Investment firm wants Disney to put accident disclosure to a vote

Supermandl:

Exactly. Getting an accurate accounting of accidents would be good for the parks, to prove they are safe and it would be good customer relations!

If there is a problem with these parks, then it would give them a chance to clear the air and set things straight. Either way it could be very helpful to the industry. Being truthful is not a bad trait to have. Being truthful would instill more trust to the consumers by relieving the doubts that are being cast upon these parks!

The best part is.. if there is actually less injury and deaths then are being guess-ta-mated right now... then you all get a big vindication for the industry! As well as the industry itself!

As an investor I would be seriously concerned if the insurance rates were so high becasue of accident award/negotiated pay outs. Not to mention all the legal fees associated with all the counsel that has to be retained! ( I am sure that is a hefty amount in itself!)

I dont think it is the actual dollar amount of the pay out to the accident plaintiffs that is concerning but more the over all rise in premiums and associated legal fees.

This would clear many things up and end all the bickering here on Coasterbuzz! Wouldnt you like that? LOL

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http://members.aol.com/rides911/accidents.htm
http://www.saferparks.org

I would've rather won Powerball (8/15/01)then be your 1 out of 23,000,000!!

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Getting an accurate accounting of accidents would be good for the parks, to prove they are safe and it would be good customer relations!

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No, I think that's good for lawyers. It's a waste of taxpayer dollars. After talking with some members of the "GP" at work, I've discovered that most people don't care, and despite the media coverage, are unaware of most of this year's events. (Execpt for the Goliath aneurysm, oddly enough, in which the folks thought it was pointless to try to find a connection with the ride.)

People get hurt doing all kinds of things all of the time. Heck, that's what the CPSC looks for. By their own admission, they've demonstrated how you're more likely to get hurt golfing. Do people stop golfing? Do they start regulating the sport? Of course not! Why extend that to yet another industry where it will have no effect on anyone other than ambulance chasers?

Ugh... I need to stop. I'm starting to sound like a Republican. ;)

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"From the global village... in the age of communication!"
Watch the grass grow!

Oh Jeff, I didnt say a darn thing about regulations! You are SO STUCK on that! I am simply saying its a "good faith" effort bythe industry to get accurate numbers!

AND what if the numbers prove there are LESS incidents? Wouldnt you want to toot your horn about that???
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http://members.aol.com/rides911/accidents.htm
http://www.saferparks.org

I would've rather won Powerball (8/15/01)then be your 1 out of 23,000,000!!

I agree with Jeff... People KNOW about accidents but they still flock to amusement parks. Disneyland has had several accidents but people still come from around the world to visit Disneyland. More then half the time the media is wrong. As a big shareholder in Disney... I am going to vote no... why do they need to tell everyone about people's stupid mistakes. For example the kid who foot got cut off on Big Thunder Railroad, it was completely his fault not Disney's fault... the media made it sound like it was Disney fault. The reason that accident happened because someone thought they would break the rules.

About regulation... It the government trying to fix a problem that doesn't need to be fixed. BB you should read Jeff's open letter to Markey(who can find this letter in the editorial section of this site).

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Andrew Hyde
http://www.experiencethepoint.com
Author- Experience The point: The Unofficial Guidebook To Cedar Point

It's amazing how most of you people on here are so caught up just by the word "Regulation" that you can't see what is going on beyond the end of your nose.Your so caught up in the fact that you think something might change in your beloved coaster riding that you are getting all defensive about it. The majority of posters on here haven't taken the time to sit down and look at this from a different perspective and see that there are other view points out there, like those of BB and Supermandl in this instance.I find it amazing though how you attack BB when she has just been reaffirming the point of Supermandl,and there is nothing said to him.Is it just easier to attack her because she is coming from the perspective of someone that was involved in an accident? She makes a good point though...what if they do prove there are less accidents?

If I were an inverstor I would want to know these type of things,because that involves money in my pocket. In the end if this is passed all it's going to do is put the information out there that
accidents have occured and let the consumer be aware of what is happening at the park. Basically all this is doing is informing the consumer and letting them make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to use the park or what rides they may or may not want to ride. Is it going to adversely affect the business....more than likely not in the least. Case in point look at the cigarette business.

My point being even if the information is out there people are going to make their decision, but at least they are going to have the option to decide because they are informed.

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Airborne: Death From Above!

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It's amazing how most of you people on here are so caught up just by the word "Regulation" that you can't see what is going on beyond the end of your nose.Your so caught up in the fact that you think something might change in your beloved coaster riding that you are getting all defensive about it.

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Defensive? No... irritated is more like it. Even something as simple as federal reporting is more tax dollars spent. What's worse, such a program sets a precedent to spend more money on more programs that have no significant benefit to the taxpayer. If you're going to spend more money on something, why not teachers or something that would actually better our nation?

But that has nothing to do with this issue.

My issue would be, if I was a shareholder, that revealing your settlement costs is like inviting any idiot who tripped and scraped their knee in a Disney park to call their lawyer. Duh. That's money that won't be making your pocket.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"From the global village... in the age of communication!"
Watch the grass grow!

