Theme Parks are a place full of thrills! Many go to enjoy the fast-paced excitement of roller coasters and other attractions. Although Disney isn’t well known for their thrill rides, other Parks and festivals worldwide host millions of riders ready to dare steep drops, quick turns, and endless loops. America is home to some of the most intense Roller Coasters in the world! Velocicoaster at Universal Orlando, Kingda Ka at Six Flag Great Adventure, and Millennium Force at Cedar Point are a few standout thrill rides where Guests can push their thrill-seeking to the limit. Still, as a roller coaster is designed to give Guests an intense experience, often malfunctions and operation can put a lot of stress on the ride systems.
Unfortunately, however, sometimes these rides malfunction or break. Despite their relative safety, roller coasters are high-stress rides that do wear and tear. We told our readers about the support beam fracture on the Fury 325 at Carowinds a few days ago. Although events like this are rare, they still happen. Luckily for Park goers, despite circumstances like whjat happened at Carowinds, they can- be rest assured that high profile Theme Parks like Disney, Carowinds, and Universal Studios go to great lengths to ensure rider safety, even if there is a failure. This is evident in the Carowinds event, as no one was injured, and upon notification of the beam issue, the ride was promptly closed.
The same can’t be said for lesser-known Parks or rides at fairs and festivals. Sometimes these pop-up carnival-style rides could be safer. Sadly, there are many horror stories of Guests experiencing prolonged waits while stuck, along with injury, and in some cases, even death. It’s the sad nature of riding attractions at Parks that don’t have the safety standards as some of the big names, and as the country geared up for the celebration of America’s birthday, there was a new incident similar to those we’ve discussed that left Guests stranded upside down on a roller coaster for hours.
Riders of a roller coaster at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, Wisconsin, found themselves hanging upside down for hours after their ride came to a complete stop due to mechanical failure. People took to social media quickly to share video footage of the riders, who unexpectedly got more of a thrill than they bargained for. Among the passengers stuck on the amusement ride were seven children.
“They did all very well,” Firefighter EMT Erica Kostichka told WSAW. “Obviously, they were scared. They had been upside down for quite some time.”
Crandon’s Fire Chief also told CBS that the cause of the roller coaster’s malfunction is unknown at this time. He also noted that all Guests on the ride were taken to the hospital to be checked and that the roller coaster had recently undergone a state inspection.
It seems that everyone is okay. This is good news as we consider recent related news that reported the death of a Guest and the injury of several others at a Theme Park in Sweden when their ride vehicle derailed. As well, fan favorite Kingda Ka in New Jersey was shutdown after a ride malfunction caused the roller coaster to drop Guests in the wrong direction. Although no one was injured, it does go to show the risks associated with riding any thrill ride, and it serves as a reminder that things can and do go wrong. Although the chances of being seriously injured on a Theme Park around are low, it is of note to understand that there is always real risk involved.
Even Walt Disney World, one of the most well-maintained Theme Parks in the world has experienced its share of ride malfunctions that have left Guests stranded. Most recently Guests on Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom found themselves stranded with little help! Another recent incident saw Guests stuck in a tight space at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. Theme Parks are fun, but we should always weigh risks when riding any type of attraction. Things can and do go wrong.
