Top 20 Stories That Make You NEVER Want to Go to an Amusement Park

These amusement park horror stories are shocking! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most harrowing true stories regarding amusement park accidents. Our countdown of stories that make you never want to go to an amusement park includes The Many Accidents of Derby Racer, The Ghost Train Fire, Deaths on the Coney Island Cyclone, Employee Fatality at Disneyland, Various Accidents at Action Park, and more! Are you still a fan of amusement parks? Let us know in the comments below!
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#AmusementPark
#Disneyland
#Disneyworld
#SixFlags
#Accident
#Disaster
#Shocking
#RollerCoaster
#Death

[@WatchMojo]

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[@StanHalen1936]

Why do you allow so many spam bots on your channel?

[@jonnym4670]

got air born almost flew out of a drop slide(they shut it down due to high winds 10 mins later) when I was young my lap bar on a rollercoaster popped up my mom holding me down in my seat the entire time is the only reason I wasn't ejected, a year before a girl died from being ejected on that same coaster(not because of her lap bar) and I still go on them

[@underland1983]

You can't make an omelett without breaking some eggs LMFAO

[@itsjeninMass]

I love them, but I don't have the energy for them these days.

[@thelonewolf191]

Final Destination 3 did it for me

[@BlackHatCinephile]

🥈

[@Reaperguy67]

​@@BlackHatCinephile spam

[@Slayde.Wilson]

@BlackHatCinephile spammer it's also sad that you encourage Leonard.Cooper's false claims.

[@Reaperguy67]

@@Slayde.Wilson exactly. Both of them are both bullies just like tiger

[@BlackHatCinephile]

@@Slayde.Wilson Reported for harassment.

[@vorakitlertackakorn2827]

No stories can change my mind. I still want to go to the amusement park.

[@nuaru100]

As nasty as these accidents are, they force the parks to keep up with maintenance. The rides are safe as they can be now, rider error ends up being the reason in more recent years. Hand in the air, but stay in your seat!

[@zekepowers]

How the Dreamworld incident wasn’t on this let alone top 5 makes me think their PR team is on point

[@DepezPoopsie]

100. Also those kids kinda had it coming with the bonzai waterslide so I wouldn’t have put it on the list.

[@Legendsofme69]

I was just looking through the comments to see if anyone had mentioned it. Crazy, I still remember where I was when I heard that people died, it used to be my favourite park and that particular ride (Thunder River Rapid Ride) was one of my favourites

[@Thrillseeker420]

Don't let these accidents dissuade you from going to an amusement park and riding the rides, amusement parks are the best things in life! Accidents like these are VERY rare. I ride rides like these whenever I can and nothing bad ever happened to me. If anything, we need MORE amusement parks and roller coasters.

[@shonhubble5130]

Shocked that the Drop Tower incident that killed Tyre Sampson isn't on here.

[@chillfluencer]

It's just too much.

[@jaykirizz219]

Yeah they featured the KY Kingdom drop tower incident but not Tyre’s incident which was even worse considering life was lost. R.I.P. Tyre. 😢 that video leak scarred me

[@jaykirizz219]

I’m from Louisville, and had ridden that same ride where the KY Kingdom incident happened where the girls feet were severed . This video says the tower was named “Superman’s Tower of Power” but we never called it that. To us locals, it was always referred to as the HELLEVATOR. And for good reason. Those rides just aren’t safe.

[@crossxfuse]

pretty much everyone was at fault in that incident

[@pooky-changaming4089]

“Tyre Sampson”?

[@imerci1]

Being from north Jersey, I went to Action Park many times and yeah, they may as well have given you a toe tag with admission price the safety was non existent at that place. Six flags, the times I went, it was weird to know where the fire happened and how they changed stuff since. Eerie to go there knowing what happened.

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

The screenshot in the thumbnail is a fake Photoshopped image. There is not a single B&M inverted coaster that's had a row of seats detach.

[@chillfluencer]

So?

[@imsic788]

@@chillfluencerso its clickbait, r you slow?

[@dsdoyle1321]

Who cares

[@phil-bean]

The fact I’m getting this recommended to me the day before I’m going to an amusement park 💀

[@joermnyc]

“Traction Park” was notorious in the NYC area! There were rumors that an ambulance had to be on site while the park was open because at least one person would need it!

