A New Jersey child experienced whiplash on Peter Pan’s Flight, according to a new lawsuit filed by his father against Disney this week.
Daniel Blanco said the ride broke down and unexpectedly stopped when his child rode the iconic Magic Kingdom attraction on May 18.
“When the ride operator announced it would be starting back up, the ride jerked and slammed Plaintiff’s head into the ride carriage,” said the lawsuit for more than $50,000 filed Monday in Orange Circuit Court. “The whiplash was not a part of the normal ride; it was a malfunction and caused Plaintiff severe and permanent injuries.”
The lawsuit doesn’t say what those injuries are.
Blanco is being represented by Morgan & Morgan, who declined to comment for this story. It’s unclear how old the minor child was. The ride is family-friendly and doesn’t have any height restrictions, so it’s for all ages.
Disney World did not report anyone seriously hurt on May 18 on the ride on the state injury report, but there are strict rules for which injuries the parks are required to disclose. The theme parks are only supposed to publicly acknowledge incidents if anyone was hurt or sick on a ride and required at least 24 hours of hospitalization.
The theme park injury report showed eight people have been injured on the ride since 2006. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that millions of people visit the Magic Kingdom annually.
A 4-year-old boy with a pre-existing medical condition had a seizure after getting on the ride in 2019, the most recent incident. Two adults had a seizure or chest pain on the ride. Most of the incidents occurred on the ride’s moving platform where the ride is unloaded. A 74-year-old woman lost her balance on the unloading belt, hitting her head and fracturing her wrist in 2009, the report said.
The classic ride based on the children’s movie has been open since 1971.
Morgan & Morgan is also suing Disney over another Disney World visitor’s injury. WDWNT reported last month about a woman who filed a lawsuit after she said the monorail doors shut on her, trapping her until other passengers rescued her. Rebecca Vanturini is suing for more than $50,000 over her injuries from the March incident. The lawsuit is still pending.
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