Last week, French newspaper Le Parisien reported that on Friday, August 17, a total of 22 people, including hotel staff and regular guests, were treated by firefighters and paramedics after a strange smell was reported at the pool of Disney’s Hotel New York, located within the Disneyland Paris resort area. It is believed that this incident was due to improper handling of the chemicals used to sanitize the bathing pool.
Four people were hospitalized, while the rest were treated onsite for chlorine gas intoxication, symptoms of which include skin and eye irritation, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. The hotel staff evacuated both the surrounding areas and hotel rooms near the pool, which still remain closed as of Monday morning. After several hours, the rescue crew had completely drained the pool, at which point the police allowed guests to return to their rooms. To their credit, Disneyland Paris management rebooked the affected guests into new rooms in another wing of the hotel.
As we reported in July, The Hotel New York facility will be closed beginning January 7, 2019, as part of a year-long transformation into a Marvel-themed hotel to be called “Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel”. It is unclear whether the pool will reopen before then.