[@jaykirizz219]

3:38 as a Louisville resident, I KNEW this tragic nightmare would be on the list. For the record, the ride was never known to us locals as “Superman’s Tower of Power.” It was nicknamed “the HELLEVATOR.” And for good reason. 😥

[@pooky-changaming4089]

I’m also a Kentucky-ite. Did you know that Kentucky Kingdom was once called Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom?

[@kingsuave0965]

I seen the action park documentary it’s wild people knew it was dangerous and unsafe and they were like yeah let’s go get hurt for fun

[@strells]

You can have no idea how much fun Action Park was as a kid unless you went. Getting injured was almost a badge of honor for New Jersey kids! Luckily I managed to avoid injury.

[@kingsuave0965]

@@strells true it did look fun

[@cookie49ers]

I went to the First Aid after going off the Alpine Slide. They made you stand in a circle and sprayed an iodine mix on your skin, while they are laughing.

[@miracleNwonder]

80s.

[@RiddleLeech777]

And this... this is why you don't stand up during the ride no matter what!!

[@ScarysReviews]

no coverage of the Dreamworld travesty? Thunder rapid ride in Queensland, Australia?

[@familyoftacticaldroids309]

Honestly, nothing will keep me from going to amusement parks, aside from being unable to afford them, or the park not being interesting. I don't do thrill rides and honestly mostly go for shows, merch, and food - and of course, to leave the house for a while, haha.

[@DepezPoopsie]

I would swap out the bonsai pipeline water slide incident, because those kids were dumbasses, for the dreamworld river rapids ride tragedy in Australia. You would think that would be a harmless ride when in fact it caused 4 horrific deaths.

[@runninseason]

That thumbnail of a train flying off of alpengeist at Busch gardens Williamsburg is the most made up of shit ever 😂😂

[@Fury325Fan]

Fr bro I cringed just looking at it

[@patmanbnl]

They should change that image before Busch Garden's lawyers are calling.

[@chickade64]

I was sitting here thinking “I definitely would’ve heard if Busch Gardens had something crazy like that.” They really didn’t even try with that thumbnail 😂

[@kyleboulanger170]

How is the Thunder River Rapids tragedy at Dreamworld in Australia not here?

[@Komicklepto]

Or the rapids tragedy at Drayton Manor

[@KairaSuperSayan93]

I live 45 minutes away from Kentucky Kingdom. I remember when that incident happened. So sad. The park closed for several years and is under original ownership again. I haven't been back since it reopened.

[@SPAnComCat]

The Fact that #1 is a "Haunted House" ride only adds to the Fear-Factor and Irony.

[@CandiceVidito]

Even if these stories did happen, they won't stop me from going to an amusement park.

[@Ramesh-he8sd]

😊

[@pikaszablak7933]

I went to Kings Dominion yesterday, had a great time.

[@dariusivey543]

Same! I’m a half hour car drive from Busch Gardens Williamsburg and I love going

[@annien.1727]

Me, neither!

[@Reaperguy67]

​@@dariusivey543 I have the Florida park near me. I can't wait for the new coaster at my park to open up.

[@usuckthereturn]

The son of the mobster suspected to be involved with the amusement park ride in Australia was featured on a two part Kitchen Nightmares

[@wuraolaolagunju]

What episode?

[@THETexxStarr]

The guy who cut his toe on the coral... Shouldn't he have reported it when it happened.

[@Patrick-o8k]

It wasn't fatal but in 1986 celebry model Fabio had a rather embarrassing injury at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg Virginia. As he was going down the first dip a goose flew down and Fabio plowed into the goose at full speed. It messed up his nose splaterring blood on two other passengers. The goose did die however.

[@pooky-changaming4089]

So it WAS fatal-for the goose.

[@gregoryhoward2349]

The Dream world accident has to be on this list

[@Adam.Langton]

I vaguely remember shorty after West Edmonton Mall opened, and the Mind Bender roller coaster went off the tracks, back in the 80's. That was a pretty crazy one. I didn't ride it until I was fifteen or something.

[@josh33025]

I did like the clangyness of the old wooden coasters. I think it was at Kings Dominion in Virginia, but it's been like 20 years since I've been to an amusement park.

[@itsjeninMass]

Yes! The Grizzly! I loved that coaster, but the rattling scared the💩💩💩 out of me. LOL!

[@josh33025]

@@itsjeninMass yes that was it!

[@1rhpsfan]

I grade this video a C for acuracy.

[@SPAnComCat]

@@PartovtheFurniture That's what I Think too.

