Have theme park rides become too extreme?

[Oracle Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Oracle]

It used to be that we saw people being injured and killed on travelling carnival rides. Now we are see more deaths on theme park rides that are not malfunctioning:

Boy dies after riding Disney rollercoaster
Officials report the death this afternoon.

Henry Pierson Curtis and Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writers

A 12-year-old boy died today after riding the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney-MGM Studios theme park, officials said this afternoon.

A 911 call at 11:21 a.m. said the boy was unconscious and not breathing after the ride. The Reedy Creek Fire Rescue, which responds to emergency calls at Walt Disney World, noted in the 911 call report that there was no defibrilator available.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was declared dead en route to Celebration Hospital after the a.m. incident, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

Disney World officials said they closed the attraction "pending an investigation," but added that an "initial review of the attraction shows the ride was operating normally."

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

I have started to wonder about the escalating rate of deaths.

A couple things spring to mind:

* astronauts spend months testing their bodies in irregular environments but how many amusement park goers prep for the rides? Can an average human body just accept the forces in an amusement park?

* are the rides adequately tested or is it a rush to market to claim Fastest, Tallest, Longest, etc.?

* Is everything that should be done for safety being done or are corners being cut for cost or to meet customer demand ("The harness is uncomfortable!")

* Are visitors behaving themselves or causing their own accidents?

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

BoardGirl, one time we were at Disneyland here in OC and I went on one of the rides. It was space mountain and my belt didn't lock. I had the hardest time trying not to be thrown out of my seat and was completely exhausted when the ride finally stopped. I told the attendant but he shook it off and didn't seem to care. How safe is the equipment is a guess but it is their job to make sure that everyone is buckled in.

We also got stuck once in one of the rides (corkscrew?) at Knott's Berry Farm and had to walk down the ladder to safety but at least, it stopped! My ride at Disneyland kept going and I was scared to death.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Let's see. One person died this year on a theme park ride. Ergo, theme park rides are too dangerous and should be ended.

Typically, in the US there are around 40,000 deaths in auto accidents every year. By this logic, driving automobiles is far more dangerous.

Banning automobiles would do much more to prevent accidental deaths than would banning theme park rides. Every added dollar spent on theme park safety would yield much bigger return invested in highway safety.

One well placed stop light would eliminate more carnage than shutting down one theme park ride.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

For the sake of thrill, post 'Ride at own Risk'. Just kidding!

btw Emmy, have you ridden any more?

[Sandcrab Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sandcrab]

Awful thought but a thirty something year old mother came to pick up her five month old girl at daycare. Daycare folks said she never dropped off her child. Child was found in carseat in back of her mini-van...dead. She forgot to drop child off so girl was strapped into van all day. I won't pass judgement, that's for a higher power than me...may say something about the stress in young folks lives...maybe single mom, maybe working two or three jobs...I don't know. But: should we ban young moms, daycares, minivans, windows in vehicles, 78 degree weather. Happened in Grand Forks, ND...close to my neck of the woods. Families are devestated.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Yes, I have done rides again because I have taken youngsters with me from Europe but I would make very sure now that the buckle works. If not, I would scream so loud that they will find out what is wrong. The problem is that it all goes so fast once it starts moving and they may not hear you. It probably wasn't even a buckle but one of these bars they close over you but mine didn't latch. I had to hang on with all my force to stay in my seat and they didn't offer me a second ride without standing in line again but I didn't ask for one either.

The scariest rides were at Knott's Berry Farm where you go upside down and backwards and there was a parachute type ride that would have a freefall from way high up. I had to do it with my DH sister's kids over and over again. I don't remember anymore where we had to climb down the ladder to safety because the ride stopped and people were hanging upside down but they helped them out. It may have been in San Diego. I haven't been to Disneyland for so long now that I may go back one day. We had a special here because Disneyland celebrated it's 50th year. It may still be going on but we only go when we have visitors and they want to go.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Awful thought but a thirty something year old mother came to pick up her five month old girl at daycare. Daycare folks said she never dropped off her child. Child was found in carseat in back of her mini-van...dead. She forgot to drop child off so girl was strapped into van all day. I won't pass judgement, that's for a higher power than me...may say something about the stress in young folks lives...maybe single mom, maybe working two or three jobs...I don't know. But: should we ban young moms, daycares, minivans, windows in vehicles, 78 degree weather. Happened in Grand Forks, ND...close to my neck of the woods. Families are devestated.

How awful. I wonder what made her forget? I can never understand people leaving their dogs in a car parked in the sun.

[Sandcrab Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sandcrab]

Heard this on the news a couple of days ago. I have a nine mo old grandchild. I cry when I juxtapose him with her...but I think I would cry for her regardless. No smart answers here and not Bush's or Clinton's fault.

[Oracle Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Oracle]

Let's see. One person died this year on a theme park ride. Ergo, theme park rides are too dangerous and should be ended

That is not what I am saying, and it is more than just one death:

The death is the seventh in 18 months involving people stricken at Walt Disney World attractions, compared with two such deaths in the previous 18 months, according to state records.

None of the other six deaths, dating to Christmas Eve 2004, involved accidents. In some of those cases, the autopsy found that person had pre-existing, dangerous medical conditions.

