Guests Injured As Glass Orb Falls From Ceiling and Crashes In Ride Queue

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

No one likes waiting in line — especially a long one. Unfortunately, it’s something that is pretty much unavoidable when you visit a Disney theme park. Disney knows that you will have to wait, but they want to make your wait as enjoyable as possible. That’s why Disney has created some truly incredible queues for its rides. You can play games while waiting for Space Mountain and try to solve a murder while waiting for The Haunted Mansion. The ride queues are full of small details that can make any line more interesting.

While Guests may expect to see a lot of incredible pieces in all of the ride queues, they do not expect those pieces to crash around them. But that is exactly what happened to Guests who were waiting to ride Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid at Magic Kingdom Park. In that attraction queue, glass orbs hang from ropes above the Guests. One of those glass orbs came out of the rope and crashed to the ground, sending shards everywhere and injuring some of the Guests.

Twitter user Austin (@itsaustindoes) was in line at the time and took pictures of the glass all over the ground. He also shared a picture of the rope that the orb was in, and it appears as though the rope broke.

Sadly, this is not the first problem Journey of The Little Mermaid has experienced recently. Not too long ago, a fire — reportedly caused by fireworks going off at Magic Kingdom — broke out and Guests saw smoke and flames rising from the ride. Luckily, the fire was put out quickly. No major damage was done, and the ride was up and operating normally the next day.

While several Guests were injured by flying glass, it thankfully looks like none of the injuries were serious. If you ever find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation at a Disney theme park, be sure to alert a Cast Member. If you, like these Guests, are near an area full of broken glass, do not try to help clean up the mess yourself. Cast Members have the tools necessary to safely clean up such a mess, and they don’t want Guests to risk injuring themselves further.

Walt Disney Co. Has a New Lead Spokesperson

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney has officially hired a new Head of Global Communications — Kristina Schake, former special assistant to President Barack Obama and Communications Director for First Lady, Michelle Obama. Schake could not come into the company at a more crucial time, as Disney struggles to get back in the good graces of thousands of Cast Members and Guests. Disney has been in hot water since its response to Florida’s Parental Rights In Education Bill, which was signed into law in March by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Schake will be an Executive VP and will report directly to Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Geoff Morrell.

In confirming Schake’s new position, Morrell made the following statement:

“I could not be more pleased to welcome Kristina to Disney and to have her leading communications for the company. Her experience in the public and private sectors, in political and corporate campaigns, make her ideally suited for this important role and to help me integrate communications with government relations, public policy, and corporate social responsibility into a new Corporate Affairs team. Together with the exceptional professionals at Disney, we will help the world’s greatest storytelling company engage even more effectively with our many stakeholders around the world.”

After Morrell released his statement, Schake made a statement of her own. In it, she voiced her excitement about joining the Disney family. Schake said:

“As Disney approaches its 100th anniversary, I’m excited to lead the company’s global communications work at this pivotal moment of growth and transformation, The magical stories and experiences Disney creates enrich the lives of countless people around the world and it’s an honor for me to be a part of that, helping Bob Chapek, Geoff Morrell, and the talented teams throughout the company tell the story of Disney as it begins its second century.”

Bob Chapek

Schake began her political career in her home state of California, where she worked as a Communications Strategist for Maria Shriver — the ex-wife of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — the Women’s Conference, and the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities Initiative. She is also one of the co-founders of American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Just prior to joining Disney, Schake led the national COVID-19 vaccine education campaign for the Biden administration. She is also the former Communications Director for Instagram. In addition to working for both President Obama and President Biden, Schake has also worked for Hilary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential campaign as its Deputy Communications Director.

Disney World to Develop 80 Acres of Affordable Housing

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

When people are asked what comes to mind when they think of Florida, one of the first things they will probably say is Disney World. Disney is one of the largest employers in the state and brings millions of dollars every year. Disney has always worked closely with the state, as well as Orange County and Osceola County — the two counties the Walt Disney World Resort is located in. Many of Disney’s Cast Members live near the Parks, so Disney wants to work hard to improve these communities in innovative ways.

Disney has announced that it is earmarking 80 acres of Southwest Orange County to be developed as affordable housing. Disney Parks Blog shared more information on the new development that will soon be underway.

Today, we’re taking a big step forward in these efforts: Walt Disney World is earmarking nearly 80 acres of our land for a new affordable housing development – right here in Central Florida. This initiative has been in the works for a while as we’ve been focused on finding solutions to this challenge for quite some time. I am thrilled that we can finally share this news with our cast members and neighbors.  

“We are invested in working together with our community to solve complex issues,” said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “The lack of affordable housing is affecting many people across our country, including right here in Central Florida. With this initiative, we’re lending a hand to make a real and meaningful impact in our community by tapping into the best of our company’s strengths. This is the right opportunity and the right time to take action.” 

The development, which is expected to include more than 1,300 units, will be constructed by a third-party affordable housing developer and will be located on Disney’s land in southwest Orange County, Florida. It will offer Central Florida residents a variety of home choices that are affordable and attainable, in a great part of town near schools and the new and expanding Flamingo Crossings Town Center retail and dining complex. The development will be available for qualifying applicants in our region, including Disney cast members. 

