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Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Decapitated, disfigured and crushed to death… the most gruesome Disney disasters to hit beloved theme parks
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BENEATH the sparkle of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the cheery tunes of Main Street USA, Disneyland and its sister parks have endured moments of sheer horror. Over the decades, a series of gruesome incidents - from decapitations to crushing deaths have hit the beloved attractions. 17 A decapitation in Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds is one of the park's most harrowing episodes Credit: Disney 17 Disneyland has made efforts to modernize its safety system over the years Credit: Alamy 17 A Disneyland employee turns away a family from the closed Roger Rabbit ride after a boy was critically injured on the attraction in 2000 Credit: Getty Tragic deaths and injuries have hit the parks in the past - but Disney has worked to modernize safety systems. Accidents are rare these days at the attractions. But these shocking incidents remain a sobering reminder that even in the most magical place on Earth, things can go terribly wrong. Here is a roundup of some of the most gruesome disasters to hit Disney parks. Decapitated on the Matterhorn Bobsleds The snowy peaks of the Matterhorn turned into a scene of horror on January 3, 1984. Dolly Regene Young, 47, was thrown from her bobsled and decapitated when fatally struck by another oncoming vehicle. According to Snopes, Young's seat belt was found unbuckled, but it was never determined whether she removed it herself or if it had malfunctioned. Her absence wasn't even noticed until the ride concluded and the grisly discovery was made. Disney was not held legally responsible, but the shock and brutality of the incident continue to haunt the ride's history. Crushed to death at America Sings 17 Deborah Gail Stone was crushed to death on July 8, 1974 Credit: Facebook 17 The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section Credit: Facebook It was supposed to be a fun summer job. But on July 8, 1974, 18-year-old Deborah Gail Stone, a promising student and new Disneyland employee, was crushed to death in front of stunned guests. The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section. It is unclear whether a misstep or insufficient training led her to the fatal spot, according to David Koenig's book 'Mouse Tales'. The attraction shut down for two days while emergency safety modifications — including warning lights and breakaway walls — were installed. No official blame was cast on Disney, but the case cast a long shadow over park operations. Dragged under Roger Rabbit ride 17 Brandon Zucker slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000 Credit: FindaGrave 17 He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest Credit: FindaGrave A trip to Toontown turned into a medical nightmare for four-year-old Brandon Zucker, who slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000. He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest. According to the LA Times, the lap bar may have malfunctioned, and the child had been seated near an open side. After two years, Disney settled with the family for an undisclosed amount, without admitting fault. The settlement's terms were not made public, but guaranteed the boy would receive medical treatment for the remainder of his life. Brandon remained severely disabled until his death in 2009 at age 13. He was found unresponsive at his dad's home in Anaheim and died at Children's Hospital of Orange County, the Pantagraph reported at the time. Deadly derailment on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 17 Marcelo Torres was killed during the derailment of the Big Thunder Railroad Credit: FindaGrave 17 10 others injured on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Credit: Alamy 17 A picture of the scene after the tragedy in 2003 Credit: ABC A routine thrill ride became a fatal wreck on September 5, 2003, when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed. Marcelo Torres, a 22-year-old graphic designer, suffered massive internal bleeding and blunt-force trauma when the ride's locomotive detached and slammed into his passenger car. As ABC7 News reported at the time, investigators discovered that fasteners on the train's wheel assembly had not been properly tightened — a maintenance error that caused the axle to come loose. Ten others were injured in the crash. Though Disney settled the lawsuit with Torres' family, the park was widely criticized for what some called a "cost-cutting culture" in the maintenance department during the early 2000s. 17 Carmen Torres, the mother of 22-year-old Marcelo Torres who was killed at Disneyland Credit: Getty Fatal blow on the Sailing Ship Columbia A Christmas Eve cruise around the Rivers of America ended in death and chaos when a metal cleat tore loose from the Sailing Ship Columbia and struck two guests and a cast member in 1998. One man, 33, later died from head injuries. According to Aitken Law, the plaintiff's attorneys on the case, the cleat came free when a nylon rope — used in place of the standard, non-stretch hemp — snapped and recoiled, launching the hardware into the crowd. California's OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health) fined Disney $12,500 for inadequate training and misuse of materials. The company paid the victim's family an estimated $25 million in a settlement. 