All ToT seats are getting seatbelts

[tar heel]

Saturday (7/27) my family rode in the new seatbelt seats on ToT. According to the ride cm, this was the first day of testing and only one row (back) of one elevator had the belts at that point. An off-duty cm was riding beside me, and she said the new ones are tighter and do not give you as much air time as the old middle one. Still lots of fun, though, and it does feel different from the bar.

 

[toefungus]

BOO!! The lap bars are fine. With seatbelts you'll be in your seat for the whole attraction. BOO to seatbelts!!

 

[Safari Steve]

No, HOORAY for seatbelts. This was the ride vehicle change I posted about a week and a half ago that MUST occur before there can be any major ride programming changes.

Hooray Seatbelts, Hooray innovation, Hooray keeping things fresh!

 

[toefungus]

What do you mean by programming changes? More/different/longer drops?

 

[Mop]

Isn't the *point* of the ride that you get lifted out of your seat as you freefall? Won't seatbelts defeat that purpose?

Mop

 

[isnkr]

C'mon Steve - spill the beans, what's up with ToT?

 

[PatMcDuck]

Can't you just make the seatbelts real loose? We used to do that with the lap bar, we would stick our knee up to make it lock up higher than we were.

 

[Disnsyncey]

well, I'm not Steve, but I think I remember something from spending a month with my CM friend in Spain.....

As soon as all the hoopla of 100 years is over (sometime after...don't know when), they are gonna change the sequence and some things about the ride and make the drop sequence better (maybe other things I dunno) and advertise it as the "New" version of ToT........cuz MGM is the hub of the 100 years stuff and always after a celebration ends the attendance for the hub park goes down (like Millenium celebration in Epcot) so they're trying to keep attendance up

Is it possible that they have already tried the sequence out a couple times? Cuz I think some CM's have tried it and they really liked it......or maybe I am hallucinating

 

[Safari Steve]

however you do it, is an easy way to get hurt very badly.

 

[marty3d]

I actually find that you get more "air time" with the belt then the bar.

As for changes to ToT - all the changes thus far have improved the ride (pretty good because this has been my favorite from day 1). I can't wait to see what they do next!

 

[Cris]

isn't this going to slow capacity down, since they will have to check every seat belt?

 

[Lesley]

Okay, if I can tighten that seatbelt down really hard perhaps I'll eventually ride TOT. As long as my rear stays planted I'll be fine....

I guess I'm the only one who hates "air time"

 

[DC7800]

Originally posted by Lesley
I guess I'm the only one who hates "air time"

Oh no...you're not the only one!

Maybe when they put brakes on that elevator I'll feel better about it...

 

[KNWVIKING]

...the first time I rode ToT I got the "seat belt" seat. Apparently someone rather LARGE had just left because the belt had miles of slack in it. I simply snapped it on and never sinched it up. Well... I think I got off the ride a couple of inches shorter and definitely bruised my tailbone. I hope the new belt system has a fool-proof retractor system or they at least make a CM verify they are snug, otherwise you will see injuries and law suits.

 

[WDWHound]

My vote is still out on this one. I always enjoyed the special effects of the TOT more than the drop itself. I love drop rides, but the thing that always impressed me abouyt the TOT was the special effects and the attention to detail. Just standing in the lobby while waiting to enter the library is a treat. Such detail, such immersion!

I can get air time at any Six Flags park. If they substitute a really cool effect that I can only get at Disnsy World in place of a little air time, I'll be more than happy to make the trade. If they wimp out in the name of lawsuit protection, I'm gonna be torked.

 

[Beachangel]

I can only hope the seat belts are the reason for something better to come. If not, bor-ing!

 

[Safari Steve]

Actually, all 6 lifts have multiple independant braking systems. It's a very safe ride.

 

[DebbieB]

So are they still going to have the bar in addition to the seat belt? I rode the seatbelt seat once and hated it, I like holding onto the bar. The airtime is the best part!

 

[babar]

will they take the lap bar away then? that could be kind of fun. If it's only seatbelts, you'll have nothing to hold on to, and that might be more scary!

oops, I just noticed DebbieB ask the same question, although we have different points of view on the answer!!

 

[marty3d]

I always try to get the seatbelt seat - Babar is right - it's scarier when you have nothing to hold on to - but more fun (if you like that sort of thing).

I would think that if they take the bar away they might add a bar to the bak of the seats in front so that you have something to hold on to. ToT already scares alot of people - I think they almost have to leave something....

Any rumors as to additional effects? Last time I was on ToT (January) I noticed some "figures" during the drop - at first I thought it might have been my imagination but I've heard other people have seen them too.