ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Pennsylvania woman is suing Disney after she said she was injured in a “stampede” during a trip to the Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida, according to court documents filed last week.
The lawsuit shows that the woman, identified as Debra O’Steen, was visiting the Magic Kingdom on June 25.
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O’Steen was walking along Main Street, and the park “was packed and extremely busy,” the lawsuit reads. According to the lawsuit, an “event” was starting soon at Magic Kingdom, prompting a crowd of people to rush through Main Street.
While the park’s nighttime “Happily Ever After” fireworks show regularly draws large crowds near Main Street, the lawsuit doesn’t specify which event spurred on the stampede.
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Regardless, O’Steen was knocked over by the crowd, causing her to suffer bodily injuries, the lawsuit claims.
O’Steen accuses Disney of failing to maintain safe premises or warn guests about the risks of a stampede.
“(Disney’s) negligent failure to keep the Main Street crowds of packed guests controlled for its upcoming event caused (O’Steen’s) permanent injuries,” the lawsuit reads.
O’Steen is seeking compensation of over $50,000 in damages.
The company recently faced public backlash stemming from another lawsuit involving a guest who suffered a fatal food allergy after eating at Disney Springs.
In that case, the guest’s husband filed a lawsuit against Disney, claiming the company’s negligence was to blame for the guest being served food she was allergic to.
However, Disney filed a motion earlier this month responding to the claims, claiming the husband’s previous Disney+ trial account was implicit agreement that he would arbitrate any disputes with Disney.
A hearing has been scheduled for that motion in county court in Orlando on Oct. 2.
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