Jeff its good that your starting to sound like a republican, its mean your for more freedom and less government intrusion into our lives and letting us decide whats best rather than big brother government doing so because they think we are too stupid. This has nothing to do with safety at all but government looking to over-regulate another industry and overtax them for doing so. Also gives lawyers the ammo they need to file more lawsuits. It wouldnt end any bickering because if the totals were too low the parks would be accussed of cooking the books by people like rep. markey who dont care About safety but do care about making government bigger and increasing the amount of money government confiscates from us thru various forms of taxation. A database is a client list for lawyers!

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...its mean your for more freedom and less government intrusion into our lives and letting us decide whats best rather than big brother government doing so because they think we are too stupid.

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Hold on now... Republicans do plenty of that as well, just for different things. That's what all politicians do.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"From the global village... in the age of communication!"
Watch the grass grow!

"Defensive? No... irritated is more like it. Even something as simple as federal reporting is more tax dollars spent."

First of all, it does not take Federal intervention for Disney to report to their shareholders the information they already have. After thier army of lawyers have disseminated the cases presented and proceeded with their tactics ..whether it be a payout for injury or a walk to court to win a defensive verdict, they already know how many injuries they have had at their parks. All Disney has to do is make a few paper copies and give it to the shareholders that have enough stock to vote.

By the law of statistics ACCIDENTS will happen, whether it be the rider's fault, operator error, ride malfuntion or a real honest to goodness accident. By the millions of visits and ride operations the law of statistics states that there will be a problem. The parks are not PERFECT Jeff. Nothing is perfect in this world.

As a paratrooper, I saw individuals "burn in" = their parachutes did not open and thus they died. We then gathered the information we could and learned from that experience to make any needed changes ( changed out reserve chutes, recieved new improved chutes, upped our inspections). We then went out armed with that knowledge and jumped again. In the Army, we always tried to learn from our mistakes.

The accidents WILL HAPPEN Jeff.. so is it so hard for you to deal with that? YOU cloud and inflame the issue by throwing out terms and words like "federal regulations & tax dollars" instead of doing anything yourself to imrpove this situation. You then attack anyone attempting to improve this very situation even if the improvement is to just gather information; information that is already tabulated and sitting in some retained attorney's file cabinet.

If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

Oh by the way, teachers salaries are decided at a local district level. The federal government does not set salary guidelines or do they pay teachers.

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Airborne: Death From Above!

Jeff i would agree to a point but most of the regulation that is proposed that affects our daily lives is intiated by liberal minded politicians,most of the time under the banner"If it can save just one life, or Its for the children"
Sapper12b if disney did what you would propose it would be in the hand of trial lawyers who would use it against disney in future lawsuits. Once it out everybody would have access to the info. Do you not think disney or any theme park operator doesnt do the same thing after a injury and try to fix any flaws a ride may have to make it safer so they are sued less?? Are theme park operators perfect no, but what says government regulation will make any thing safer. Government just wants to control our lives more which they do via regulation and the threat of regulation will cause companies to make more political donations to get government off their backs. And lastly do you think the federal government gives any more without strings attached, if you do then you may be misinformed. Why else does the government require breakfest meals for kids in you accept federal funds or now require states to have a .08 blood alcohol level if you get federal highway funds as just two examples among many of how the government requires you to follow their wishes if you get federal funding. Jeff is trying to help the problem by keeping government off the back of us and theme park operators by regulating the fun out of theme parks. How can you cloud the issue with the truth, is the government not trying to impose regulation and saying they will need at least 5 million to enforce the regulations(you know it will be alot more). You may want less freedom but i sure dont.

Sapper 12B: What are you getting at? Where did I say accidents wouldn't happen? My "federal intervention" rant is a tangent to this issue in response to someone else's tangent. I'm perfectly aware that Disney's disclosure to shareholders doesn't involve tax dollars. Contrary to popular belief, I'm actually not stupid.

While we're at it, I never said parks were perfect. Stuff happens. What does that have to do with anything? If shareholders want to know about these settlements and don't see how that would hurt stock prices, that's their business.

The situation doesn't need improvement by anyone. My God, some people make it sound like death and injury is an accepted part of the amusement business. Everyone wants a solution to a problem that isn't there (and that's a quote from a Democratic rep, I might add).

A wise man once said, "Life sucks, buy a helmet." Yes, there is some ridiculously insignificant risk of injury on an amusement ride. As has been said by the CPSC themselves, said risk is less than most of the activities you'll do in an average day. So why even go there? Everyone always want to protect me (or the "children") in cases where I don't need to protection.

And yes, I know that local districts determine teacher salaries, and I grow tired of your assumptions about what I know or don't know. I worked for a school district and my wife spent a year as a teacher. Districts get a great deal of federal funding, and while not all grants can be used to pay teachers, they can be free up other funds to pay teachers.

Again, the original issue in this news isn't about regulation, but it always leads to that.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"From the global village... in the age of communication!"
Watch the grass grow!

This has nothing to do with "regulation," but what this has to do with is Goodwill and Money, this whole fiasco comes down to saving money, if someone can come out with something to save money for the park, and patron that person is  genius, and will put this whole issue to bed.