Children Discourged From Riding Jungle Cruise?

[Garthilk]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Trevor]

I am curious how they would "keep the solution at the dock". The issue is actually between the boat and the dock so the boat cannot be removed from the equation. There is nothing feasible that they could do to the dock to stop people from getting their hands pinched because you will always have something that the boats come close to, and therefor something that you can pinch your hand with.

[ShelbyH]

All nets look more dense at a distance than they really are. I can think of other attractions we all view through a fine mesh with no problems at all.

[Garthilk]

I am curious how they would "keep the solution at the dock". The issue is actually between the boat and the dock so the boat cannot be removed from the equation. There is nothing feasible that they could do to the dock to stop people from getting their hands pinched because you will always have something that the boats come close to, and therefor something that you can pinch your hand with.

I guess underwater rollers prevent the boat from moving to close to and far away from the dock is completely outside the scope of imagination. Perhaps we need the same netting on small world boats, also on the logs of Splash Mountain.

Again, it's entirely possible to plus a ride experiance and increase safty at the same time. That should always be the solution put forward.

[ShelbyH]

If the nets truly block the view and enough parents complain about it, I guarantee Disney will change it. For now, it seems like an inexpensive and simple way to avoid the problem. I will reserve my judgment for when I'm actually in a boat, as far as net obstruction.

[Zombi3Mickey]

I mean in the picture you can see the lady's arm, so it shouldn't be that hard to see an animal through the netting.

[Malina]

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

Even more dismayed are the kids who ride who have been injured. It sounds as though the number has been significant. Or the ones who have to wait on the dock or don't get to ride at all because the ride is closed while they deal with an injured child.

That mesh might look opaque, but I'd bet that in person it's almost completely transparent. It looks exactly like the netting that they put on strollers, in fact. If a child is fine seeing through their stroller mesh--and kids ride around in strollers like that every single day without complaining--they shouldn't have a problem with the mesh on the Jungle Cruise.

[Mr Wiggins]

Even more dismayed are the kids who ride who have been injured. It sounds as though the number has been significant. Or the ones who have to wait on the dock or don't get to ride at all because the ride is closed while they deal with an injured child.

That mesh is almost completely transparent. It looks just like the netting that they put on strollers, in fact. If a child is fine seeing through their stroller mesh, they shouldn't have a problem with the mesh on the Jungle Book.

Well said! One might even say this is all mesh ado about nothing.

[Malina]

Well said! One might even say this is all mesh ado about nothing.

Well played, sir. Very well played!

[OliviaVonDrake]

It looks absurd.

[Disneytwins]

Notice how in the picture, the mesh is highlighted by the sun. Gives that netting an opaque look.