Mother of Four “Not Scared of That Ride” –
It was a warm Saturday evening at the Magic Kingdom when we ran into Dana Hinckley sitting on a bench in Tomorrowland. Hinckley is a mother of four kids. The rest of her family was in line for Space Mountain with their father. She patiently played the role of “bag and cell phone watcher” while she waited for her family to return.
“It’s too scary,” Hinckley said when we asked why she wasn’t on the ride with her family. “It’s dark and fast. I just don’t like roller coasters.”
Surely there must be some thrill ride that Hinckley enjoys.
“I like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train,” Hinckley said with a laugh and a smile. “We’re going on that one next. I’m not scared of that ride. It’s a lot of fun!”
Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train is a roller coaster that opened in 2014 as part of Magic Kingdom’s “New Fantasyland.” The ride has a top speed of 34mph and lasts just under three minutes long. It is considered by many coaster enthusiasts to be one of the smoothest and tamest roller coasters in the world.
Ride Not Considered Extreme –
To dive deeper, we spoke with Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III. He is Lead Psychologist for Disney’s Thrill Ride Division.
“It may surprise some people to discover that not everyone enjoys thrill rides,” Geronimo said. “To some people the enclosed spaces, sudden drops, sharp turns, and perceived speed can negatively affect a person’s vacation experience.”
Many consider the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train a family-friendly coaster. The ride is ranked 3/100 on the LaMarcus Thompson Extreme Scale (LTES). Several factors determine the ranking including speed, velocity, length, and G-forces. The LTES is the most widely used method for judging roller coasters. A score of 100 is the highest, meaning death by someone on the ride is imminent. Roller coasters that don’t even bother to strap you in generally get the lowest score of one. By comparison, sitting idly in a chair also reads “1” on the LTES.
Despite missing out on the fun, Hinckley seemed content to wait for her family outside other thrill rides throughout Walt Disney World.
“I just like to sit in the sun and people-watch,” said Hinckley. “As long as my kids are having fun, I’m having fun.”
Bullshit, Dana. Bullshit.
