Opening: • Welcome to Fastpass to the Past. The Theme Park History Podcast. • Introduce Yourself: o Hello I’m your host, Austin Carroll. o I am a history nerd o a former Disneyland Cast Member- in both Attractions and Guest Relations. ♣ I say that because that small fact is going to come up a lot in this particular episode. o And I’m also a Universal Studios Hollywood & Disneyland Annual Passholder. • Thank you so much for listening. Today, we have a very special guest on the show. • Introduce Carolynn Episode Introduction AUSTIN: We’re heading back to Disneyland for the second week in a row to talk about Disney’s most dangerous theme park attractions of all time. CAROLYNN : Briefly talk about her experience with Disneyland (childhood, as an annual passholder, etc.). AUSTIN: This week we will be discussing three of the most dangerous rides The Walt Disney Company has ever seen and yes, one is actually still in operation. CAROLYNN : There is a rumor that has really persisted, as I’ve been hearing it since I was a little kid, that no one has ever died at Disneyland. AUSTIN: Or at least, the rumor goes, no one has been “pronounced dead” at Disneyland. And that just isn’t true. The Happiest Place on Earth has seen its fair share of accidents, just like any other theme park, amusement park, or the general operation of heavy machinery. Cause that’s what theme park rides actually are… heavy machinery. It’s strange how no one really thinks of Disney rides as heavy machinery. CAROLYNN : People just think “this is Disneyland, nothing bad can happen to me here.” In reality, you can get hurt on any of the attractions if you try hard enough. AUSTIN: Maybe, as a former ride operator. (For those that don’t know I spent 7 months in Fantasyland Attractions operating all of those, oh so wonderful, opening day attractions.) It was a constant battle to keep people safe. We constantly had people run back into the ride to retrieve sunglasses or phones. People standing up on the rides- even on Peter Pan’s Flight. Not to mention, people simba-ing their children off of dumbo. CAROLYNN : Simba-ing? AUSTIN: The opening of Lion King. People would actually do that to their babies on the ride. CAROLYNN : That’s insane. (Other banter). Disclaimer: AUSTIN: Before we get started, we just want to let you know that some of the accidents and deaths we are going to talk about are quite tragic. We by no means wish to make light of these tragic deaths. My heart goes out to the victims and their families, and I regret that any of these events took place. Rather than mock these violent deaths, I hope to point out that every seemingly safe place can pose a serious danger if rules and regulations are not followed. Having worked as a ride operator at Disneyland, I understand full well how dangerous rides can be, and I just want to point out that most of these tragedies could have been prevented. When visiting a park, I know it can be frustrating to listen to cast members or park staff – especially on the parade route or at smaller attractions that I worked at like the carasoul or Peter Pan. But, I assure you, that most of the rules are made outside of Disneyland by governing bodies and state officially that are primarily concerned with the safety of guests and staff. CAROLYNN : Also, we will be focusing on Disneyland attractions in this particular Podcast – not Disney World attractions. We are very aware of deaths that have happened in Florida, Paris, and Tokyo – but are saving those stories for another podcast. AUSTIN (teaser): So without futher ado, let’s take a stroll through Disneyland history to look at one of the gentlest rides Disney ever created and one that just happens to be most deadly. Part #1: The People Mover CAROLYNN : At a blazing 2 miles per hour, the People Mover is likely the most dangerous attraction ever to operate at Disneyland. Jungle cruise skippers have even likened it to a “people remover.” Despite being 30 feet above Tomorrowland, the People Mover wasn’t an inherently unsafe attraction by any means. However, the slow speed and open-air cars were temptations to troublemakers. AUSTIN: In August 1967, The People Mover claimed its first victim. Just before midnight, 17 year old Rickey Lee Yama of Hawthrone, California boarded the People Mover with his two friends. During the ride, they began to jump from car to car as the ride went through a tunnel. It likely seemed so safe, the tunnels were long and lit. However, whereas his friends easily made it, Yama wasn’t so luckily. He fell beneath the wheels of one of the half-ton cars. Glenn Oder, the security office that found him saw that he was dead right away. The ride had to be dismantled to remove the body. CAROLYNN: Just over a year later, the People Mover had a terrifying incident. In November of 1968, a freak thunderstorm struck Disneyland. The slippery rubber tires (the attraction was sponsored by Goodyear after all), the cars started to roll backwards as they lost transaction. In a domino effect, 23 people were injured – many thrown from the vehicle into the tunnels. Luckily, no one was killed. Disneyland settled with all but one of the victims and quickly & quietly installed slip-free tires to the People Mover. AUSTIN: In 1972, two teenage girls hopped out of their PeopleMover car in a tunnel near the miniature progress city exhibit to retrieve a pair of Mickey Mouse ears. They