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View Full Version : Riding coasters with your hands up



justagrrl
02-17-2002, 01:05 PM
It's a common sight - people riding coasters with their hands up.

Yet the signage everywhere says to keep your arms, legs, etc in at all times.

Are all these people "law breakers"? Do ride designers take into account that the hands tend to go up while riding?

disneynut
02-17-2002, 02:45 PM
I think it's another common sense issue (boy, we've had a lot of these lately! :) ) More often than not I'm sure you can put your hands up without breaking any rules. I've never put my hands up on Matterhorn (actually I don't put my hands up on any because I'm a wimp) just because it doesn't seem like there is a whole bunch of clearance for that. You see people do it on tm and splash's drop alot and I think they thought about the clearance when these rides were built. Matterhorn just seems too short (heightwise) to me. Although this could just be perception too.

dcadon
02-17-2002, 07:27 PM
If you raise your hands on the matterhorns lift hill you WILL feel the celing. I totally freaked me out the first time I tried it. It's completly dark inside there and you don't expect it.
It is perfectly safe to raise your hands on BTMRR although it looks like you'll lose your wrists. It really freaks out those riding behind you.
I would never, however, raise my hands on Space Mountain. Ask anyone who has ridden with the lights on.
Hands up on coasters is only cool for the first drop. After that your arms just get tired and you bruise yourself.

-Don

MouseWife
02-17-2002, 07:28 PM
Um, I think everyone does it to be cool. To show that they are not chicken.

Well, I am Cheecken!!!

I do believe it is a safety issue. Reading the article about Splash Mountain, they said they counted on the people to used the hand grips/ and or brace themselves with their legs. I do both.

I do wonder if they will crack down on people doing it as they are becoming more safety concience?

Anywho, my two cents.

Dlandmom
02-17-2002, 07:40 PM
One time I was on Splash Mountain by myself and sat in the back seat...I thought it would be fun to not hold on when we went down the final drop, but as I raised my arms and the log tilted down, I literally felt myself go "weightless" from the force of the rear of the log pushing me out of my seat...boy, did I reach for the handle quick!

MouseWife
02-17-2002, 07:48 PM
Originally posted by Dlandmom
One time I was on Splash Mountain by myself and sat in the back seat...I thought it would be fun to not hold on when we went down the final drop, but as I raised my arms and the log tilted down, I literally felt myself go "weightless" from the force of the rear of the log pushing me out of my seat...boy, did I reach for the handle quick!

Exactly!

I always wonder, where does it go from being the feeling we are supposed to feel to the feeling right before you fly out?

Dlandmom
02-17-2002, 09:26 PM
Originally posted by MouseWife


Exactly!

I always wonder, where does it go from being the feeling we are supposed to feel to the feeling right before you fly out?

So true! I had never ridden on SM by myself, let alone by myself and sitting in the back with no one else anchoring me to my seat! It really felt like I was going to fly out of the log...I had never felt that kind of weightlessness before!

all4thx
02-17-2002, 11:35 PM
Originally posted by justagrrl
It's a common sight - people riding coasters with their hands up.

Yet the signage everywhere says to keep your arms, legs, etc in at all times.

Are all these people "law breakers"? Do ride designers take into account that the hands tend to go up while riding?

Yes, they're breaking the rules and increasing the chance of an accident. Ride designers do take this into account so you're probably not going to find a cross bar that is going to break a riders arm. But if your hands are up then you're not holding on and you should be when you're riding a ride.

In my opinion the park should be cleared of all liability of an accident results from someone not following the said or posted rules.

So if you ride with your arms up and fly out... then its your problem, not the parks problem.

Do you know why you pay so much to go to Disneyland?

Nigel2
02-17-2002, 11:40 PM
I think that it isn't quite as dangerous on a belted/bar/restraint coaster since you are held in place but on splash (eventhough you don't go long enought to get pulled out) it does give you quite a rush.:D

stinkyface
02-18-2002, 08:03 AM
one time on wdw's splash mountain i put my arms up on the part where you go over the little dry hills. a very harsh voice came over the loudspeaker and told me to KEEP MY ARMS IN THE BOAT. ever since then i have never raised my arms on a disney ride.

