A man is suing Disney after he was thrown from a ride…and it’s all Disney’s fault, he claims. Billy Williams is an Orange County, Florida, local who visits the Parks often. In 2022 he suffered a fall that he alleges caused him permanent damage. He’s now seeking compensation from WaltDisneyWorld.
On April 28, 2022, Williams was at Magic Kingdom with his wife having a magical day. The good times wouldn’t last, however. As the couple boarded their Doom Buggy on the Haunted Mansion, Williams suddenly fell. The ride uses Disney’s omnimover system, which means the vehicles never stop moving. Guests match the pace on a moving walkway and enter moving vehicles. This allows for rides to accommodate more guests per hour, which keeps lines shorter. It also avoids “the ferris wheel effect,” where rides are interrupted as others get on and off.
The problem came when the ride suddenly stopped when Williams was boarding. He claims a Haunted Mansion Cast Member “hit the emergency stop button” as he entered the vehicle, which caused him to lurch forward and fall out of the Doom Buggy and onto the ground. Cast Members must stop the ride occasionally if there is a problem or if someone with mobility issues enters or exits the ride.
Williams is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, US, Inc., alleging the theme park was negligent for “failing to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition” and failed to correct or make him aware of the dangerous situation. In the lawsuit, filed in Orange County Courts last month, he is seeking $50,000, alleging that he has suffered “severe and permanent injuries” as a result of the fall.
Due to the ongoing nature the legal action, Disney has not commented at this time. It is unknown if Disney offered Williams any compensation or accommodation for his injuries when they were sustained last spring.
