Space Mountain has been a premier Disney World attraction since its grand opening in 1975! Since the coaster is inching closer to 50 years old, it’s gone under numerous improvements from its original version. Here are the coasters specs:
- Located in Tomorrowland
- Steel - Dual Tracked - Enclosed Coaster
- 90ft Height
- 27mph Top Speed
With over 45 years in service, it’s not doubt that this coaster has had its fair share of accidents. On July 7th, 2015, a fatal accident occurred on the ride that cost a woman her life. While riding Space Mountain a woman lost consciousness causing her to go into septic shock and ultimately resulted in her dying from cardiopulmonary arrest.
Located in Six Flags’ Valencia California Park, Magic Mountain, the Ninja coaster is an aerodynamic suspended roller coaster that is known for its terrifying speeds. This coaster is one of the fastest of its kind in the world. This coaster features:
- Suspended train cars
- Max height of 60ft
- 85ft drop
- Top speeds of 55mph
Along with those thrilling speeds comes a few incidents that linger on this coaster’s reputation. On August 30th, 2008, a man entered a restricted area underneath the coaster to retrieve a lost item. He was struck by the coaster at 55mph causing him to slip into a coma and eventually die from his injuries. Then, in 2014 a pine tree branch fell onto the coaster’s track, derailing the first coaster car stranding riders and injuring four people. The coaster reopened just 12 days later.
Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain was finished around the beginning of 2006. This gigantic artificial mountain coaster was the most expensive coaster in the world until Universal built the $300 million dollar Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure ride. It has the following stats:
- 199ft tall
- Top speed of 50mph
- 2:50 ride time
- 34 riders per train
This expedition takes place on the famed Mount Everest. Riders are chased by an animatronic Yeti monster that is defending Mount Everest’s vast secrets. This ride is one of the largest attractions at Disney and has been featured in the park’s advertising for years. However, this ride has on two separate occasions caused park guests to have seizures after riding the roller coaster.
Built in 1011, the Derby Racer Roller Coaster was one of the first “racing” coasters built in the world. It was a wooden coaster built by Fred W. Pearce for around $140,000! At the time, that was a lot of money! Pearce claimed that it was the second-largest coaster ever built, but there was no way to prove his claim.
The Derby Racer Roller Coaster became an infamous attraction in Revere, Massachusetts. Shortly after the coaster opened, a man was ejected from the coaster and suffered life-threatening injuries. After a slew of injuries, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ordered the coaster be demolished. Here’s the rundown:
- Constructed in 1911
- Injured 6 People
- Torn Down in 1936
This revolutionary coaster won its claim to fame with the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) who awarded it with the organization’s Coaster Landmark Status. Formerly known as just Revolution, this steel coaster located in Valencia California features:
- A Gravity-Defying Vertical Loop
- A Max Height of 113ft
- An 83ft Drop
The coaster was built in 1976 in honor of the Great American Revolution. Unlike other coasters built during this era with circular loops, Revolution’s thrills come from a first of its kind clothoid-shaped loop. This gravity-defying loop however proved to be too much for some riders. A girl was found unconscious on the ride only to pass suddenly the next day.
The Big Dipper, another wooden coaster, was the main attraction for Battersea Park. The coaster was built in 1951 and was built as part of the Festival of Britain. This coaster featured:
- A wooden coaster
- 3 Cars
- 4 Rows of Seats per cart
- 24 Riders per Train
It was all fun and games at Battersea Park until May 30, 1972.
A tragic accident happened that day after a train being hoisted up to the first part of the ride broke loose and rolled backwards into the station. The rollback break on the train failed and didn’t stop the carts from crashing through the barriers of the station. The accident resulted in the death of five children and injury of thirteen others.
Built in 1983, Cannonball Loop was an enclosed water slide built for Action Park. The park already had several water slides, but this one was completely different...it featured a complete vertical loop at the tail-end of the slide. Cannonball Loop was so intimidating that they had to pay employees to test it for $100.
Something like this would only fly in New Jersey! This slide was responsible for countless bloody noses and back injuries. It garnered very negative feedback from the Advisory Board on Carnival Amusement Ride Safety. After several test dummies emerged decapitated, the slide was promptly closed a month after its construction.
