Seating Vertical Clearance of the Matterhorn Bobsleds

[00crashtest]

I emailed Disneyland and they were of no help, saying that the ride clearance is proprietary information. So can any of you give me information on the guaranteed maximum dimensions that fit within the clearances at the tightest points of the ride?

Are any of you able to tell me what edition of the ASTM F2291 (the global industry standard for patron cleanrance envelope) that the rides in Disneyland (or any other Disney Resort) comply with? This is important (especially in the extreme case of decapitation) because the size of human adults has been growing rapidly due to biological evolution, which has added up to a substantial amount since 1955 when Disneyland first opened, and since 1959 when the Matterhorn Bobsleds first opened. The Matterhorn Bobsleds and many other Dineyland attractions were created long before ASTM F2291 even existed (The ASTM organization was created in 1978) because of the age of the rides. If all of the rides in Disneyland or operated offsite by Disneyland do already comply with the latest edition of ASTM F2291, which is 2021, do the rides automatically get updated to increase their clearance envelope (to take into account that the human adult overall within a given fixed age are continually growing) every time a new edition of ASTM F2291 is released?

I sent them the following email:
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I have last ridden the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Thunder Mountain Railroad back in Summer 2008 when I was still in elementary school. I noticed that the vertical clearance at the lowest parts of the protrusions on the tunnel ceilings looked to be too uncomfortably close that a person with an abnormally long body would hit their head against the protrusions on the tunnel ceilings and die. I have since grown a lot and have a body length that is well above average for an adult. On my next visit to Disneyland, I plan to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Thunder Mountain Railroad again and am also considering on raising my hands throughout the ride. What is the vertical clearance between the seating H-point and the lowest protrusion on the ceiling on the line normal to the track (seated vertically) and on the line parallel to the seatback (back resting on the seat), respectively, for the static vehicle profile for each of those rides? How about that for the highest position of the vehicle on the dynamic vehicle profile (includes rocking motion relative to the tracks)?
Would I, and everyone else, including even the 99.999th percentile of spine length for people, be guaranteed that their head wouldn't hit the lowest protrusions on the ceiling and suffer fatal injuries? How about the hands raised vertically at the maximum extent? Could a sign regarding the maximum safe (minimum of dynamic vehicle profile on line normal to track) vertical clearance between the H-point and lowest protrusion on the ceiling be posted at the entrance for all rides with a minimum dynamic vertical clearance of less than 5 feet 10 inches (or even 6 feet 0 inches) at any point on the transverse plane of the dynamic envelope of the vehicle and be listed on the website as a limit for maximum height of riders between the H-point and top of the head for the rides? Could this also be done on all other rides at all other Disney properties? Showing such information as public and making that a ride restriction would also be in everyone's best interest, including your own, because it would ease public concerns and prevent an super-expensive excessive-height lawsuit if the person with the longest spine in the world suddenly decides to take those rides.
The thumbnail of the video below, which occurs at 2:12 in the video, shows such a concerning point (the lowest point on the most-protruding faux stalactite). Another cornerning point is the faux rock under the wooden fence at 2:40, which appears to be the point of lowest vertical clearance (along a line normal to the track) for the leftmost point of the vehicle, of which at appears that the left hand and arm for a person seated on the left may possibly hit.

 

[OKW Lover]

Good luck on your crusade. I seriously doubt there are a lot of people who worry about this other than the designers of the attractions. I don't see Disney publishing this detailed information but perhaps a statement that attractions are designed for people less than a specific height. In other words, something similar to the minimum height for some attractions.

 

[BadPinkTink]

joined today, first post, love these type of people, as they disappear into the sunset when no one agrees with them or validates their opinion

 

[CaptainAmerica]

it would ease public concerns

There are no public concerns.

 

[mdmost]

So I guess it's good I'm "short".

 

[BrianL]

There is a roller coaster element known as a "headchopper" where it is designed to appear that the clearance is extremely low. The fact is that the clearance is always high enough that it will not hit even the tallest rider even if they had their arms up, as is common when riding roller coasters. Making it look as if you might though adds to the thrill. I do not believe there is any cause for concern that someone would hit their head in this manner on any roller coaster.

 

[SteveH]

The Matterhorn Bobsleds have been open since 1959, I am 100% confident that if that if anyone had lost their head we'd know about it. You can read about the two deaths on the bobsleds, first person was probably out of his seat and got hit. Bottom line is you're not going to get the info you want nor Disney posting that information, so you need to decide if you want to ride the rides or not. I have I thought about it on the Matterhorn Bobsleds when I ride? You betcha, every time, but that's part of the illusion they want you to experience.