17 The Columbia sailing ship was closed following an accident on Christmas Eve in 1998 Credit: Getty 17 At least three people were injured when a rope cleat pulled loose from the front of the ship Credit: Getty Foot crushed on Alice in Wonderland ride A 15-year-old boy from Mesa, Arizona, left Disneyland with broken bones after his foot became wedged between a moving ride vehicle and a guardrail on December 21, 2000. Emergency responders were called after the teen's leg was crushed while riding the Alice in Wonderland attraction, the LA Times reported. Investigators found that the boy had likely been dangling his leg outside the vehicle — despite visible signage and lap bar restraints advising against it. Anaheim Fire Division Chief Kent Mastain said 'the car did exactly what it was supposed to do,' stopping automatically. Disneyland reopened the ride just hours later and was not found liable for the accident. Space Mountain ejection leaves teen paralyzed 17 One guest was left partially paralyzed after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain Credit: Disney Parks In 1983, 18-year-old James Higgins was left partially paralyzed and brain-damaged after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain. Higgins sued Disney, claiming a flawed lap bar design was to blame. His attorneys sought $3.3 million in damages. The case hinged on the ring-shaped lap bars then in use, which a physicist testified could be removed by guests, according to the LA Times. However, under cross-examination, the expert admitted gravity and proper positioning should have kept riders in place. The jury sided with Disney in 1985, 9–3, determining Higgins may have stood up mid-ride despite warnings. The lap bar was eventually replaced, but no fault was ever assigned to Disney. 'Permanently disfigured' after Blizzard Beach horror 17 A Disney World fan weighing 334lbs was left 'permanently disfigured' after 'going airborne' on popular water slide 17 He was allegedly allowed on the ride despite being too heavy at Blizzard Beach in Orlando, Florida Meanwhile in Florida, a 334-pound Disney World guest is suing the company after allegedly being 'permanently disfigured' in a water slide accident at Blizzard Beach. Eugene Strickland filed a lawsuit in Orange County on May 29, seeking over $50,000 for 'permanent catastrophic injuries' he claims were caused by Disney's negligence. Strickland says he was allowed to ride the Downhill Double Dipper, despite exceeding the 300-pound weight limit set by ASTM guidelines. At the time, he weighed 334 pounds. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027. Disney has not yet commented on the case. The Sun reached out to Disney for comment. Disabled woman dead after Jungle Cruise fall 17 A disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021 Credit: Alamy In one of Disneyland's most recent cases, a disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021. According to Business Insider, a lawsuit filed by her family claims that Disneyland employees laughed at the woman's struggles and failed to offer a wheelchair-accessible boat. The 66-year-old suffered a broken leg that later developed into a fatal infection. The case is still pending, with no final ruling on Disney's liability. The allegations have raised serious questions about how the park accommodates disabled guests.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Decapitated, disfigured and crushed to death… the most gruesome Disney disasters to hit beloved theme parks
BENEATH the sparkle of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the cheery tunes of Main Street USA, Disneyland and its sister parks have endured moments of sheer horror. Over the decades, a series of gruesome incidents - from decapitations to crushing deaths have hit the beloved attractions. 