For as long as they've been around, amusement parks have attracted billions of people since the first amusement park opened in 1846. It doesn't matter where adrenaline enthusiasts live, there's always a theme park or two they're trying to chase. According to FoxNews.com, over two billion people flock to these amusement parks each year to try the new roller coaster, eat their weight in greasy food and just have plain old fashioned fun. It's 2020 and people seem to have things dialed in and semi-secure, but not everything works out the way it's supposed to.
Amusement parks are supposed to be harmless and light-hearted, but it doesn't always turn out that way. The 10 amusement parks below have a history of danger and negative reviews, which is why a family considering a trip like this should reconsider going to these specific parks below.
10 Rye Playland, NY: People Thrown From Rides And Food-Borne Illnesses
Topsy-turvy rollercoasters can turn a person's stomach alone, but three years' worth of health inspections found food safety to be a problem here. According to NY Post, the risk of food-borne illness is very likely. It also doesn't help that back in 2004, a little girl was thrown from a ride that still stays in commission to this day.
9 Six Flags, Multiple Locations: Roller Coasters Derailing With Passengers
Six Flags is an all-American amusement park that everyone wants to go to. It seems like a fairly safe place, but after hearing about a tree branch falling on the rails of a roller coaster ride and derailing the coaster's car, that's enough for anyone to want to stay away.
8 King Island Amusement Park, Ohio: 7 Injured On A Water Ride
Water rides are fun on a hot, sunny day, but not so fun when the supposed secure boat car for the ride tips over. The ride called, "Shoot the Rapids" malfunctioned and injured several people back in 2013. The ride has been permanently shut down since then but makes customers wonder what else isn't safe there.
7 Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Kansas City: People Thrown From Rafts In Mid-Air
In Kansas City, a waterslide ride that boasts being one of the tallest in the world, took the life of a young boy back in 2016. Two years prior, a raft flew up in the air and landed 168 feet below the highest point. This is probably a good indication to stay away from water park rides from now on.
6 Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park, The Dells, Wisconsin: Woman Being Thrown From The Top Of High-Rise Ride
This dual theme and water park is a Midwestern favorite, but doesn't have the best track record. Back in 2014, Mount Olympus had permanently closed a ride after a major accident. An older man fell nearly 17 feet from a roller coaster and suffered serious injuries.
Related: 10 Coolest Water Parks In The World
5 Luna Park Coney Island, New York: Falling Off Of Roller Coasters And Unsafe Ceilings
Over on the east coast, Coney Island is known for its ocean views, greasy food and apparently, unsafe rides for all ages. Back in the late 1990s a ride broke down and gravely injured a little girl and injured eight others. Since then, there have been other incidents that have injured customers as well.
Related: 17 Weird Things About Coney Island We Didn't Know (8 We Didn't Want To)
4 Dreamworld Amusement Park, Australia: Water Pump Malfunction Leads To Water Ride Flipping Over
At an amusement park down under, a faulty water pump lead to a water ride raft being stranded. This ride took four lives in 2016. Once the water pump malfunctioned, these four people were thrown from the raft instantly.
3 Disneyland - Anaheim, California: Unsafe For Workers After A Piece Of Equipment Fell
Disneyland is dubbed "the happiest place on Earth" for its copious amount of kids, fun shows and delicious food. It's one of the most popular amusement parks in the world, but people might think twice after hearing about dangerous working conditions. A man was struck by a metal plate and never recovered.
Related: According To Former Employees: Here's What It's Like To Work At Disneyland
2 M&Ds Motherwell Theme Park, Scotland: Roller Coaster Ride Completely Derails
Across the pond, M&D's Motherwell theme park was fined over a ride crash. A ride called, "Tsunami" malfunctioned and injured nine people. Seven children were among those injured in 2016 when five gondolas plunged 30 feet to the cement floor.
1 Great America Theme Park - Santa Clara, CA: Train Ride Not Completely Stopping For Passengers To Get Off
A lot of people have a fear of heights and a lot of people love the thrill; but after tragedy struck at a theme park in Santa Clara, people might be more afraid than not. A park worker was busy on his cell phone, dropped it, and ran into a moving passenger on one of the train cars. The worker was seriously injured, as was the passenger.