Accidents Involving Injury at Disneyland

Official U.S. federal and state data on theme park accidents is almost nonexistent. That's why Theme Park Insider users are creating this visitor-maintained database of theme park accidents--to give public at least some information about attraction safety records.

Do you know of, or have been part of, an accident involving injury at Disneyland? Report it to Theme Park Insider.

Verified Incidents

3/16/2005 - Storybook Land Canal Boats - Submitted by robert on 3/21/2005

A small child's finger became trapped between the boat and loading dock when an adult stepped on the side to enter the boat. A bone in the finger was broken and the finger severed at the tip. Disneyland closed the ride for two days, then made unspecified changes at the loading area as a result of the incident.

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Follow-up:
The State required that Disneyland lower and repair the rubber bumpers along the dock's edge, and to reinsure that ride operators tell passengers to keep their hands in the boat while it docks. -- Submitted by HAPIMS on 3/22/2005

Well, Disney closed a ride for two days for a finger, while another amusement park I don't remember which, closed a ride after someone's death on the ride for about a minute. -- Submitted by aqua09 on 8/30/2005

I am female and 41 years old. I had just exited the train and took two steps on the wood flooring which was still wet from the cleaning crews and slipped and fell to the ground. I could not move due to pain in my knee. I was transported to first aid via a wheelchair for an ice pack. I still have swelling and bruising on my knee and hip.

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Follow-up:
Let this be a lesson that to check the floor for slippery surfaces to aviod injury and going to First Aid while you could be having fun riding rides! -- Submitted by mikokat on 9/29/2005

My family had a fast-pass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that afternoon on 12/11/04, presumably when the accident happened, and Big Thunder was shut down for over an hour. No explanation was given. -- Submitted by Name Withheld on 12/15/2004

Two trains on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad collided in the loading area at 5:05 p.m. Anaheim police reported that a 10-year-old boy, a 44-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were transported by private ambulance to a local area hospital for undisclosed injuries.

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Follow-up:
Verified by SoCal source. Link to a Reuters Report included. [For more information about this incident, visit http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5625407] -- Submitted by joeslash on 7/8/2004

One man was killed and at least 10 others injured after an accident at Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Authorities set up a triage area near the ride, located in the Frontierland section of the park. One person was injured with facial lacerations. Other injuries appear to be minor.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/news/response.cfm?ID=1296

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Follow-up:
A locomotive broke loose on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster Friday, killing a man and injuring 10 other people, officials said. TV helicopters showed a triage unit set up near the ride and one person being taken on a stretcher to an ambulance. The roller coaster takes amusement park visitors on a twisting, turning ride aboard what is supposed to be a runaway train in the Old West. Riders zoom through mineshafts and caverns, past falling rocks and tumbling waterfalls. The ride opened in 1979, making it one of newer roller coasters at Disneyland. It is computer-operated, said Joe Aguirre, a park spokesman. [For more information about this incident, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31858-2003Sep5.html] -- Submitted by marna on 9/5/2003

someone asked who actually checks the attractions for maintenance problems, well i know it's the case at Disney World Space Mtn (so i'll assume the same for Disneyland) that disney has a who crew of people who come in after the park is closed to work overnight on inspecting the trains, the track, and sometimes cycling the trains (taking one off and putting a newer one on the track). These people are pretty well trained but you never really know when something could happen even if inspections went fine, which i'm sure they did. if they thought something was wrong they just wouldn't use that train. -- Submitted by Name Withheld on 9/6/2003

cnn is reporting 11 injured. last friday while waiting in line we saw a woman being attended to by paramedics. this probably sounds fishy, but while we were riding you could actually feel extreme movement of the cars on the track. this was the firs time i had ridden the ride in lots of years. may have been nothing, but now this. p.s. the response to the woman looked like goofy and crew with a steth and bp cuff. scary. -- Submitted by Name Withheld on 9/5/2003

Boy ran in front of car and was run over. Extent of injuries unknown. Ride was shut down that afternoon.

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Follow-up:
The ride was shut down for like a inute. when i got on the ride right after the ride was opened it was pretty gross. not much cleaning happened lets just say. -- Submitted by poopy on 10/12/2008

Oh Hello! Very uncool remark. I just happen to have really been at the scene on the Autopia car thank you. How unsensitive BLOODY. Please! Oh and Thank you for the false witness to the little boy running. So Not true. I am his MOTHER I WAS THERE if you want the truth I can tell you. -- Submitted by Rachaelrae4 on 11/22/2009

Was thought to be around 10 patrons and 1 cast member came in contact with what seemed to be Pepper Spray at around 2pm Friday Afternoon. Paramedics were called to the scene.