17 A decapitation in Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds is one of the park's most harrowing episodes Credit: Disney 17 Disneyland has made efforts to modernize its safety system over the years Credit: Alamy 17 A Disneyland employee turns away a family from the closed Roger Rabbit ride after a boy was critically injured on the attraction in 2000 Credit: Getty Tragic deaths and injuries have hit the parks in the past - but Disney has worked to modernize safety systems. Accidents are rare these days at the attractions. But these shocking incidents remain a sobering reminder that even in the most magical place on Earth, things can go terribly wrong. Here is a roundup of some of the most gruesome disasters to hit Disney parks. Read more Disney stories Decapitated on the Matterhorn Bobsleds The snowy peaks of the Matterhorn turned into a scene of horror on January 3, 1984. Dolly Regene Young, 47, was thrown from her bobsled and decapitated when fatally struck by another oncoming vehicle. According to Her absence wasn't even noticed until the ride concluded and the grisly discovery was made. Most read in The US Sun Disney was not held legally responsible, but the shock and brutality of the incident continue to haunt the ride's history. Crushed to death at America Sings 17 Deborah Gail Stone was crushed to death on July 8, 1974 Credit: Facebook 17 The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section Credit: Facebook It was supposed to be a fun summer job. But on July 8, 1974, 18-year-old Deborah Gail Stone, a promising student and new Disneyland employee, was crushed to death in front of stunned guests. The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section. It is unclear whether a misstep or insufficient training led her to the fatal spot, according to David Koenig's book 'Mouse Tales'. The attraction shut down for two days while emergency safety modifications — including warning lights and breakaway walls — were installed. No official blame was cast on Disney, but the case cast a long shadow over park operations. Dragged under Roger Rabbit ride 17 Brandon Zucker slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000 Credit: FindaGrave 17 He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest Credit: FindaGrave A trip to Toontown turned into a medical nightmare for four-year-old Brandon Zucker, who slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000. He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest. According to the After two years, Disney settled with the family for an undisclosed amount, without admitting fault. The settlement's terms were not made public, but guaranteed the boy would receive medical treatment for the remainder of his life. Brandon remained severely disabled until his death in 2009 at age 13. He was found unresponsive at his dad's home in Anaheim and died at Children's Hospital of Orange County, the Deadly derailment on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 17 Marcelo Torres was killed during the derailment of the Big Thunder Railroad Credit: FindaGrave 17 10 others injured on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Credit: Alamy 17 A picture of the scene after the tragedy in 2003 Credit: ABC A routine thrill ride became a fatal wreck on September 5, 2003, when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed. Marcelo Torres, a 22-year-old graphic designer, suffered massive internal bleeding and blunt-force trauma when the ride's locomotive detached and slammed into his passenger car. As Ten others were injured in the crash. Though Disney settled the lawsuit with Torres' family, the park was widely criticized for what some called a "cost-cutting culture" in the maintenance department during the early 2000s. 17 Carmen Torres, the mother of 22-year-old Marcelo Torres who was killed at Disneyland Credit: Getty Fatal blow on the Sailing Ship Columbia A Christmas Eve cruise around the Rivers of America ended in death and chaos when a metal cleat tore loose from the Sailing Ship Columbia and struck two guests and a cast member in 1998. One man, 33, later died from head injuries. According to California's OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health) fined Disney $12,500 for inadequate training and misuse of materials. The company paid the victim's family an estimated $25 million in a settlement. 17 The Columbia sailing ship was closed following an accident on Christmas Eve in 1998 Credit: Getty 17 At least three people were injured when a rope cleat pulled loose from the front of the ship Credit: Getty Foot crushed on Alice in Wonderland ride A 15-year-old boy from Mesa, Arizona, left Disneyland with broken bones after his foot became wedged between a moving ride vehicle and a guardrail on December 21, 2000. Emergency responders were called after the teen's leg was crushed while riding the Alice in Wonderland attraction, the Investigators found that the boy had likely been dangling his leg outside the vehicle — despite visible signage and lap bar restraints advising against it. Anaheim Fire Division Chief Kent Mastain said 'the car did exactly what it was supposed to do,' stopping automatically. Disneyland reopened the ride just hours later and was not found liable for the accident. Space Mountain ejection leaves teen paralyzed 17 One guest was left partially paralyzed after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain Credit: Disney Parks In 1983, 18-year-old James Higgins was left partially paralyzed and brain-damaged after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain. Higgins sued Disney, claiming a flawed lap bar design was to blame. His attorneys sought $3.3 million in damages. The case hinged on the ring-shaped lap bars then in use, which a physicist testified could be removed by guests, according to the However, under cross-examination, the expert admitted gravity and proper positioning should have kept riders in place. The jury sided with Disney in 1985, 9–3, determining Higgins may have stood up mid-ride despite warnings. The lap bar was eventually replaced, but no fault was ever assigned to Disney. 