How Safe Are Florida's Theme Parks?

Florida theme park lovers curious about just how safe those action-packed rides happen to be can get a glimpse into the numbers of injuries reported courtesy of the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

In its facilities report for the first quarter of 2015, the department lists out the injuries reported by the state’s theme park operators. All told, the first quarter of the year saw only minor injuries and incidents at two of Florida’s major parks, most of which were related to visitors’ preexisting conditions.

While Tampa’s Busch Gardens and parks such as SeaWorld, Wet’n Wild and Legoland had no reported injuries, the same cannot be said for Disney World or Universal.

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Universal logged the most injuries and medical incidents between January and March 2015 with a total of seven reported. The park’s Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey ride was the source of three of those injury reports. According to the state, the Harry Potter-related injuries were as follows:

• Jan. 17 – A 69-year-old man complained of chest discomfort after taking a spin on the ride
• March 15 – A 51-year-old male reported difficulty moving extremities after riding. This was a preexisting condition, the report notes.
• March 24 – A 76-year-old female reportedly suffered an “altered mental status,” after taking the ride.

Other injuries at the park included motion sickness, two reports of back pain and an arm injury for a 5-year-old girl after going on Camp Jurassic.

Disney World reported six injuries, two of which originated from the Expedition Everest ride. The first report involved a 36-year-old female who felt sick throughout the day and experienced dizziness after going on the ride. The second involved a 72-year-old woman who reported temporary memory loss after riding.

The first quarter report is an improvement over the fourth quarter report filed by Disney World in 2014. That quarter resulted in 12 injuries and medical incidents at the park. Universal logged five incidents in the fourth quarter.

Tampa’s Busch gardens had no incidents reported in the fourth quarter of 2014 or throughout that entire year, the state indicates.

To check out the full report, visit the Department of Agriculture online.

What is your favorite theme park ride? Tell us by commenting below!

Photo credit: Busch Gardens had no reported injuries in the first quarter of 2015 or throughout 2014, according to the state of Florida. Photo from Busch Gardens’ Facebook page

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