The Legal Examiner Affiliate Network The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner search instagram avvo phone envelope checkmark mail-reply spinner error close The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner
Skip to main content

Recent filings by Disney to the Florida Bureau of Fair Ride Inspection show 11 reported injuries on attractions or rides at Disney World theme parks in Florida during the second quarter of 2009. This time period includes the busy Easter and March Break holidays, where theme parks in Central Florida typically see a surge of visitors. In exchange for reporting any significant injuries (defined as needing a hospital stay for longer than 24 hours), theme parks such as Disney are exempted from state ride-safety regulations.

Disney World is comprised of four different parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, as well as two water parks: Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon.

The injuries are as follows:

A 7 year-old boy was injured when he fell and broke his arm while attempting to exit one of the ride vehicles at Tomorrowland Indy Speedway at Magic Kingdom. The ride is described as allowing guests to "steer and control the speed of your own racecar as you ‘lap’ up the excitement of this thrilling speedway."

A 77 year-old man became disoriented and sick and needed medical attention after riding Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, described as a "high-altitude, high-speed, roller coaster train ride . . . to the ‘Roof of the World,’ . . ."

Two people were injured at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios: the first was a 48 year-old woman who felt weak on her left side after the ride and had trouble standing, the second was a 55 year-old man who experienced chest pain after going on the ride. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is described as a "high-speed roller coaster for big kids, teens and adults,. . . amplified by the driving beat of a soundtrack recorded by the rock group Aerosmith specifically for [the] attraction."

A 57 year-old woman lost consciousness after going on Mission: SPACE at Epcot. Mission: SPACE is advertised as "realistically mimic[ing] what an astronaut might experience during a space flight to Mars." As part of the experience, riders experience forces of up to 2.4 Gs.

A 69 year-old woman experienced pain in her side after riding Soarin’ at Epcot, which "simulates a peaceful hang-gliding flight over the Golden State of California" as you are "lifted 40 feet into the air."

A 57 year-old man became dizzy after going on Ellen’s Energy Adventure at Epcot, a "multimedia attraction starring comedian Ellen DeGeneres", which invites guests on "a whimsical trip through time to examine the forces that fuel our lives and the universe . . ."

A 39 year-old man had a seizure while on Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom, which allows riders to experience "twists, turns and 3 dips that lead to the grand drop down 5 stories of rushing water [that] will either get you damp or drenched."

A 64 year-old woman became disoriented and lightheaded after going on Teamboat Springs, a 1,200 feet long raft ride at Blizzard Beach Water Park that "is one of the longest family raft rides in the country, giving you a nice long, invigorating journey down the river."

A 43 year-old woman experienced stomach and chest pain after going head-first down Toboggan Racers, also at Blizzard Beach Water Park, described as "an 8-lane waterslide race on toboggan-style mats", claimed to be "an avalanche of fun!"

Finally, a 52 year-old woman became disoriented and sick after going down the Rudder Buster Storm Slide at Typhoon Lagoon, one of three "twisting, winding waterslides [that] whisk Guests down 3 stories at surprising speed."

One Comment

  1. Gravatar for Nick
    Nick

    Have you noticed most of the people being injured are the older folks? At those ages back pains and whatnot are very likely to happen after going through a high range of motion. And the 7year old, people just need to watch out for their children and ensure that they're safe. And some of these people are doing very stupid things. Head first? Grow up.... If you feel you shouldn't go on the ride,don't. Disney is one of the most professional companies in the world. And safety is their top priority. ts not them it's you.

Comments for this article are closed.