'Permanently disfigured' after Blizzard Beach horror 17 A Disney World fan weighing 334lbs was left 'permanently disfigured' after 'going airborne' on popular water slide 17 He was allegedly allowed on the ride despite being too heavy at Blizzard Beach in Orlando, Florida Meanwhile in Florida, a Eugene Strickland filed a lawsuit in Orange County on May 29, seeking over $50,000 for 'permanent catastrophic injuries' he claims were caused by Disney's negligence. Strickland says he was allowed to ride the Downhill Double Dipper, despite exceeding the 300-pound weight limit set by ASTM guidelines. At the time, he weighed 334 pounds. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027. Disney has not yet commented on the case. The Sun reached out to Disney for comment. Disabled woman dead after Jungle Cruise fall 17 A disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021 Credit: Alamy In one of Disneyland's most recent cases, a disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021. According to The 66-year-old suffered a broken leg that later developed into a fatal infection. The case is still pending, with no final ruling on Disney's liability. The allegations have raised serious questions about how the park accommodates disabled guests.
The Guardian
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Dear Disney: don't cave to Trump. We need you to shape dreams for kids everywhere
I remember the moment I truly recognized the power Disney has to move young hearts and minds. It was when I attended a sneak preview of Disney's adaptation of the Chinese legend of Mulan, about a young woman who disguises herself as a man and takes up her wounded father's sword to defend her nation. I enjoyed the movie, with its combination of swashbuckling, slapstick and show tunes. But as I filed out of the theater, what I saw hit me like a fire-dragon rocket: two blond, apple-cheeked siblings, probably under the age of eight, leaping and sparring and loudly arguing over the right to pretend to be the movie's main character, Mulan. A boy and a girl, neither of them Asian, both so enthralled by the film's Chinese protagonist that they each aspired to be her. It reminded me that Disney doesn't just tell stories; it shapes dreams, creating heroes iconic enough to inspire young kids to imagine and be more, and providing empowering figures that enable people from different backgrounds to see themselves – and one another. It's still staggering for me to think that Mulan, a story from China with a gender-blurred title role, was greenlit, made and released in 1998 and is now broadly accepted alongside Bambi as a timeless animated classic – especially now that Maga has announced it's coming after the House of Mouse, with the apparent objective to make sure that nothing like it is ever made again. On 27 March, the Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair, Brendan Carr – a dead ringer for Who Framed Roger Rabbit's mirthless toon-terrorizer Judge Doom – sent a letter to Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, informing him that he had directed the agency's enforcement bureau to begin an investigation into Disney's diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Carr stated that he wanted to ensure that Disney had not been 'promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination', calling out as examples the company's employee affinity groups, its 'Reimagine Tomorrow' multicultural showcase and especially the company's 'inclusion standards', a set of goals that aim to increase the number of characters from underrepresented groups to half of the regular and recurring roles on its TV network, ABC. It's hard to explain why any of these are 'discriminatory' or 'invidious'; voluntary employee-led clubs – which have no restrictions or requirements for membership – are discriminatory? A website featuring remixes of Disney songs sung by artists of color and explanations of how to sign 'Mickey Mouse' in ASL is invidious? Even the 'inclusion standards' are just broadly aspirational objectives, which could be met in any number of ways: Disney's definition of 'underrepresented groups' includes women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, disabled persons and military veterans. But the mere threat of the investigation hastriggered Disney to begin a cautious reframing of some of these initiatives. The Reimagine Tomorrow site is gone, and now points to a generic inclusion page headed by the message: 'At Disney, we want everyone to belong and thrive.' The company's business employee resource groups have been redubbed 'belonging' employee resource groups. Carr's letter makes it