[StormyTink]

Hi,

I'm brand new to this forum so I hope I'm posting this correctly. I have a question about the safety of a ride and my child's size. I have a son who is 9 years old, 55 inches tall and 65 pounds. Since he obviously meets the height requirements I thought he could ride pretty darn near everything, including Space Mountain and the Aerosmith coaster when my husband, my kids and I go to Walt Disney World in December. My mother, however, is terrified for him to ride Space Mountain, saying he's so skinny he'll fly right out from under the bar in the car and get killed because it probably won't latch down tightly enough to keep him in. She says that when she and my stepdad took my nephew, who is 18 now and was was only 4 years old at the time they went to Disney, my nephew flew up off the seat on Space Mountain and my stepdad was barely able to grab him in time before he plunged to a horrible death at the bottom of the ride. I've seen people who post here talk about riding Space Mountain with their kids who are a lot younger than my son. Surely at his age and size, he's bigger than some of those younger kids who've ridden it safely. What do you think? Is Space Mountain going to be safe for a skinny as a string bean nine year old? What about the Aerosmith coaster? Any advice anyone can offer would be very much appreciated. Thank you so much!

[garada3]

Welcome to DC smallgreyfox! This is a wonderful place to ask questions just like this.

I am waiting to see the responses you get, as my oldest DS is built just the same. He sure didn't get that from me :)

[preidel24]

Smallgreyfox:

Welcome to DC I'm sure you'll love it here. Let me answer your question by telling you my DS is also 9 and is 57" tall and tips the scales at 64 pounds. He has rode both rides many times as a nine year old, a 7 year and even a 5 year old. I never felt it was unsafe and of course his father and I rode with him. The harnesses are tight and they hold them in snug. I actually have more problems with my oldest DS who is 15, 6'3" and 230 pounds. Sometimes the shoulder harnesses don't fit him properly. There are alot of tall skinny kids out there and disney does a excellent job of keeping them safe. Remeber ride safety has come a long way and new safety regulation are much tougher than when we were kids. Hope this helps.

Paula

[dlashe4977]

We went last December, my son was 7 yrs old and was 45 lbs. We went on Space Mtn and everyother ride in all four parks never did my son fly out of his seat. I would think disney would be out of business, if skinny kids were flying out of their seats every other day. :D :D

[slist]

:) My son is 55 inches tall and 55 pounds. My niece is 57 inches tall and 66 pounds, both kids are ride freaks and we did not have any problem on Space Mountain. I know what you mean I was worried that they would come out on Splash Mountain but not a problem at all.

[Shelley]

My daughter is 7 years old, (8 in August). She is 51 inches tall and 60 pounds. She loves Space Mountain! I can't keep her off of the ride! She does not rise off the seat, nor does she fly out at any time. My suggestion to you would be to put your son in the seat, lower the bar, and then see for yourself how much give there is once he is secured. If you feel he is too small, then ask for him to be let out. I have never seen them deny a parent based on security reasons. My daughter has been riding Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones since she was able to meet the height requirements for them. Hope this helps!!:D

[PhantomBantam]

18-4= 14 years ago...

Space mountain has changed the safety features, car and car seating for Space Mountain since 1990. My TALL 4 year old daughter couldn't get out of her seat and she actually tried to get out of her seat. The plunging to ones death concern from the original description of a previous Space Mountain ride has probably grown to Mythic proportions over the past 14 years.
;)

Space mountain is a Wild Mouse Type coaster. It has no long drops or steep banking turns, its not even that fast (just quick and jerky). Of course there are no corkscrews nor loop de loops. Even in the old cars, which reminded me of Log Flume cars, had a center strattle bench-seat and the side of the Car/capsule came up to an adults upper ribcage or under arms making the possibility of passenger ejection almost impossible without extreme rider intent. I don't want to go there...

Its dark in Space mountain. Theres other cars running around and lots of surprise special effects that serves only one purpose...To make you feel like things are out of control and help Disney make little Space Mole Hills in to Space Mountains.

[tiggerlover1971]

I agree with phantom on this one they probably went on it with the old seats which I have never done from what I was told by my sisters they used to sit you two to a seat with one of them in between ones legs and well my sister almost fell out of the seatbelt then but has since went on it since they changed and said it has gotten much safer

[mickaholic4077]

I don't think that you will have any problem at all.(BTW,welcome to Disney Central!!!!)

[StormyTink]

Thank you so much everyone for your help! My husband and I really appreciate it, and we feel very reassured. Now if I can just reassure my mother and stepdad enough.

Can someone tell me which kind of restraint the Space Mountain in Orlando, FL uses? Is it a T-bar or a U-shaped lap bar?

Thank you all again so much!

Juliane

[phayes93]

HAKUNA MATTATA - (i.e. NO WORRIES, Greyfox). When my DS was about your son's age, he was about that same size and he rode Space Mountain at WDW -- endlessly. My DD, who is a smaller person as well, also experienced no problems. And last December, my neice, who's 10, skinny as a rail and tips the scales at about 60 pounds stayed on SM quite nicely. The restraints on SM and RnRC are the solid, over-the-shoulder type that fit snugly.

HAVE FUN and RELAX!!!!
:)