then ran through the tunnel to hop a ride of the next car. One girl managed to get in side, however the other ran out of the tunnel’s exit and plummeted to the concrete 30 feet below. The 14-year-old was gravely injured and was in a body cast- but was luckily to have survived. Her family sued Disneyland for not having warnings about the exit- the jury found in Disneyland’s favor. CAROLYNN : Tragically, just 5 years later in 1979, a four-year-old from Oregon suffered a similar fall. The child had somehow gotten into an earlier car than his parents. Upon seeing them board the next car, he began to climb out and try and get to them. He plummeted down to the pavement and survived with a double skull fracture. AUSTIN: The 70’s were a particularly troubling time for the People Mover. Also, In 1972, a five-year-old boy got his foot caught under the vehicle while exiting. His food was crushed and he later had to have his three middle toes amputated. Their lawyer was particularly savvy and unearthed park First Aid files detailing more than 75 similar accidents from 1967 to 1972. Just a year later, a five year old broke her foot under the ride. The following year, a 12-year old had to have two toes amputated after an identical accident. Disneyland didn’t install a protective flange next to the track to keep feet away from it until 1976. They also settled with all three families for around $15,000 each. Just goes to show you Yellow Safety lines are essential. CAROLYNN : It’s important to note that this is before Yellow Safety lines, before Automatic stops, and before TV cameras were installed. The cars were powered by electric volts – in fact, the original dark rides still are. In the 1970’s, lookouts were positioned far out on the track. It was common practice to hop on the back of the last car and ride it in. One time, inexplicably, 200 volts of electricity ran through his body. Luckily he was okay. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for the PeopleMover’s last victim. AUSTIN: In June of 1980, there was a virtual repeat of the Yama accident from the 60’s. At 1:30 am during his grad night, Gerardo Gonzales of San Diego was trying to climb from car to car. However, he fell under the rear of the vehicle. Due to their being no dead man switch, his body was dragged over a 100 feet and was pronounced dead at the scene. CAROLYNN : For the next 15 years, the People Mover was relatively quiet. This is likely due to a number of to both safety improvements (TVs, auto-stops, etc.) and the publicity of the accidents (most victims were from southern California and saw it on the news). The ride also lost popularity as both a result of these accidents and later as more exciting rides came to the park – whereas Tomorrowland was becoming more and more outdated. The PeopleMover closed permanently on August 21, 1995 – ending its legacy as the most dangerous attraction at Disneyland. Carolynn (teaser): Let us now journey from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland, in much the same way as we would have in 1956 on the less than peaceful Skyway ride. Part #2: Skyway Ride AUSTIN: Disneyland’s and Walt Disney World’s Skyway attractions saw guests sitting in a gondola high above Tomorrowland, through the Matterhorn (starting in 1959), and ending at the gorgeous Fantasyland skyway station or vise versa. CAROLYNN: This D- Ticket attraction actually had two names Skyway to Fantasyland or Skyway to Tomorrowland depending on where the guest boarded the ride. AUSTIN: Despite dangling up to 60 feet above Disneyland, there are no documented incidents of any kind on this ride until the 1994 “accident.” Also, I just want to say that I’m using accident in quotation marks due to the so-called victim actually stating that he was in fact responsible. Not to undermine a victim in anyway. CAROLYNN: Yes, the whole accident was quite dubious. Here’s what happened. On Sunday morning, 17 April 1994, a 30-year-old man named Randle Charles fell approximately 20 feet from one of the Skyway cabins and landed in a tree near the “Alice in Wonderland” attraction. He was helped out of the tree by paramedics and taken to nearby Western Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries and released. AUSTIN: Charles later filed a $25,000 negligence lawsuit against Disney, claiming that he had suffered permanent neck and back injuries as a result of his fall. The best part is that his attorney took it on himself to say that Charles “wasn’t doing anything improper, and he certainly wasn’t trying to get out of the ride.” CAROLYNN: However, before the trial, it became clear that Charles indeed jumped, not fell, from his Skyway cabin. Charles’ lawsuit was dismissed just before it was to go to trial on 23 September 1996; at that time he admitted that he “came out” of his Skyway cabin and that his lawsuit against Disney was “ill-advised. AUSTIN: Once again, we cannot stress this enough, this was the only incident of someone falling since the ride had opened in 1956. However, the Skyway did have a couple of terrifying almost accidents. In the winter of 1983, a 60-mile per hour freak tornado ripped through Tomorrowland. Although there was little property damages, dozens of passengers were huddled on the floors of the buckets sixty feet up in the sky. They had to be rescued one by one by cherry-picker during the storm. CAROLYNN: A couple years