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Follow-up:
This accident was confirmed by several other eyewitnesses who contacted me via e-mail. -- Submitted by robert on 7/31/2002

My grandson was one of the people sprayed. A guest had reached into her purse and inadvertantly grabbed and sprayed her tear gas. My grandson's burning eyes were treated in first aid, where he stayed most of the day. He was given two passes to return another time, which satisfied him. -- Submitted by dustyboots on 5/1/2004

A woman tripped and broke her ankle while being evacuated from the ride after a shut-down.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.ocregister.com/local/disney00716cci.shtml

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An operator dispatched a boat at the load/unload area while a woman was still getting out of the boat. She fell, suffering a concussion and sprained neck.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Family-X!ArticleDetail-19566,00.html

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A girl lost most of a finger while playing with the toy rifles in Fort Wilderness. Following an investigation, the toy rifles were removed.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Family-X!ArticleDetail-18323,00.html

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A 15-year-old boy suffered a broken foot and leg when his left foot was pinched between a guard rail and his ride vehicle. He has sued Disney for negligence.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Family-X!ArticleDetail-14460,00.html

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Four-year-old Brandon Zucker was injured, and ultimately left with brain damage, when he flew out of the ride vehicle and was pinned beneath it. A state investigation blamed Disneyland personnel for loading the Zuckers into the vehicle incorrectly, and cites additional ride design flaws. As a result, Roger Rabbit became the first attraction ordered closed for repairs under California's new theme park regulation law.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Family-X!ArticleDetail-17130,00.html

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Follow-up:
Unfortunately this young man has died. His father found him unresponsive on January 25, 2009 and (according to the newspaper article) he passed away at a Southern California hospital on January 26, 2009 at 1:13 AM. Poor little guy. -- Submitted by emcferrin on 2/18/2009

A 23-year-old Spanish woman felt like her "head was rolling around" after riding. She passed out a short time later, never regained consciousness, and died on Sept. 1, 2000. She had a preexisting brain aneurysm, and her family is suing Disney, claiming the ride triggered her collapse and death.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.latimes.com/la-000077105sep26.story

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An untrained supervisor tried to stop the ship by tying down a mooring rope. The cleat ripped off the hull, flying into the crowd, killing one person.

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Follow-up:
This was the accident that finally convinced the Calif. legislature to pass a theme park safety law, as it was the first time at a Disney park when a guest was killed when it was 100 percent the company's fault--no action taken by the guest in any way contributed to his death. [For more information about this incident, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Family-X!ArticleDetail-6364,00.html] -- Submitted by robert on 6/10/2001

I was a kid in Disneyland waiting in line to go to the ship when the accident happened. My mum, brother and me still have our shirts with the mans blood on them. It was the scariest thing I have every seen envolved in, in my life. We had to write accidents reports on what we saw. -- Submitted by piggieluv on 7/12/2005

I have one comment about the bloody shirt: 1 do you still have it? 2 If so can i buy it? Call 520-991-7026 -- Submitted by poopy on 10/11/2008

A 44-year-old female suffered a ruputured brain aneurysm.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.house.gov/markey/iss_parkrides_list020507c.pdf

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A woman suffered a brain hemorrhage.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Family-X!ArticleDetail-36264,00.html

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5-year-old David Fackler's foot was crushed between the side of the car he was riding in and the loading platform as the car approached the unloading point. The accident resulted in the amputation of David's toes and surgical reconstruction of the remaining foot.

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A 42-year-old female suffered a brain hemorrhage.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.house.gov/markey/iss_parkrides_list020507c.pdf

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Ten years after Disneyland opened (about), a 15-year-old boy stoop up from the sled and feel as the ride sped up fracturing his skull and chest. He died 3 days later

For more information about this incident, visit http://snopes.com/disney/killed

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Unverified Reports

After riding Indiana Jones @ Disneyland, which have had rode numerous times I felt as if it were much jerkier than ever. I felt very sick and dizzy, and had extreme cold sweats as I walked out through the corridor to the park. I had to tell my friends it was time for me to go because I couldn't go on after the ride. My neck hurt and worsened as time went on keeping me from doing anything physical. After two weeks of agonizing pain, I decided to go to Urgent Care to see if I had pulled something or even tore a muscle or something (4/19/09). I saw the doctor who then told me I needed to go to the ER immediately. We went to the ER and I had a CT Scan and also an MRA. They discovered that I had right Vertebral Artery Dissection (mini anyerism or atery tear). I was put in the PC Unit (one step down from ICU) @ Scripps Encinitas, California for 4 days. The dissection also caused me to have tinnitus in my right ear from lack of blood flow, which is commonly called a heart attack of the ear. The ringing in my ear is unbearable and may never go away. When it was time to check out of the hospital the directions were to lay low and do nothing for 3 months. At the end of the three months I was still in a lot of pain and had to renew my pain medication. I went to my neurologist after having an MRI and was told the tear had healed, but the tinnitus has worsened and I've got a referral to UCSD to have tinnitus retraining and a possible hearing aid device.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

