Working At Disney World Is Dangerous
Posted by: Nikki Dowling
Filed in:
news
5:50PM, Wednesday August 19th 2009
For those of you who’ve been laboring under the misconception (ha!) that working at Disney World is fun and carefree, think again. Since the park opened for the season in July, three employees have died and another was groped while dressed as Minnie Mouse. The most recent incident happened on Monday when Anislav Varbanov, 30, sustained a fatal neck fracture after doing a tumbling roll during a rehearsal for the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.
Last week, Mark Prince, 47, died from a head injury that he got while performing in some pirate show. And in July, monorail driver Austin Wuennenberg, 21, was killed in a rail accident. This craziness has gotten the attention of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has launched an investigation to figure out what the eff is going on at the Happiest Place On Earth. [Wall Street Journal]
I don’t even like going to amusement parks because I hate waiting in long lines and the rides always make me sick. But who knew they were so deadly? When I was ten, I got so nauseous on the little kid’s dragon roller coaster at the local fair by my house that the carnie had to stop the whole thing so I could get off. But even then, I was nowhere near death. Well, maybe death from humiliation, but nothing too serious.
If you’ve ever worked at Disney, I’d like to hear your stories!
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wrote on August 19 2009 @ 07:51 pm: [report]
I worked at Disney World for a few months in 2005. I personally didn’t see anyone get hurt, but they have some crazy rules. One instance I heard about (wasn’t a witness, so it could be Disney urban legend to scare newbies) was that a guy playing Goofy got run over during a parade. He had an apparent head injury, but the Disney folks couldn’t decide whether or not to remove the Goofy head before they got him into the ambulance, since they have a strict no de-heading policy so as not to scare the kiddies.
Elleohelle
wrote on August 19 2009 @ 07:57 pm: [report]
Poor workers. Disney also has that medical team that keep injured guests alive by any means necessary until they leave the park’s grounds, so they can continue saying “Noone has ever died in Disneyland.”
Lola
wrote on August 19 2009 @ 09:48 pm: [report]
I worked at Disney from 04-05 and the goofy incident I believe was actually an urban legend… and the pr people def have put out statements that no one has ever died on Disney Park property but they sometimes can’t revive the person long enough to get them out in time.
I worked a ride there and I can say that there were times where it was completely dangerous and if I didn’t follow protocol then not only would I have been seriously hurt, but hurt the guests as well. Disney takes safety as a number 1 priority so if an accident does occur, 8 out of 10 times it could have been prevented and is caused by a person’s negligence.
Kiki T
wrote on August 19 2009 @ 10:22 pm: [report]
I had a friend that applied for a job there and there were tons of rules, one of them was they had to wear white granny panties—all the employees. How they regulated this, god only knows.
diesel
wrote on August 19 2009 @ 11:32 pm: [report]
I worked at disney from May of 2005 to January of 2006 and during the following two summers and I can say from my experience that safety is a top priority for Disney.
And Disney does not require all employees to wear white granny panties…only those that wear white pants as part of their costume, because it is quite noticable if they do not.
airie53
wrote on August 20 2009 @ 08:50 am: [report]
I worked for Disney for 6 years from 1998-2004. Its a very safe place if you follow protocol. Disney absolutely stresses safety as its number one priority. It was pounded in our heads on a daily basis. Either these were complete freak accidents or someone wasn’t paying attention. Its a shame. And the whole Minnie Mouse groping incident is just sick. It really is too bad that a wholesome children’s icon has to be tarnished like that. I’m glad the guy was arrested.
No, Disney does not check your underwear-thats just silly. They ask you to be mindful of the undergarments you put on with your costume so they are not noticeable.
Disney is not your average amusement park, its a whole lot more. The people working there do a fantastic job creating a magical world. People underestimate the entertainment value it has.
B Khuu
wrote on August 21 2009 @ 02:59 am: [report]
I work at the Disneyland Resort in SoCal. I can tell you a few stories. Though I won’t get into it too much. I wil say that Walt Disney World sometimes does things very differently. I don’t know what’s going on this summer! Disney usually means the highest standards… including safety…
WTH?!?!