[Question] Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

[Garthilk]

Last I was at Disneyland, children were not allowed to stand, cannot stand on seats, should not sit on your lap, and must sit firmly with their butt on the seat at all times during the vehicle operation. Now, they've taken the only visable space below the rail and obstructed it with netting. I'd love someone to get measurements of the new netting, from seat to top of rail. But I'm guessing anyone under the age of 3 and some 4 year olds just had their viewports blocked. This of course is only going to encourage more toddlers to stand, kneel, lap sit, etc. Crap the kids want to have fun and see the animals, why make it harder?

* Addendum * After taking away the Matterhorn and not letting my kids ride, this pretty much takes the cake. Personally, they should just add a 48" ride requirement to the ride, throw on some lap belts and be done with it. This just pisses me off.

[ShelbyH]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

Yeah, I agree that stinks that the netting is there. Too bad we're so addicted to suing.

[sbk1234]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

You beat me to it. Let's thank an overly litigious society.

[Disneytwins]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

We now live in a sue-happy society. Disney is just covering their butts on this one. I'm pretty sure that a proper solution will be made eventually.

[techskip]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

I'm saddened and a little dismayed that a needed modification has been met with such harsh complaints by those who won't benefit from it. This is a modification that Jungle Skips have asked for multiple times over the years. Every Summer you'd have kids that hit their hands on the dock. You'd have kids that hit their elbows on the dock. You'd have kids that bumped their heads because they were looking at the water. On rare occasions you'd have kids that smashed their hand between the boat and the black spacers. 2 year olds, 3 year olds, 4 year olds, 5 year olds... the cutoff was usually 6 or 7... I lost track of how many ended up being sent to First Aid. I lost track of how many times I had to push a boat out, and watch helplessly as a little one pulled their hand out of the gap. A lot of that could have been avoided with better parenting, but avoiding it is more important. I don't care if lawsuits were the motivation, at least something has finally been done. For anyone wondering why I take this so personally; nothing compares to hearing a little one whose hand is caught. Think about that when you complain about netting that little ones can easily see through.

[imagineerthat]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

This is a safety issue, nothing more. Yes the smaller set has a slight disadvantage now at their level but there is plenty to see all around them. Times have changed and most parents let their kids do whatever they please especially since their "on vacation" or "paid a lot of money to get in" I've been taking my nephew to the parks since he was two and now he's eleven and throughout that time I always made sure he behaved (not climbing on or in things he shouldn't be in, sitting/swinging on queue chains etc). The netting shouldn't discourage kids from riding it should encourage adults to teach their kids to behave.

[calsig31]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

I don't see why the netting is such an issue. It's not opaque, you can see right through it so it is hardly an obstruction to the view of the animals. If anything, it should keep a few people from losing their phones and cameras as well.

[Sorcerer's Apprentice]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

it's unfortunate, and parents can't always control if their child quickly puts their hands out and gets them pinched. safety for children "must be priority one".

[Mom kissed Walt]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

techskip makes the point perfectly. I agree we live in an overly litigious society, but in the absence of good parenting, I'm all for protecting the children's fingers.

[24601]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

Whoever told the OP that children could not sit on laps was badly mistaken.

[mousedaddy]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

This is a safety issue, nothing more. Yes the smaller set has a slight disadvantage now at their level but there is plenty to see all around them. Times have changed and most parents let their kids do whatever they please especially since their "on vacation" or "paid a lot of money to get in" I've been taking my nephew to the parks since he was two and now he's eleven and throughout that time I always made sure he behaved (not climbing on or in things he shouldn't be in, sitting/swinging on queue chains etc). The netting shouldn't discourage kids from riding it should encourage adults to teach their kids to behave.

Well Said

[Disneytwins]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

I agree with the few posts above. There are some parts that require looking through the netting, but theres a good portion of the ride that requires the children to look up and out. Even though Disney is covering their own butts on this one, everyone on BOTH sides do not like people getting hurt.

[Druggas]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

If it makes it safer for kids, I'm all for it.

[ShelbyH]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

Thank you techskip. I hadn't thought about it from that perspective.

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

Guess were just stupider now...so we have to child proof everything from Alice to the Jungle cruise

[Garthilk]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

I'm saddened and a little dismayed that a needed modification has been met with such harsh complaints by those who won't benefit from it. This is a modification that Jungle Skips have asked for multiple times over the years. Every Summer you'd have kids that hit their hands on the dock. You'd have kids that hit their elbows on the dock. You'd have kids that bumped their heads because they were looking at the water. On rare occasions you'd have kids that smashed their hand between the boat and the black spacers. 2 year olds, 3 year olds, 4 year olds, 5 year olds... the cutoff was usually 6 or 7... I lost track of how many ended up being sent to First Aid. I lost track of how many times I had to push a boat out, and watch helplessly as a little one pulled their hand out of the gap. A lot of that could have been avoided with better parenting, but avoiding it is more important. I don't care if lawsuits were the motivation, at least something has finally been done. For anyone wondering why I take this so personally; nothing compares to hearing a little one whose hand is caught. Think about that when you complain about netting that little ones can easily see through.

More than a skips sadness, saddened and dismayed are kids whom ride and say, "I can't see".

The vast majority of your post seemed to resolve around injuries that occur during the proximity of the dock. If the problem occurs there, the solution should occur there.

The netting doesn't prevent finger injuries when trying to view the tigers. The net does not prevent elbow injuries when checking out the pirrahanas. Who's hand got caught in a hippo mouth? I dare say there's ever been a recorded instance at the first aid station.

Look at the original post. Look at the girl in the front of the boat. She is nearly completely obscured by the netting. You can guarantee that her experiance of the ride has been changed dramatically by this "improvement".

If safty at the dock is a concern, then let the solution stay at the dock.

[calsig31]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

Guess were just stupider now...so we have to child proof everything from Alice to the Jungle cruise

How is being more safety concious stupid?

[Garthilk]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

How is being more safety concious stupid?

If it makes it safer for kids, I'm all for it.

Where is the line drawn for you then might I ask? Would you be all for lap belts and 48" height requirements, if it made things safer? What about plexiglass coverings at all sitting areas from bottom of the boat to the top of the canvas top?

Would you be okay with underwater rollers that prevent the boat from comming in contact with the dock but forces the vessel to be exactly a set distance to the dock and does not allow variation? This way the hands never get smashed, and the gap is never to large to cross and the rolling sensation when loading is minimized or eliminated?

[JMazz]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

Whoever told the OP that children could not sit on laps was badly mistaken.

Bingo.

As recent as 2009, my sis had my nephew on her lap. Unless something has changed in 2-3 yrs, I think it is still allowed.

In many cases, I think this is the safest place for a child. The parent has the most control, the child feels secure (as does mom and dad), and the child is now closer to adult eye level.

Please do not mis-read my comments to mean a 2y/o should be sitting in the lap of a parent riding Space!!!

[calsig31]

Re: Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

Where is the line drawn for you then might I ask?

A net that is completely see-through is not a place to draw the line. If it actually obscured vision, then maybe. However the way it is now it hardly takes X-Ray vision to see through it.