We all like going to theme parks, funfairs, amusement parks and the like, but what happens when these fun days out take a turn for the worse? In a minority of cases a day out at a theme park can be ruined by an accident. Thousands of people visit theme parks every year and they are generally safe, however, if you attend a theme park and suffer in an accident that was not your fault then you could be entitled to compensation.
Why Am I Entitled to Compensation?
Victims of theme park accidents are entitled to make a compensation claim following an accident because the owners of the theme park owe its visitors (and staff) a duty of care. Naturally, when you say theme park accidents the first thought is of injuries sustained on rides and whilst that it is true, accidents can happen anywhere in the theme park from the restaurants to the car parks.
In order to qualify for compensation, the only criteria as far as the actual accident is concerned is that there has to be some negligence on the part of the owners or management. For example, a defective or improperly maintained ride could result in a collision or jolt causing whiplash.
The same principle applies to the rest of the park. So failure to clean up liquids or having uneven paving, either of which could results in a slip or trip, also means that the managers of the park have breached a duty of care. In the same way if you obtain food poisoning in one of the restaurants or poor signposting / fencing results in you wondering out of bounds and into a dangerous maintenance area.
Of course you have to actually suffer from an injury in order to make a claim and it has to be the fault of the park management. If you ignore signs and take a wonder into an area that you are not supposed to be in and then suffer from an accident then you may not be entitled to compensation. (Although it could be argued that the theme park did not do enough to prevent you from accessing this area, in which case you may be entitled to some compensation, although this could be greatly reduced because you are partially to blame).
What Should I Do If I Have Suffered From A Theme Park Accident?
If you suffer from an accident in a theme park then there are certain things you should do, if possible, to ensure that your claim is as strong as it possibly can be. Firstly you should report the accident to a member of staff. You should also take pictures of the area surrounding the scene, obtain details of any witnesses (names and addresses) so that they can be approached later for statements and of course seek immediate medical attention. If the accident is serious then the Health and Safety Executive should also be informed.
If you have to pay for any medical expenses then you should keep receipts as these can be reimbursed. Depending on the seriousness of you accident, in addition to your compensation you may also receive payments for future medical expenses, loss of income and any other losses that you suffer as a result of the accident.
Making A Claim
If you have suffered from an accident in a theme park then you should speak to a specialist personal injury solicitor, who in most cases will be able to deal with your case on a no win no fee basis.
You should however visit your solicitor within three years of the accident otherwise you may be time barred from making a claim. If the victim of the accident is a child then they have three years from their 18th birthday to make a claim. If a claim has to be brought outside these time periods then special permission from the court has to be obtained to bring a claim and your solicitor will have to make this application to the court.
Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
No matter what age you are, it’s hard not to get super excited at the thought of theme parks! We love rollercoasters, haunted houses, water slides and getting up close to tropical animals. If that sounds like something you’re into stay tuned. (And if you’re not into it, well, what’s up with that?)
We’ve got a super quick theme park guide for Florida this year. Head for Orlando, where you’ll meet dragons, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and have the trip of a lifetime. Or get to know some fishies at SeaWorld. If you or your little ones know can tell the difference between a wizard and a muggle, there’s a Harry Potter world of wonder in store for you. Not only can you relax in the sunshine, but children (of all ages!) will get excited by the amazing adventures on offer.
The big daddy of them all is surely Walt Disney World. With four separate parks, you could probably stay for weeks and still not see all of it. The Magic Kingdom Park is where storybook adventures come true. Epcot is home to dazzling shows, with plenty of audience interaction and you’ll get to see your Disney friends like Nemo in person.
For water babies, there are two amazing aqua parks: Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, where you can enjoy the thrills and spills and heart racing ups and downs of the slides, pools and family style raft rides.
If you want to cram in as much as possible into your holiday, we think a Serengeti night safari in Busch Gardens is definitely one to watch. There’s an acrobatic show, rollercoasters in the dark and fireworks every night. Ok, the kids might not sleep after it, but you’re on your holidays!
Universal in Orlando is a fantastic slice of action. A top choice is the newly opened Wizarding World of Harry Potter, at the Island of Adventure. Taste butterbeer, get up close to dragons and hippogriffs or stock up on jokes from Zonko’s Joke shop. The Harry Potter theme park has had rave reviews and is well worth a visit.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Flight of the Hippogriff ride (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Imagine getting face to face with a killer whale? Or how about learning how dolphins chat to each other? At SeaWorld Orlando, you can help trainers feed the animals, go on a turtle trek in 3D or have an adventure on the thrilling rollercoasters. Plus, we LOVE the sound of a sleepover at SeaWorld. What better way to watch polar bears feasting on peanut butter and fish for breakfast? We’re sure kids of all ages will be blow away by their visit.
So, this is just our small list, we know there are plenty more to choose from, Florida is practically the home of theme parks! If you’ve been and have any other suggestions, we’d love to hear them!
According to The Los Angeles Times, Universal Studios have announced their plans to build the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka, Japan. The park will include the Hogwarts Castle and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and its estimated to cost $500 million.
