Disney Ride Restrictions: For Real?
Any Cast Member will tell you the number one rule at Walt Disney World is safety. Their duty, above anything else... above guest service and above show... is to enforce Disney's safety rules. Which is why it's so disheartening when guests fail to heed safety instructions or warnings.
NOT a ride restriction! This sign is found in the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue. Thank goodness Disney is more strict than this!
Want to see fear in a Cast Member's eyes? Watch them try to keep guests behind the rope barrier before the Headless Horseman comes galloping down the street during the Halloween Party. Back in the day, this was a full gallop ride. A guest in the way would likely be trampled. I felt for the Cast Members on that duty.
One of the most commonly ignored safety guidelines at Walt Disney World, though, are the posted ride restrictions. You see them when you queue up for a ride, but you probably don't read them because you know Disney is trying to prevent the unlikely event of someone's health becoming worse on a ride.
But you SHOULD read them, especially if you have conditions like epilepsy, pregnancy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart conditions, or a recent surgery.
Recently, Disney released their quarterly injury report which is a required report of any injuries or incidents that causes a guest to be hospitalized more than 24 hours. The vast majority of these were the result of guests riding a ride despite the restrictions... though a couple had to do with injuries getting INTO ride vehicles.... Hmmmm.
Those few aside, however, the vast majority of incidents should serve as a reminder of thy the warnings are there in the first place.
Now is probably the right time, in all fairness, to admit that I even ignored the rules myself. I had been sick in the hospital for a week, culminating in having my gallbladder removed, three weeks before a planned Disney vacation. With the doctor's clearance, I was allowed to join my family on the vacation, but even that was a lucky situation. The first day, even walking around the park was kind of hard. I was still a little weak from my previous illness, but it didn't take me long to get my "Disney legs" and by the last evening of our time there, I was feeling good as new. And that's when I decided not to sit out my two favorite rides: Kilimanjaro Safari in the morning, and then Splash Mountain right before the fireworks in the evening.
I should have known when my abdomen ached after riding Kilimanjaro Safari that it was too much too soon, and in a way I sort of did. I took it easy and swore off rides the rest of the day. But that evening, Splash Mountain was calling my name and I rode. I didn't hurt after, but at the end of the day, on the bus back to the resort, I felt queasy, tired, and week... like I'd set myself back a week in recovery time.
Thankfully, this got better with rest, but it could have been much worse and it was a bad choice overall and in retrospect, I'm honestly not sure why I risked it. I could have torn an internal incision. I could have dislodged a blood clot and given myself a stroke or an aneurysm. This doesn't usually happen. It's not common.
But people can and do die on rides. I don't say this to trigger anxiety. I don't say this to imply Disney isn't safe. In fact, it is one of the safest, most trustworthy places I know. But consequences of ignoring warnings can be serious.
Here are some of the attractions that appeared in the third quarter 2019's incident report, which is in no way meant to imply these attractions are less safe than others or even scarier than others:
Mission: Space - the centrifuge in particular puts extra pressure on your body. If you have heart problems or high blood pressure, this exacerbates the problem.
Expedition Everest - it's a pretty wild ride and also it's bumpy
Star Tours - some strobes but also the motion simulator can cause motion sickness
Peter Pan's Flight - actually a tame ride, but there may be some strobe effects
Voyage of the Little Mermaid - again, strobe effects
As you can see, even a tame ride can cause issues. None of the above rides are dangerous on their own, and this list should not be taken as a general warning about the safety of the ride itself. Peter Pan's Flight is just about the tamest, most wholesome ride on the planet. But the effects or forces on these rides can exacerbate specific medical conditions, so one should always be aware of their health, and read the signage on these and all rides before choosing to ride.
Here are some other rides I could not go on post abdominal surgery:
Rock N RollerCoaster, Mission: Space, Space Mountain, and Expedition Everest - a lot of G-forces is not a great idea post surgery
Dinosaur! - In my opinion, possibly the bumpiest ride on property for no good reason. The jostling is not good for someone recovering. (Same reason I should not have gone on Kilimanjaro Safari).
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - mild combination of both the jostling and the G-forces.
The good news is, on the second leg of the vacation when we took a Disney Cruise, I did figure out how to plastic wrap my incision so I could snorkel at Castaway Cay... and it was wonderful.
What do you think about the ride warnings at Walt Disney World? Too much or just enough? Have you ever ignored them or tried to deal with Walt Disney World with an illness or injury?
Share your story with us in the comments or on our Facebook page! We'll see you next week!
