Family’s Vacation to Walt Disney World Ends In Tragedy After Father Dies at Resort

in Walt Disney World

Disney's Beach & Yacht Club

Credit: Disney

A family visiting the Walt Disney World Resort earlier this year was struck by tragedy after one member collapsed and later died due to the effects of a fentanyl overdose, reports find.

Spaceship Earth
Credit: Disney

Philip Weybourne, 40, from West Malling, Kent, England was attending the Walt Disney World Resort on a family vacation with his wife, Dorlyn Weybourne, and young son this past May. They began their Disney Resort trip on May 20, 2022, but just three days later, on the evening of May 23, Mr. Weybourne would have tragically passed away.

According to LBC, Mr. Weybourne was the “Middle East director of Excis Compliance Limited, a global IT support company” and was vacationing with his family at the Disney Park when the incident happened.  The tech director collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest while at a bar at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. It has not been made clear which location Mr. Weybourne was in but the Yacht Club Disney hotel in the EPCOT Park Resort area has both the Ale & Compass Lounge and the Crew’s Cup Lounge which both offer bar service.

Pier at Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Credit: Disney

Related: Disabled Cast Member Sues Disney World Over “Unlawful Conduct”, Unsafe Conditions

Speaking after the inquest at Maidstone County Hall, Mrs. Weybourne spoke on the tragic Disney vacation:

“On May 23, we woke up late and had no theme parks to attend on that day. It was just going to be a relaxing day, we booked a meal at the Boat House, a seafood restaurant at Disney Springs which is also home to tours in vintage amphibious automobiles. My son and I had been shopping and met with Philip at 1pm at the Boat House.

“We had the best lunch, we drunk champagne like we did when we lived in Dubai. Afterwards we went on an amphibious car ride and to end our day we headed back to the hotel at about 5.30pm.”

Boathouse Restaurant at Disney Springs
Credit: Disney

The report acknowledges that Mr. Weybourne had then gone to the bar alone and just two hours later his wife received a knock at the hotel door stating her husband had collapsed and been rushed to a hospital in Celebration. He was confirmed dead, having suffered a cardiac arrest due to lethal amounts of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in his system.

disney springs water tower
Credit: Disney

The assistant coroner spoke about Mr. Weybourne’s tragic passing. Catherine Wood said:

“This must have been very difficult and distressing for Mr Weybourne’s family. I don’t know the circumstances that led up to his death as Mr Weybourne died in another country. He had no underlying health issues and I am content, after the findings of the autopsy, that his death was caused by fatal levels of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used as a pain medication. I offer my sincere condolences to Mr Weybourne’s family.’It must have been a great shock and not something you needed to relive at the inquest.”

“I hope you can begin to rebuild your lives.”

Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
Credit: Disney

According to multiple reports, The Walt Disney Company has been contacted for comment but is yet to release a statement on the events of May 23, 2022, when Mr. Weybourne tragically lost his life while at the Disney World Resort.

Inside the Magic will continue to update this story.

Walt Disney World Resort boasts four theme parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park. It also features two Disney water parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, and the retail and recreation area, Disney Springs. A valid ticket, as well as a Park Pass reservation, is needed to enter each Park and Park Hopper hours begin at 2 p.m. daily.

in Walt Disney World

View Comments (2)