About this episode

The episode discusses the history and dangers of amusement park rides, highlighting tragic accidents and their causes.

Since the late nineteenth century, amusement parks have been providing countless hours of enjoyment for people all around the world. Often driven by the latest technology and advances in mechanical engineering, the thrill rides at parks like Disney Land, Great America, and other independent parks offer a controlled environment to experience terror and excitement. While these rides, and the parks in general, are very safe and held to strict safety standards, there are times when the unthinkable happens—a cable snaps, a safety harness breaks—and the once safe ride becomes a nightmare for passengers. Far more often than not, tragic amusement park accidents are the result of human foolishness or, far less often, operator error. But other times, they are a bizarre fluke; a one in a million mechanical problem no one saw coming. Either way, the results can be shocking, horrifying, and even deadly.

People in this episode

Hosts: Ash Kelley, Alaina Urquhart

Topics covered

• amusement parks
• disasters
• safety standards
• thrill rides
• mechanical engineering
• human error

Keywords

• amusement park
• disasters
• safety
• thrill rides
• mechanical problems
• human error
• accidents

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Disney Land, Great America

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