A father and his 4 or 5 year old son got on the ride and the father lowered the lap bar. The boy all of a sudden began to shriek and cry hysterically because his foot had gotten caught somehow between the bar and the car. The father, who was holding down the bar, which was about to lock into place, was clueless as to the fact that this was what was crushing his son's foot. An attendant rushed over and flung the bar up, which gave the boy instant relief, but he was still in pain and really shaken up and crying. The ride stopped and the attendant tried to help, but the father insisted that the boy was fine and essentially refused to get off, so she just let them ride. Parental error, in this case.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

We were at DL a few days after Christmas, too, and walked by the Tea Cups. The attraction was closed and there were a bunch of security personnel standing around. Inside the ride, there was a lot of blood on the ground near a tea cup. We asked a CM what happened and she said nothing and waved us along.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Horror ride for Mom & 2 year old.The fact is that the heigth requirement is ONLY 35 inches tall. This allows even the youngest riders to go on this ride.I found that This ride is NOT safe for young children! My 2 year old (90%on growth charts)Met the Matterhorns 35 inch heigth requirement.The rapid, sudden turns are very jolting and EXTREME. My 2 year old got KNOCKED "OUT FROM UNDER" the safety strap,leaving him lying down,"UNPROTECTED", on the seat between my legs.The rest of our ride consisted of my hanging on to his little body with every fiber of my being to prevent him from being thrown out of the bob sled.While desperatly trying to get him UPRIGHT,and protected once again by the belt(which, was NOT possible)My neck...SNAPPED.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
I seen what this ride did to this little boy, he face was bruised and battered and looked horrible. This women has had to go thru multiple painful procedures to try and rehabilitate her neck. I know first hand because i have had to take care of this little boy while his mom has been in severe pain. Can you imagine how hard it is to take care of a 2 year old when you cannot move fast enough without hurting yourself. -- Submitted by Name Withheld on 3/31/2005

wow " my neck snapped" ? are you serious ok its jerky and i know your kid meets the requirements but maybe it would have been a good idea to have riden it yourself to see if it was safe for your toddler? common sense is hard to find these days. -- Submitted by coasterloverx13 on 4/25/2008

My husband and I were going to ride this ride when they shut it down. We saw medics and many supervisor types with walkie talkies. Apparently a woman was injured on this ride at approximately 9-10pm. Bystanders were saying a woman was hit. I have looked for information as to what happened but have not been able to find anything. Maybe you have heard of something?

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
many reports of this have been seen across the internet but i have ridden it many a time and have had no problems with it except for the fact that a bug flew up my moms nose while she was riding it. -- Submitted by coasterloverx13 on 4/25/2008

you should have seen what went up me on that ride. NOt just up my nose... -- Submitted by poopy on 10/11/2008

I was waiting in line with my 2 year old daughter and she was very scared. I saw an open door and decided to take her out of the ride. I fell missing all of the steep stairs injuring my wrist ( it swelled ), my ankle and my lower back. My wrist and back hurt for 2 to 3 days. I was told by an Employee that the door was not supposed to be open.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
i was in line next to the woman and saw her exit through a open door with an exit sign above it.she fell out of the door and down some very steep steps with her crying young daughter in her hands. they both hit the concrete pretty hard. a cast member was soon on the scene and was shocked that the door she fell out of was open. i heard him say "that door should of never been unlocked" by this time the line was moving and i was not able to see any more. when i got off the ride i saw the woman with her husband and kids. she appeared to in shock and was complaining about a sore arm and leg. i asked her if she was going to be allright and she said she was on her way to first aid. -- Submitted by philbill on 9/15/2003

Thanks Philbill for your input! I was suprised to see it! (NeilsonFour's Husband) I took the Wife and Kids to both parks on 9/12 (DCA) & 9/13 (Disneyland), we had a great time at DCA, small crowd! Disneyland was CRWODED! I am glad to report that my Wife and both Kids were able to ride Pirates this trip. I got my Son a small flashlight to deal with the fear of the dark, and went on it in the evening, so it was dark already! AND THE STUPID DOOR WAS LOCKED THIS TIME!!! The clearly marked EXIT door! We still feel a little mistreated or brushed off from our mishap, but knew we would have a great time, and had to get rid of the sour taste left in our mouths! Mike, Husband & Father of Two. -- Submitted by SurfRat619 on 9/15/2003

