Asking to reride something if another group ruins your turn?

[PollyMroz]

We bought lightning lane passes for Flight of Passage and were in the preshow with a large family. One of the kids who was about 8 or 9 got nervous during the preshow and started telling his family he didnt want to go on the ride. I think the family had clearly waited the posted hour and a half wait and were insisting the child get on the ride. I dont know if it was too late in the queue but I was surprised the CM didnt offer a rider swap option as the kids was screaming that he didnt want to be on the ride while she was still checking the restraints. He screamed and cried for the full 4 minutes. Two family members thought it would be helpful if they counted down until the ride was over, so they loudly counted down from 60 in unison, and they dad was trying to yell over the kids screams to assure him he was going to be ok. The four of them yelling and crying was so overwhelming I wanted to start crying.



I've ridden the ride before and remember how amazing my first experience was. We took my 18 year old niece for her birthday and it was her first time riding it and I was honestly annoyed that it was one her and only experience. I also feel bad for the boy that was forced on the ride, which is partially why we didnt say anything to the CM on our way out, but I was very tempted to say that that ride experience was unfair to anyone who just waited 90 mins for this ride or who paid for the lightning lane. Just curious if anyone else has experienced anything similar and asked to reride?

 

[yorkieteacher]

Just a guess, but I think prior to exiting if you had said something quietly to a cast member in the ride chamber who was aware of what had occurred ,they would have understood and tried to accommodate your party. After you leave, not so sure. This sounds like an extreme example, but sadly other guests frequently ruin ride experiences by talking loudly throughout the ride or flash photography. There’s usually at least one loud screamer on every thrill ride. But your example did sound extreme, so it’s worth a try to ask at guest relations.

 

[elvispursley]

I would totally have mentioned something to the CM. I would’ve pointed out that you paid for the ILL and your niece had never experienced the attraction before and your party’s experience was ruined by it. I’d totally expect flash photography on dark rides, people having loud conversations (looking at you pirates and IASW), and screaming on thrill rides. But causing a ruckus in the preshow where there’s what, only 12 in that room, and it came from the other group? Yeah, absolutely would’ve mentioned it and asked nicely if you could redo it.

We had to ask for a reride of GotG when it broke down part way through. It stopped for like 5 minutes, all the music and effects topped and we slowly rolled into the unload area. I immediately asked if we could reride and the CM said no. I pointed out that we paid for an ILL and the ride broke down. He had no clue it broke down. Thankfully his lead or supervisor came over and asked what was going on (by this time almost everyone on that train was voicing there displeasure and 1/2 a rides-might have been one thing if we could wait in a standby queue again but it’s all VQ or ILL). We were quickly escorted back into the load area. No one was nasty but we all felt it wasn’t right to have only a 1/2 ride.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Absolutely ask in a situation like this, and they will almost certainly make it happen.

 

[HopperFan]

Yes, ask, especially since the child was disrupting the preshow, the loading etc. They knew what was going on and that the child & family were ruining the experience.

DD worked at Soarin' and they would let someone ride again if their ride was ruined. She said in one instance a group of teen girls were screaming like they were "dying" through the whole ride. She was working "the tower" aka the control desk at front of the theater ... where they can see EVERYONE on camera, up close. She knew who was screaming. She said they considered an E Stop to remove them but that involved paperwork and reset so they let it finish. BUT at the end she met up with the girls and told them they ruined the ride for everyone else, not to scream on rides like that.

 

[erinch]

I would talk to guest services and tell them that you were so worried about the child that it wasn’t until you had time to think about it and realize how disappointed your niece is that you wished you had asked immediately to reride since you paid for the ILL, and could they give you the opportunity? At most, they can say no.

 

[rlk]

We were given the opportunity to re-ride Tower of Terror after a girl sitting behind us let out blood-curdling screams for the entire ride. Unfortunately, we did not take the CM up on the offer because my boys were too freaked out to ride the Tower of Terror for the rest of that trip.

 

[StageTek]

Just curious if anyone else has experienced anything similar and asked to reride?

Yes. It was an adult woman who suddenly became frightened and very loud the moment the screen was revealed. She was screaming that she was going to fall out and die. For the entire ride.

We asked to ride again and they let us - no problem.

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

I would have asked for a re-ride. Sorry to hear you had to endure that. I feel even worse for the child who didn't have 1 adult member of his group 'take one for the team' and walk out with the child. How traumatizing for the kid.

I am surprised that the CM who walks through during the final check ok'd the child to clear the ride. When a person is having a panic attack it is fairly easy to get out of some restraints. We were at Universal, loaded into Hagrid's (a roller coaster) when someone ahead of us had a panic attack on the same train. We thought they were joking at first, a lanky teenager in a group was yelling that he was going to die as they got in the ride. Their ride vehicle was checked for proper restraints and cleared for departure (team members there have to manually slide a magnet or something over each vehicle after they check riders for proper restraints). As the train started moving down the track to exit the loading area, the person started screaming and wriggled out of the restraints and JUMPED OUT OF THE MOVING TRAIN. It was terrifying to see. (I saw the person after this happened-they were physically ok). The team members had to pull the emergency stop. It took about 30 minutes to pull all in-progress riders off of the ride and then more time to re-set the ride. It never came back online before the end of the night. My group and others who were on the same train were each given 2 ruby passes without asking (anytime passes for any ride at the park that are valid for a few days- they are the holy grail at Universal).

Long story, but people can do crazy things with their body when they are in a panic. The CMs at the FOP loading area saw the child screaming and loaded him anyway. They are lucky he stayed secured in his seat.