[@C3T1C]

This comes after a kings island guest ignored all safety signs and got struck by the banshee.

[@kish45]

The sad part about that was his kids even begged him not to do it.

[@reedspace8267]

A similar case happened with the Raptor at Cedar Point.

[@jaykirizz219]

I had my fav custom hat fall off during a rollercoaster ride once. They refused to let me get it despite me being able to see it and get to it easily. This was bc it was in a restricted area of the ride. I thought about just sneaking in and grabbing it anyway just like the banshee ride guy did for his keys. After hearing this story, I’m so glad my stubborn teenage self didn’t try.

[@Fury325Fan]

@@jaykirizz219 I’m glad you came to your senses in the end

[@Fury325Fan]

@@kish45 I even heard that strangers were telling him it was a terrible idea

[@hayeonkim7838]

Thanks for interesting and valuable video as always 😂😂😂

[@teresadixon2899]

How about a list of the safest parks? Holiday World doesn't seem to have any negative press.

[@mercedesdrake9113]

are you kidding? you dont remember all those years ago when the woman stood up on The Raven and died?

[@quix9556]

@@mercedesdrake9113so it wasn’t the park’s fault? Thanks for proving a point.

[@pooky-changaming4089]

Have people died riding the rides at Dollywood?

[@strells]

Proud to have visited 2 spots at the top of this list and survived: Great America (NJ) and Action Park!

[@NeverDoneTryin]

Me being from NJ: I expected this

[@user-fz8sp9fl8j]

Proof that amusement parks be entertaing on the surface but horrifying if you're in these parks or these rides.

[@Vixen2619]

Canada’s Wonderland is pretty safe actually

[@randomdefender1532]

Any other enthusiasts cringe during this video?

[@majicafilms]

Yup, only 4 in as well.

[@Fury325Fan]

Absolutely

[@jonnym4670]

when I was young my lap bar on a rollercoaster popped up my mom holding me down in my seat the entire time is the only reason I wasn't ejected, a year before a girl died from being ejected on that same coaster(not because of her lap bar)

[@Fury325Fan]

I’m sorry, but restraints don’t just pop up like that. My understanding is that they have to be manually undone, and this cannot be done while the ride is in motion. Any fellow enthusiasts in the comments, feel free to fact check me on this.

[@jonnym4670]

@@Fury325Fan I don't think it ever fully locked I didn't hear the click either way they aren't suppose to manually pop up but it did

[@Fury325Fan]

@@jonnym4670 What ride was this on?

[@ultrajd]

What’s ironic is I was at the Waterworld in Concord when the event in 1997 Took Pl. Granted I was only nine years old at the time but yeah. What’s even more ironic is the fact that when I was going to graduate school, they took us to that very same waterpark In 2003 for my seventh grade final field trip thing. Thankfully, though by then safety things and changed, and it was a lot more sturdy and its construction, but still.

[@itsjeninMass]

The Action Park documentary was really good. I think we might have gone there when I was a kid. LOL! These stories are so sad.

[@Jseerockhead40]

Well those drop towers were a real "let down" especially if your breakfast had a come back tour to say hi

[@quix9556]

I’ll give the accuracy of this video a D at best. Ridden hundreds of coasters and even worked on them, here I am in one piece and watched millions come off the same way.

[@fueladdiction]

When I was in 8th grade, I went on Top Gun at Paramount’s Great America. We were being cranked up for the first fall and when 1/4 of the cart went off the crank, it stopped. We were left up there for over an hour. No one came to tell us anything about the malfunction. We just sat there swinging our legs. Then the ride suddenly drops backwards free falling then stops abruptly. We were all screaming. Then the ride goes forward and runs just fine…but that was the most silent roller coaster ride I’ve ever been a part of. 😂

[@fireandbloodKMD]

The ad right before this video was for Cedar Point amusement park.😆 I do live like 45 minutes away, though.

[@robertthomas8123]

Bro stood up on a coaster smh

[@jacobdrolet4262]

Amazing video watch mojo of disaster amusement park make people that don’t want to go there anymore,fantastic job.

[@otakubancho6655]

I'm surprised Traction Park wasn't #1.

