When You Die at Disney,
You Really Die at Disney

Though Mickey would have us believe otherwise, accidents do occur at the happiest place on earth. Yet we hear so little about them. Funny thing about them is that, most of the time, these accidents have nothing to do with Disney, and everything to do with the unbelievable stupidity of the guests.

maybe the world is better off without them...

1964-
The first death on the Matterhorn attraction is also the first death to occur at any Disney park, yet no fireworks were shot to mark the occasion. Intelligent Mark Maples, 15, unbuckled his seat belt while on the roller coaster and tried to stand up. Not surprisingly, he was thrown on a lower track. He died a few days later from internal injuries.
1966-
Scaling Disneyland's outer fence and climbing onto the Monorailtrack, Thomas Cleveland, 19, thought he had found a real clever way to sneak into the park. Unfortunately, the Monorail was using the track at the time, and it took that opportunity to kill him, despite his attempt to hide on the fiberglass canopy under the track. After being struck n' killed, his body was dragged for 30-40 feet.
1967-
Ricky Yama, 17, decided that the slow-moving People Mover ride would be much more fun if he jumped from car to car. Oh, what fun he must have been having. Oh, the surprise on the other guests faces! "Can you believe it?" they must have asked each other, "look at that crazy guy moving from car to car! Ha,ha. What a card!" Funny Ricky slipped and was crushed under the wheels of the cars he was about to board.
1973-
A Disneyland employee is crushed between the walls of the rotating theater at the patriotic "America Sings" attraction in front of many horrified tourists. (The walls were later reconfigured to prevent this from happening again, but ride closed several years later due to waning popularity. It's a good thing, too. "America Sings" would make Pat Boone go commie.)
1973-
With two deaths in 1973(this one and the above), this was a really violent year at Disneyland. Bogden Delarout, 18, and his 10 year-old brother hid during closing time while on Tom Sawyer Island. Since little brother couldn't swim, Bogden tried to carry him on his back when they tried to disembark. The 10 year-old was found dog paddling fairly soon after. Bogden's body was found the next morning.
1979-
While searching for her car, Hattie Richardson falls in a canal in between the "Minnie" and "Goofy" sections of the Disney World parking lot and drowns.
1980-
As Disneyland guests sometimes do, Gerardo Gonzales climbs out of the People Mover ride. As he attempts to re-board, another "People Mover" comes along and crushes him. As an added bonus, he was dragged hundreds of feet before the ride stopped.
1981-
Mel Yorba, 18, is stabbed and killed between the submarine ride and "The Matterhorn" by James O' Driscoll, 29, an unemployed construction worker. The bloody knife is later found near "Sleeping Beauty's Castle" and a blood-soaked shirt is discovered in a woman's bathroom in Fantasyland. It seems Mr. Driscoll thought that Mel was putting the moves on his lady. Gosh, can't we all just get along?
1983-
Phil Straughn, 18, and a friend take an unauthorized ride on a motorized maintenance boat in the lagoon surrounding Disneyland's "Tom Sawyer Island". The boat strikes a rock, and Straughnis ejected into the water and drowns. They had both been drinking heavily.
1984-
Regina Young falls out of her bobsled on "The Matterhorn" roller-coaster ride, lands on the track, is struck by another bobsled, and killed. Her seat belt was not fastened. Bad Regina!
1987-
A shooting death occurs in the Disneyland parking lot. It is later discovered to be gang related.