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Andrew
01-27-2009, 01:27 PM
Brandon Zucker dies at 13; injury at Disneyland brought focus to amusement park safety (http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-brandonzucker27-2009jan27,0,4509442.story) -- LA Times

In the days and months after 4-year-old Brandon Zucker was trapped under the Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin ride at Disneyland in September 2000, his mother said, she would sit at his hospital bed and whisper her son's favorite phrase into his ear: "I have an idea." She would beg, even as hope dimmed, "Get up and let's get out of here. Let's go home."

Although Brandon, who turned 13 two weeks ago, left the hospital, he never recovered from his injuries. He died early Monday morning in his mother's arms at Children's Hospital of Orange County, more than eight years after the widely publicized accident that helped focus attention on amusement park safety.

Andrew
01-27-2009, 01:28 PM
Boy’s death recalls past fatal Disneyland accidents (http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/disneyland-deaths-3948/) -- LA Times Travel

The death of Brandon Zucker on Monday, who was critically injured when he was trapped under the Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin ride at Disneyland in 2000, brings to 11 the number of attraction-related fatalities in the Anaheim theme park’s half-century history.

The first Disneyland death, in 1964, involved a 15-year-old Long Beach boy who stood up in the Matterhorn Bobsleds and fell out.

A second death occurred on the Matterhorn in 1984 when a 48-year-old Fremont, Calif., woman was thrown from a roller-coaster car and struck by an oncoming bobsled. In both incidents, the seat belt was found unfastened.

miss bianca
01-27-2009, 01:44 PM
poor family :crying:

Jim Dear and Darling
01-27-2009, 01:59 PM
How heartbreaking. I think of Brandon every time I'm on Roger Rabbit. I hope peach comes to his family. I'll bet he's running around up in heaven. May he rest in peace.

dznyphreak
01-27-2009, 02:05 PM
I apologize if this comes off as heartless, but wasn't this incident determined to be the result of neglect on the parents' part? I was under the impression that the only Disneyland fatality to be the fault of Disney was BTMRR...It's sad that such a young person died, don't get me wrong, but I thought it was more the parents' fault than Disney's. I might be wrong on that though.

cstoops17
01-27-2009, 02:53 PM
I apologize if this comes off as heartless, but wasn't this incident determined to be the result of neglect on the parents' part? I was under the impression that the only Disneyland fatality to be the fault of Disney was BTMRR...It's sad that such a young person died, don't get me wrong, but I thought it was more the parents' fault than Disney's. I might be wrong on that though.

The article says "The state determined that Disneyland employees did not properly load Brandon into the ride -- with the smallest child farthest from the cutout entryway -- and failed to fully lower the lap bar."

Darkbeer
01-27-2009, 03:02 PM
Disney did settle with the Family, rumored that it was $20 to $30 million in damages Disney paid.

The OC Register had a good article in today's Paper with a graphic showing the changes made to the ride vehicles.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/changes-disneyland-orange-2291262-suffered-zucker

Also, Disney also changed how they dealt with contacting Paramedics. At the time, the Ride Operator called the Central Disneyland Operator, who then called 911 and relayed info, which did cause problems. Shortly after the incident, Disney had Ride Operators call 911 directly if they felt they need immediate medical attention.

Also, Disney arranged to have a Paramedics office station on property (It is near House of Blues).

Clearly, Disney admitted the problems, and was the main cause for the accident.

Mark Mywords
01-27-2009, 03:22 PM
I was under the impression that the only Disneyland fatality to be the fault of Disney was BTMRR...

Actually, I think the first fatality to have that distinction was the Columbia accident back in 1998.

olegc
01-27-2009, 04:07 PM
i for one wonder sometimes about one lap bar. I am "large" (ok, fat, :fez:) and my youngest child at times never was held by the lap bar on some of the attractions. I always had him inside RRCS vehicle but he still could slide around (same for BTMRR). it is an issue when you only have room for a couple and the size of the two riders are severly disproportionate.

Toocherie
01-27-2009, 04:14 PM
Oleg--I agree with you and have also been concerned about that. On some rides it doesn't seem as dangerous (Haunted Mansion for one) but on the roller coaster type rides I would think Disney would make you ride apart if there weren't separate lap bars for each person (that's one reason I like TSMM--each person adjusts the lap bar to their own body type).

Niwel
01-27-2009, 04:18 PM
Of course, now you have to be a contortionist to get in and out of the cars on Roger Rabbit without whacking your leg.

june1st1997
01-27-2009, 04:54 PM
i for one wonder sometimes about one lap bar. I am "large" (ok, fat, :fez:) and my youngest child at times never was held by the lap bar on some of the attractions. I always had him inside RRCS vehicle but he still could slide around (same for BTMRR). it is an issue when you only have room for a couple and the size of the two riders are severly disproportionate.


