The recent tragic death of a 4-year old after riding Walt Disney World’s Mission: Space attraction at Epcot has highlighted the lack of oversight by local, state, or federal agencies for the Florida tourists destination. Now California’s Disneyland theme park, which operates under some of the strictest state oversight in the nation, has just been… Read More »Judges Rule for higher safety standards in California
Dr. John Kuluz, an associate professor and expert in pediatric critical care and brain injuries at the University of Miami, said the mother’s report of her son’s rigidity suggests that the brain was a more likely suspect. "That episode of being rigid makes it sound as if the brain was having increased pressure," said Kuluz,… Read More »Disney World Death Update
It is difficult to speculate exactly what happened yesterday to cause the sad death of a young boy at Walt Disney World. Eventually the autopsy will reveal whether the attraction had anything to do with the death. It may not have. I do not mean to accuse the family or Disney Management of misdeeds, but I do wonder what a 4-year old was doing on Mission Space (M:S) at Epcot.
M:S is one of the most intense experiences available to guests visiting Walt Disney World. So what would lead a family to want to take their young child on it? Which warnings did they see and which did they miss? How can we give a family more information before they make their decision to join the queue? All questions that need to be answered to make the Disney World experience as safe as possible for all guests.
Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror probably qualifies as the most intense experience availabe to guests at the four Walt Disney World themeparks. Not only does the name imply its intensity, but as you approach the attraction to ride you can see exactly what happens to guests already on board as they plummet faster than gravity and then are jerked back up only to be pulled back down again repeated times. If the visual clues aren’t enough, the screams of terror is another signal. Those with weak constitutions know by these indicators to stay away. Parents with questions can see what happens during the ride and can judge if their child is appropriate for the attraction. At least that should work in theory.
Read More »Blink before riding: Steps to better decision making at Disney World
If you’re planning on being at Disneyland for its birthday celebration this July, why not come a little early and enjoy the best Disneyana Convention around. NFFC (http://www.nffc.org) probably has a chapter near you, but even if they don’t you can join for just $24. The Walt Disney Company has been going out of its… Read More »Best Disneyana Convention
Today is a big day of events at Disney themeparks around the world. The kickoff of the 18 month long celebration of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary begins today. If you can’t be there yourself, I suggest keeping a close eye on LaughingPlace.com‘s coverage. They have live photos from the parks including celebrities from yesterday’s invitation only… Read More »Big day at Disney Themeparks
Remember the opening sequence from The Wonderful World of Disney? Tinker Bell glides around the castle, waves her wand and ignites the sky behind Sleeping beauty Castle with a multicolor burst of fireworks. The team behind Disneyland’s new fireworks show … brings this and many other cherished memories to life. Disneyland has debuted their… Read More »Fireworks explode all over
As the Imagineers see it, Walt Disney was the original gamer. When he created Disneyland in 1955, he wanted it to transcend the carnival-type rides already familiar to consumers. Instead, he sought to marry technology and storytelling to take children and their parents, too, into virtual worlds. With the trend toward tech-savvy kids Disney is… Read More »Disney fights to keep kids attention
If there is already one good thing to say about Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, scheduled to kick off on May 5th, it is that the music merchandise is out of this world awesome. First there is the incredible collection of albums being put out by Randy Thornton, who is interviewed in the 2nd issue of… Read More »Success at Disneyland already