Warner Bros Consumer Products President Brad Globe says:
“This type of immersion is what the fans crave more than buying traditional merchandise. Our strategy is focused on theme parks because its a different experience. They’ve read the books and seen the movies, but no they can enter the world.”
Meanwhile, J.K Rowling has given her full support to the project saying:
“I was delighted to experience and enjoy the attention to detail, creativity and superb craft that went into the first Wizarding World in Orlando. I am equally delighted that the same level of expertise and enjoyment will translate to the new park in Japan.”
The Japanese parks is slated to open in 2014, prior to the opening of the park being built in Hollywood, California which is expected to open in 2016.
The debut of Universal’s Superstar Parade at Universal Studios last week had me musing about Theme Park Parades I Have Known. And that can only lead to a list and a photo gallery from the Orlando Sentinel photo files.
These rambling notes don’t necessarily represent the best parades in Orlando theme-park history, but they are five to which I have attached fond memories.
1. Tapestry of Nations, Epcot. OK, maybe this one is the best, at least my favorite. Great music, giant drums, enormous puppetry were the hallmarks. Too bad World Showcase isn’t really built for parading.
2. Block Party Bash, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I know there are Bash bashers out there, but Disney had me at trampolines with this. Bonus points for cutest walk-around character ever: Boo from “Monsters Inc.”
3. King Gator float in Mardi Gras parade at Universal Studios. Even a decided non-(Florida) Gator like myself must admit this big ol’ float dominates any street it wants.
4. Once Upon a Christmastime parade, Magic Kingdom. Who’s not a fan of the clomping toy soldier brigade? I also loved the Very Merry version that featured dozens of women in shorty Santa costumes, playing glockenspiels. (Related, and probably better: Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween parade, complete with headless horseman and grave-diggers who use their shoves to make sparks fly.)
5. Long-ago Easter parade, Magic Kingdom. Here at Theme Park Rangers World Headquarters, we like to call this Mickey’s Very Curious Easter parade. Chip and Dale had mustaches! “Rocky Top” was involved! I think there was a surry with fringe on top, but I KNOW there were live dogs, more than a dozen of them, leashed and heading down Main Street. It’s my favorite Disney World head-scratcher.
Honorable mentions: Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!, which is great for crowd participation and it makes me laugh to see characters do choreography to Miley Cyrus songs; the late great pre-show parade through Frontierland for Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee; and two special motorcades, one for Olympian Michael Phelps and one for the Chilean miners, which had a bonus of having the Vice Mayor of Main Street on hand. She spoke Spanish.
Your results may vary, of course. What theme-park parades have made you happy?
Ride Rating: 5 Aggressive Thrill Ride (see more info here on the ride rating system)
Candy Brand Key: Reese’s through Jolly Rancher (see more info here on the Candy Brand Key)
Number of riders per hour? 1175
Amusement Park Mom’s Comments: Folks, I don’t ride coasters so please help me out here and leave some comments on what you think of Hersheypark’s SooperDooperLooper. Did you ride it the first year it opened? What do you think of the new trains for 2012? What’s your favorite part of the ride? least favorite?
Any water involved? No.
Roller Coaster Stuff
Steel coaster with 2614 feet of track
Max Speed 45 mph
Loop is 57 feet high
Ride duration is 1 minute and 45 seconds
6 cars per train
New trains installed 2012
Handicapped Information
Handicapped individuals must have registered for the Ride Accessibility Program (see more here) prior to riding this ride to determine eligibility to ride.
Non-ambulatory riders and up to three guests may enter using the elevator. Must get assistance from ride attendant.
History of the ride:
Year installed: 1977
Manufacturer: Anton Schwarzkopf
more history to come
Have anything you’d like to mention about this ride? Leave a comment for others to see. Thank you!
Ride Rating: 5 Aggressive Thrill Ride (see more info here on the ride rating system)
Candy Brand Key: Twizzler’s and Jolly Rancher (see more info here on the Candy Brand Key)
Number of riders per hour? 1350
Amusement Park Mom’s Comments: Folks, I don’t ride coasters so please help me out here and leave some comments on what you think of Hersheypark’s Skyrush. This is year one and I’m sure you’ve been waiting to try out those wing seats. What did you think? Is it the best coaster at Hersheypark? If not, which coaster is?
Roller Coaster Stuff
Steel coaster with 3720 feet of track
Max Speed 75 mph
Largest drop is 200 feet
Ride duration is 1 minute and 3 seconds
Handicapped Information
Handicapped individuals must have registered for the Ride Accessibility Program (see more here) prior to riding this ride to determine eligibility to ride.
History of the ride:
Year installed: 2012
Manufacturer: Intamin
more history to come
Have anything you’d like to mention about this ride? Leave a comment for others to see. Thank you!
Qatar’s Barwa Real Estate, the Middle East’s biggest property company by assets, is in initial studies to incorporate a theme park into the designs for its new tourist resort in South Msaieed, about 50km from Doha, a leading executive told Arabian Business.
The property developer inked a deal with Qatar Petroleum in March to rent part of the Msaieed Industrial City to transform it into a resort and design and feasibility studies are currently underway.
