When visiting a theme park, you expect your family to be safe. After all, you are spending hundreds of dollars for a day, week, or more of entertainment. Safety is the least of what you deserve when going on vacation. However, even this basic need is sometimes not met. The year 2015 has shown us that it is not always fun and games, and teaches us what happens when our favorite attractions go awry. The following are our top picks for theme park accidents in 2015.

Slingshot Snaps

At a theme park in France, the cable on a slingshot ride snaps off, sending riders careening into the side of a support column. Though only minor injuries were reported, the incident was caught on camera. A local newspaper reported a factor defect in the elastic band was cause for the malfunction. This accident is eerily similar to another accident that occurred in Wisconsin.

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Travelers looking to visit the happiest place on earth beware. As of June 30^th, Disney has banned selfie-sticks from all of their theme parks around the world. This prohibition is an extension of a previous ban that existed only on rides. As a consequence of this ban, anybody who tries to bring a selfie stick into the park will have to surrender the device to security at the gate. Although you can retrieve it later, Disney recommends leaving the stick in your car or hotel room.

Disney is not alone in the ban. Soccer stadiums in England, the Kentucky Derby, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art have all instituted bans over the years. The question for enthusiasts of self-photography is, of course, why. These locations happen to be perfect for selfies, so the ban may prove frustrating or travelers hoping to preserve these precious memories. However, there is an excellent reason for the ban, which will be detailed as follows.

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Orlando is a city that lives and dies on its tourism, and the many amusement park operators in the area are aware if this reality and strive to provide a safe experience. However, there are no guarantees in this world, and you may find yourself hurt through no fault of your own while visiting Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, or one of the many other attractions dotting the city. When this happens, there is no doubt that the right thing for an amusement park to do is cover your medical expenses that stem from the injury, but theme parks are businesses, and business interest does not always mesh with morality. As such, it is important to know what to say and do if you should ever find yourself injured at a theme park.

Gather Evidence

Immediately take photographs or video of the scene of the incident and the cause of your injury. These are very important as the theme park will clean up the area or change it as quickly as possible. Almost everyone now days has a camera on their phone and a few pictures can make all the difference in the resolution of your case. If you can get the contact details of witnesses, or if you can even get an employee on record indicating he was aware of the problems that caused the incident and had reported it to management, you’ll have a solid foundation on which to build your case. While getting treatment should always be your number 1 priority, don’t let an opportunity for gathering evidence pass you by.

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Good ole family vacations filled with fun activities and great bonding conversations have been around since the 1950’s, when Americans were coming back from the war and re-gaining life back in the states. In addition, the economy was desiring a push with travel and tourism helping the aid of recovery. Since the 1950’s, U.S. families have grown accustom to vacations at least once a year, with more than 50% of the U.S. workforce traveling at least once on vacation.

Orlando is just one of the many tourist cities throughout America, but it offers experiences unlike any other location on the planet – theme and water parks infest the area. In 2011, Orlando beat out New York as the most visited destination in the country with over 50 million unique visitors throughout the year. Most of this success is due to the theme and water parks from brands like Wet’n’Wild, Disney,and Universal Studios.

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There is nothing more fun in Orlando than to walk into a theme park, strap yourself into a ride, and be propelled along a massive metal beast. When everything goes well, these fevered creations of brilliant (but possibly mad) men can create an afternoon of joy and thrills. Sometimes, however, these rides prove to be just as dangerous as they look. The safety of these rides depends on how well trained the staff is, and how dedicated they are to performing appropriate maintenance when it becomes necessary.

As such, when going to a theme park, be sure to look for the following that would tell you the park you are going to is more likely than not to spell disaster for your family.

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