Eli Bridge Program Teaches Children Safe Ways to Enjoy
Amusement Park Rides in the Land of Theme Parks

Central Florida children can be considered some of the luckiest in the country, with their choice of amusement parks and attractions within driving distance.

But battling the crowds, heat and sheer mechanics of some rides also can prove dangerous to the area's smallest patrons.

Kissimmee mainstay Old Town recently reached out to local students with a message designed to make kids and their parents aware of the safest ways to enjoy a day at the parks.

"Just wearing the right clothes for rides can keep you safe," said Old Town ride manager Alan Carlson while giving a demonstration at Reedy Creek Elementary School recently. "Loose shirts, baggy pants and flip-flop sandals are items to avoid," he said.

He also used volunteers to demonstrate the different types of safety restraints, and why parents are allowed to ride with only one child at a time on certain attractions.

"Dad is a little bit bigger than the rest of us, right? And his belly usually sticks out a little more?" Carlson asked, to cascades of laughter. "So he can only ride with one child at a time, because the bar restraint protects him, but then he helps protect you."

The students learned safe ways to get on, enjoy and exit rides.

Carlson also handed out a letter for parents, a take-home activity workbook and the best gift of all - two free passes for a day of Old Town rides.

"The only condition is that you each tell someone else about the safety lessons you learned today," Carlson said.

More elementary presentations are planned, with an adapted curriculum being developed for teenagers.

"We actually want to bring high-schoolers out to Old Town, and along with safety, show them the actual mechanics and science involved in making rides run," Carlson said.

Amusement ride manufacturer Eli Bridge Co. of Illinois, following an accident involving one of its products, designed the program. Instead of trying to forget the incident, the company decided to develop a curriculum that helped patrons understand the dangers of improper ride usage.

"Most amusement park injuries are minor and could have been prevented by people slowing down and using rides properly," Carlson said. "This is just a way to remind kids that even though they are excited, they need to be aware."