“It is under design,” Mohammed Ismail Al-Emadi, director group real estate investment for Qatar told Arabian Business in an interview at his office in Doha.
“I think entertainment is being studied. These things should be studied well. We are doing the studies for the theme or aqua parks… [but] what is the size the market can [sustain]?” he added.
Branded resorts and entertainment venues have become commonplace in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi developed Ferrari World, Dubai is planning a series of theme parks in Dubailand, Jordan has announced a Star Trek-themed centre at the Red Sea Astrarium and even lesser known Ras Al Khaimah recently signed a US$1bn deal with Spanish football giant Real Madrid to build a resort on a manmade island off its coast.
Despite this trend for big names, Al Emadi said he has no plans at the moment to follow suit. “Maybe in the future but not now… Not for the moment… Our name is a brand anyway in the region. We are concerned about quality not quantity and want to add quality to the market.”
Al Emadi said the project is moving forward very quickly and the concept designs are currently being brainstormed and will be finished within two months. Once the detailed architectural drawings are completed, he is confident construction will start within a year, putting the project on course to open around the end of 2013.
The project will be built in phases, but Al Emadi currently doesn’t have any final completion dates at present. “We are planning to make it in phases as you cannot deliver all the projects at one time into the market and the designs will be divided into phases to meet market demands.”
Barwa Real Estate this month reported its first-quarter profit fell by almost half after a loss from revaluation of investment properties.
Net income, excluding non-controlling interests, fell to QAR292.5m (US$80m) from QAR548.5m a year earlier, according to a statement posted on the Qatar Exchange.
Barwa lost QAR25.4m from property revaluation, against a QAR420.1m gain a year earlier.
Qatari real estate is recovering from excessive home-and office-construction before the global economic downturn four years ago. Average rental rates for apartments and villas were unchanged in Doha, the capital, during the first quarter, even as the leasing market “picked up significantly,” according to a report last month by Asteco, a real-estate services company.
Barwa, in which government-controlled Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co. owns the biggest stake, is also developing properties in countries such as Egypt, the UK and Russia, according to its website.
The company’s revenue fell to QAR650.6m in the first quarter, from QAR1.3bn a year earlier, according to the statement.
Barwa’s stock was down 3.1 percent, at QAR27.05, on the Qatar Exchange at the 12:30 pm close of trading today, the biggest decline since March 22.
Qatar’s Barwa Real Estate, the Middle East’s biggest property company by assets, is in initial studies to incorporate a theme park into the designs for its new tourist resort in South Msaieed, about 50km from Doha, a leading executive told Arabian Business.
The property developer inked a deal with Qatar Petroleum in March to rent part of the Msaieed Industrial City to transform it into a resort and design and feasibility studies are currently underway.
“It is under design,” Mohammed Ismail Al-Emadi, director group real estate investment for Qatar told Arabian Business in an interview at his office in Doha.
“I think entertainment is being studied. These things should be studied well. We are doing the studies for the theme or aqua parks… [but] what is the size the market can [sustain]?” he added.
Branded resorts and entertainment venues have become commonplace in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi developed Ferrari World, Dubai is planning a series of theme parks in Dubailand, Jordan has announced a Star Trek-themed centre at the Red Sea Astrarium and even lesser known Ras Al Khaimah recently signed a US$1bn deal with Spanish football giant Real Madrid to build a resort on a manmade island off its coast.
Despite this trend for big names, Al Emadi said he has no plans at the moment to follow suit. “Maybe in the future but not now… Not for the moment… Our name is a brand anyway in the region. We are concerned about quality not quantity and want to add quality to the market.”
Al Emadi said the project is moving forward very quickly and the concept designs are currently being brainstormed and will be finished within two months. Once the detailed architectural drawings are completed, he is confident construction will start within a year, putting the project on course to open around the end of 2013.
The project will be built in phases, but Al Emadi currently doesn’t have any final completion dates at present. “We are planning to make it in phases as you cannot deliver all the projects at one time into the market and the designs will be divided into phases to meet market demands.”
Barwa Real Estate this month reported its first-quarter profit fell by almost half after a loss from revaluation of investment properties.
Net income, excluding non-controlling interests, fell to QAR292.5m (US$80m) from QAR548.5m a year earlier, according to a statement posted on the Qatar Exchange.
Barwa lost QAR25.4m from property revaluation, against a QAR420.1m gain a year earlier.
Qatari real estate is recovering from excessive home-and office-construction before the global economic downturn four years ago. Average rental rates for apartments and villas were unchanged in Doha, the capital, during the first quarter, even as the leasing market “picked up significantly,” according to a report last month by Asteco, a real-estate services company.
Barwa, in which government-controlled Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co. owns the biggest stake, is also developing properties in countries such as Egypt, the UK and Russia, according to its website.
The company’s revenue fell to QAR650.6m in the first quarter, from QAR1.3bn a year earlier, according to the statement.
Barwa’s stock was down 3.1 percent, at QAR27.05, on the Qatar Exchange at the 12:30 pm close of trading today, the biggest decline since March 22.
