This is a list of notable incidents that occurred at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Florida, United States. The term "incidents" refers to major injuries, deaths, loss (or injury), or significant crimes related to the attractions themselves, or personal altercations and incidents between the theme park guests and employees. Attraction-related incidents usually fall into one of the following categories: Negligence on the park's part, either by ride operator or maintenance. Negligence on the guest's part—this includes refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions, or deliberate intent to break park rules. The result of a guest's known or unknown health issues. Acts of God, which include generic accidents (e.g. slipping and falling) that are not the direct result of an action on anyone's part.
According to a 1985 Time magazine article, nearly 100 lawsuits are annually filed against Disney for various incidents. Florida theme parks are required to notify the state of any ride-related injuries or illnesses that require a hospital stay of at least 24 hours.
Disney Transport
Ferry Boat On , eight people were injured when a ferryboat collided with the dock at the Transportation and Ticket Center after the captain put the engines into reverse too late, and was unable to stop the boat in time. On , a 61-year-old woman from Skipton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom suffered a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, and back pain due to a boating accident near the Magic Kingdom. The rented Sea Raycer that her husband was driving collided with a Disney ferryboat. The Orange County Sheriff's Office later stated in a report that the Sea Raycer crossed in the ferry's right-of-way. On , a 56-year-old woman leapt from the upper deck of a ferry into the Seven Seas Lagoon. She was rescued by Disney lake patrol. The guest was uninjured and was taken to a nearby hospital for observation and mental health evaluation. The Orange County Sheriff's Office later confirmed it was a suicide attempt. On , the Ferry Richard F. Irvine collided with the dock at the Magic Kingdom, knocking at least one person unconscious. One male guest sued Disney for $50,000, claiming that his head and neck struck a steel pillar in the collision, causing him to fall into a garbage can.
Bus On , a 45-year-old cast member from Port Orange was killed when his red 1989 Honda Accord lost control and crashed head-on into a Disney transportation bus on the west side of Buena Vista Drive, forcing a short closure to ramps leading to Epcot. None of the 29 passengers in the bus were injured. On , a Disney transportation bus rear-ended a private charter bus near the entrance to the Epcot parking lot. Seven guests aboard the Disney bus received minor injuries, while the bus driver was reported to have received critical injuries. On , a 9-year-old boy from Redington Beach, Florida was crushed to death by a Disney transportation bus at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground while riding his bicycle. A report from the Florida Highway Patrol says that the victim appeared to turn his bike into the road and ran into the side of the bus, subsequently being dragged under the bus's right rear tire. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary report stated that the bus driver, who had 30 years' experience with Disney, was not impaired or driving recklessly and that charges probably would not be filed, pending a full investigation of the incident. In October 2010, the boy's mother sued Disney World. Disney settled out of court in 2012. On , a 69-year-old Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts man died after stepping in front of a moving Disney transportation bus in the parking lot of Disney's Port Orleans Resort. On , a 29-year-old woman from Windermere, Florida was killed near Disney's Coronado Springs Resort when her Honda CR-V crashed into a moving Disney transportation bus. On , two Disney transportation buses carrying 51 people in total collided on Epcot Center Drive. Fourteen guests suffered minor injuries.
Car On , a 29-year-old Connecticut National Guard member from New Haven, Connecticut was killed after being hit by a truck while jogging on Florida State Road 536 at Disney World property. The driver of the truck was not charged. Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that the jogger crossed in front of him, and the driver didn't see the man running. On , four teenage boys were killed when their late-model Ford Mustang smashed into the rear of a bus during a high-speed pursuit near the Caribbean Beach Resort at Disney World property. Three of the four boys died on scene, while the fourth boy, a 17-year-old from Orlando, was later treated with critical injuries at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated that the Mustang was traveling between when it smashed into the bus with no passengers inside during the morning hours. The driver, a 19-year-old man from Windermere, had a record of seven traffic violations and his license was suspended at the time of the crash. On , a 20-year-old man from Kissimmee, Florida lost control of his truck and crashed into a tree near Disney's Contemporary Resort, killing his passenger, an 18-year-old electrician from Chicago, Illinois, during a high-speed pursuit with both Disney security and the Orange County Sheriff's Office. According to authorities, Disney employees chased the truck down after witnessing its passenger standing on top of the moving vehicle. On , a 9-year-old boy from Schoolcraft, Michigan named Tyler Edward Hrab was killed after being fatally struck by a moving car driven by a 17-year-old Disney employee from Kissimmee in the parking lot. Hrab was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead the following day. On July 7, his parents filed a lawsuit seeking $15,500 in damages. On , the Walt Disney World Monorail System was forced to halt its operations for 40 minutes after an unidentified SUV crashed into one of the system's pillars at one of Epcot's parking lots. No injuries were reported from the crash. On , a 53-year-old Colombian man was hit by a car and killed while riding his bicycle on Osceola Parkway.