[@joannewilson1162]

I absolutely love amusement parks. And I know that accidents like this while tragic are very rare…

[@GirlofSteeleBFFs]

According to my dad, he said to me that he was to go to Luna park and also go on the ghost train, but he didn’t go that night, because his parents didn’t allow to go

[@InuYugiHakusho]

Being that it was so close to my hometown, I can't help but think of the Wildcat incident from Bell's Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In April 1997 one of the roller coaster cars slammed into the car following it, resulting in one casualty, and additionally six were injured. The ride was promptly dismantled afterwards, and Bell's was closed in 2006.

[@marvelfan8996]

What about the NSW amusement ride fire? No cause, no compensation for the families? That's unforgivable

[@CassiusSharp]

What makes the Superman Tower of Power one terrifying is the cable wrapped around her leg as the ride was going up to the top and they tried to get the operators attention, but they were too high up so all she could do was sit and wait for that cable to slice her leg off

[@voltrongirl28]

I already had a fear of amusment rides because I hate high-speed rides but watching this video gave me another reason not to go on any amusement ride. You never know when something on the ride could go horribly wrong.

[@gr82bkt2productionsmlp]

What about the Queensland Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids incident?

[@tashbroughton2694]

I was wondering where that was too!

[@fantasyfox965]

I have a heart condition so I can't ride roller coasters, but they always seem pretty dangerous to me lol

[@CollegeChick818]

only an illusion

[@kpeugh2011]

I’m anxious in theme parks now I’m a mum. I can’t protect my kiddo if something bad happens. And I can’t stand that.

[@Fury325Fan]

You have a better chance of tripping in the park and dying from the fall than you do dying on a coaster. I know that’s a morbid comparison, but I wanted to show you just how unlikely it is for this to happen to you or your loved ones.

[@AlexShellz-r4y]

2:57 not to mention the name of this ride as Dante's Inferno

[@davinp]

Today safety is taken more seriously then it was 100 years ago which is why some rides no longer exist as they were too dangerous such as the first one in the video. However, the US government doesn't oversee rollercoaster and other amusement park ride safety as that is left up to the state

[@wildboyy]

Bro brought back top10 roller coaster type videos 🙏

[@squirrel-1969]

I was on the mindbender rollercoaster with a friend in 1986. We decided to ride it one more time before leaving. We rode the coaster, got off and the ride was loading another group of people on and we left the mall. Little did we know that the last ride we took on the coaster was the one just mere minutes before the tragic accident happened.

[@emiliobello2538]

The Simpsons had these happen a lot too

[@leonardolim8976]

Top 20 stories that'll make you never wanna ride airplanes

[@neliaironwood7573]

I'd expect to see "Air France flight missing" (it crashed into the open ocean). I remember reading that article back in 2009 and that made me all worked up about flying on planes. Flight 370 also crashed into the open ocean but not before veering off course and some kind of explosion which caused all of its pieces to fly in different direction. And of course, Boeing's 2024.

[@DepezPoopsie]

Yes I hope they keep these coming!

[@kabby29]

I knew NJ was gonna be on this list a couple times.

[@dylanjbiss]

The worst for me: -Tyre Sampson's fall on the ICON drop tower -Verrukt waterslide incident -The video of the carnival ride starting to tip over until bystanders jumped on to weigh it down. -Final Destination 3 Please note: I am a huge coaster enthusiast and nothing will stop me from going to parks.

[@zinzinnatiohio]

7:14 Showing the TomoNews version is epic. 😂

[@KingdomofEvania100]

I never got to experience revere Beach. They closed down along with paragon park.

[@matthewdean9203]

I have been on the smiler several times since after the accident 0:02 😊

[@Fury325Fan]

How is it? I’ve heard mixed things

[@matthewdean9203]

@@Fury325Fan it is one of my favourite rollercoasters. In particular the second, 90 degrees accent and the amount of loops

[@danlove12k]

I saw final destination 3 and did not go back to an amusement park ever 🤓🤓

[@Late30sDude]

Remember last time I went to Six Flags almost fell off of roller coaster. In another ride my necklace broke.

[@seanmurphy4077]

Thank you for properly pronouncing Concord (from a New Hampshire guy!).

[@melissagrant4178]

I hear major of them from Disasterton, I also have a scary accient at a waterpark/ amusement park

[@AtarahDerek]

Sad but not remotely shocking that a guy died after being flung by a trebuchet. But I'm far more interested in what allegedly happened on that ride that it made it onto Mythbusters.

[@Vixen2619]

I’m also a fan of Canada’s Wonderland.

