Death in the Parks

The Disney theme parks have been responsible for many accidents and even some deaths over their history. Given the size of the theme parks, it should come as no surprise that such tragedies are bound to occur. That being said, accidents at Disney feel particularly sinister, perhaps due to the irony of a disaster happening at such a "safe" and magical place. 

Disney has created an image of perfection, and it prioritizes maintaining this image. Disney does a remarkable job of brushing its accidents under the rug. I was surprised to learn today that a man died (and many more were injured) when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed in 2003. It amazes me the way Disney is able to distract the public from these tragedies. As the Los Angeles Times described the incident, "Frontierland was quickly sealed off and park employees in coonskin caps politely kept guests from entering the area." This image was unsettling to me, and it seemed to represent how Disney uses its magical charm to create and protect an unrealistic image for itself.

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/sep/06/local/me-disney6

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Big_Thunder_Mountain_Railroad_2.jpg