Oleg--I agree with you and have also been concerned about that. On some rides it doesn't seem as dangerous (Haunted Mansion for one) but on the roller coaster type rides I would think Disney would make you ride apart if there weren't separate lap bars for each person (that's one reason I like TSMM--each person adjusts the lap bar to their own body type).

This is something that is becoming an issue for us now that Miss A is riding more. Peter Pan, not a fast ride, but we're up pretty high. I have a death grip on that kid anytime she is on anything.

We just rode the roller coaster in Toontown and I had my arm around her and held her so tight to me I don't think she could breath. On the matterhorn I wrap both my arms around her, a mom harness if you will.

I cannot imagine anything more painful than losing a child, I hope the fact that she was able to hold him as he passed some small comfort.

That poor family.

BraMax
01-28-2009, 07:42 AM
That is such a tragic incident.

I know on some of the rides I am paranoid when I sit with my youngest. BTMRR is a big one for me. I feel that the lap bar doesn't go down enough and I try to hold on to him but he gets soooooo mad at me. I now tell him it's for mom because she is scared and needs to hold him so that she isn't.;)

I remember the first time we took them on SM I put the lap bar down too far on my oldest and in the end he hated the ride because he was uncomfortable. So we have a deal now he can lower it but it must be down far enough and thankfully the CM's have always checked and he is fine. Only once did they click it down one more notch.

MermaidHair
01-28-2009, 09:00 AM
I am also not a fan of the single lap bar. DH and I are the same height (6 ft.) but he weighs substantially more than me, and I am no skinny minnie. Anyway, when I ride BTMRR with him even I come up off the seat because the lap bar is not at my lap. Not fun or comfortable. When we ride as a family both kids ride with me - and I hold on to the little one!

My heart goes out to Brandon Zucker's family. Peace.

Walt'sbirthdaygirl
01-28-2009, 11:57 AM
That is such a tragic incident.

I know on some of the rides I am paranoid when I sit with my youngest. BTMRR is a big one for me. I feel that the lap bar doesn't go down enough and I try to hold on to him but he gets soooooo mad at me. I now tell him it's for mom because she is scared and needs to hold him so that she isn't.;)

I.


That's a great idea telling him its for my, my youngest is a skinny little thing and I am, well the opposite end of the spectrum. I tried holding him the last time we rode BTMRR, and he kept wiggling and batting my hand away. I'll try that next time, I would actually almost feel more comfortable with him riding with his older sister (she is 8) than with me!

xXzombieXmouseXx
01-28-2009, 03:04 PM
So sad... my condolences go out to the family and hope they find happiness in the fact that he is no longer suffering or in pain.

MrMetzger
01-28-2009, 03:10 PM
It is sad, and my heart goes out to the poor family, but I wonder how much they can sue Disney for this, you know?

Malcon10t
01-28-2009, 04:14 PM
It is sad, and my heart goes out to the poor family, but I wonder how much they can sue Disney for this, you know? Suit is done and overwith. They already sued and settled.

Toocherie
01-28-2009, 04:44 PM
Of course, now you have to be a contortionist to get in and out of the cars on Roger Rabbit without whacking your leg.

Exactly why I don't ride RR anymore--got tired of the bruises! I understand why it was done, however.

mousecanuck
01-28-2009, 08:44 PM
That is EXACTLY how I felt on BTMRR when we went during the 50th - it scared me so bad that there was a six to eight inch 'width' difference between me & then 7 year old son!!! I sort of held my hand over his shoulder the whole time and he really freaked me out because he had no fear at all (still doesn't) and would hold his arms straight up periodically!!! Not so bad this last trip (Dec 08), but back then I actually would sit out when my husband and kids went on as I just couldn't stand it!

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
01-28-2009, 10:16 PM
Such a tragic accident. As a mother, if I was in her shoes, I would fill forever guilty for allowing my child to move around in the ride.

The old man
01-29-2009, 10:06 AM
Such a tragic accident. As a mother, if I was in her shoes, I would fill forever guilty for allowing my child to move around in the ride.
I'm not sure what this means.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
01-29-2009, 08:35 PM
I'm not sure what this means.

fill=feel

I would feel guilty for not making my child sit still in the ride. I have heard more than one story saying that he was reaching down to grab a hat, then another says he was trying to get back in the car with his father, behind him.

dznyphreak
01-29-2009, 09:13 PM
I have heard more than one story saying that he was reaching down to grab a hat, then another says he was trying to get back in the car with his father, behind him.

This is what I was talking about. I thought that it had been more like this than the fault of the ride/CM's, but the court ruling says otherwise.

Klutch
01-30-2009, 04:22 AM
Actually, I think the first fatality to have that distinction was the Columbia accident back in 1998.

Long before this incident a woman was ejected from a Matterhorn bobsled and died. This happened in the 1980s when you didn't hear as much about such incidents. Rumor had it Disney paid dearly for that one.