Tower of Terror accident

[shelby_36]

As far as I know, the only free fall attraction at Disney is ToT & I don't ever remember hearing of anyone being thrown from it.



shelby_36 - is the incident Lisa speaks about the one you're referring to? If so, as Lisa said, it was negligence on the part of the parents.

Not sure how many times to say this. the incident I was referring to was a major amusement park I don't remember which one but I do remember it wasn't Disney.

it was a free fall ride. i remember that clearly b/c I had recently been on one and it broke down right before we went on one at another park and it scared me.

 

[MELSMICE]

Well we all have the choice to go on or not. I still don't understand why Disney won't report all accidents and let us make an informed decision. maybe they are more concerned with their stock then they are about your child's safety.

They do let you make an informed decision. There are signs on the attractions. You can choose to ride or not to ride.

Obviously, accidents that happen at Disney are well known to the public whether Disney publicly reports them or not - everything that happens is all over the newspaper & internet.

As far as my kids getting hurt in sports they also aren't being hurled around harder than a minor car accident.

My DD plays basketball. You'd think these girls couldn't get hurt too bad, but when the game gets going (& she's only 12) injuries occur. Some pretty major - broken wrists, concussions, sprained ankles. Just last week she was knocked to the ground so hard by another player that she almost somersaulted over backwards. Luckily, she was smart enough to tuck her head into her chest so she didn't bang it on the ground & get a concussion. So, yeah, kids are getting hurled around in sports - probably more so than on any ride in Disney.

unless you are a person that goes constantly you would have no idea what are byond those turnstiles and they purposely have it blocked so you can't see the attraction before you get up there in many cases.

Disney is not like going to a carnival. In all reality these are called "attractions" & not just "rides". They are built this way for atmosphere, not to hide things from the public.

And BTW in my book - ONE death is one too many.

Looks like this is the one thing we agree on.

 

[safetymom]

Disney Reopens Attraction Hospitalized Girl Had Ridden

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Following an overnight inspection, Disney World officials reopened Wednesday an attraction closed when a 16-year-old British girl almost died after riding it.



Tower of Terror


GET WFTV NEWS HEADLINES BY EMAIL
9 a.m. Headlines
Noon Headlines
4 p.m. Headlines
News of the Strange
Breaking News Alerts



Disney invited an official from the state Bureau of Fair Rides and Exhibitions to monitor the inspection of the "Twilight Zone Tower of Terror," which the park doesn't typically do. Florida's major theme parks are not directly regulated by the state, and instead have their own inspectors.

Leanne Deacon, of Kibworth, Leicestershire, remained in critical condition Wednesday after suffering cardiac arrest Tuesday minutes after exiting the attraction, which depicts a haunted elevator ride that plunges more than 100 feet.

Deacon's illness came a month after a 4-year-old Pennsylvania boy, Daudi Bamuwamye, died after riding another Disney World attraction, Epcot's "Mission: Space." That ride is so intense that it has motion sickness bags and several riders have been treated for chest pain. An elderly, diabetic woman also died in February after riding the Magic Kingdom's "Pirates of the Caribbean," but the medical examiner said her death "was not unexpected."

Officials aren't releasing precise details of what happened to Deacon, but police say the girl felt nauseous and dizzy after exiting the Tower of Terror.

Leanne thought she'd quickly recover, but park workers nearby who noticed her called in an emergency crew anyway. Before she got to the hospital the girl's condition deteriorated so rapidly that her heart stopped beating and she had to be resuscitated, Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Solomons said. A witness who called 911 said the girl was shaking badly.

On the Tower of Terror, decorated as a haunted hotel, riders are placed in an elevator, which shoots up 13 stories and then plummets back twice. Disney warns riders that they should be "in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure." Pregnant women are advised not to ride.

 

[mark&sue]

Is there an up-date on this poor girl. On one thread it says she died. I am hoping this is not the case. Does any one know?

On the case of letting children on rides I always thought that the height restrictions were tried and tested and have never given any thought to them not being safe. I felt that this is Disney so must be safer then our home amusment fair rides. I am more scared to let my dd go on a tube or bus then I would be go on a ride and I really should not be scared to any of these. In fact is far more dangerous statistally speaking for her to get in a car or cross the road.

When we fly to Orlando we try to get up and walk around as much as possible and the airlines tell us to do excercises.

My thoughts are with this poor girl and her family.



Susan

 

[safetymom]

What I posted is the latest info. according to Orlando news sites.

 

[Towncrier]

According to the Orlando Sentinel:

The teenager, Leanne Deacon, 16, remains in critical condition at Florida Hospital Orlando today.

So as of 1:42PM EDT she is still alive. That is great news (because I had seen reports on the web yesterday that she had passed).

 

[safetymom]

http://www.wesh.com/news/4716772/detail.html

Here is another source. She is still in critical condition.

 

[wnissen]

I do not trivialize this girl's illness, but the concern about Tower of Terror is misguided. The real hazard is not impeccably safe amusement parks like Disneyland/world but the common household swimming pool. Every year, two hundred fifty children under the age of five die in swimming pools. Over the last twenty years, that's 5,000 kids, under the age of five.

A death on a Disney attraction is tragic, but essentially a lightning bolt. A death in a pool is one hundred percent preventable, yet a young child dies almost every day because backyard pools are left unfenced and unsupervised. If you want to make a difference, lobby your city council to require childproof fencing around all pools.

Walt

 

[MELSMICE]

Not sure how many times to say this. the incident I was referring to was a major amusement park I don't remember which one but I do remember it wasn't Disney.

it was a free fall ride. i remember that clearly b/c I had recently been on one and it broke down right before we went on one at another park and it scared me.