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

Yeah…that catapult probably would’ve ended badly at some point. Someone was surely going to miss the net at some point. That sounded like a dumb idea of a ride

[@SlipperySoap]

This is so sad 😢!

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

I live in Texas and I remember when that woman died on the Six Flags ride. I actually went to Star Wars for the first time that same year only about three weeks before the poor woman died. Our family were very thankful that nothing happened to us while we were there

[@WatchMojo]

We're glad to hear you had a safe visit, and our hearts go out to those affected by that tragedy.

[@nevadahamaker7149]

One word: Verrückt

[@missbellaiza]

Dudes, there’s alot more incidents

[@Pass179]

There is a rickedy racketedy roller coaster at Lakeside amusement park in Denver. All wood OLD. The scariest most fun rollercoaster STILL being used. Its been a while since I rode on it...but those days are over for me now.But half the fun is knowing you survived the ride.

[@gamemasteranthony2756]

Thankfully, we have a VERY good reason not to go to Valleyfair here in MN right now...and not because of fears of accidents. I mean...unless you don't mind kayaking through the park...

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

Why would you stand up in rollercoaster? I mean most of these were definitely the actual ride’s problem but that one man who stood up during a ride….Why would you do that?

[@omnomnomnath415]

Behind the Bastards did a great episode on Action Park.

[@voltrongirl28]

Defunctland also made a good episode on Action Park and its controversies.

[@msn64man1]

Roller coaster fist of pain

[@BlackHatCinephile]

🥉

[@Reaperguy67]

​@@BlackHatCinephile spam

[@Fury325Fan]

The media makes it seem like these incidents happen way more than they actually do. In reality, you’re more likely to die from tripping in your bathtub than you are on a roller coaster.

[@peterbowman5358]

Went on the zipper one time and the bar didn't lock. If I weren't as tall as I was and able to brace myself in the cage, I would have been rocked pretty hard...

[@Jay123hollis]

I've never liked amusement parks I find them boring.

[@Komicklepto]

One less person in the lines for the rest of us then.

[@zqxzqxzqx1]

I survived the Alpine Slide at Action Park (but hit my head pretty hard on a different attraction.) I also survived the Haunted Castle not long before it burned up.

[@NJLIFEHACKER]

Jackson Six Flagsis still up and running (with a new ride on that very same spot - I went on the new ride then years later found out about history.......spooky.

[@reedspace8267]

You left out the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns. A six year old fell to her death because her seatbelt wasn't fastened and the operators overrode the warning system.

[@crash777burn]

Six Flags was on this list a few times. It might be a fun park; however, I don't think I want to go to one.

[@genettacoleman6518]

Also at King's Island there was a child who fell and died on a ride called The Spider.

[@JacquelineBaby01]

Action Park should be number one ☝️

[@ZomBeeNature]

There used to be a wooden roller coaster I went on because it was supposed to be so extreme. It really was, it was painful most of the ride, and once my whole back and neck crackled and my uead hurt, I thought I had to be dying. Eventually they closed the ride, I don't know what happened. I'm glad it is closed. 😐

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

Cedar Point’s Gemini is wooden, yet I had a fun ride on it. I also enjoyed Iron Dragon for its smoothness.

[@vesbarrow]

The Racers at Kennywood are still around.

[@kish45]

I mainly stopped going to Kings Island not cause of the specific events that have happened over the last few years but because it was bought by Cedar Fair plus with how kid friendly they have Haunt nowadays with the stupid Boo bands and Boo necklaces that literally anyone can buy particularly the people that would buy them just to harass and get the haunt scarer employees in trouble I should know since I used to be one.

[@persephoenix]

Obviously I feel terrible for the Coney Island guy and his family, but I do wonder why he stood up while riding it. I hope his family got compensation.

[@elizabethcox5911]

Seems like a disportionate number of these are here in the USA

[@Aftarmath]

Somehow the decapitation from Cedar Point didn't make this list

[@emanuelgraciano457]

I’m surprised six flags over GA is not on this list. Back in 2008 a young teen was decapitated by the Batman ride.

[@Fury325Fan]

That was not the park’s fault. It was the teen’s fault.

[@pooky-changaming4089]

@@Fury325FanHow was it the teen’s fault?

[@MarshallBoice-fz2yq]

A trebuchet is not a catapult. It doesn't throw rocks it launches rocks there's a difference

[@Tummyachesurvior]

My dad used to go to Action Park when he was a kid and confirmed how insanely unsafe everything was lol