Walt Disney World President, Jeff Vahle, spoke more about his excitement for the project. You can watch the video below:

This affordable housing area is not the first time that Disney has worked with the counties to help its low-income residents. Disney VoluntEARS frequently work with charity organizations, like the Orange County Food Bank, to bring necessary items to residents. Every year, Disney also works with several area organizations to bring gifts to thousands of families in the Orlando area.

Disney is also working to bring affordable housing to the Anaheim area, where Disneyland Resort is located. Disney has already created one affordable housing complex and is currently nearing completion on the second. The housing area was created for veterans, as well as other homeless individuals who are suffering from mental illness. Disney not only provides them with housing, but also with health and wellness support, as well as career training and job placement programs.

Disneyland Finamore Place

At this time, Disney has only said that the project is in the works. They have not announced when construction will begin, when the area is expected to be completed, or how much these affordable housing units will cost.

‘Encanto’ in “it’s a small world”?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Ever since it premiered in November 2021, fans have not been able to get enough of one of Disney’s newest movies, Encanto. From the beautiful story to the gorgeous animation and the unforgettable songs, there is a lot to love about Encanto. The film’s success has even caused fans to ask Disney to bring a Colombia pavilion to the EPCOT World Showcase. Encanto has taken the world by storm, with no signs of slowing down.

Whenever a movie is incredibly successful, Disney thinks of ways to incorporate the film and its characters into the theme parks. Frozen came out in 2013 and now, it seems that every parade and new show features the film. The Maelstrom attraction was even rethemed and is now Frozen: Ever After. Now, Encanto is getting in on the action, especially at Disneyland Resort.

Mirabel Madrigal recently made her Disneyland Resort debut and is greeting Guests in Frontierland at Disneyland Park. There will also be a brand new Encanto float in the Main Street Electrical Parade when it returns to The Happiest Place on Earth. The Main Street Electrical Parade is currently scheduled to return on April 22 — the same day as the Disneyland Forever fireworks.

Encanto Main Street Electrical Parade

Disney is now sharing that the popular “it’s a small world” attraction will also be receiving special Encanto treatment. The facade of the attraction is frequently used for incredibly Disney projections, and soon, an Encanto show will be projected on it! Disney Parks Blog shared more information about the new show:

For a limited time beginning April 11, the iconic façade of “it’s a small world” becomes enchanted several times each evening with a brief visual montage that pays tribute to the movie’s hit song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” This musical delight comes to life through projection and lighting effects and an artistic style inspired by the lyrics, with select moments that feature characters from the film. Like the Madrigal family’s Casita, tiles across the “it’s a small world” façade flip, turn, and rearrange themselves as one scene transitions to the next, culminating in a celebratory chorus and a nod to Bruno’s mysterious prophecy about Mirabel.

Encanto it's a small world

Now, it is important to remember, that this new projection show will only be available for a limited time!

Disney Being Sued For $30K Over Scooter Injury

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

When it comes to electric scooters at Walt Disney World, there are two schools of thought. There are those who believe that people on scooters are often ignored by Guests who simply can’t pay attention. Then, there are those who believe that people in scooters think they own the road and drive however they want. If you have been to Disney, then you have probably seen someone cut in front of a scooter and narrowly avoid getting hit. On the flip side, you have probably seen someone driving a scooter recklessly and cutting people off, and almost using the scooter as a battering ram.

Scooters have been the cause of many an injury at Walt Disney World Resort, followed by many a lawsuit. Those lawsuits slowed down during the pandemic — for obvious reasons — but, with the increase in crowds, the lawsuits are coming back in full force. One of those lawsuits is coming from Texas resident, Jamie Pineda.

According to reports, Ms. Pineda claims that she was visiting Walt Disney World with her family on December 29, 2021. Ms. Pineda and her family were waiting in line for the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along in the France Pavilion in EPCOT. Suddenly, a person on a scooter came up behind her and smashed into her, knocking her down. Ms. Pineda claims that the accident left her with a dislocated knee and a tear in her ankle.

Disney World scooter

Ms. Pineda’s lawyer said that Ms. Pineda’s theme park vacation was completely ruined when she was hit. She had to return to Texas to receive medical treatment and is still dealing with pain and suffering months later. The major parts of the lawsuit claim that Disney is responsible for Ms. Pineda’s injury because they let scooters get too close to Guests, they do not maintain enough order in crowds, and they did not help Ms. Pineda after she was hit.

Unfortunately for Disney, they are limited as to how it can manage scooters in its theme parks. There are federal and state guidelines that Disney has to follow when it comes to Guests with disabilities who are using scooters to get around. While things went well when the Parks were at strict capacity limits, things are getting more complicated now that the crowds are back and more people are using scooters to get around.

Scooters Disney World

It is important to note that there is no training that comes with getting an electric scooter at a Disney Park. There are really only two things that are required: that the Guest is 18 years or older, and that they provide a photo ID.

When visiting a Park, it is always important to be aware of people in scooters, as well as Guests pushing strollers. If you see someone driving a scooter erratically and think that they are endangering other Guests, report your concerns to the nearest Cast Member. However, it is equally important to give scooters their needed space. Do not try to cut in front of one, and do not get too close, as you may not know which way the scooter is going. There are bad drivers everywhere, and Disney is no exception.