Amusement Park Disasters (Volume 2) : Theme Parks

Episode of Morbid · June 22, 2026 · 1 h

Morbid hosts Alaina Urquhart and Ash Kelley recount fatal accidents at Disneyland, California's Great America, and New Jersey's notoriously dangerous Action Park.

Summary

In the second installment of Morbid's amusement park disasters series, the hosts opened with a discussion of their differing attitudes toward risk. Urquhart described herself as deeply risk-averse, a trait she said intensified after having children, while Kelley suggested Urquhart enjoys safer thrills like haunted houses and scary movies. They also promoted their upcoming Radio City Music Hall show with guest Jonathan Van Ness and Urquhart's Butcher Legacy book tour.

Urquhart then traced Disneyland's early history, including the creation of the Matterhorn from castle excavation dirt, before recounting a series of deaths at the park: Mark Maples's 1964 fall from the Matterhorn bobsleds, Thomas Cleveland's 1966 death on the monorail track during a graduation night, the 1973 drowning of Bogdan Delarotte near Tom Sawyer's Island, a 1984 boat-theft drowning, and the 1998 Columbia sailing ship accident in which a flying cleat killed Luan Phi Dawson. She noted that the scene of the Columbia accident was cleaned up before police arrived.

The episode then covered California's Great America, including the 1980 death of Kyle Foss on Willard's Whizzer, a 1998 death on Top Gun of a man later found to be misidentified, and the 1999 fall of 12-year-old Joshua Smurfett from Drop Zone, where attendants were 14 and 16 years old. The final segment examined Eugene Mulvihill's Action Park in Vernon, New Jersey, drawing heavily on his son Andy Mulvihill's account; Urquhart described its risk-embracing ethos, repeated deaths, park denials of electrocution findings, and its 1996 closure after creditors discovered it carried no liability insurance. Kelley remarked that America currently feels like Action Park.

Chapters

0:00
Intro and attitudes toward risk
The hosts introduce the theme parks episode and discuss Urquhart's aversion to risk versus Kelley's thrill-seeking, including astrology and parenthood.
8:11
Show business and Scotland
They promote the Radio City show with Jonathan Van Ness and the Butcher Legacy tour, and discuss Urquhart's fear of flying and their wish to visit Scotland.
10:19
Early Disneyland and the Matterhorn
Urquhart outlines Disneyland's 1955 opening, early rides, and how excavated dirt became the Matterhorn.
13:42
Mark Maples on the Matterhorn
The 1964 death of 15-year-old Mark Maples, the coroner's investigation, and hazing rumors.
17:46
Trespassing deaths at Disneyland
Thomas Cleveland's 1966 monorail death, the 1973 Tom Sawyer Island drowning, and a 1984 stolen-boat drowning.
23:06
The Columbia accident
A 1998 docking error sent an iron cleat into a crowd, killing Luan Phi Dawson, and the park's cleanup of the scene drew scrutiny.
28:04
Great America's Whizzer and Top Gun
Kyle Foss's 1980 death on Willard's Whizzer and the 1998 Top Gun death of a man later identified as Suarez Robles.
38:17
Drop Zone fall
Joshua Smurfett's 1999 fall from Drop Zone and revelations about teenage ride attendants.
41:56
Action Park
The history of Eugene Mulvihill's risk-embracing New Jersey park, its deaths, denials, and 1996 closure over lack of liability insurance.
Linked moment · 56:35Skip to 56:35 using a listen link in the info box.
56:35
Wrap-up and fun fact
The hosts reflect on Action Park as a metaphor for America and share a fun fact about cows' regional accents.

People

In the conversation

Alaina UrquhartCo-host of Morbid, autopsy technician and author of the Butcher novels
Ash KelleyCo-host of the true crime podcast Morbid

Discussed

Walt DisneyAmerican animator and founder of Disneyland
Eugene MulvihillNew Jersey businessman who founded Action Park
Andy MulvihillSon of Eugene Mulvihill and author of an account of Action Park
Jonathan Van NessAmerican television personality announced as guest for Morbid's Radio City show
Mark Maples15-year-old killed on Disneyland's Matterhorn in 1964
Luan Phi DawsonVisitor killed in the 1998 Columbia sailing ship accident at Disneyland
Kyle Foss13-year-old killed on Great America's Willard's Whizzer in 1980
Joshua Smurfett12-year-old who fell to his death from Great America's Drop Zone in 1999
George Larson19-year-old killed on Action Park's alpine slide in 1980

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From the publisher

Since the late nineteenth century, amusement parks have been providing countless hours of enjoyment for people all around the world. Often driven by the latest technology and advances in mechanical engineering, the thrill rides at parks like Disney Land, Great America, and other independent parks offer a controlled environment to experience terror and excitement. While these rides, and the parks in general, are very safe and held to strict safety standards, there are times when the unthinkable happens—a cable snaps, a safety harness breaks—and the once safe ride becomes a nightmare for passengers. Far more often than not, tragic amusement park accidents are the result of human foolishness or, far less often, operator error. But other times, they are a bizarre fluke; a one in a million mechanical problem no one saw coming. Either way, the results can be shocking, horrifying, and even deadly.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: History·True Crime·Society & Culture