There’s just something about plummeting down a chute to splash into a body of water that really gets people’s hearts racing. These types of rides are at almost every theme park ever, but no one really talks about what happens when things go...wrong. Well, the incident at Knott’s Berry Farm is another story.
The Perilous Plunge at Knott’s Berry Farm required many tweaks during its construction to operate properly which force the opening of the ride back months past it’s expected opening. It finally opened on September 15th, 2000, and featured:
- 53mph top speeds
- A 115ft drop
- A $9,000,000 construction cost
A year after its grand opening, a 40-year-old woman fell to her death from the top of the 115-foot drop after she slipped out of her safety restraints.
The sensationalized “Grave Pool" at Action Park in New Jersey was actually just your everyday wave pool. But it earned its sinister nickname after its reputation for danger was solidified after multiple drownings. The wave pool at Action Park had the following specs:
- 100 feet by 250 feet long
- 8 feet deep
- Maximum capacity = 1,000 people
Wave pools everywhere are known for being a little intense for weak swimmers, but the “Grave Pool” at Action Park was so dangerous, it always required 10 to 12 lifeguards. Despite their team of lifeguards, the pool’s average number of people needing rescued per weekend was around 30, 27 above the normal three rescues at other pools. The “Grave Pool” sadly claimed the lives of three people between 1982 and 1987. It’s still open to this day.
Located in the Hideaway Bay, a sandy beach area is Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Miss Adventure Falls is a themed family raft ride that takes riders up a tall conveyer belt then drops them for splashes and fun at the bottom. We’ve all been on these stereotypical raft rides, but this isn’t your everyday lazy river.
This river raft ride was built in 2016 and is very popular with guests looking for a chance to cool off and have a little fun. However, on December 8th, 2018, an accident happened that made guests look at that giant conveyor belt a little differently. A man riding in a raft got seriously injured when his arm got caught in the conveyor belt taking his friends and family up to the top of the drop.
The Joker is a free-flying coaster that exists at four different Six Flags parks. However, one of these four is known for being a little more dangerous than the others. The Joker coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure was built in 2015 under the name Total Mayhem. However, after the success of their other Batman-themed coaster, they renamed the coaster in 2016.
The new title brought in a substantial number of new guests and inspired the company to build replicas of the coaster at several more parks. It has the following specs:
- 120ft Height
- A 54ft Drop
- 38 Mph Top Speed
The original coaster has caused not one, but two injuries to riders. On November 5th, 2018, A child was struck by a stray washer weighing 10 pounds that fell from the ride. In June of 2016, a man received serious foot and knee injuries after his leg struck a bar attached to the coaster.
Previously named Monsoon Lagoon until 2004, the Hurricane Bay Wave pool was built in 1982, and it is one of the largest wave pools in the world! You can find this pool in Hurricane Bay at Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland. However, you may think twice before stepping foot into these treacherous waters.
The Hurricane Bay wave pool at Six Flags America has been known to be a bit dangerous on occasion. In fact, on June 13, 2018, a child was left in critical condition after being swept under the waves by the force of the pool. As you know, these pools can quickly turn deadly when you’re trapped underneath dozens of other people trying to stay above water.
The New Texas Giant is a steel roller coaster in Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. This attention-grabbing coaster is one of the major features of the park. It originally opened under the name Texas Giant in 1990, breaking records as the tallest coaster in the entire world. It operated for nearly 20 years winning awards in the wooden roller coaster category.
After over 19 years of operation, the coaster earned an infamous reputation for being a little too rough, prompting it’s initial closure in 2009. It then underwent an 18-month overhaul and came back in 2011 as the New Texas Giant. But in 2013, a tragic accident happened when a woman’s safety harness malfunctioned, dropping her over 75 feet.
Owned by Cedar Fair, Wildwater Adventure is a large water park located next door to Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan. At first glance, this water park looks like any other. It has:
- Three Wave Pools
- Water Slides
- A Lazy River
- Splash Pads
The park was opened in 1990 and went through an extensive growth phase in 1997 and 2017.
As we’ve seen, wave pools are a common site for catastrophe for many parks. It’s hard enough to swim in a crowded pool, not to mention one that is churning water like a tsunami. But it’s not just the water you have to worry about, it’s also toxic chlorine gas. Yes! That’s right. Chlorine gas. On July 11, 2014, 50 people were exposed to a toxic cloud of invisible chlorine gas that spread through the park from one of the wave pools.
