The Most Magical Place on Earth has seen an increase in death. Four people have died at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in the last 20 days.
On November 2, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, a woman in her 40s visiting Disney World was taken to a local hospital, where she died. The news was confirmed by a representative from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office via a statement shared with the outlet. No cause of death was shared, but authorities denied “foul play.” Disney World didn’t provide a comment when asked by EW.
This is the fourth parkgoer to die in the last few weeks. On October 16, Summer Equitz reportedly committed suicide while staying at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort hotel located near Magic Kingdom. Five days later, a man in his 60s was found unresponsive in his bed located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. His wife called 911, and medical personnel arrived and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Two days later, on October 23, another guest at the Contemporary Resort died after a reported “medical emergency.” And then the previously mentioned death on November 2 occurred, less than two weeks later. Also, on October 7, a woman in her 60s died after riding the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland in California. She was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
While none of these deaths occurred inside the actual theme parks or on a ride, they did happen in and around Disney property, which includes many hotels, restaurants, highways, and more. At the moment, these deaths have not been directly connected to Disney World or Disneyland personnel, food, or infrastructure.
Still, for a place that markets itself as the happiest and most magical place on Earth, the body count is getting shockingly high. Of course, deaths have happened at Disney World before, but the frequency of these recent events has put the park in the spotlight in a way I imagine Disney execs aren’t excited about.
