A woman in her 60s died on Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride in what officials are calling a “medical episode.” This comes less than a month after a man died on a rollercoaster at Universal’s newest theme park, Epic Universe.
Anaheim Fire and Rescue responded Monday evening to the call at the iconic Southern California park, where they found the woman unresponsive. Disneyland security had already started CPR by the time first responders arrived. No technical problems were reported with the ride, which was cleared and reopened after the woman was transported to the hospital.
Haunted Mansion is a slow-moving dark ride filled with silly, cartoony spookiness. Its LA iteration has been scaring children for decades and is beloved by adults, having developed a cult following of devoted fans, some of whom have ridden Haunted Mansion hundreds of times.
The exact cause of death is still pending, per the Orange County Coroner’s Office.
If this story feels eerily familiar, it’s because it comes just days after another high-profile death at a different theme park, this time at Universal Orlando’s new Epic Universe. A man died after riding a Stardust Racers rollercoaster, a speedy ride with plenty of jolts and jerky movements. While details of both incidents are scarce, as far as I can tell from details that have been released, the rides themselves were functioning properly in both instances.
Theme park rides can be high-intensity environments that put stress on the body, which could be potentially dangerous for older adults or anyone with an underlying medical condition. For as much as these rides simulate danger, they are remarkably safe, especially considering how many people ride them on a given day. But just because they’re safe doesn’t mean they are risk-free, especially if the rider has a condition that could be triggered by the ride.
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