A lot of white-haired bearded guys look like Santa Claus. Some of them play up that resemblance during the Christmas season, whether it’s by getting hired to be a Santa for an event, or by just spreading goodwill and holiday cheer. However, one unofficial Santa says he was booted from a Six Flags amusement park because he looked too much like the big-bellied bearded gift-giver. [More]
amusement parks
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Shuts Down River Ride After Fatal Incident In Australia
By 10.26.16
After four people were killed on a river ride at an Australian amusement park on Tuesday, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has shut down a similar attraction “out of an abundance of caution.” [More]
6 Children Shocked By Electricity On Connecticut Amusement Park Ride
By 8.17.16
A day at the amusement park went from thrilling to downright dangerous yesterday, after six children were shocked by electricity while exiting a ride at a Connecticut oceanside park. [More]
Disney Nabs Patent For Foot-Tracking Technology It Could Someday Use In Its Parks
By 8.2.16
A very blond man once said, “Every step you take, I’ll be watching you.” Perhaps Disney had that song in mind when it secured a patent for technology that can track not only the steps of its park visitors, but will match those movements to an image of each person’s shoe. [More]
Where Roller Coasters Retire To, And Other Secrets Of Amusement Park Planning
By 7.20.16
Where do old roller coasters go when their careers are over? They go on the literal scrap heap, but the people who plan parks and their rides use the basic “track profile” while changing how the ride works, like changing a standing coaster into one where your feet dangle. A.V. Club talked to the VP of planning and design for Cedar Fair Entertainment, owner of some big amusement parks with world-class roller coasters and other popular rides, and learned about coaster-recycling and more. [More]
Six Flags In Talks To Open Amusement Parks In Saudi Arabia
By 6.29.16
Weeks after announcing plans to enter the Middle East market with an amusement park in the United Arab Emirates, Six Flags revealed this morning that the company is in talks to possibly open multiple parks in Saudi Arabia. [More]
People Stranded On Multiple Rides After Amusement Park Suffers Power Outages
By 6.10.16
It’s bad enough when one roller coaster or ride malfunctions and strands a bunch of passengers, but the situation at an amusement park went beyond a single incident, with visitors stuck on multiple attractions after a series of power outages. [More]
SeaWorld Ending Signature Killer Whale “Shamu” Shows; Will Stop Breeding Orcas
By 3.17.16
For decades, SeaWorld parks have been associated with the visual of orca killer whales — most famously Shamu — jumping into the air for the amusement of large audiences. But amid growing criticism about the treatment of these animals and the safety of their trainers, SeaWorld has committed to not only ending these shows, but to also cease breeding orcas in captivity. [More]
Amusement Park Takes Catapult Ride Out Of Operation Permanently After Cable Snaps
By 7.10.15
A catapult sounds like it could make for a fun ride, what with the implied image of objects flying through the air. But because that flinging needs to be under control if people are going to stay safe, one Wisconsin amusement park has taken its catapult ride out of commission after a cable snapped. [More]
FDA Giving Businesses Another Year To Comply With Rules Requiring Calorie Counts On Menus
By 7.9.15
Restaurants and other businesses that were living under a deadline to include calorie counts on menus and displays will get a bit of wiggle room to comply with the rule passed by the Food and Drug Administration last fall. The agency now says food purveyors will have another year to get their acts together, extending the previous deadline from Dec. 1, 2015 to Dec. 1, 2016. [More]
Coney Island’s Legendary Cyclone Roller Coaster Strands Riders On Opening Day
By 3.30.15
There’s nothing like that first day at the amusement park, when it feels like spring is maybe, possibly, finally on its way, when you get to climb into that roller coaster for its very first ride of the season… and then you’re stuck high up in the air, wondering how it all went wrong. That’s the tale of yesterday’s Coney Island visitors who scored a free ride on opening day yesterday. [More]
Who Has It Worse: Victims Of This Scary “Living” Poster, Or The Guy Stuck Inside?
By 10.30.14
If you want a viral advertising gimmick, there are few more reliable methods than just scaring the fecal matter out of innocent people. But after looking at this video about one amusement park’s terrifying “living” poster, we’re not sure if we feel worse for the people who soil their jeans from fright or the poor guy who is stuck inside the poster all day. [More]
Family Of 5 Claims They Were Stranded At The Top Of Ferris Wheel While Theme Park Shut Down
By 8.6.14
The whole reason to hitch a ride on a Ferris wheel is to catch the view from the top — but even that delight would surely pale after say, the lights turn out and you’ve been up there for a while. A family of five claims they’re “traumatized” after getting stranded at the top of a Ferris wheel after an amusement park in the UK closed for the night. [More]
Walking Down Roller Coaster’s 230-Foot Incline Probably Wasn’t The Thrill Six Flags Visitors Expected
By 8.4.14
While it’s surely preferable to walk down a 230-foot incline than stay stuck at that height, it’s hard to imagine Six Flags visitors riding on the Nitro at Great Adventure in New Jersey weren’t expecting a bit more of a thrill.
Amusement Park Ride That Swings People 125 Feet In The Air Shut Down After Cable Snaps
By 7.28.14
The last thing you want to have happen when you’re flying 125 feet above the ground at 60 miles per hour is to have something break. So when a cable snapped on an Ohio amusement park’s ride while visitors were in mid-air, witnesses say things got a bit scary. [More]
Pirates Of The Caribbean Briefly Shut Down After Man Loses Fingers On Ride
By 7.11.14
Visitors to Disney World may have been a bit disappointed yesterday to find the Pirates of the Caribbean ride temporarily out of operation, but probably not as disappointed as the man who lost pieces of two fingers on the ride. [More]
16 Amusement Park Employees Arrested For Brawl During Weekend Shutdown
By 6.11.14
What happens when a big amusement park unexpectedly has to shut down for the weekend? Maybe it births some kind of cabin fever, because 16 Cedar Point employees have been accused of brawling over the weekend, while the park was closed due to a water main break on Saturday.
[More]
Weekend Water Main Break Soaks Thousands Of Visitors’ Plans To Visit Ohio Amusment Park
By 6.9.14
The car is packed and gassed up, the road trip snacks are bountiful and summer vacation is in high gear. That is, until visitors arrived at Ohio’s Cedar Point amusement park over the weekend, only to find the park closed because of a water main break. Total buzzkill. [More]