Monorail
On , the Mark IV Monorail Blue rear-ended the Mark IV Monorail Red due to driver error. One driver and two passengers were injured. On , a fire engulfed the rear car of the six-car Mark IV Monorail Silver in transit from the Epcot station to the Transportation and Ticket Center. This fire pre-dated onboard fire detection systems, emergency exits, and evacuation planning. Passengers in the car kicked-out side windows and climbed around the side of the train to reach the roof, where they were subsequently rescued by the Reedy Creek Fire Department. Seven passengers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation or other minor injuries. The fire department later determined that the fire started when a flat tire dragged across the concrete beam and was ignited by the frictional heat. On , two Disney cameramen suffered minor injuries after Mark VI Monorail Red collided with a maintenance rig outside Disney's Contemporary Resort, knocking both men down. According to authorities, nobody was on the monorail at the time of the incident because the monorail itself was used to film a Walt Disney World television commercial. At the time of the incident, the crew attempted to film Monorail Red coming out of the Contemporary Hotel and heading to the Magic Kingdom by using a camera platform in the rig. On , Monorail Red caught fire while pulling into the Magic Kingdom station. Its driver suffered smoke inhalation and the two bus drivers suffered injuries, and all three were taken to nearby hospitals. The fire was quickly put out by Reedy Creek. 2009 Walt Disney World monorail accident: On , during a failed track switchover from the Epcot line onto the Magic Kingdom express line, Monorail Pink backed into Monorail Purple at the Transportation & Ticket Center station, killing Monorail Purple's pilot, 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg of Kissimmee, Florida. One cast member and six guests who were also on the trains were treated at the scene and released. OSHA and park officials inspected the monorail line and the monorail reopened on , after new sensors and operating procedures were put in place. On October 31, 2011, the NTSB issued its findings on this incident, citing the probable cause as the shop panel operator's failure to properly align the switch beam before the monorail train was directed to reverse through it. OSHA proposed a total of $44,000 in fines against Disney for safety violations, but that amount was later reduced to $35,200. On , Monorail Coral was being towed by a monorail tug for an unknown reason. The monorail separated from the tug, then crashed into it, causing damage to the body of the monorail and shattering the windshield. All monorail lines were shut down after Coral's accident but resumed operations the next day. On , the entire monorail system was briefly shut down after a fake bomb threat was made by a 31-year-old man from Deltona, Florida. Disney bomb dogs searched the monorail and a family member's car for any destructive devices, but none were found. The man was taken into custody.
Parking Lot Tram On , a 1-year-old girl from Muscatine, Iowa was killed after she fell out of the tram when it made a sudden turn in the parking lot leading to the Magic Kingdom. On October 18, 1992, an 8-year-old girl from Indian Harbour Beach, Florida fell from the tram while it was moving. Her 38-year-old mother reached out for her but also fell from the tram. The tram at the time was going around 15 mph. The mother was airlifted to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, where she died the following morning. The girl was transported by Reedy Creek to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children where she was treated and released. On , a female guest stabbed two male guests with a 6-inch paring knife at the tram stop in the Pluto parking lot leading to the Magic Kingdom. Both men, a 41-year-old from Cinnaminson, New Jersey and a 37-year-old from Miami, were both listed in good condition at Sand Lake Hospital. The woman left the scene and drove away with a white unknown-modeled car. Authorities later confirmed that the woman grabbed the 37-year-old man from behind while standing with his daughter waiting for an oncoming tram, and the 41-year-old made eye contact with the female suspect before she shouted to "never look at [her] like that". The knife according to investigators was pulled out from the woman's sock. On , lightning struck one of the trams in the parking lot leading to the Magic Kingdom. Seven people were stunned by the strike, but four people were transported to the hospital and were all released that same day.
Other vehicles On , an 18-year-old local swimming champion from Winter Park, Florida suffered severe injuries after being struck by a motorboat's blade propeller while swimming with nine friends in a lake at Disney World property. The propeller's blade severely injured his left leg and ankle and cut his right foot. Nearly two years later on June 29, 1981, the man was awarded $170,000 in a verdict after a jury concluded that he was 15% responsible in the accident.
Transportation and Ticket Center
On , an 80-year-old man from Argentina with prostate issues and severe urinary incontinence was arrested by Orange County deputies after he exposed his penis and urinated in the bushes near the security office of the Transportation & Ticket Center. He was taken into Orange County custody and was banned from entering Disney World property. According to authorities, he attempted to speak to a cast member but couldn't understand because of his non-English accent, while his attorney said that he "didn't do anything wrong".