I don't remember reading that it was not a Disney ride you were referring to.

 

[snowy76]

I'm all for organic and least processed foods as possible...but these blood clots are the same that patients in hospitals can get from sitting too long. Never in any of my research has someone jumped to that conclusion of diet---causes blood clots when you sit for too long. .

Sorry if you got that impression -- I was posting two different ideas! I was just saying that if it WASN'T a blood clot... that would be my other theory...

I just wouldn't be surprised if we start to hear more about even more kids having sudden medical conditions in a way we never did before... and I think food may be part of that.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Well we all have the choice to go on or not. I still don't understand why Disney won't report all accidents and let us make an informed decision. maybe they are more concerned with their stock then they are about your child's safety.

They don't b/c they don't have to--but most any thing involving a ride and an injury or death is reported.

the ride I was recaling was a 8-10 yr old on a free fall ride and he simply flew up and out.

TOT as stated is the only free fall ride---you have got to be thinking of another park.

As far as my kids getting hurt in sports they also aren't being hurled around harder than a minor car accident. you can make informed decisions yes. but when EVERY ride saiys stay off for back or heart injuries there is no level of intenseness.unless you are a person that goes constantly you would have no idea what are byond those turnstiles and they purposely have it blocked so you can't see the attraction before you get up there in many cases. I am just curious why Disney is so afraid of giving more info. to the public.

They are not afraid. These are private matters. If the ride caused nothing to this girl or others except to aggravate--our good friend HIPPA steps in to make sure that you don't know why they are sick unless they want you to know.

The rides are designed for theming and not to conceal design flaws.

And BTW in my book - ONE death is one too many.

Better quit driving, flying, drinking, smoking, eating out....and possibly even DISing.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Sorry if you got that impression -- I was posting two different ideas! I was just saying that if it WASN'T a blood clot... that would be my other theory...

I just wouldn't be surprised if we start to hear more about even more kids having sudden medical conditions in a way we never did before... and I think food may be part of that.

You do what I do, LOL! Too many thoughts converged in one post.

Yes..I think our diet is responsible for lots of things....surely the level of cancers and such that we have now weren't the case 100 or so years ago. We've improved our health a lot..but all that junk out there has in turn just caused other problems for us.

 

[snowy76]

Better quit driving, flying, drinking, smoking, eating out....and possibly even DISing.

That last one HAS become quite dangerous on some threads, hasn't it??

 

[sgtdisney]

Are you not concerned that YOUR child could be the next with an undiagnosed predisposition to one of these problems? Are you not goingt to curb your childs participation in some of these attractions?

An undiagnosed predisposition can kill a child (or an adult for that matter) at ANY time. It could happen at Disney World on ToT or Mission:Space. It could happen in your local grocery store, or in Wal-Mart or in the Golden Corral. It could happen in a car, plane or train. By it's very nature, it is undiagnosed and unexpected and ANYTHING could cause it.

So, unless a person plans on locking up their children children from birth to 18 or 21, what is there to do? You can get whiplash or worse in car. Are there warnings when you put your child in it. Being a parent, society allows you a certain level of judgement calls. Parents make value choices constantly. Restricting rides that MILLIONS of people ride annually because one child or teen got sick afterwards is overkill.

Most people know that their are risks involved with just living. Both of these unfortunate incidents at Disney did not involve ride safety but the health of a passenger. To blame Disney because an unfortunate child (or even adult) dies after a ride because of something physically wrong with them isn't just. The could have become ill just walking into McDonalds or sitting in front of the television. There are warnings at certain rides. I recall seeing them. If a person choses to ingore them, that is their right I suppose.

 

[epcotfan]

Are you not goingt to curb your childs participation in some of these attractions?

As long he or she met the height requirements I wouldn't prevent them from participating if they wanted to. A sudden illness can happen to anyone. I'd be more afraid of putting them in a car than having them ride a theme park ride.

but when EVERY ride saiys stay off for back or heart injuries there is no level of intenseness.unless you are a person that goes constantly you would have no idea what are byond those turnstiles and they purposely have it blocked so you can't see the attraction before you get up there in many cases.

At the Tower Of Terror you see exactly what you are getting yourself into. You can hear the screams and see the elevator shaft bouncing up and down. No surprises there. Same with Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. The warning signs are placed at the entrances to the rides. And there are always cast members around to ask about the ride if you choose to do so.

 

[disboy21086]

I've never gone on ToT and I don't intend to. But As Mentioned there are signs on the other rides.

I paid more attention to them last week. And Splash Mountain has Several. And one Final one Before getting reading to go into the boarding sequence. That Reads "This is your last chance" or something to that affect.

Disney has done the right thing. You can never post too many warnings. It is strictly up to the rider if they want to go on the attraction.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

. I can't believe the nonchalentness around here when some of you visit Disney every year. Are you not concerned that YOUR child could be the next with an undiagnosed predisposition to one of these problems? Are you not goingt to curb your childs participation in some of these attractions?

Yeah, I shouldn't let my kids participate in sports, either. One son has spent the last 3 days at basketball camp...running around all day. last week he was at baseball camp...running around, working out in the heat. And I shouldn't let him ride his scooter around the neighborhood...

Probably best to let him sit in the house all day long playing video games, doing IM, and watching tv. Much healthier that way.

We cannot remove all the risks that our children face. All that we can do is to make informed decisions and take calculated risks. Yes, my child could have an undiagnosed health condition that could kill him while playing basketball. If I thought he did, I wouldn't let him play. But I can't keep him in a bubble. What way is that to live?

Informed decisions and calculated risks!

T&B