/c of people like me who just don't think about it enough or don't take the warnings seroiusly.

[disneydreamer58]

I have hynerated and degenerative discs in my back so no can do for me on riding this ride dang it!

[kgmadorin]

FYI... This seemed to be the most detailed write-up on the Mission: Space tragedy, from the Orlando Sentinel. Thought you all might want to read that paper's recap:

Mission: Space spurs most complaints
Reports of injury, illness top other Disney resort rides

Scott Powers and Beth Kassab
Sentinel Staff Writers
Published April 14, 2006

Even before a second tourist died this week, Mission: Space was emerging as Walt Disney World's most hazardous ride, with more than twice as many reported illnesses and injuries as any other Disney attraction.

Tragedy struck the Epcot ride for the second time when Hiltrud Blümel, 49, of Schmitten, Germany, died Wednesday, a day after she fell ill following a spin on the spaceflight simulator. A 4-year-old boy, Daudi Bamuwamye, died in June after the ride.

Blümel's death renewed questions about the safety of the $100 million attraction that simulates a rocket blastoff and landing.

But plenty of people were eager to experience the ride, which reopened Thursday morning after an inspection late Wednesday by Disney and state officials. Many of the visitors did not know a tourist had died the day before.

Alex Espinoza, 17, rode Mission: Space four times and wasn't worried.

"My voice is destroyed from yelling all day," said Espinoza, who was on a trip with his high-school band from Ohio. "It was really, really fun. They warn you numerous times before you get on the ride. We even had a lady step out before we got on because she was just like, 'I can't do this.' "

In addition to the two deaths in the past 10 months, 10 people have reported serious illnesses or injuries since the ride opened in the summer of 2003, according to reports Disney filed with the Florida Bureau of Fair Rides Inspections. That's the worst record of all the Disney attractions and doesn't include more than 130 other Mission: Space riders who sought medical attention, according to ambulance records.

Second-worst were Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom and the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon. Each had reported one death and four serious injuries or illnesses since 2003, according to state records.

On Mission: Space, riders are met with 13 signs warning of motion sickness, dark and enclosed spaces and spinning.

Just before people are loaded into the ride capsules, they are shown a video explaining the ride and are again given a chance to exit the line.

All of the warning signs and the video are in English, though Epcot brochures are available in multiple languages at the park's entrance. The brochures briefly describe Mission: Space as the "most thrilling attraction in Disney history" and warn that it may cause motion sickness.

"As with any thrill attraction, Mission: Space is not for all guests," said Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty.

Prunty said Thursday that no changes have been made to the ride since the Pennsylvania boy's death last summer, and no further review is planned.

There also has been no move to post the warning signs in different languages, she said, but those issues are often reviewed.

A ride worker first called 911 to report Blumel's illness at 1:19 p.m. Tuesday, saying that "she seems pretty bad" but was alert. The ambulance arrived 12 minutes later, and she reached Florida Hospital Celebration Health at 2:04. She died Wednesday.

The Orange County Medical Examiner is expected to perform an autopsy on Blumel today.

Blümel's family asked Disney not to release any information, though Disney reportedly told state authorities that she may have suffered from high blood pressure and other health problems, according to one state source.

Robert A. Samartin, a Tampa attorney representing Daudi's family, said their "hearts go out to the family" of Blümel.

"They certainly understand how they can go from having a wonderful family vacation to just horror," Samartin said. "It's very tragic."

Daudi's death was eventually attributed to a previously undetected heart condition.

Since its start, Mission: Space has developed a troubling reputation for making some people sick. A few months after it opened, it became the only Disney ride offering motion-sickness bags.

The nonfatal incidents reported to the state included three men and a woman who all complained of chest pains and one man who fainted.

Still, millions of people have ridden Mission: Space in three years, and many rave about it as one of the park's top thrills.

Not everyone who gets sick makes a formal complaint.

Paul Borne, 57, a Norfolk, Mass., sales representative, didn't but said he wished he had, after getting sick following a Feb. 28 spin on Mission: Space.

He said he left dizzy, then developed a bad headache that night. The next morning, on the plane home he got sick, tried to head for the lavatory and passed out in the aisle. The flight crew put him on oxygen. When he tried to get up later, he passed out again, and after they landed an ambulance took him straight to a hospital, he said.

After two days of tests the doctors agreed with his assumption that the ride probably was to blame, he said.

"The ride itself? It was wild. It was dizzy. They had puke bags. I would never have gotten on it if I knew it had puke bags. They give you warnings and stuff, but all the rides have warnings," Borne said. "This thing, they gotta close it down."

Mission: Space uses centrifugal force, video and other special effects to make riders feel as if they are in a spaceship blasting off, traveling to Mars and landing. Riders experience four periods, of up to 20 seconds each, when the G-force ranges between 1.6 and 2.3. A G-force of 2 is twice that of gravity.

Under Florida law, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are responsible for their own ride safety, with no direct state oversight. Bureau of Fair Rides inspectors confer with the theme-park-ride officials annually but only inspect rides when invited.

Terence McElroy, spokesman for the state bureau, described Wednesday night's inspection as "top to bottom."

"Now understand, we don't regulate them. We're not experts on that ride. We don't routinely look at it. So their engineers and safety personnel and inspectors were the ones who actually did it. We did observe that. There did not appear to be anything, to us, that appeared to be out of the ordinary," McElroy said.

Disney officials pride themselves on having what they consider the best ride engineers, inspectors and safety authorities in the country.

However, that doesn't bring much comfort to advocates of public ride inspections such as Kathy Fackler, founder and president of an organization called SaferParks, which pushed for and got California oversight of theme-park-ride safety in 1999.

"All we're asking for is someone who doesn't have huge liability to step in and conduct an independent investigation, and let the public know," she said.

The lines for Mission: Space on Thursday -- in the midst of the busy Easter vacation season -- were much shorter than those at Epcot's other two big rides, Soarin' and Test Track.

One family debated whether to go on.

"We knew it was one of the most popular rides, and I heard about one person who died on it," said Darrell Lipski, who was vacationing from Peoria, Ill., with his wife, Lynette, and their three sons.

Lynette Lipski added, "One person we know went on it and was sick all day."

The couple were unsure whether they would let their family ride, especially their 7-year-old.

"I don't think we want to put him on it," Lynette Lipski said.