clear that mere semantic shifts won't be enough, demanding that Disney's policies be 'changed in a fundamental manner'. And while Carr cites 'equal opportunity rules' and the need to ensure 'fair and equal treatment under the law', it's obvious that he won't be satisfied until Disney changes the one thing that the FCC is restricted from regulating by the US constitution: its content. Of course, the first amendment prevents the government from infringing on freedom of expression, except in very narrowly delimited ways. Where the FCC is concerned, the only way it can impose its will on a creative company's storytelling choices is if they are obscene, indecent or profane or contain dangerous disinformation. So the agency can't just demand that Disney stop making shows about Asian princesses or Black superheroes or Latina anthropomorphic automobiles. Yet that's just what Carr is doing – using the back door of equal employment opportunity to claim that by casting people who aren't straight or white or male in its movies and TV programs, Disney is unfairly withholding employment from straight white males. And unless Disney is ready to announce Timothée Chalamet as the new Black Panther, which, thank God, it isn't, targeting the studio's ability to hire diverse talent is a deliberate attempt to force it away from making diverse stories. That would spell business disaster for Disney. Yes, the studio has had its share of flops, which the Maga mob has blamed on multicultural casting – including, most recently, its unfairly pilloried live-action remake of the 1937 animated masterpiece Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler, whose mother is Colombian. The film, made on a $240m budget, has so far earned just $142m at the box office, its prospects poisoned by controversy over Zegler's advocacy on behalf of Palestine and racist backlash over her Latina heritage from online creeps. But similar attacks were also levied against Disney's The Little Mermaid remake, starring the African American actor Halle Bailey as Ariel, and that film was a box-office success and global streaming blockbuster. It also made the storyline relevant in new ways to young women – which makes sense, given that Disney's goal with its remakes isn't simply to photocopy the past, but to extend and refresh it, reaching untapped audiences of the present and emerging markets of the future. If that means they sometimes swing and miss in the short term, in the long run it all evens out, because Disney doesn't actually plan their business by quarter or year – they blueprint it by age bracket. Their franchises are designed to be evergreen and intentionally aligned to 'graduate' kids up a ladder of content: girls go from Muppets to Disney Fairies to Disney princesses to Disney's Descendants. Boys go from Cars to Pirates to Star Wars to Marvel superheroes. The ultimate goal is to ensure that there's something for every stage of growing up until young adulthood arrives and their fans become parents themselves, allowing Disney to earn money across the consumer life cycle, generation after generation. And every generation of Americans is more diverse. Baby boomers were 29% people of color. Gen X, 41%. Millennials, 46%, gen Z, 50%. The youngest rising cohort – those born after 2012, and currently squarely in Disney's prime target demo – is officially the first to be 'majority minority', with kids of color making up a full 52% of gen Alpha. Whatever Trump's mandate may be, Disney's demographic mandate should be stronger. The company defiantly and successfully resisted attempts by Ron DeSantis to strong-arm it into ending its diversity practices in Florida. While Trump's flying assault is coming from a higher top rope, the Mouse should still be mighty enough to fend it off and roar back. Disney's incentive will be what it always has been: making money. But for diverse communities, the positive manifestation of Disney's profit motive has been that kids growing up today know what it feels like to be mirrored in the media they consume, with all of the psychological and emotional benefits that confers. I've seen this first-hand, as someone who grew up in an era nearly devoid of Asian representation in Hollywood, and who went through the bizarre experience of having my elder son, Hudson Yang, star in the first hit TV series focused on an Asian American family. To this day, Hudson still receives surprise hugs from people who grew up tuning into Fresh Off the Boat once a week, and wide-eyed stares from kids who have discovered it years later through TikTok clips and streaming reruns. The network that aired the show for six seasons, beginning in 2014? Disney's ABC, a decade before inclusion standards existed and before Maga was around to protest them. And that gives me optimism that Disney will keep doing what it has done so well for generations, regardless: give children from a wide array of backgrounds an answer – 'now and here' – to the question in Mulan's signature ballad: 'When will my reflection show who I am inside?'