I was in a Emergency Room with a guy who fell while getting into the boat.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
I did nt see this accident, but I too fell in June of 06. If we can confer on the situation m I would be so grateful. Thanks -- Submitted by rae on 5/15/2008

A woman slipped on the wet ground and broke her leg in three places. At that time, the location where you board and disembark the rafts had no railing to hold on to. The park has since installed a railing. The victim was taken away via ambulance. She herself is a nurse and could not work in a wheel chair.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

While waiting in line a guest exited with the signs of a grade 1 concussion.. When someone exits an attraction slurring her words and walking kinda funny you have a serious problem... Castmemebers for the ride told her and her family to walk to first aid... again, where is that Castmember friendlyness??? Someone with signs of a grade 1 concussion should NEVER have to walk to first aid!

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Though this occured quite some time ago, the details are accurate. We wrote a letter to Disneyland 2 days after the incident - so everything was fresh in our minds. My wife suffered a slight sprain in her leg, my son was okay. We resolved the incident after a few months when we were comfortabe that probably no other "hidden" injuries were caused. here is part of the letter to Disneyland - describing the incident: Location: Disneyland “Peter Pan” ride, unloading platform Date & Time: Saturday October 16th, 1999 approximately 4:45pm Dear Sir or Madame, Just this past Saturday (10/16/99), my wife (Pearl Poon), my 8-month-old son (Darren Lee), and myself (Mark Lee) were getting off of the Peter Pan ride. I was sitting on the right side of the Peter Pan car/”boat” and my wife was to my left carrying Darren. When the car stopped and the lap bar raised I got out of the car and stepped toward the exit ramp where there were some handicapped people waiting to get onto the ride. I turned around to the car/”boat” to watch Pearl get out with Darren. She was carrying Darren in her left arm - he was facing forward (his back to her chest). What I saw next horrified me. As Pearl was stepping out with her right foot first, the car/”boat” suddenly moved forward – it was as if a rug was pulled from under her feet. Pearl fell to her side, and as she fell down with Darren in her arms, Darren’s right eye hit the wooden stump (with the rope wrapped around it) to the left of the boat. He immediately started crying very loudly – he was not happy as you can imagine, and I was very surprise and caught off guard, I did not expect to see something like this happen.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
Oh My God- I had this happened to me too (I was 7). As I was exiting the boat, it suddenly moved, trapping me in between the boat and the pole that that other kid hit his eye on. It took my, at the time, 48 year old mother with a severely injured back and threw her back into her seat, as was said above like a flying carpet. Disney officials closed the ride for 10 minutes and offered no compensation. That was actually the worst Cast Member treatment I have gotten in eight years as a passholder -- Submitted by Eric5675 on 1/22/2008

We went on this ride the first few months it was open. After standing in line, and waiting through 2 mechanical break downs we finally got a chance to ride. I was sitting in the drivers seat. I am not exactly sure where in the ride it happened, however, I had glow lights in a kind of a wreath around my head. They started falling off. I let go of the steering wheel and we zoomed around a corner and I hit my right forearm and wrist on someone metal near my seat. I thought I broke my wrist. They took me right over to the first aid area, gave me ice, sling,and tylenol. We went home. I followed up with my physician the next day. Severe sprain. No fracture. It was my fault, I should have let the glow rings go by the way side with the rest of the hats that fall off heads. However,I will say, Disney called three times, wrote once. And they slowed the ride way down after that. It's not near as fast. Which stinks.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

I was riding on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and it was just going into a tunnel when the train came to a sudden stop. I sustained 3 herniated discs in my neck. I was treated very poorly by all of Disneylands representatives and basically got screwed by them and my attorney. It ruined my life and I hope they finally close this ride. I used to love Disneyland and after having them treat me like they did, park outside of my house everyday and call me and never pay one medical bill, I can safely say that it is not the happiest place on earth.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

I worked at the Splash Mountain (Professor Owl's) Photo in the summer of 95 and there was a young girl who had died from heart failure on the ride. We had to dump the picture taken of the log because she had passed before that portion of the ride. According to the local paper, she was 19 and had a history of heart conditions and one of her friends was about 6 months pregnant. It also said that she had died enroute to the hospital but when they brought her off the ride, she was already blue.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

I think it was christmas eve when i went on this ride. Well i went on it and i saw a little girl in another teacup hit her head on her teacup. she blacked our for a few seconds, and her head was bleeding. The cast member just told her mother to take her to the first aid station, and thats it! he didn't offer to help or anything!

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

If you have additional information that can confirm, clarify or refute any of these reports, please e-mail the editor! (Please don't forget to include the attraction's name in your message.)

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