Some of the biggest Disney World draws are the rides, which guests sometimes wait hours in line for. But as at every amusement park, there are remote risks to these attractions, including injuries. These incidents are extremely rare, but Disney makes a point to document them. According to Fox 35 Orlando, the major theme parks in Florida are required to self-report injuries and other incidents to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). And the most recent report includes a death. Read on out more about the unfortunate incident.
RELATED: People Are Turning Away From Disney Parks.
A man collapsed after riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Wirestock Creators / ShutterstockThe incidents are listed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Exempt Facility Report, with the most recent data collected for the second quarter of 2023, which spanned from April to June. Per the MOU Report, 11 incidents were reported at Florida parks, six of which were at Disney World.
According to the report, on May 26, a 44-year-old man collapsed after exiting the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a popular ride at the Magic Kingdom. The report states that the guest "later passed away from a personal illness."
No additional details are included with the report, and the document notes that data "reflects only the information reported at the time of the incident." The report adds that "due to privacy concerns, the Department does not receive updates to initial assessments of a patron's condition."
Best Life reached out to Disney World for more information, and will update the story upon hearing back.
RELATED: Disney Park Attendance Has Plummeted—Here's Why, CEO Says.
Other injuries included a broken bone and seizures.
Craig Russell / ShutterstockThe other incidents at Disney World last quarter included both minor and more serious medical conditions. In April, a guest experienced a seizure after riding Flight of Passage and another experienced a seizure after riding Frozen Ever After.
In May, a nine-year-old guest "lost consciousness after experiencing" TRON Lightcycle/Run, a new attraction.
And in early June, a 41-year-old man fractured his elbow while exiting the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and later that month, a 27-year-old man experienced "chest pains and illness" after riding Test Track.
RELATED: Why Disney Parks Really Seem Empty This Summer, Experts Say.
There were several other incidents at Florida parks.
VIAVAL TOURS/ShutterstockDisney World wasn't the only major theme park to report incidents last quarter. In May, two guests at Sea World experienced syncope (the medical term for passing out or fainting) after riding two separate rollercoasters.
At Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in June, a guest had "exacerbation of prior hip surgery" after riding the Kumba rollercoaster.
Universal Studios listed incidents as well, including a report of a 75-year-old woman who experienced motion sickness after riding Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in April. The next month, a 61-year-old woman experienced motion sickness after riding the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
Legoland didn't report any incidents for the second quarter.
The report lists incidents dating back to 2001.
ShutterstockThe MOU Exempt Facility Report includes incidents dating back to the early 2000s—and there have been a few other deaths reported in recent years.
In Sept. 2022, an 83-year-old man with a pre-existing condition experienced a "cardiac event and later passed away" after riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover. In May the year prior, a 58-year-old man with a pre-existing condition passed out after exiting Spaceship Earth at Epcot, and "later passed away at [a] hospital," the report notes.
Before that, there was a death reported in 2018. Per the report, a 70-year-old man with a pre-existing heart condition had a heart attack related to the Melt-Away Bay wave pool (located at the Blizzard Beach water park at Disney World) and passed away.
And in 2017, another death was reported in relation to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, when a 54-year-old man with a pre-existing condition collapsed and then passed away at a hospital.
