Amusement parks, theme parks, and county and state fairs can be a fun way to spend a day or an entire vacation. However, patrons of these locations should be aware that in 2016, there were an estimated 30,000 injuries treated in emergency rooms linked to amusement parks. States regulate mobile amusement parks, such as those seen at state fairs and parking lots. However, for fixed-site amusement parks, there is no national regulating agency. It is instead left up to state and local governments to oversee the safety efforts and collect accident data, which can be widely inconsistent from state to state. Several states have no regulation over amusement parks at all.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that just before the park closed due to the Coronavirus, a woman broke her leg at Disney World in Orlando.
In a state report where parks disclose their guests’ injuries, it was reported that a 74-year-old fell and fractured her leg while stepping onto the Jungle Cruise ride at the Magic Kingdom.
The report covers injuries from January until parks were forced to close on March 16th.
Disney, Universal, Sea World, Busch Gardens, and Legoland are supposed to disclose any injuries serious enough to land their guests in a hospital for 24 hours or more. This is part of an agreement between the parks and the state government to avoid the state inspecting their rides.
Included in the report was a 9-year-old girl with a preexisting medical condition who suffered a seizure after riding Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Nine days after that incident, a 54-year-old man suffered a heart attack after riding Toy Story Mania.
Other incidents included a 48-year-old man who felt motion sickness after riding The Incredible Hulk Coaster and a 65-year-old woman who reported suffering from “an illness” after riding the Manta roller coaster at Sea World.