Ghoulish Delight
02-18-2002, 08:20 AM
On coasters, I suspect the warning is aimed at keeping your arms from sneaking out the SIDE of the car, rather than the top. Since you are straped in by seatbelts or bars, you don't really need your hands to hold on, and there is rarely anything low enough to do serious damage.

Matterorn, yes you can touch the ceiling. But for me, that ride shakes me around so much, I hold on just because it hurts otherwise. Space Mountain is weird. I have been on it with the lights on. It is freaky how close the structure seems. HOWEVER, if you look at the cars, the head rest goes pretty high up. So when you put your arms up, they are really like sticking only about a foot over the highest point in the car. And the structure IS further than that, so you're not in any real danger, it just seems that way. I suppose if you're like 6'6" or taller, you'd probably have a problem, but for an average height person, I wouldn't worry.

Splash Mountain is different since you are not strapped in. I haven't ridden alone in years, and I'm larger than CP, so I always sit behind someone. So I suppose my view is skewed since I have some weight keeping me in my seat. But it seems to me that unless you are a small child, as long as you keep your legs underneath the hand rails, it would take quite a bit of force to get you our of that log. And if something is happening that is causing that kind of force, it's unlikely you'd be able to hang on to a wet piece of metal anyway, so I don't know how much you are buying by holding on.

MonorailMan
02-18-2002, 08:40 AM
I love Big Thunder with my hands up. Makes it feel much more thrilling. :)

Horace Horsecollar
02-18-2002, 10:31 AM
My brothers and I used to have a great time at Knott's Berry Farm by raising our hands up on the log ride and triggering the park's rather stern taped warning: "Hey you! Sit down before you get hurt!" Find the red lights and you knew where to trigger the sensors (don't know if this still works).

disneynut
02-18-2002, 11:25 AM
Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight


Matterorn, yes you can touch the ceiling. But for me, that ride shakes me around so much, I hold on just because it hurts otherwise.

So true...I always feel bruised when I get off that ride but my four year old loves seeing the "bear" that we have to go on it...repeatedly.

Gemini Cricket
02-18-2002, 11:45 AM
Doing the last drop for Splash, with your hands up, makes you feel like you're going to fly right out of your log. You don't, though, that's what makes it fun.

I think, if you were breaking any laws by raising your hands, you'd probably hear about it by now... There are cameras everywhere...

I always raise my hands, I am not cheeken!:D
(I even raised my hands on MM's Superman. I thought they were going to break off at the launch, but when you get to the top... definitely! Raise 'em up. You'll feel like you're flying.)

hbquikcomjamesl
02-18-2002, 01:11 PM
. . . the only thrill ride so fast, the cars have to have POLYCARBONATE CANOPIES! (like a jet fighter plane).

Ace
02-18-2002, 01:23 PM
how many of you put your hands up on Indy?? THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.

theg0ldensnitch
02-18-2002, 06:48 PM
I have put my hands up on Indy, some parts of matterhorn, all of big thunder mountain, going down splash, and every ride at MM aside from Goliath (only cause it was frightened). On last friday night the guy in front of me had his hands up on Space Mt. He didn't get loped off or anything. He said he did it often. On splash, gravity is not going to let you fly out don't worry. I am pretty sure that what the signs are talking about is not basiclly climbing out of your cart.

MouseWife
02-18-2002, 08:29 PM
I have a friend who climbed out.
She just couldn't go down the flume. {?}

I guess they caught her on camera because a door
opened up somewhere and a CM said 'Hey, I thought
I saw someone out there!!!'

I like to remind her of this {even though I wasn't there}
as often as possible. ;)

jslivinski
03-19-2002, 08:17 AM
My husband has a complete fit when our son raises his hands on the coasters. Actually, he has a good point, which I had never thought about until he mentioned it. Our son is 8, since most of the coasters have a lap bar that comes down to the adult level there really isn't anything holding him in.

MouseWife
03-19-2002, 09:57 AM
I personally hold on for dear life.

GhostRider scared the wahoo out of me.

I thought I was going to fall out as well as
my little guy. He is almost 8. He agreed with
me that we would never ride that again.