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12 Disney Park Disasters And Dark Secrets That Made It the Second Happiest Place on Earth

A Disneyland Paris worker said in his suicide note he didn’t want to go back to working for Disney.

12 Disney Park Disasters And Dark Secrets That Made It the Second Happiest Place on Earth

July 08, 2023

Welcome to our list of the 12 most gruesome Disney Park accidents and dark secrets. We know that Disney parks are supposed to be places of joy and happiness, but unfortunately, accidents do happen. From tragic deaths to lawsuits, these 12 stories are a reminder that even the happiest place on Earth isn’t immune to tragedy.

We’ve all heard of the classic Disney stories, but these 12 tales are far from the usual happily-ever-after. Prepare to be shocked, saddened, and even a little bit scared as we take you on a journey through some of the most tragic accidents and events that have occurred in Disney parks around the world. From a hostess crushed by a wall at Disneyland to a monorail crash at Disney World, these stories are sure to leave you with a newfound appreciation for safety protocols and a deeper understanding of the power of tragedy.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the 12 most gruesome Disney Park accidents and dark secrets.

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12

Death by roller coaster.

First death at Disneyland, in 1964 6 A 15-year-old boy died when he fell out of a bobsled on the Matterhorn ride. It's unclear to this day what exactly happened. CRACKED — Elf/Wiki Commons
SFGATE

11

Tragedy in the Magic Kingdom.

CRACKED BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD Deadly train derailment In 2003, a 22-year-old from Gardena passed away, and 10 other people were hurt, when a train filled with passengers came off the tracks in a dark tunnel on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disneyland. — Michael Gray/Flickr
Los Angeles Times

10

No more work at Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Paris workers' suicide In 2010, two people who worked at Disneyland Paris took their own lives. One of them wrote in a suicide note that they didn't want to go back to their job at the theme park. CRACKED — rifqa.j/Shutterstock
Der Spiegel

9

Tragic death at Disneyland.

Hostess crushed by a rotating wall In 1974, an 18-year-old hostess at Disneyland's America Sings ride was killed when a rotating wall crushed her. CRACKED — Albaum/Wiki Commons
Snopes

8

Pirates of Misfortune.

CRACKED Toddler badly hurt on ride PIRATES GARIBALAN of the In 2013, a five-year-old boy had a really bad accident at Disneyland Paris when he fell out of a boat on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and got seriously hurt. — HarshLight/Wiki Commons
RFI

7

Disney World

Lethal monorail crash In July 2020, an accident occurred at Disney World when a monorail crashed, killing the 21-year-old driver. Thankfully, the eight passengers, including a family of six, were all unharmed. CRACKED — James Kirkikis/Shutterstock
CNN

6

Not so magical.

CRACKED Two elderly women assaulted In 2023, a woman was taken into custody and banned from Walt Disney World after she reportedly attacked two elderly women while they were waiting in line for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride in the Magic Kingdom. — Josh Hallett/Flickr
Pirates & Princesses

5

Money talks.

Matterhorn ride gone very wrong One family sued Disneyland after someone fell from the Matterhorn ride and was hit and killed by a car back in 1988. Eventually, they reached an agreement with the park and got an undisclosed amount of money. CRACKED — Kingofthedead /Wiki Commons
Los Angeles Times

4

Tragic death in Disney parade.

CRACKED Employee killed by a parade float In 2004, a Disney employee was killed when a float in a parade ran over him. Only a few of his colleagues saw the accident, and it's also thought that only a few guests were present. — Chris Smithe/Shutterstock
Orlando Sentinel

3

Disneyland

Feral cats hunting mice It's estimated that around 200 cats live in Disneyland and California Adventure Park. They're all spayed and neutered, and they're kept around because they, ironically, keep the number of rodents down. CRACKED — Maximillian cabinet/Shutterstock
Los Angeles Times

2

Disneyland

CRACKED Autopia ride gone awry In 2000, a woman in her 40s got her back hurt at Disneyland when the car she was in on the Autopia ride got hit from behind by another car. — Randomgbear/Wiki Commons
Los Angeles Times

1

Magical memories, indeed.

Scattering ashes at Disney World Once a month or so, someone secretly scatters the ashes of their loved one at Disney World or Disneyland, even though it's against the law. Next time you're in one of the parks, just think of all the microscopic human ash remnants all around you. CRACKED — Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock
Insider

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