We talk a lot about the best churro spots at Magic Kingdom, which quick-service windows have the shortest lines, and whether the Topolino's breakfast is actually worth waking up at 6 a.m. to book. That's our lane, and we love it. But every so often, something comes across our desk that we feel genuinely obligated to pass along — even if it's not exactly a fun read.
This is one of those times.
A research team at Playcasino.com recently dug through publicly available incident data, state safety filings, and injury reports to rank the worst mass-injury events ever recorded at currently operating U.S. theme parks. The methodology is clean: parks are ranked by the highest number of people hurt in a single documented incident. No editorializing, no weighting for ride type or park size. Just the numbers.
And look — about 30,000 amusement park injuries requiring emergency treatment happen in the U.S. every year. Most theme park visits go off without a hitch. We're not here to tell you to cancel your trip. But if you've got a Disney vacation on the books, or you're planning to hit any of these parks this summer, there are a few things below you'll want to know before you get in line.
Kings Island Just Set a Record Nobody Wanted
Kings Island — Mason, Ohio — 27 Injured in One Incident
Kings Island in Mason, Ohio holds the record for the single largest mass-injury event at any currently active U.S. theme park, and the story behind it is genuinely alarming.
On the night of July 9, 2006, a structural beam on the Son of Beast wooden roller coaster cracked while a fully loaded train was passing over it. The crack created a sudden dip in the track. Riders hit it without any warning whatsoever. Twenty-seven people were sent to the hospital — 19 of them required actual medical treatment — with injuries concentrated in the head, neck, and chest.
The ride was shut down immediately and stayed closed for the rest of the season. When it reopened in 2007, the iconic 118-foot vertical loop was gone and the trains had been swapped for lighter models. It wasn't enough. Son of Beast was demolished in 2012, and the record it set that July night still stands.
Kings Island itself is still open. In 2024, a 38-year-old man bypassed a restricted area near the Banshee roller coaster and was struck by a passing car traveling at more than 65 mph. Make of that what you will.
Yes, This One Involves Disneyland. We Know.
Disneyland — Anaheim, California — 25 Injured in One Incident
We don't love writing this section. But here's the thing: it happened, it's documented, and if you're a regular Disney park guest, you deserve to know about it.
On July 29, 2005, Space Mountain's purple train rear-ended the red train in front of it. Twenty-five guests were injured. Fifteen were transported to local hospitals. The investigation that followed found that a faulty brake valve — installed by Disney's own team just days before the crash, not by the ride's manufacturer — had caused the collision.
That's the mass-injury event. But Disneyland's safety record also includes something far worse. On September 5, 2003, a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad train derailed inside a tunnel after improper maintenance caused the locomotive's axle to fail. The locomotive became airborne, hit the tunnel ceiling, and landed on the first passenger car. Twenty-two-year-old Marcelo Torres was killed. Ten other riders were injured.
Disneyland has welcomed guests since 1955 and sees around 18 million visitors a year. The park's overall safety record is strong. These incidents are the exception — but they are not rumors, and they are not ancient history.
Eight Teenagers Didn't Make It Out. This One Stays With You.
Six Flags Great Adventure — Jackson, New Jersey — 8 Killed in One Incident
The numbers here are smaller than the incidents above. The outcome is not.
On May 11, 1984, a fire broke out inside the Haunted Castle walkthrough attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure. Eight teenagers died. They died because the building had no smoke detectors, no sprinkler system, and no functional emergency lighting. When the smoke filled the space, they couldn't find their way to the exits.
A post-incident investigation found that the park had known about serious safety deficiencies inside the attraction and had not corrected them. Six Flags Great Adventure was charged with aggravated manslaughter. The Haunted Castle was demolished.
The park is still operating today under the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, which completed its acquisition of Cedar Fair in 2024. It remains one of the highest-traffic parks on the East Coast. We'll leave you to sit with that.
Disney World Has More Annual Incidents Than Any Other Park in America
Walt Disney World — Orlando, Florida — Highest Annual Incident Volume
Walt Disney World does not have a single catastrophic mass-injury event at the top of its record. What it does have is more total annual incidents than any other active theme park in the United States — and it isn't close.
In 2023 alone, the resort reported 23 separate incidents requiring at least 24 hours of hospitalization across its four parks. Universal Orlando reported fewer than a third of that over the same period. Between 2016 and 2020, Disney World submitted 122 injury and illness reports to Florida state authorities.
Among the 2023 incidents: a 44-year-old man collapsed after disembarking Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom and later died. The resort serves roughly 58 million guests across its four parks every year. A low incident rate still produces real numbers at that scale.
If you're planning a Disney trip with kids, grandparents, or anyone with a heart condition or neurological history, please read the posted warnings at each attraction before you board. They are not decoration.
22 People Spent Three Hours Dangling 40 Feet in the Air
Six Flags Magic Mountain — Valencia, California — 22 Stranded in a Partial Derailment
Magic Mountain closes out the list with an incident that made national news and resulted in a multi-hour search-and-rescue operation in the middle of a summer day.
On July 7, 2014, a pine tree branch fell across the track of the Ninja suspended roller coaster. The front car of the train partially derailed on impact. All 22 riders on board were left suspended approximately 40 feet off the ground. Urban search-and-rescue teams took nearly three hours to bring everyone down. Four people were hurt; two were hospitalized, one with a knee injury and one with a neck injury.
Cal/OSHA's investigation determined that the coaster's front wheel had struck the tree first, sending a branch into the front car before the train traveled another 30 feet and stopped. One year later, a rider lost consciousness on the same coaster and died in hospital the following day.
Magic Mountain is still open and still holds more roller coasters than almost any other park in the world.
We're going to keep covering Disney dining, park tips, and everything else we love about these places — that's not changing. But this report was too significant to scroll past, and we figured you'd rather hear it from us than stumble on it cold. Stay informed, check the health warnings before you ride, and travel smart out there. We'll see you in the parks.
