Gabrielle Russon
Three Epic Universe visitors — who were among the theme park’s first-ever guests — were hospitalized after falling sick on new thrill rides, according to the latest quarterly state theme park injury report.
A 32-year-old man felt chest pain on Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a family-friendly launch coaster in Epic Universe’s How to Train Your Dragon land. The man’s medical episode happened May 5 while Universal Orlando’s multibillion-dollar park was in guest previews before it officially opened to the public May 22.
Meanwhile, two guests — a 63-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman — reported feeling a “dizziness/altered state of consciousness” and “visual disturbance/numbness” within days of each other after riding Stardust Racers. That’s a dual launch racing coaster that goes up to 62 mph in Epic Universe’s Celestial Park.
They both had a preexisting condition that’s not described further in the report. The man’s medical incident happened June 22, while the woman’s occurred June 24, according to the state report.
Florida’s major theme parks are required to self-report visitors who fall sick or get hurt on rides when they are hospitalized for at least 24 hours.
The Epic Universe incidents weren’t the only hospitalizations from April through June as millions of Spring Breakers and Summer vacationers traveled to the theme park capital of the world.
Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando and the two other Universal theme parks also reported guest health problems, including five incidents where the visitors were in their 70s or 80s.
At SeaWorld Orlando, a 78-year-old woman became unresponsive riding a carousel, while a 24-year-old woman “experienced a medical condition” on the Infinity Falls, the rapids ride.
At Disney World, an 87-year-old woman passed out on the dark ride Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom. The report said she had a preexisting condition, but again, it’s unknown what it is.
A 76-year-old woman fell while getting off the arcade-style dark ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom and hurt her right leg, the report said.
At Universal Studios, a 72-year-old woman felt weak and dizzy on Jimmy Fallon’s Race Through New York, a 3D motion simulator.
A 77-year-old man also felt chest pain riding the Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services releases the theme park report every quarter. The report is one of the rare ways the public finds out about theme park injuries since Florida doesn’t have regulations as strict as California’s, where other Disney and Universal theme parks are located. Florida theme parks self-report guests’ injuries, and even then, few details are known.
“The following report is a compilation of data collected from the exempt facilities and reflects only the information reported at the time of the incident,” a disclaimer on the state theme park injury report now says following media coverage about lack of transparency for guests’ injuries and medical issues.
“Due to privacy-related concerns, the Department does not receive updates to initial assessments of a patron’s condition.”
