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View Full Version : Thoughts on Splash Mtn's new seating



FredofLasVegas
04-19-2002, 02:43 PM
Something just struck me as kind of odd about Splash Mtn's new seating configuration, and proves the point that if something ain't broke---don't fix it!!!

With the new seating, children---even little children who are tall enough to ride, are now going to be sitting alone. When you think about it having riders sit together the old way is perfectly safe as the ride has proven during it's 13 years. Parents could hold onto their children who are a bit intimidated by the drops and reassure them everything is going to be fine. Furthermore, having two adults sit in one seat allows for little room for misconduct such as standing up.

Now parents won't be able to supervise their kids. If kids are scared enough on the ride, they could just climb out all by themselves and there would be no one there to stop them. Perhaps the orginal seating configuration on Splash Mtn was really the best for the ride, as it is the same configuration for nearly every log ride in America (except for WDW's Splash). Riders are sitting together in the same seat more or less, and not just side by side, and therefore do supervise each other, although they may not realize it.

Does this make sense?

Perhaps it is this type of seating which has allowed log rides to have such a remarkable safety record. I really wish Disney would seriously rethink what they are doing and realize they are making a perfectly safe ride more "unsafe", not to mention more of a capacity nightmare.

BRING THE OLD LOGS BACK!

innerSpaceman
04-19-2002, 04:10 PM
I agree wholeheartedly. First of all, it's hardly themed to be a log if you're seated side-by-side. And then there's the problem with kids, and less fun for snuggling couples. The side-by-side logs at Disney World are fine, and are even a bit more comfortable (and more than one person gets to experience being in front for the big drop), but they just didn't feel like I was sitting inside a log and a lot of the theme of "log ride" was lost because of it.

9oldmen
04-19-2002, 05:59 PM
I think innerspaceman might be confused, or maybe I am. I thought the new logs, reffered to in the first post, were going to seat five, each on their own, one behind the other, and that side by side logs would require re building the entire flume. That's the reason for the "capacity nightmare" that Fredoflasvegas is talking about.

Darkbeer
04-19-2002, 07:21 PM
The "summer" logs are 5 seats, in a single line... The "proposed" logs for next year are the same length and width as the current logs (eliminating the need to rebuild the flume) and would be 8 seats, four rows of 2 seats each. These logs are still "rumored", but make sense to what Al has reported.... My guess is that they will make one or two of these new logs, and after the summer, test them out to see if they would work....

But, only Time will Tell.....

Ace
04-19-2002, 09:08 PM
wouldn't that be kinda crowded? and why are they going to this much effort if it's NOT BROKEN IN THE FIRST PLACE??? WHAT'S THE POINT??? I seriously do not comprehend their decision. It's not broken, it's been running for 10 years with no major accidents.... why this ride, why now?

Darkbeer
04-19-2002, 09:18 PM
Well, alas, many things...

The biggest is probably the Tucker case (The Kid who got seriously hurt on Roger Rabbit) Here is probably the main point in WHY NOW!

Also, our friends at the California Legislative Branch (State Senitors and Assemblypersons) with the passing of the Cal-OSHA act that allows the agency to regulate the states amuzement/theme parks.

Also, the death at WDW at Splash Mountain.

The death at Perilous Plunge (I know it's not the same type of ride, but the lawyers think so....)

And what really has control over the situation, the INSURANCE companies, if they are not happy with the safety precautions, then UP go the rates....

And why this ride, it happened to be closed during a major rehab, plus the WDW Splash/PP issues. We have seen other safety upgrades, the lights coming on earlier in the Haunted Mansion Elevator, the additional lights in the DommBuggy queue, the additional safety spiel in English and Spanish, Air Gates are coming thruout the park, etc, etc....

Ghoulish Delight
04-19-2002, 09:30 PM
Originally posted by Darkbeer
The "summer" logs are 5 seats, in a single line... The "proposed" logs for next year are the same length and width as the current logs (eliminating the need to rebuild the flume) and would be 8 seats, four rows of 2 seats each. These logs are still "rumored", but make sense to what Al has reported.... My guess is that they will make one or two of these new logs, and after the summer, test them out to see if they would work....

But, only Time will Tell..... I see no way that they could possibly keep the same width and have side by side seating. The WDW logs are wider than the DL logs. That'd be the only way to accomplish this, widen the log and the flume. Major major major work.

Darkbeer
04-19-2002, 09:46 PM
Let me quote Ken Pullman from the LaughingPlace Board, and his Kenservations(tm).

"There's still another option. It is little-known (at least until now) that plans were drawn up years ago for new logs that would be the same length and width of the exiting logs. They would be shaped a little differently and would feature bench seating wide enough for two people or one large person. The seat would have been akin to a more narrow version of Small World seats, not like the bucket-style seating found in the Walt Disney World Resort version)."


The log might not look that much like a "log", not round, but more like a half-log. wider on the "high-end" then on its base (which stays the same).

There you go, side-by-side seating, and without the redoing of the flume.

cstephens
04-20-2002, 07:10 AM
Originally posted by Darkbeer
Let me quote Ken Pullman from the LaughingPlace Board, and his Kenservations(tm).

Just a correction - his name is Ken Pellman.




/cs