later, in 1989, a couple of teenagers rocked their cabin so violently, one of the guide wheels jumped off and stopped the ride. Passengers were stranded again, it took 4 hours to lower them one by one. AUSTIN: Also around this time, a Cast Member got his hand caught in the bucket while loading the vehicles. He was left dangling over Fantasyland and luckily was able to jump down unharmed onto the Mad Hatter’s shop roof. AUSTIN Despite these incidents, the Skyway operated as a pretty safe attraction for 38 years. However, many people believe that Charles’s publicized incident is why the Skyway was closed shortly thereafter. However, that’s just not true. CAROLYNN Yeah… although the Skyway did close after in November 1994, many sources attribute this closure to metal fatigue and not to fear of a similar accident occurring. To be specific, stress cracks were developing within the Matterhorn in the hastily built 1957 supports the for the Skyway. To correct this, the Matterhorn would have had to have extensive renovations that basically would have required the entire structure to be opened up. Disneyland just simply didn’t have the budget to do this to save one ride while completing the extensive 1990’s re-design of Adventureland and the new Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye Attraction. AUSTIN Many people also believe that Skyway was closed for ADA accommodation restrictions. That is also false as the Skyway would have been grandfathered in. Although this likely would have to have been corrected by Disneyland in the future from a guest relations standpoint, it doesn’t account for the 1994 closure like the much more immediate stress cracks. CAROLYNN Although another accident never occurred on Disneyland’s Skyway, tragedy did strike the Walt Disney World’s Skyway shortly thereafter. In February 1999, a park custodian at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom was killed when the skyway started up unexpectedly while he was cleaning one of its platforms. Raymond Barlow, 65, was sweeping off a narrow skyway platform inaccessible to park guests an hour after the park’s 9:00 A.M. opening when other cast members, unaware of his presence, started up the ride. Barlow, startled by the approaching gondola, grabbed onto it and tried to climb inside; he fell 40 feet into a flower bed, hitting a tree on the way down, and died. AUSTIN The Occupational Safety and Health Administration later ruled that the area in which Barlow had been working violated federal safety codes and fined Walt Disney World $4,500 for a “serious” violation of safety standards. Several months later, in November 1999, the Magic Kingdom’s skyway was also permanently closed. Once again, the decision to close the attraction was based on factors other than its being involved in a recent accidental death. CAROLYNN Disney’s official statement on the closure was that they wanted to phase out some of the older attractions and introduce new things to keep the park “exciting and fresh.” The skyway’s time had “come.” Although this seems dubious, you have to realize that there were Skyways in basically every amusement park at this point in the 1990’s. AUSTIN Another likely reason for the closure was the ADA accessibility requirements. Although this attraction was grandfathered in just like the Disneyland one, by the 1999’s guests definitely expected every ride in Disney World – a newer theme park by all intensive purposes- to be accessible. CAROLYNN However, likely the real reason behind Magic Kingdom’s Skyway closure, is that it was expensive to maintain these Skyway rides. The operating budget was very high for such a low capacity ride. AUSTIN Teaser: Although these defunct rides had their fair share of incidents, one of Disneyland’s most recognizable and groundbreaking attractions has a similar toll but is still operating today. Hint: The scarcest thing about the Matterhorn isn’t Howard the Yeti. Part #3: The Matterhorn CAROLYNN The Matterhorn Bobsleds debuted on June 14, 1959. Built by coaster builder Arrow Development (a frequent early Disney contributor) and WED Imagineering, it was the first tubular steel roller coaster in the world. Five years after opening, the Matterhorn was also the first attraction to cause a death at Disneyland. AUSTIN Tragically, this death could have been easily prevented. Mark Maples, a 15-year old from Long Beach was playing hooky with friends on Friday morning, May 15th, 1964. His companion unbuckled his seatbelt on the original ride vehicle. Near the top of the mountain, Mark stood up at the egging of his friends and lost his balance. He fell to the concrete below and fractured his skull. His brain became hemorrhaging and he died in a hospital three days later. His parents tried to sue, but it was unsuccessful. CAROLYNN Just like the PeopleMover, the Matterhorn had a particularly bad 1970’s. In 1971, the newly installed sprinklers system was tested earlier than anticipated when a fire broke out beneath a stretch of bobsled track. A man and his wife’s bobsled encountered five-foot high flames in a tunnel and were left with chemical burns. Officially, Disneyland never found a reason for the accident- although they did settle in court for $1000. However, a witness did state they saw a flare on the side of the track. AUSTIN Prior to the 1978 major refurbishment in which the hollow interior space was broken