Credit: DisneyA young boy lost all five toes on one foot after an accident on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland Park. Years later, a close friend shared their account of the tragedy.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
One of the most popular Disney rollercoasters, Walt Disney Imagineers designed versions of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for numerous Disney Parks worldwide. The Frontierland attraction currently operates in Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort, Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris Resort, and Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort.
“Streak through a haunted gold mine aboard a speeding train on this thrilling coaster-style ride,” the official Disney ride description reads. “Legend has it that after gold was discovered in the 1850s, eerie incidents took place in the mine. Trains would take off and race through tunnels… by themselves.”
“As you enter the cursed cavern, your train speeds up along the rickety track. Shoot under a booming waterfall and dodge a falling boulder from an unexpected landslide as you swoop around sharp turns and drop into desolate canyons. On this rip-roaring adventure, you may learn that some legends turn out to be true…”
Injury and Aftermath
This week, Reddit user u/Liversteeg recalled hearing the news of their friend’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad accident.
“My family friend… lost all his toes on one foot on Thunder Mountain in ’98 when he was 5,” they wrote. “We were the same age and I remember my mom getting the call and leaving for the hospital.”
“The mom wound up pushing the Safer Parks law and became a bit of a activist for parks to be more transparent about accidents and proper reporting,” they added. “Such an amazing family.”
The young boy was David Fackler, whose mother, Kathy, spent years advocating for safer theme parks. She spoke to legislators and even trained employees at Knott’s Berry Farm.
“I hate dragging Disney through this, over and over again,” Fackler told The Los Angeles Times in 2001. “I hate trotting out the story of David’s injured foot for public consumption. There is no dignity in what I do, but there is a strange kind of honor. The system needs reform, and this is the only way I know to achieve that.”
The Walt Disney Company refused to comment on Fackler’s injury and the subsequent activism campaign led by his mother. To this day, Kathy operates Saferparks, a non-profit organization that “works to prevent amusement ride accidents through research, information sharing, and effective safety standards.”
Does Disneyland Resort have sufficient safety policies? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.