Some of the new rides are pushing 3-5 G's in acceleration.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is the second-fastest ride at Disney, topping out at 57 miles per hour. It opened in July 1999 and features a high-acceleration launch that reaches maximum speed in 2.8 seconds, a rollover and a corkscrew turn. The trains are modeled after limousines and travel the 3,403-foot track in one minute and 22 seconds.

The ride is themed after the rock band Aerosmith, and the band's music provides a soundtrack.

At its peak it produces a pressure on the body that is 5 times that of gravity, a rate considered high but not unusual for roller coasters. Ride safety consultant Ken Martin of Virginia said 5 Gs is sufficient to cause some people to lose consciousness.

"Five Gs, depending on the length [duration] of those Gs, is pretty tough," said Martin, a Virginia ride safety inspector.

We also have adolesents dying of heart attacks on basketball courts and football fields. These are not couch potatoes. These are people in the prime of their life. I suspect most have a congenital defect:

When sudden death occurs in young adults, other heart abnormalities are more likely causes. Adrenaline released during intense physical or athletic activity often acts as a trigger for sudden death when these abnormalities are present.

The quest for new rides pushes for this adrenaline rush. I am not calling to close these rides down, I am just wondering if the pursuit of thrills has led to pushing the envelope that makes these rides dangerous for some individuals when operating normally and the design limits need to be dialed back.

Mike Thomas: The Coaster Wars (originally published Aug. 1, 1999)
Mike Thomas | Sentinel Columnist

I am sitting in Disney's new Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, about to go from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds, simulating the launch of an F-14 Tomcat from an aircraft carrier.

I will hit five Gs in the first loop, which means I will weigh the equivalent of 830 pounds, a sensation that also hits me every year around Dec. 30.

This will be so much fun. But before we blast off, let's have a brief lesson on why I am here. It has to do with The Great Theme Park Wars of the late 20th century.

The combatants include Disney, Universal and Sea World.

For years, it has been a one sided-affair.

Disney kicked butt.

But then the generals at Universal detected a chink in The Mouse's armor. Disney had few thrill rides, and those in its arsenal were somewhat tame. Space Mountain. Thunder Mountain. Body Wars.

Other than Tower of Terror, there wasn't anything that a pregnant woman, cardiac patient or person with bad back, neck, hips or knees couldn't handle.

And so Universal attacked with a new park called Islands of Adventure.

It had more thrill rides than all the Disney parks combined.

Disney spies went out to ride these rides. And afterward, they were afraid.

Very afraid. Sort of like Rommel when he first saw Patton's tanks headed his way.

Of particular concern were Universal's two coasters, The Incredible Hulk and Dueling Dragons.

Universal had made a smart strategic move. It decided to bring roller coasters back to the big time.

For years, coasters were relegated to secondary parks like Busch Gardens that were trying to carve out their own niches while the big boys went for the high-tech, family-oriented rides.

But Universal strategists had been watching the Mountain Dew commercials.

They understood the emergence of Extreme. ...

[Oracle Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Oracle]

For the sake of thrill, post 'Ride at own Risk'. Just kidding!

btw Emmy, have you ridden any more?

That is already the case:

Here's the safety information that Disney has about the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster on its Web site:

Due to the nature of the experience, service animals are not permitted on this attraction.

For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

Guests with young children may take turns experiencing attractions. See a Cast Member for additional information.

Guests must transfer from motorized scooter or ECV to an available wheelchair, then from the wheelchair to the attraction/ride vehicle

Height requirement: 48" (122 cm) or taller

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

When I see that sign, I generally stay away from the ride. I was more of a thrill seeker in my youth, but now I just annoy crazy people on the internet for my more dangerous activities.

[cindi Member Find all posts View Profile Close cindi]

The preliminary report is that the young boy did in fact have an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.

[Icarus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Icarus]

This ride is pretty tame compared to the latest ones. Yes, the launch is extreme, but it's not particularly high or long. It's indoors. If it wasn't for the theming and the launch, it probably wouldn't be worth riding to most enthusiasts.

Last week I was on Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. 0 - 120 in 4 seconds, then straight up 420 feet, then straight down 420 feet. Nobody died. Magnum XL is much more extreme than Rock-n-Roll Coaster. So is Millenium Force, but it was closed most of the week, and I didn't get to ride it. Magnum and MF have traditional lift hills.

It's unfortunate what happened to that child. It was a fluke.

Coaster designers are very careful about the type of forces exerted on the riders. They can simulate it before the ride is built and they use test dummies to take measurements after the ride is built, but before anybody rides it.

-David

[Icc5 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Icc5]

We happened to be there the day before this happened and the ride was shut down for some reason at the time so we didn't get to go on it. It was scary watching them talk about this on the news the next day. I honestly believe they do a good job of checking these rides in advance, walking the tracks, etc. I'm not thrilled with the ride operators though. Many seem young, imiture, old (even older then me). The same thing though works for Disney as the grocery store. If you want better trained people then you will pay for it. In the case of the parks I for one am not willing to pay more. We did 2 Disney parks for 4 and it cost us over $550. It sort of takes the fun from it.
Bart