Disney, Universal report leg injuries, loss of consciousness on rides

Visitors at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando experienced leg injuries, shortness of breath and loss of consciousness on rides at their theme parks in the first three months of 2024, a state report revealed Thursday.

The document listed eight guest injuries at Disney and two at Universal from January through March.

In January, a 63-year-old visitor injured her leg while leaving the ride vehicle for the Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, and a 70-year-old guest fell and injured her leg while loading into Epcot’s Spaceship Earth attraction.

At Magic Kingdom, a 32-year-old female lost consciousness while aboard Space Mountain, and a 46-year-old had head pain and nausea after riding Tron Lightcycle / Run roller coaster. Both were reported in January.

Four other Disney World incidents involved pre-existing conditions, according to the report. A 73-year-old male lost consciousness after riding Spaceship Earth in January. A 68-year-old female felt shortness of breath after riding Slinky Dog Dash, a roller coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in February. A 44-year-old female had a seizure after experiencing Frozen Ever After, a water ride at Epcot, in March.

And at Blizzard Beach water park, a 29-year-old guest lost consciousness after Summit Plummet, a near-vertical drop body slide, in February.

At Universal, “an altered state of consciousness” was reported from a 56-year-old male after experiencing Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, a drop ride at Islands of Adventure, and from a 38-year-old male after Transformers: The Ride — 3D, a motion-simulation attraction at Universal Studios. Both occurred in March.

SeaWorld Orlando, Legoland Florida and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay did not report any injuries in the first quarter of 2024.

Under an agreement with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees ride regulations, Florida’s major theme parks self-report guest injuries on rides that require at least 24 hours of hospitalization. The department does not receive updates after the initial assessments of conditions.

Investigations by the Orlando Sentinel have shown descriptions of the injuries often can be vague or inaccurate.