 

[DizMe]

So I guess it's good I'm "short".

Same, LOL!! 5'1" and safe from decapitation, but it would seriously mess with my ride enjoyment if I had to worry about a head or arm landing in my lap.

 

[katyringo]

Didn't the Matterhorn go through a fairly lengthy refurbishment in 2018ish time?

anyway- I don't understand the point of this post.

however, the OP could have anxiety issues and/or be autistic and thus hyper focus on details likes this.

to OP: this is probably not the best avenue to seek this information.

I am sure that all the rides in Disneyland are up to the codes required by Law for safety.

 

[rowan1813]

Well I'll just say this. My brother is 6'8" and he has never hit his head on the ride. Doesn't even have to duck.

 

[Epicnemesis]

I don’t put my hands up because some areas seem low. (Same with space mountain) but there is more than enough room for head clearance.

 

[Wedgeout]

Remain seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle…live by that warning and your head will be just fine. I have made the mistake only once and can say, feels like sandpaper on the fingertips. If have the urge to raise, best to keep hands near head level.

 

[PaladinButters]

joined today, first post, love these type of people, as they disappear into the sunset when no one agrees with them or validates their opinion

This reads like a persuasive argument writing assignment from school but I can't figure out where the boards fit in. Pass the popcorn, please.

 

[gelatoni fan]

On Matterhorn, you CANNOT raise your hands above your head or extend them out to the side or you will likely hit something. Your head will be fine if you are sitting properly.
On Big Thunder Mountain, most adults can raise their hands above their heads but it does feel very very close.

I know that in general, Disneyland is exempt from regulations that were created after the attraction. But whenever a Cast Member gets hurt, OSHA comes in and Disneyland has to do something like add a new safety rail. If you're looking for more detailed information than this, you'll probably have to find someone who got hurt on a ride and subpoena Disney.

 

[StarlitNight05]

Remain seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle…live by that warning and your head will be just fine. I have made the mistake only once and can say, feels like sandpaper on the fingertips. If have the urge to raise, best to keep hands near head level.

This 100%

I made the rather stupid mistake of raising my arms on Incredicoaster once and my arm got stuck. I had to jam my arm down hard to get it out and was left with a giant bruise. I have hypermobile elbows so this was likely the culprit. It was a terrifying experience! Never again. I always listen to the warnings now.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

If there was a size situation, they would post a maximum height similar to minimum height. the manner in which the original email was written doesn't seem geared towards getting a response - perhaps a better way to ask would be: I'm very tall and having anxiety over some rides. Do you have a maximum height for any of your rides or can I relax knowing I am safe?

Also, as a few other posters have commented, it is very clearly instructed to NOT raise your hands. Yes, some people do anyway, but that is really on them if they then get hurt, because you are clearly told to keep your arms inside the ride vehicle and not raise them over your head, so it is unlikely you would get a response that indicates raising arms would be fine.

 

[StormyCA]

Shaquille O'Neill (7' 1") has ridden the MH and still has his head, that's good enough for me!

I'm curious as to why you are interested enough in this to post it to TWO Disney chat sites. Do you really have that great a fear of decapitation?

 

[CO2CA]

You just brought me back to math class in 6th grade! We had a scenario exactly like you describe (obviously not for Disneyland, but a different "coaster") and had to measure everyone's height when seated with arms raised. The character in the scenario was tall and was worried about whacking his arms. After we measured, we did some calculation and found that everyone would fit with inches to spare.

I'm sure you will be fine, but I wouldn't necessarily raise your arms. This is mostly because, at least for me, I have to hold and brace myself throughout the ride so that I minimize the jerks and bumps. Thar ride is painful!

 

[JohnR5101]

Trolling for a lawsuit???

 

[00crashtest]

If there was a size situation, they would post a maximum height similar to minimum height. the manner in which the original email was written doesn't seem geared towards getting a response - perhaps a better way to ask would be: I'm very tall and having anxiety over some rides. Do you have a maximum height for any of your rides or can I relax knowing I am safe?

Also, as a few other posters have commented, it is very clearly instructed to NOT raise your hands. Yes, some people do anyway, but that is really on them if they then get hurt, because you are clearly told to keep your arms inside the ride vehicle and not raise them over your head, so it is unlikely you would get a response that indicates raising arms would be fine.

Then why don't they post a maximum height limit?