Thrill safely: A guide to Disney World ride restraints

Walt Disney World boasts a dazzling array of rides and attractions, catering to all ages and thrill levels. But excitement always goes hand-in-hand with safety. To prioritize guest well-being, Disney World employs a multi-layered safety approach. This includes meticulous ride design, comprehensive Cast Member training, and most importantly, a variety of restraints specifically chosen for each attraction.

These restraints come in many forms, from the familiar lap bars found on classic rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to more advanced harnesses used on high-speed experiences to lap belts, a staple on attractions with sudden stops or drops, to prevent riders from being thrown forward. Shoulder harnesses, used on rides with inversions, offer additional upper body support. Disney also utilizes headrests for neck support and even immobilizing restraints for extreme thrill rides.

Before considering restraints, the very first safety measure at Disney World is ensuring guests meet the height requirement for each ride. Age isn’t the primary factor here; it’s all about ensuring a proper fit for safety harnesses. Whether it’s a lap bar, seatbelt, or another restraint, the correct height guarantees the child can be securely positioned for a safe and enjoyable ride. You can find all the height requirements for Disney World here.

Here’s a breakdown of the Disney World ride restraints and where they are used:

Disney World ride restraints

Lap bars

Made of padded metal or plastic, these bars secure riders in their seats with a mechanical or hydraulic locking system. In most cases, the Cast Members will ask you to pull back on the lap bar to secure it. Lap bars can be loose enough to be several inches from your body to to those that fit snuggly depending on the ride.

On roller coasters and other more intense rides, after you pull back and secure the lap bar, Cast Members will ask you to try to push it forward so they can check that it is locked. On other rides, the lap bars will come down automatically, such as when riding the Haunted Mansion. You will even receive a warning from the Ghost Host, “Do not pull down on the safety bar, please. I will lower it for you.” And when riding Peter Pan’s Flight, watch as the Cast Member sprinkles a little pixie dust to “magically” make the lap bar go into place.

Here are the attractions that use lap bars:

Magic Kingdom

• The Barnstormer
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spring
• Haunted Mansion
• Peter Pans’ Flight
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (coming June 28, 2024)

EPCOT

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Hollywood Studios

• Minnie and Mickey’s Runaway Railway
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Toy Story Mania

Animal Kingdom

• DINOSAUR
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• TriceraTop Spin

Disney Springs

• Market Train Express
• Marketplace Carousel

Lap belts

A staple on rides with sudden stops or drops, lap belts prevent riders from being thrown forward or out of the vehicle. Disney uses lap belts with a yellow strap for easy buckling. The direction of the lap belts is not uniform throughout the park; some go left to right and some go right to left, so listen carefully. After you secure yourself into the seat, Cast Members will come around and ask everyone to “Pull on the yellow strap” so they can check to see that the belt is secure.

On some rides, like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Cast Members will request you raise your hands after asking you to tighten the lap belt strap. This isn’t for show. These rides have drops, and in the past, some guests have tried to loosen their belts for a more intense experience. Raising your hands ensures the belt automatically tightens through a ratcheting mechanism, preventing any attempts to loosen it.

In one instance I observed at Disney’s California Adventure, a Cast Member even ensured guests were sitting back in their seats for optimal belt positioning. They politely reminded one guest three times about sitting back in the seat, and explained that refusal could lead to them being removed from the park.

Here are the attractions with lap belts:

Magic Kingdom

• Astro Orbiter
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Prince Charming Regal Carousel
• Tomorrowland Speedway

EPCOT

• Soarin’ Around the World
• Test Track

Hollywood Studios

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Hollywood Studios
• Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Animal Kingdom

• Kali River Rapids

Shoulder harnesses

For rides with more intense movements or inversions, like Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, shoulder harnesses provide upper body support in addition to a lap bar. Similar in function, they ensure riders stay securely in their seats.

Here are the attractions with shoulder harnesses:

EPCOT

• Mission Space

Hollywood Studios

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Immobilizing Restraints

For rides with extreme motions, inversions or to provide special experiences, specialized restraints are used to keep riders securely in place. These might include full-body harnesses or devices that wrap around the back and legs.

Here are the attractions using immobilizing restraints:

Magic Kingdom

• Tron Lightcyle/Run. Note that if you physically can not use the restraints you can request use of the cars that have lap bars.

Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage