When Guests visit Disney World, it often is a magical experience, but there are instances where things may go awry.
Credit: Disney Parks Blog
Of course, injuries can occur wherever you are, but when they happen at the Most Magical Place on Earth, it should be documented. Whenever a Guest is injured on a ride and hospitalized for over 24 hours, Disney World must document the injury. However, The Orlando Sentinel has reported that in an investigation, the publication discovered that these theme park injury reports (for the Florida parks like Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort) are not often very detailed:
“[L]ast year the public [didn’t] often get the details when someone is hurt at a major theme park. The state theme park injury report doesn’t always clearly describe the injuries and the parks have at times downplayed the extent of visitors’ injuries. For instance, in 2019, Universal said a New York tourist experienced “numbness” after he broke his neck on a Volcano Bay water slide and was unable to move at the bottom of the ride.”
Some reported injuries at Walt Disney World in early 2021, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, have included a “72-year-old woman “became ill” while riding Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom,” and “A 69-year-old woman also “injured her ankle” at Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride in Epcot’s Mexican Pavilion.”
We are not sure how severe the injuries in both instances were. The report does not indicate how or why the Guest became ill on Kilimanjaro Safaris, and we are not sure of the severity of the EPCOT Guest’s ankle injury.
It seems that the only way that more details could be released to the public is if there were a push for more government oversight of theme park injuries in the State of Florida, but this is not something that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has indicated he will do. Currently, however, the theme parks in Florida — including Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort — have very little government oversight.
Credit: Disney
However, unlike the Universal injury that was outlined above, neither of the Disney World injuries have been discovered to be much more severe than indicated.
If you are ever injured or in need of help at a Disney World theme park, be sure to find a nearby Cast Member who can provide you with the assistance you need.
Disney World will always do their best to ensure Guest safety, as we are currently seeing in the parks with the strict mask mandates and social distancing put in place as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. You can read more about safety at Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — on the theme park’s official website here.
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