Read Online Disney Declassified: Tales of Real Life Disney Scandals, Sex, Accidents and Deaths by Aaron Goldberg - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Aaron Goldberg
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In 2012, of the 1,415 ride-related injuries, 61, or less than 5%, required some form of overnight treatment at a hospital. Pretty remarkable if you think about how many millions upon millions of people attend amusement parks around the country every year.
As we know, accidents do happen, and not every accident at Disney has to do with vacationing. Many of the accidents on Disney property happen on the job. For many, and just ask a cast member the next time you’re at a park, working for Disney is a dream come true. They love their job and the environment. Aside from being entertaining, the parks are complex, chaotic, and a mechanical labyrinth with many details to be aware of. Oftentimes, people lose sight of this, things go awry and accidents ensue, or shall I say, people sue.
When an employee gets hurt at a Disney park, it is national news. The same can’t always be said for other workplace accidents, although injuries or fatalities do happen every day at work somewhere in this country. According to OSHA, in 2012, twelve deaths happen each workday in America; it’s just much more newsworthy when things happen at Disney.
Many of the accidents, incidents, and deaths to guests on Disney property are not always Disney’s fault. As history has revealed, there was often negligence or unknown pre-existing medical conditions that unfortunately were exasperated by a ride. Before we dive in, first and foremost, condolences to the families affected.
Let's take a look at some of the accidents over the years. First stop, the place that started it all, Disneyland. Disneyland opened in Anaheim in 1955, fifteen years before the United States government created Occupational Safety Health Act, known as OSHA. Just four years after the opening, another Disney innovation made its debut, the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
The Matterhorn was revolutionary for theme park rides. Instead of using wooden tracks, as all roller coaster rides had relied on for decades, the Matterhorn utilized metal tubes as the track. With metal being malleable, it allowed for a tighter, faster and smoother ride. It set the standard for thousands of tubular steel coasters around the world. Unfortunately, the Matterhorn also has the dubious distinction of being a part of the first fatality in Disneyland’s history.
In May of 1964, Mark, a fifteen-year-old boy from Long Beach, California, was riding the Matterhorn. As his bobsled approached the apex, the young man stood up and was subsequently ejected from the sled he was riding in. Mark was found lying on a ledge about three feet from the coaster's track, about a third of the way down the mountain. Investigators determined, for reasons unknown, that Mark unfastened his seat belt and then stood up.
At the time, there was speculation that his actions were part of initiation into a private club or some sort of hazing. The other belief and more realistic one was that it was “horseplay” as Mark and his friends were quite rambunctious in the queue, joking around and screaming. Unfortunately, due to the injuries suffered, Mark passed away several days later in the hospital. The investigators deemed his death accidental.
Regretfully, the Matterhorn was the scene for another accident twenty years later in January of 1984. This time it took the life of a forty-eight-year-old woman, Dolly of Fremont, California. Dolly was riding the bobsled with her friends. They were in the front and Dolly was in the back by herself. When her trip on the Matterhorn started, her seatbelt was fastened. When police investigators witnessed the accident scene, her seatbelt was open, obviously as she was ejected from the sled. When Dolly fell from the ride and landed on the tracks, she was hit by another sled and pinned underneath it. Dolly was pronounced dead at the scene, giving Disneyland their seventh fatality in nearly thirty years and 230 million visitors.
The same month and year the Matterhorn made its debut at Disneyland so
As we know, accidents do happen, and not every accident at Disney has to do with vacationing. Many of the accidents on Disney property happen on the job. For many, and just ask a cast member the next time you’re at a park, working for Disney is a dream come true. They love their job and the environment. Aside from being entertaining, the parks are complex, chaotic, and a mechanical labyrinth with many details to be aware of. Oftentimes, people lose sight of this, things go awry and accidents ensue, or shall I say, people sue.
When an employee gets hurt at a Disney park, it is national news. The same can’t always be said for other workplace accidents, although injuries or fatalities do happen every day at work somewhere in this country. According to OSHA, in 2012, twelve deaths happen each workday in America; it’s just much more newsworthy when things happen at Disney.
Many of the accidents, incidents, and deaths to guests on Disney property are not always Disney’s fault. As history has revealed, there was often negligence or unknown pre-existing medical conditions that unfortunately were exasperated by a ride. Before we dive in, first and foremost, condolences to the families affected.
Let's take a look at some of the accidents over the years. First stop, the place that started it all, Disneyland. Disneyland opened in Anaheim in 1955, fifteen years before the United States government created Occupational Safety Health Act, known as OSHA. Just four years after the opening, another Disney innovation made its debut, the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
The Matterhorn was revolutionary for theme park rides. Instead of using wooden tracks, as all roller coaster rides had relied on for decades, the Matterhorn utilized metal tubes as the track. With metal being malleable, it allowed for a tighter, faster and smoother ride. It set the standard for thousands of tubular steel coasters around the world. Unfortunately, the Matterhorn also has the dubious distinction of being a part of the first fatality in Disneyland’s history.
In May of 1964, Mark, a fifteen-year-old boy from Long Beach, California, was riding the Matterhorn. As his bobsled approached the apex, the young man stood up and was subsequently ejected from the sled he was riding in. Mark was found lying on a ledge about three feet from the coaster's track, about a third of the way down the mountain. Investigators determined, for reasons unknown, that Mark unfastened his seat belt and then stood up.
At the time, there was speculation that his actions were part of initiation into a private club or some sort of hazing. The other belief and more realistic one was that it was “horseplay” as Mark and his friends were quite rambunctious in the queue, joking around and screaming. Unfortunately, due to the injuries suffered, Mark passed away several days later in the hospital. The investigators deemed his death accidental.
Regretfully, the Matterhorn was the scene for another accident twenty years later in January of 1984. This time it took the life of a forty-eight-year-old woman, Dolly of Fremont, California. Dolly was riding the bobsled with her friends. They were in the front and Dolly was in the back by herself. When her trip on the Matterhorn started, her seatbelt was fastened. When police investigators witnessed the accident scene, her seatbelt was open, obviously as she was ejected from the sled. When Dolly fell from the ride and landed on the tracks, she was hit by another sled and pinned underneath it. Dolly was pronounced dead at the scene, giving Disneyland their seventh fatality in nearly thirty years and 230 million visitors.
The same month and year the Matterhorn made its debut at Disneyland so
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