up into a number of small, icy caves and tunnels with far more convincing theming, a cast member fell to the bottom of the mountain. At the time it was common practice for employees to retrieve lost items by boarding the ride and using a straighten-out coat hanger. Nowadays, items are retrieved at the end of the night and taken to City Hall or Lost and Found. One day, a women’s wig blew off and Cathy Davis and Gary Lucas hopped into a bobsled. The second time around, Cathy turned around and leaned out the back to get it. However, right then, they hit a corner and she popped out of the sled. CAROLYNN Cathy plummeted 50 feet through the center of the mountain. It was pure luck, she did not hit a single beam or track and landed on the dirt below. She survived and despite being told she would never walk again – she did. She had three children and ended up working at Disneyland again for years. AUSTIN Dolly Young, wasn’t as lucky. On January 3rd, 1984, the Matterhorn claimed its 2nd victim. Up until now, we’ve had mostly child and teenage victims that were goofing off or didn’t understand the consequences of their actions. However, Dolly was a 47-year old grocery clerk vacationing with her young son from Fremont, CA. She didn’t fit the profile and the circumstances behind her death are incredibly vague. CAROLYNN The accident happened when she was entering a cave on the mountain’s A side. Some reports say she had her child behind her, other reports say that she was riding alone. However, one thing is for sure, her seatbelt was unbuckled – crossed on her seat upon further examination of the bobsled. Dolly was thrown from her bobsled into an upcoming half ton bobsled. She was killed instantly. AUSTIN Both lawyers presented very different series of events. Dolly’s family lawyer concluded that her seatbelt wasn’t used and that she must have fallen out while trying to get her seatbelt out from under herself. This is a possible scenario, however they were already 2/3rd through the ride. Why did she wait? CAROLYNN Also, Matterhorn, even at the time, had a dedicated person to check that the seatbelts were fastened. It would seem unlikely that the cast member would send a seatbelt unbuckled if she was the only rider or one of two riders. Another possible explanation is that she unbuckled her seatbelt to tend to her child behind her. However, we will likely never know what caused this tragic death. We might have learned more about the circumstances in court. However, the case never went to trail. It was settled for an undisclosed cash settlement right before and I can attest her family got VIP passes for life. I can attest her grandkids still use them having met them many times. AUSTIN: Dolly wasn’t the Matterhorn’s last death or even Disneyland’s last death. Many have died on Disneyland from natural causes or pre-existing health conditions. However, the last safety-related death to happen on any ride was a freak derailing at Big Thunder Mountain in 2003. So, if you at all concerned about your safety I wouldn’t be. Hundreds of thousands of people attend Disneyland every year and the resort operates over 30 separate attractions every day. It is testaments to Disney’s ongoing efforts about Safety –the first key- that more accidents don’t happen. Part #4: Legacy – Ride Improvements, Safety, Ride Closures, & Training CAROLYNN: However, these accidents did play a huge role in shaping the resort we know today. For instance, following the Big Thunder Mountain disaster, the maintenance budgets for all attractions were seriously increased. Let’s take a look at some of the improvements and the legacies these “dangerous attractions” left on the Disney parks. AUSTIN: Starting with the PeopleMover’s protective flange installed in 1976, Disney started to take precautions to protect guests from themselves. As technology evolved, Disney began adding monitoring cameras and emergency “dead man” stops to every ride. Also, after a sudden power surge left guests stranded in the dark for hours on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in the 1980’s – while the ride’s water was slowly rising as it pooled below- emergency lighting and automatic emergency exit doors were installed on every attraction as well. CAROLYNN: Most of the modern safety elements we see at Disneyland today as guests while boarding attractions were installed after a particularly bad accident on Roger Rabbit in Mickey’s ToonTown in 2000. Following the incident that resembled the PeopleMover’s deaths in a lot of ways, Disneyland installed all kinds of safety mechanisms to its attractions including door latches, sensor skirts at the base of cars, raised side panels, doors, warning signs, seating diagrams, loading zone gates, and prerecorded safety spiels in multiple languages. AUSTIN: Also, Matterhorn’s seatbelt problems have been (for the most part) resolved with the addition of more Cast Members operating the ride and a lot of ride vehicle changes with different interlocking restraints – most recently in 2016. Although, that is also the year that I most recently heard of someone succeeding in getting out of their bobsled to try and retrieve a cell phone. CAROLYNN: We really hope that in addition to teaching you a little bit about the darker sides of Disneyland’s history, you’ve learned not to risk your life for a pair of Mickey Ears or a cellphone. AUSTIN: Exactly.