Is Disney held to a higher standard?

[OogieBoogie]

I found this posting on another website and thought it be a good discussion topic for here.

Is Disney held to a higher standard?

In my opinion, without a doubt. Is it fair? No way.
Over the weekend, a kid fell out of a roller coaster at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park (between Orlando and Tampa). The media covered the incident, but not in the same fashion they've covered incidents at any of Disney's parks. I just saw a brief article that you never would read about Disney. It simply stated the boy was at fault.
But last year, the media coverage of the death of four year old Daudi Bamuwamye after riding the Mission: Space ride at EPCOT was completely different. Despite the fact that he had heart problems and there are 13 (estimated) warnings posted before riding the ride, the media made it look as if Disney was to fault for the incident.

Don't believe me? Check my references from a paper I completed last semester in my Crisis Communications class (graduate level) on this topic.

Associated Press. (2005). Federal oversight of theme parks urged. PittsburghLive.com,

• 18 June 2005. Available online at: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/newssummary/s_345358.html

AV Stop Magazine Online. (2005). A Hazard In Aerobatics Effects of G-Forces on
Pilots. 26 October 2005. Available online at:
http://avstop.com/AC/AC91-61.html
Balancia, D. and Peterson, P. (2005). Death Raises Ride Questions. Floridatoday.com,

• 15 June 2005. Available online at: http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050615

Boyd, C. (2005). Experts differ on how Disney should handle tragedy of child’s death.
Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2005.
CBS News. (2005). Boy, 4, dies after Disney ride. 14 June 2005. Available online at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/14/national/main701770.shtml
Collect Space Online. (2003). Mission: SPACE – Choose to go! Available online at:
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-082503a.html
Curtis, H.P. (2005-1). Autopsy shows boy died at Disney from heart condition. Orlando
Sentinel, 15 November 2005.
Curtis, H.P. (2005-2). Bad heart killed boy. Orlando Sentinel, 16 November 2005.
Deaner, D. D. (2003). Environmental Tectonics Corporation Statement, ETC Sets the
Record Straight On Mission: Space. Released 14 October 2003.
Falcioni, J.G. (2005). Engineering Theme Parks. Mechanical Engineering Online,
August 2005. Available online at: http://www.memagazine.org/backissues/aug05
Foglesong, R.E. (2001). Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando. New
Haven, CT and London, England: Yale University Press.
Foglesong, R.E. (2005). Personal interview conducted in-person at METROPLAN

• ORLANDO (315 E. Robinson Street, Suite 355, Orlando, FL 32801), 26 October 2005.

Fox, G. (2005-1). Disney employees’ response questioned. WESH.com, 15 June 2005.
Available online at: http://www.wesh.com/news/4614063/detail.html
Fox, G. (2005-2). Heart ailment blamed for Disney ride death. WESH.com, 15

• November 2005. Available online at: http://www.wesh.com/news/5328073/detail.html

Frost, J. (2005-1). Blink before riding: Steps to better decision making at Disney World.

• The Disney Blog, 14 June 2005. Available online at: http://thedisneyblog.typepad.com/tdb/2005/06/blink_before_ri.html

Frost, J. (2005-2). Breaking: Child dies after riding Mission: Space. The Disney

• Blog, 14 June 2005. Available online at: http://thedisneyblog.typepad.com/tdb/2005/06/breaking_child_.html

Fun World Magazine Online. (2003). G Force Misconceptions. March 2003. Available
online at: http://www.funworldmagazine.com/2003/Mar03/Features
Garavagila, J.C. (2005). Report of autopsy, Office of Medical Examiner. Released on 15
November 2005.
Hudson, T. H. (2003). A New World Standard for Amusement Rides. ASTM.org, August

• 1. Available online at: http://www.astm.org/SNEWS/AUGUST_2003
     

Key, P. (2003). ETC sues Disney for breach of ride contract. Bizjournals.com, 8

• November 2003. Available online at: http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2003

Levine, A. (2005). It’s a Small Solar System After All. About.com, 26 October 2005.
Available online at: http://themeparks.about.com/cs/disneyparks
Marr, M. and Cutler, K.M. (2005). Disney balances family image, need for wild rides.
The Wall Street Journal, 2 July 2005.
MSNBC.com. (2005). No trauma found in death tied to Disney ride. 15 June 2005.
Available online at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8214870/
Pollak, J. (2005). Walt Disney World Resort Statement. Released on 14 June 2005.
Available online at: http://www.local6.com/print/4605977/detail.html
Powers, S. (2005). Disney road paves way to skip I-4, enter park. Orlando Sentinel, 13
September 2005.
Schneider, M. (2005). Disney World death raises calls for more theme park oversight.

• Seattletimes.com, 18 June 2005. Available online at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin

Scopa, M. (2003). Theme park safety in Walt Disney World. MousePlanet.com, 17

• September 2003. Available online at: http://www.mouseplanet.com/mike/ms030917.htm

Shafer, J. (2005). Boy on Disney ride didn’t suffer trauma. WESH.com, 14 June 2005.
Available online at: http://www.wesh.com/travelgetaways/4605206/detail.html
Stock, S. (2005). Designer questioned Mission: Space’s safety, testing. WESH.com, 15

• June 2005. Available online at: http://www.wesh.com/news/4614321/detail.html?subid=10100244

Walt Disney World Information. (2004). Available online at: http://www.wdwinfo.com
Yancey, K.B. (2005). Another vacationer collapses. USAToday.com, 15 July 2005.

• Available online at: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20050715/dd_disney15.art.htm

[NeverNeverland]

I think so. Because they're a bigger, more well known company. Because of their reputation.
It's uinfair but that's life.

[splashmountainfreak]

They have a reputation to keep up, they are also big and famous and rather easy to attack. Media gold mine...

[pixie chick]

yes, i think they are held to a higher standard. i don't think that's always necessarily a bad thing, though. of course, when something goes wrong, it will probably be covered more heavily than another company. on the other hand, disney can call in major stars & sponsors like no other, too.

[alphabassetgrrl]

Disney set itself a standard for safety, dignity, and ... class, for lack of a better word. I think that's a fine thing. So yes, when somebody gets hurt at Disney, it's more of a shock than at other parks.

[jes77]

Yep ... they are surely held to a higher standard and yes they helped set that standard for theme parks -- but that dosen't neccessarily mean that it's fair

[Aura of Foreboding]

Disney is a class act. They are a theme park, not an amusement park, the second oldest theme park industry in the world. They have always placed a high value on everything that they do. I would say that the general population is more likely to be shocked if something goes wrong at Disney than any other park for the simple matter of fact that Disney is Disney, a highly sought after name, a name with class and reputation, a name that is the TOP in theme parks. Do I agree with the media's extra attention on mishaps at Disney parks? Probably not in most cases. Do I understand? Yes, I do.

[Hector]

I don't think htye're held to a higher standard, I think they get more money for the news outlet much more then Cypress Gardnes would. Just think of all the times your local news gives "previews" of a "major story" and it turns out to be pretty stupid. they suck you in with the tease.