Each quarter, major theme parks are required to submit an incident report to the Florida government as part of their regulation process. These reports detail any incident that resulted in hospitalization for 24+ hours. Six incidents were documented between July and September of this year.
This past September, while riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, an Orange County Sheriff’s report stated that Joseph Masters, 83, of Palm Coast, Florida passed out on the attraction.
His wife Alice, who was with him at the time, began to panic. “She began asking for help and attempted to contact family members who were at the park,” read the sheriff’s report. “As the ride came to its end, Disney staff and security responded to the scene where CPR was initiated.”
Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics stated that Masters was taken to Celebration Hospital, where medical staff tried to save his life for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, Master’s was pronounced dead at 5:04 p.m.
The sheriff’s report went on to reveal that Master, who had a pacemaker, was “diagnosed with an extensive list of medical conditions to include diabetes and hypertension.” Doctors found he “had a large blockage of an artery, near the right side of his heart.” His death was considered “natural given the aforementioned circumstances.”
Anyone who has ridden the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover knows this is far from a thrill ride – in the traditional sense. On the Walt Disney World website, it states, “Board an elevated tram for a leisurely voyage through Tomorrowland.” It is categorized as a “slow ride.”
In February, a 72-year-old woman lost consciousness on the PeopleMover, according to the state injury report released every quarter by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Other incidents include a 27-year-old woman who went into labor after exiting the Tomorrowland Speedway, an 83-year-old man who was “briefly unresponsive” on Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and a 59-year-old woman who “sustained injury to toes” on Alien Swirling Saucers at Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
At EPCOT, this past July, a 47-year-old man passed out on Mission: Space after riding the “Green” version.
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My wife and I (both in our early 70’s) became light headed while on the people mover this past August. We attributed it to the heat, but reading this makes me wonder. We felt for me the rest of the day.
being elderly myself along with my beautiful wife of over 40 years, we still manage to keep our heads about going to disney and what rides we ride within our limitations. it was a lot better when dvc had spa tubs instead of the new soaker tubs that are like fighting an octopus to get out of! we are old enough to remember when saratoga springs resort and spa had those wonderful actual “spa tubs” at the end of the day to shimmy into and relax. but now that is gone with “refurbishment”. one of the main reasons we actually bought into saratoga. now it is boardwalk or old keywest for us! actual spa tubs to soak our old bones in after a long arduous day at the parks. but, we should be happy, we are not yet in those obnoxiuos scooters! that young obese folks seem to love so much.