One Dead in Disneyland Coaster Crash (Update!)

NW Cable News ^ | 09/05/03 | Staff Writer

[yonif]

The ride opened in 1979, making it one of newer roller coasters at Disneyland. It is computer-operated, said Joe Aguirre, a park spokesman.

So its computer teachnology based in 1979? What kind of computer is this thing running with?

[yonif]

The ride opened in 1979, making it one of newer roller coasters at Disneyland. It is computer-operated, said Joe Aguirre, a park spokesman.

So its computer tech based in 1979? What kind of computer is this thing running with?

[yonif]

On behalf of the entire cast of the Disneyland Resort (search) we are shocked and saddend

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

See posts #20 and #25 above.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Those are the floppy drives for the 5 1/4" disks (see picture below). The Apple IIs back then had no hard drive. They barely had any RAM!!!

[battousai]

"I'll reserve judgement until there is a cause found. Who knows? There have been several amusement park deaths this year where the rider was at fault."

Yes but to bring the whole train off the tracks? I doubt the rider was responsible for that, sure there have been other incidents where people behaving stupidly have gotten themselves hurt or killed, but I don't think thats the case here.

[Richard Axtell]

The Hugh Hewitt show is originating from Disneyland right now, but I haven't heard them mention this at all, and since they are there to publicize the place, we probably won't hear anything about this accident on that show till later on.

[socal_parrot]

I think the rope and cleat are part of an illusion to make the guests think it's not on a track.

[Amerigomag]

Land was cheap.

Intermediates, in the know, paid about $250 an acre for the first two orange orchards. They then resold to Disney for an unspecified price.

Even after construction began, shills and speculators were still knocking off unsuspecting orange grove owners (land for the hotel and parking lots) because many owners though the idea was crazy and they were quick to take the speculator's ridiculously high offers before Walt went broke trying to develop his crazy scheme.

Soon after the park opened, a large group of these growers gathered at the park entrance and took alternating turns kicking each other in the butt.

[Johnny Crab]

Having watched maintenance budgets get "right sized" due to this "slow period"....my first thought was lack of or cut back on preventative maintenance.

We'll maybe find out.

[Ciexyz]

Big lawsuit comin' down.

[sweetliberty]

Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of the few coasters I really liked. What a shame. I hope everyone else will be alright.

[Ciexyz]

The two biggest films of the summer were Disney flics: Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney is gonna get milked for this breakaway locomotive.

[sweetliberty]

"From 1955 through 1963, Disneyland's safety record was flawless."

Walt Disney was still alive then too. He wouldn't recognize what his dream has become.

"The Matterhorn had claimed its first victim."

The Matterhorn can hardly be blamed for the kid's stupidity.

"Disney "Imagineers" negligently hadn't forseen this possibility and made allowances for it in their design."

Why would they? Are they now supposed to anticipate terminal stupidity?

" they swam for it."

Sounds like another case of natural selection to me. This article had to have been done by the same liberal morons who want to put speed limits on roller coasters.

[glock rocks]

About 12 years ago, my then 10 yr old son noticed a white sticker on the inside of a Sprite 12 pack box... he came inside and woke me up to show it to me... you got it... we won a 3 day vacation to disneyland courtesy of Coca Cola.

My wife was 7 mo. pregnant with my youngest daughter, but we went. We happened to ride that rollercoaster 11 times in a row on the night we arrived. LOL. What a hoot!!

Hey, it's a machine, and machines break sometimes. Ya pays yer money (well, we didn't on that occasion) and ya takes yer chances. I have similar anticipations everytime I get on an airliner. The odds say you're gonna make it through another time.

True, this is sad, but hell, it's an exciting ride... if something goes bad, well, there ya are. The alternative is to have nothing of any thrill value available to the general public... but be perfectly safe. Offhand, if this thing has been running that long with only one fatality, that's probably an exemplary safety record. Probably safer than the ride to the park 1000 fold. Really. Perhaps more. Just damn.

The administrators of safety will likely see to it that the only rides acceptable in the future will be Small World. Sadly, we will see many more suicides if this is the case.

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to ev'ryone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

AAAAAAGGGGGGHHhhhhhhhhh !!!

[George from New England]

How was this picture taken? Didn't Disney get the feds to give them complete control (censorship) of the air space above their parks? All in the name of homeland security.

This allows them to keep OUT the planes with pro-family banners during homo weeks.

[gusopol3]

I remember that formulation from Boy's Life mag, c. 1959, except "ex"= unknown.

[norraad]

That's why they never paid me when I sent it in, those rats, they changed the first part so I couldn't sue.

Well, who's got the last laugh, I'm still here & they're not.

[colorchemist]

This article conjures up ghosts from the past. In 1964 I was a student at Leland Stanford Junior High in Long Beach Calif. Our clique was the geekyiest of the nerds around, You Know, sliderules, sciencefairs, and of course glasses and pocket protectors. However, our saving grace was -- LION'S DRAG STRIP-- How to get down the quarter mile as fast as possible! From what I remember, this Mark M**** was the stereotype class clown, cutup, etc, gettin' paddled at least once at week( yes, those were the days of real consequences of your actions). The reaction at first amongst the student body was Whoaa!!, bad news and so on. After about 15 minutes(seconds) of grieving the general consensus was, well , he was probably horseing around as always ( Jackass circa 1964 ). I will extend my profound sympathy to the parents of Mark; No parent should be put through this.
BTW --- This is my first post to Free Republic, I've been a long term lurker( shame ). It took this walk done memory lane to bring me out.
On another note --Recall Victory Lap Rally Sat. 13, 2:00-4:00 at the Queen Mary Events Park Long Beach -- Bring Your Pitchforks -- Viva la defenistration!!!
BE THERE, OR BE SQUARE!!

[adam_az]

Yes most of them are idiots, it's interesting none the less.