Big Damage Reported at Disney World After Vehicle Smashes Into Sign

Damage has been reported at Walt Disney World Resort this week.

Rare though they may be, accidents can – and do – happen at Disney World. Most of the time, these accidents are relatively minor, such as a guest tripping or getting into an altercation with other guests (which happens more than you may think, even at the “Most Magical Place on Earth”).

A large, magical castle with blue and gold accents stands majestically under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. Surrounding the castle are fireworks, and at the base, a group of costumed characters engage with onlookers. — Credit: Disney

A significant number of the incidents reported at Disney World also don’t happen in the actual theme parks. Spanning a whopping 27,520 acres, a notable portion of the resort is made up of over 25 massive resorts, two water parks, Disney Springs, multiple golf courses, undeveloped land, and a lot of roads. (We really do mean “a lot” – Disney World contains over 175 miles of roadway).

Sadly, just like any other expanse of road, traffic accidents aren’t uncommon at Disney World. In the past we’ve seen guests rerouted after incidents have occurred on property. In May, for example, a charter bus carrying 11 people collided with a passenger car. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

An elderly man and two young boys sitting on a park bench. The man and one of the boys, who is smiling and looking up at the man, are wearing Mickey Mouse ears hats. The other boy, also wearing Mickey Mouse ears, is looking away. Trees are in the background. — Credit: Disney

Another incident has occurred this week. As reported by Blog Mickey, a vehicle collided with a sign on World Drive yesterday, causing significant damage to its digital display.

The sign was first installed in 2023 and is typically used to provide drivers with up-to-date information about traffic around the resort, plus any rerouting information during special events such as runDisney races.

Considering the height of the sign, the vehicle in question must have been extremely large and mistakenly thought it had clearance.

Luckily, no injuries were reported, although one lane of traffic was reported as closed yesterday as officials from Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (which was introduced by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Disney’s Reedy Creek) assessed the damage. As per Blog Mickey, Oversight District vehicles were on site yesterday morning.

A large, colorful archway sign welcomes visitors to Walt Disney World, featuring its iconic slogan "The Most Magical Place on Earth." The road leading to the entrance is lined with palm trees and includes an image of Mickey Mouse. The sky is partly cloudy. This is the entrance to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. — Credit: Inside the Magic

This week has been pretty dramatic at Disney World. One altercation caused mass chaos at Magic Kingdom Park on Thursday night when guests mistook a popped balloon for a gunshot. A stampede was subsequently reported, with those on the scene claiming that people were running and children were crying.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office later posted a statement on social media, reading: “There is NO active shooter at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. A fight occurred, and a ‘popping’ sound was heard that we believe was a balloon. Guests began running and that’s how the active shooter rumor started. There is no active shooter.”

A Disney World spokesperson also issued a statement thanking Orange County police for their support and confirmed that normal operations had resumed at the park.

Are you planning on heading to Disney World this weekend?