Space Mountain Madness – Cast Member Confirms Guest Loses Finger on Disney Roller Coaster

Anybody who has ridden Space Mountain at Walt Disney World–at least any grown adult–would know that there is one unspoken rule when it comes to that iconic coaster: don’t raise your hands in the air.

Disney’s first completely indoor coaster has earned a reputation for being scarier with the lights on instead of in the dark due to the extremely low-hanging crossbars of the compact track.

While it is extremely doubtful that the “space shuttle” ride vehicle is going fast enough to make it happen, the fear of losing an arm or hand or even getting knocked in the head is an enduring issue for most of the larger guests of Magic Kingdom Park.

While the situation was not the result of over-excited hand-raising, one Cast Member disclosed that, yes, a severed body part has been found on Space Mountain: a detached finger.

Answering a question on the Walt Disney World subreddit about the craziest stories from the Parks, one person said,

I worked there back when the 25th anniversary was ending and I got to look for someone’s finger on space mountain. It had been ripped off by the wedding band in the light tube launch…when they say keep your arms inside, just listen. And the answer is yes, it was eventually found, put on ice and supposedly reattached at the hospital offsite.

The self-identifying Cast Member explained that it was an all-hands-on-deck search for the finger, with all available personnel assisting in the search.

 

Now, Reddit is admittedly not the most credible site to acquire Disney-related news and stories. The semi-anonymous nature of the forums leaves little room for corroboration, and we can only really take, talk about, and enjoy the story-time session at face value. But not this time!

An article from November 7, 2000, published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel confirms the story, saying,

“There have been several serious ride accidents at Disney World, including a Texas tourist who lost his ring finger on Space Mountain in 1998.”

Walt Disney World Resort’s 25th Anniversary Celebration–remembered mostly for the infamous Birthday Cake Castle–was held from October 1, 1996, through January 31, 1998.

Other details are still unclear at this time, including how the man got his finger caught in such a way that resulted in complete detachment. But would-be guests should rest assured that there has not been a situation like this on Space Mountain since, and remember to keep your hands and arms inside the space shuttle at all times.