
On Thursday, January 20, 2022, the Orlando Sentinel published an article outlining the list of injuries The Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort had to report to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
According to the article, a report released by the state’s department includes injuries Guests sustained at the theme parks that warranted at least 24 hours of hospitalization over the final quarter of 2021 (October – December). Due to current policies in place, the incidents must be reported by the theme parks themselves in order to avoid state inspection, and the Sentinel makes a point to trigger concern over the fact the self-reported descriptions are allowed to remain vague.
Walt Disney World Resort Guests injuries were reported as such:
On Oct. 6, a 58-year-old woman felt dizzy and fell while leaving Toy Story Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At the Magic Kingdom, a 39-year-old man had a seizure on Oct. 9 after riding Splash Mountain.
Two days later, an 81-year-old man with an undisclosed pre-existing condition had “stroke-like symptoms” after leaving Pirates of the Caribbean. A 20-year-old woman had a seizure after riding The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the same park later that month.
On Oct. 13, an 82-year-old man passed out on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. A day earlier, a 57-year-old woman had “cardiac symptoms” after riding the Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain roller coaster at the park.
On Oct. 27, an 18-year-old man lost consciousness and fell after leaving Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios.
Two guests reported injuries after riding Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in December. On Dec. 18, a 69-year-old man felt “unwell” after riding the attraction, and three days later a 69-year-old woman felt “disoriented.”
Without elaborating on the fact octogenarians who passed out on a safari and chose to ignore an “undisclosed pre-existing condition” before boarding any attraction, it should be mentioned that Toy Story Mania! makes people dizzy. Even this writer can only experience the game/ride once a day, especially if I let myself get dehydrated beforehand, and Disney makes it a point to warn Guests of motion sickness. The same description applies to Avatar Flight of Passage. Expedition Everest and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are very thrilling roller coasters that make you pull a couple of Gs.
Disney has the following warning for Guests regarding each of the thrill attractions mentioned here:
“WARNING! For safety, you should be in good health, free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure.”
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Splash Mountain are both well-known “Dark Rides” that feature a very visually stimulating experience. However, there is no warning of such for either attraction on Disney World’s website. The overall context of the Guests themselves regarding their pre-existing physical state and health, as well as further details of the incident, remain vague.
Related: The Past, The Present, & The Future of Disney’s Splash Mountain
Tens of thousands of Guests walk into a Walt Disney World Theme Park every single day.