G-Forces On Theme Park Thrill Rides Evaluated

ORLANDO (Local6.com) – In a first-of-its-kind investigation, Local 6 News teamed up with news partner Florida Today to evaluate G-forces riders experience on Central Florida's most popular thrill rides. Offi-cials said G-forces produced by the thrill rides are harmless for healthy riders. However, most theme parks refuse to release information about the intensity of their rides. So, using scientific equipment that measures G-forces, Local 6 News measured the powerful sensations rider's experience.

 The report found that Disney's Space Mountain is still one of the more intense rides in the area – showing more than 3.5 Gs. "Surprisingly, that is about the same maximum force as Central Florida's newest thrill ride – Universal's Revenge of the Mummy," Local 6 reporter Mike DeForest said. "Nei-ther one are super tall," American Coaster Enthusiasts spokesman Chris Kraftchick said. "They're paced very well. In other words, they don't sock you with a bunch of elements and then you go through a lull."
 The report found Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to be the most tame steel roller coaster tested, registering at 2.5 Gs.
 Disney's Rock-N-Roller Coaster was found to launch riders to near 4.5 Gs in the first six seconds. "You can feel it, you can feel your body really being pulled back," Kraftchick said. "If you think about it, you're launching up what, 60 mph straight up into two inversions."
 The report found that The Hulk roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure quickly changed G-forces. Going down a hill, riders feel weightless and then are pushed hard into their seats at 4.5 Gs. The Hulk coaster had the highest gravitational forces measured in the Orlando area.
 Disney's Mission Space ride, which gives riders the sensation of blasting off to Mars, produced the most surprising G-force readings. Although the spinning of the centrifuge may make some people sick, the ride itself generates just over 2 Gs, which is about the same amount as the Test Track ride located next door. However, unlike roller coast G-forces, which rapidly spike up and down, Mission Space produces long, sustained G-forces.

Amusement ride safety consultant Bill Avery said that based on G-forces alone, coasters that register more than 4 Gs like Universal's Dueling Dragons and Sea World's Kraken are typically harmless as long as the Gs are momentary. "The body can withstand G's to the 'four' level," Avery said. It is when coasters combine those high Gs with sudden directional changes that the risk of injure increases.