Ride of Steel is a steel coaster located at Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien Center, New York. The coaster opened in 1999 as Superman: Ride of Steel, but the Superman branding was dropped in 2007. Classified as a “Mega Coaster,” this roller coaster features:
- A $12,000,000 building cost
- 208ft height
- 205ft drop
- 2:02 ride time
A shocking incident occurred on July 8th, 2011, involving a 29-year-old US Army veteran who was riding the Ride of Steel. This veteran sadly lost his legs while fighting in the war but was visiting the park and chose to ride this thrilling roller coaster. The man was thrown from his seat when he raised his arms to retrieve his hat. He fell over 175ft after colliding with the front of the cart and sadly passed immediately due to his injuries.
The Son of Beast wooden rollercoaster was an instant hit when it first opened. With a drop of 214 feet, a max speed of 78 miles per hour, and a loop in the track (a rarity for wooden coasters), Son of Beast was a must-ride for those who weren't too faint of heart!
However, Son of Beast's beloved reputation wouldn't last forever. In 2006, the structure of the coaster was compromised which led to splitting wood and a bump in the track. That bump caused one cart to come to an abrupt and painful stop, leaving more than 20 people injured. After another injury on the coaster a few years later, Son of Beast was finally closed for good in 2009.
When Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City opened a new water slide called "Verrückt", everybody want to try it out. In addition to a 17-story drop from the top, the slide also featured a huge hill that added to the ride's intensity and fun factor. Unfortunately, the slide would be closed for good after one ride turned deadly.
After its opening, the slide caused several minor injuries, but those didn't stop its operation. However, things changed quickly after a ten-year-old boy was thrown from the slide and decapitated by a metal support pole. After this incident, the ride was closed for good and the park's operations director was arrested for concealing design flaws in the ride.
Even if you didn't ride The Catapult and Mt. Olympus Theme & Water Park in Wisconsin, you're probably familiar with the format of the ride—two passengers are secured in a metal cage attached to elastic cables and then are launched into the air. It was a popular attraction at the park, but it eventually got closed for being unsafe.
Thankfully, no one was actually injured on The Catapult. However, in 2015, two riders were seated on the ride when one of the cables attached to the car snapped unexpectedly. While the riders did make it out safe and sound before being launched, the ride was still closed for good out of an abundance of caution.
Coney Island's Luna Park is the perfect place for thrill-seekers looking for a retro amusement park experience. And one of the biggest draws in the park is The Cyclone—a wooden coaster that's been in operation for almost 100 years at this point! While it's still open to the public, you might want to think twice before you hop on.
Thankfully, there haven't been any deaths or major injuries on The Cyclone, but that still doesn't mean it's safe! Multiple times in the ride's history, carts have become stuck in dangerously high places on the track, requiring riders to very carefully evacuate the ride without plunging to the ground below. Doesn't sound like a fun day at theme park to us!
Thunder River Rapids was a water ride in Dreamworld theme park in Australia, but there are many parks around the world that are home to similar rides. Riders are positioned in circular river rafts and then sent down the "rapids" for a fun (and wet) time. Unfortunately, in 2016, tragedy struck on Thunder River Rapids.
At the end of the ride, the rafts make their way onto a conveyor belt that moves the rafts up an incline and back to the beginning of the ride. However, on this day, one of the rafts flipped upside down on the conveyor belt, which did not stop moving. Four of the six people in the raft were tragically crushed to death by the ride's machinery.
The Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey was your average "haunted house" ride. Guests would walk through the building, which was filled with jump scares and all sorts of other frightening fun. However, in 1986, tragedy struck the ride and it was obviously closed for good.
On May 11th of 1984, an accidental fire began in The Haunted Castle. The flames spread quickly and eventually led to the deaths of eight guests inside the building and injuries for dozens of others. The carnage from this accident was so severe for several reasons—the ride involved narrow, dark hallways that were difficult to navigate, guests at first thought the fire was part of the ride, and toxic chemicals in the ride melted from the flames, making breathing difficult.
The Smiler is a steel rollercoaster located at Alton Towers theme park in the United Kingdom. This ride has had its fair share of gruesome injuries, but, unlike some other rides on this list, it still remains open and in operation. However, we would probably think twice before setting foot on this coaster!
