Accidents Involving Injury at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

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 Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom? Report it to Theme Park Insider.

Verified Incidents

5/27/2007 - Mad Tea Party - Submitted by robert on 7/19/2007

Aimee Krause, 34, of Clermont, Fla. suffered a concussion and herniated disk after being attacked by Victoria Walker, 51, of Alabama while boarding the spinning tea cup ride, according to court documents. Witnesses say that Walker shouted profanities and shoved two of the elementary-aged children with Krause after accusing her of jumping ahead in line. She then attacked Krause. Walker was later arrested and charged with felony assault.

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A 70-year-old man was pinned between ride vehicles when he tried to board the ride from the load area moving sidewalk, at about 6:30 p.m. The ride was closed, then reopened the next morning after an investigation. No malfunction was found with the ride. The area around the ride in Fantasyland was evacuated for about an hour after the accident while emergency personnel assisted the victim. The man was treated for unspecified injuries at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was reported in good condition the next day.

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Javier Cruz, 38, of Orlando, who played Pluto, was killed when he was run over and crushed by a float at the beginning of the Magic Kingdom's afternoon parade.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/news/response.cfm?ID=1516

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Follow-up:
Javier Cruz, 38, was working backstage, dressed as Pluto, when a float came. Mr. Cruz did not see the float come, and was run over by the float. I learned about this on my favorite local radio station, AM 640 WJNA, on their hourly CNN updates. -- Submitted by thenemesis97 on 2/12/2004

A female cast member fell, striking her head against either the carousel platform or the adjacent pavement. It was not clear why she fell, or how long she lost consciousness. The attraction was shut down while paramedics attended to the cast member and removed her from the scene. Her condition was not immediately known. (Accident witnessed by the editor.)

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An elderly woman fell as she tried to exit her boat at the load area.

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Follow-up:
I was working at MK at that time and what happened was that the boat was sent as the woman was trying to exit, only she wasn't at the unloading point, but in the bay behind where she would have had to climb over a rope to get onto land. The boat was sent and for reasons unknown the dispatch oerator did not emergency stop the ride. It was not until all the shouting reached the tower and was E-Stopped from there. The dispatch operator was greatly shocked by this incident and consiquently was removed from working on Splash Mountain. -- Submitted by rissy on 10/31/2001

woman was paralyzed to some degree, although not killed. resulted from error on the woman's part. -- Submitted by Name Withheld on 6/15/2003

A tourist was killed after he jumped out of a "log," in an attempt to exit the ride. An investigation found that the man likely panicked.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Family-X!ArticleDetail-9715,00.html

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Follow-up:
I know someone waiting in line for the ride.She said the man was mentally slow and probably gives us more of a good idea why he jumped out but no true word -- Submitted by nny27 on 12/5/2003

A guest of WDW occupied a rocket car on 09/10/98 within space mountain. When he got on the ride he was a healthy male who worked as a doctor. At the end of the ride he was discovered slumped over in the rocket car unconcsious suffering from a laceration and contusion to the head. The police were called due to the seriousness of his injuries and the ride was closed. An investigation of the inside of the ride revealed that there were at least two items which were believed to have fallen out of cars while guests rode the ride and fell from the tracks through the ride and ending up on the floor of the structure. Disney employees walk the floor of the ride on a daily basis and find items which were not appropriately secured by patrons and fall out of the cars while the ride is in operation. The force of the accident caused the park guest's new sneakers to be almost ripped apart at the seams. The patron was taken to the local trauma center via helicopter and while released after a period he is now suffering paralysis to his left arm, pain in his legs, brain damage, memory loss. The individual is represented by David Fussell of Horwitz and Fussell, P.A. Orlando, Florida

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-asecride14021403feb14.story

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On New Year's Eve in 1995, Gustavo Sanchez went on the then-Grand Prix Raceway when another car began bumping Sanchez's car from the rear. The other Grand Prix car, driven by an unidentified 12-14 year old male, forcefully bumped Sanchez's vehicle at least two to three times. Sanchez suffered lower back injuries, endured two surgeries and eventually won a court settlement from Disney.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/archives/2000/fin/fnjan69.htm

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Unverified Reports

A middle age man was standing up to exit out of the car. The 2 children in the car behind him did not stop at their assigned spot and hit the car at full speed. The man was thrown forward then back hitting his lower back on the top of the seat. The father of the children apologized. The injured man called for a supervisor. Then a back board and stretcher were called to the scene directly in front of the Speedway and the man was taken away.

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

We were just out of the elevators about to get on the ride, on the holding platform, when the heat stroke due to the elevators, and my son passed out cold and thumped his head hard on the guardrail and floor. Has a big egg on his head, and was real shook up. Paramedics showed up, and people in ties. They took my information, stuck around then let us go. Son's head still hurts.

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

The ride was going up the first hill and it broke down. we went shooting Back and a woman in front of me dislocatied her shoulder.

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

An elderly disable woman was attempting to board the ride. I was the next passenger in line, and wwatched as she place her right foot onto the moving platform, but her left foot remained on the stationary ramp. Eventually her feet were too far apart and she fell. I was not able to assertain the actual injury or whether or not the fall had compounded her existing condition. The ride staff responded immediately, and shut down the ride and called for medical personnel. We were asked to leave the boarding area immediately.

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

Guests were riding down 3 trains ahead of another. the one 3 back lost some glassware they were carrying, and it hit the third one ahead of them. A glass mug hit a man square in the face, he left out the back in an ambulance. There is no news article, I was there, working. During Fall 2000 season.

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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