A 42-year-old man died on October 12 after he was ejected from Goliath, the B&M hyper coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, striking four children on his way down. Six Flags closed Goliath that afternoon and, by the next morning, nine coasters it calls similar at six other parks, and SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Williamsburg closed Mako and Apollo’s Chariot. Magic Mountain reviewed Goliath and reopened it within three days. Hersheypark never closed Candymonium: its own inspectors and an independent one cleared the ride, and the manufacturer found no engineering basis to shut down similar coasters. Three investigations are open, and none has named a cause. The park reopened for Fright Fest on October 16 with Dr. Fright’s Dead Man’s Party renamed Dr. Fright’s Party, and Six Flags shares have fallen every day since, from $11.92 to $8.11.
IAAPA’s statement puts the serious injury rate at 1.27 per million roller coaster rides, which makes a shark attack more likely. Those numbers matter to everyone except the public, who hear "roller coaster" and "death" and remember X2 from last month. The rest of the industry should get in front of it with its safety procedures, because every park that closed a coaster just told its guests the ride might be dangerous, and that question spreads.
Meanwhile, Universal Orlando is bringing back the horror makeup show with Blumhouse attached, spanning the classic monsters through modern horror. Classic monsters get a contemporary hook, Blumhouse gets a physical touchpoint, and the backlash to the show’s removal confirmed the demand.
Finally, Nashville Zoo canceled Zoolumination after visa applications for its Chinese lantern artisans were denied. Any event that depends on artists from outside the country needs a parallel plan.
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