A couple of years after its opening in 2013, an empty test cart on the coaster collided with another cart full of passengers. Multiple riders suffered serious injuries, including two unlucky guest who required leg amputations because of their injuries. There haven't been any accidents as severe as this one since then, but the coaster is still plagued by minor rider injuries and track malfunctions.
The Suspended Catch Air Device located in Zero Gravity Amusement Park in Dallas may have a very fancy-sounding, technical name, but the ride's premise couldn't be simpler (or more terrifying)—you jump from a sixteen-story tower into a net below. That's going to be a hard pass on riding that from us!
Thankfully, there haven't been any reported injuries from this terrifying ride so far, but we could absolutely see something bad happening. It's actually possible for jumpers to miss the net entirely, so ride operators have to frequently stress to them the importance of how and when they jump.
Mission: Space is an attraction at Epcot Park in Disney World. The ride is designed to give riders a realistic simulation of what it feels like to be launched into space on a rocket. While the premise sounds incredibly cool, the ride designers perhaps made the ride a bit too realistic.
The ride uses a centrifuge to simulate the g-forces experienced by astronauts as they exit the atmosphere. Unfortunately, many guests experience many of the unpleasant side effects of exposure to intense g-forces, like motion sickness, stiff neck, and breathing difficulties. Additionally, in 2005, a child died after passing out on the ride.
The Ghost Train at Luna Park was your average haunted house ride. Guests were loaded into cars that followed a track through all sorts of spooky thrills. However, in June of 1979, tragedy struck when a fire started on the ride that left many injured and several dead.
No cause for the fire was ever discovered, but once it began, the crew was unable to get it under control for over an hour, by which point the ride had been burned completely to the ground. While it was first believed that all riders had escaped alive, during the cleanup of the ride, seven bodies were discovered in the rubble.
The Mind Scrambler was a version of the classic fair ride located in New York's Playland amusement park. Unlike the usual setup for the Scrambler, this one was housed in a dark tent to make the ride more thrilling. However, after multiple deaths, this ride was closed for good in 2007.
Tragedy first struck the ride in 2004 when a seven-year-old child was killed after slipping out of the ride's restraints and being thrown from the car. Only a few years later, another death would occur after a woman rode the ride without properly securing her restraints and also slipped out.
Dueling Dragons (also known as Dragon Challenge) was a rollercoaster found in Universal Studios Orlando from 1999 until its closure in 2017. During that time, the ride caused multiple gruesome injuries, including one death. The coaster was later replaced by Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure as part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The first incident occurred in 2009 when a park employee entered a restricted area near the coaster. He was struck by an empty train and later died after being taken to the hospital. Additionally, two people have lost sight in one eye because of unidentified objects hitting them in the face during riding.
VertiGo was located in the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Thankfully, there are actually no recorded injuries caused by this ride, but it still ended up getting demolished for safety reasons. It opened in January of 2002 but it would be shut for good before the end of the year.
VertiGo was similar to other catapult rides, with elastic cables attached to a metal cage riders sat in as well as two large towers that would launch the cage into the air. Shortly after the ride's opening, one of the towers collapsed to the ground. No one was on the ride or injured by the collapse, but the park still shut VertiGo down because they worried that guests would be too afraid to ride it in the future.
The Banzai Pipeline was a waterslide located at Waterworld USA (now known as Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord) in California. While the slide itself looks terrifying, it wasn't the dangerous part—instead, it was the people waiting to ride the slide that caused this massive (and completely unnecessary) tragedy.
In 1997, a student group was visiting the park in an attempt to break the record for the number of people climbing the stairs to ride the slide. The weight of the students was three times what the slide could safely hold, and eventually the whole thing came crashing down. More than 30 people were injured by the collapse, and one woman even lost her life because of it.
Willard's Whizzer (also know as just The Whizzer) is a rollercoaster that was built for two parks—California's Great Adventure in California and Six Flags Great America in Illinois. While the Illinois version of the Whizzer is still in operation, the California coaster was shut down after several safety incidents.
Willard's Whizzer sometimes experienced braking problems, which could lead to carts crashing into one another. These crashes led to the death of a thirteen-year-old boy in 1980 as he attempted to enter a cart. Then, only a few years later, another crash occurred, which left sixteen visitors with serious injuries. The coaster was eventually demolished in 1988.
