Disney World, located in Orlando, opened its doors in 1971, almost 20 years after Disneyland California opened. The new Florida resort featured more parks, rides, and hotels than Disneyland, so naturally, there have been more deaths there. With only 25 total deaths at Disneyland, the 63 Disney World deaths don’t look great. These fatalities stemmed from 60 total incidents, involving both guests and park employees.
The first death at Disney World happened in 1974 at Magic Kingdom, when a construction worker at the park was killed in a small explosion caused by glue. Keep reading to learn more about the fatal incidents that have occurred at Disney World.
How Many Deaths Have Occurred at Disney World?
As of October 2022, 63 people have died at Disney World from 60 incidents.
Guest Deaths: Natural Causes
Natural causes (or unknown causes) is the leading cause of death for Disney World fatalities, with 23 total. Many of these fatalities were caused by a heart attack or stroke, whether occurring after an intense ride or just while walking around the park. Many of these people had preexisting conditions, whether or not they knew it at the time.
Guest Deaths: Accidents
There have been almost as many accidental deaths as there have been from natural causes – 21. This number includes incidents that occurred on rides, but more commonly, children drowning in swimming pools when unattended.
One of the most famous incidents is the two-year-old boy who was attacked by an alligator. The boy did not die directly from the alligator wounds, but he ultimately drowned. Another unfathomable death occurred to an 11-year-old boy who went swimming at the water park and contracted a rare and deadly disease from amoeba in the water.
Employee Deaths: Accidents
There have been 15 employee deaths at Disney World over the years. All Disney World employees who have died have been involved in some sort of accident; no employees have died from natural causes. In many cases, the employee was a construction worker involved in a fatal accident while fixing a ride. A few of these were falls from heights.
Suicides
There have been four reported suicides at Disney World. This is actually lower than Disneyland, which despite having a smaller park has had six suicides and two murders. One of the suicides at Disney World began as a standoff between the victim and security guards, after the park had closed. The shooter took some guards as hostages and demanded to see his ex-girlfriend, an employee of the park, before ultimately releasing the hostages and taking his own life.
What Happens After a Death at Disney World?
For the fatal incidents where Disney (or a third party) was negligent, lawsuits have been filed. Many survivors of victims who died at Disney World file wrongful death lawsuits against the park. Some are successful and some are not, depending on if Disney World was truly negligent. In some instances, it was up to the park to contact emergency medical services in a timely manner, and that didn’t happen. Obviously Disney World wants to maintain a reputation for being a safe, family-friendly park, which is why they have been slow or hesitant to bring in emergency personnel.
While the park puts up plenty of warning signs around dangerous attractions, and can be held liable if they don’t, it’s ultimately up to the guests to interact with the park in a safe way, know the risks, and supervise their children.