Please, take an hour out of your day to read this post. In a recent thread on Reddit, Universal Orlando fans discussed the ICON Park tragedy.
FYI: This discussion took place on the fan-run Universal Orlando Resort community page of the social media platform.
Two days ago, user u/FlimsyAfternoon started the thread titled ‘Just saw about the ICON park tragedy, someone convince me this wont happen at Universal’ with the following:
“I have been to Universal ridden all the rides, loved VelociCoaster, but [I’m] still very scared of going upside down. I have visions of my family members falling out. We are coming in May and I just saw with happened at ICON Park and I’m freaking out.”
Some of the replies in this thread are both thoughtful and fascinating. We say thoughtful because fellow fans/users could tell u/FlimsyAfternoon was “scared”. You can read a handful of replies below:
u/hoppybird6: “I was at Universal once about to ride the Hulk [The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster], and a screw on the back of a seat was found to be a little loose. They stopped ride operations for about 30 minutes and there were tons of staff checking it out and making sure it was fixed and safe all for just one little loose screw. From that experience I can tell Universal takes safety extremely seriously.”
u/GladiatorDragon: “The recent ICON park incident was an accident that, I imagine, was the result of negligence on the side of either (or both) operator and manufacturer. Universal uses industry trusted manufacturers and highly detailed, proven designs that maximise safety. The rides are also extremely well maintained and uphold safety above all.”
u/Luckylouwhoo_: “I understand your concern and just saw the video. It was horrible to watch and I feel for the kid and his family. If I were you I would find peace of mind in owning that because of this tragedy, I’d imagine the parks are currently doing a thorough inspection on their equipment and ensure all staff are properly trained to avoid any incidents at their parks. At least I would think these parks. At least I would think these parks and businesses would do that.”
u/Psychology_Salty: “Such a tragedy what happened. ICON Park is a poorly run with ride operators who do not care. I came across the video (PLEASE AVOID) and the ops [operators] were there watching as he fell out and was on the ground. Safety is Universal’s main priority. They have computers on rides that show if the restraint is locked, and if it comes up that it is not locked, the ride will not run. There are also test seats outside rides. The employees at Universal are great and always check seats. Please don’t let this terrible incident ruin rides for you. Prayers to the family.”
u/amanor409: “I used to work attractions operations at Universal. The computer won’t allow the ride to dispatch if a restraint is not properly latches. Universal also has redundant safety systems in place in case of a failure on one, and if a failure is detected mid-cycle it will automatically emergency stop the ride until maintenance can fix it.”
You can read the rest of this insightful thread here.
Without a shadow of doubt, it’s obvious that the tragic death of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson has scared theme park goers. You can feel the nerves of u/FlimsyAfternoon’s initial post…
Stay tuned to Orlando Theme Park Zone for more Orlando theme park-related news and information.
