Ep. 105: Action Park: Waterslides, Whiplash & Mortality
Summary
Disaster Hour reunites with a full cast to revisit the infamous Action Park, a notoriously dangerous 1980s water park in New Jersey. The hosts detail founder Gene Mulvihill’s reckless design choices, including the lethal Cannonball Loop and Colorado River Rapids, which caused severe injuries and deaths. They explore the park’s chaotic culture of underage staff, rampant alcohol consumption, and a lack of safety regulations that turned it into a lawless playground of cheap thrills.
Topics discussed
Introduction and welcome to the group episode
Episode suggestions and show plugs
The origin story of Gene Mulvihill and Action Park
Opening day and the park's unique layout
Unsafe culture and underage employee hiring
Employee hazing and the rowdy park atmosphere
The Cannonball Loop and violent testing methods
Navy doctor insights on 9 G-force injuries
First summer failures and inflation math game
Legal loopholes and the fake insurance scheme
Details on the Cannonball, Cliff Diver, and Rapids
The Taint-A-Hole, Wave Pool, and Tarzan Swing
Motorworld rides and the toxic snake-infested pond
The Alpine Slide and the infirmary's orange spray
Guest deaths and the state's failure to shut down
Federal fraud charges and Gene's land acquisition
Financial collapse and the park's closure in 1996
Post-closure history and Gene Mulvihill's death
Disaster rating and assigning blame
Fun facts, ride preferences, and outro
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