Disney World fan weighing 334lbs is left ‘permanently disfigured' after ‘going airborne' on popular water slide
The lawsuit made a scathing complaint about the park's 'inadequate' practices
SLIP & SLIDE Disney World fan weighing 334lbs is left 'permanently disfigured' after 'going airborne' on popular water slide
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A 334lb Disney World fan who was left "permanently disfigured" after "flying" off a water slide is suing the company for negligence.
Florida man Eugene Strickland was allowed on the ride at Blizzard Beach - despite being over the weight limit and allegedly using poorly maintained equipment.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
3
A Disney World fan weighing 334lbs was left 'permanently disfigured' after 'going airborne' on popular water slide
Credit: Disneyworld
3
He went on the Downhill Double Dipper
Credit: Disneyworld
3
He was allegedly allowed on the ride despite being too heavy at Blizzard Beach in Orlando, Florida
Credit: Reuters
He filed the lawsuit on May 29 in Orange County, seeking over $50,000 in damages for his "permanent catastrophic injuries".
The complainant said he was riding the Downhill Double Dipper, a dual-track slide.
Disney World boasts that the slide will plunge guests "50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds".
Strickland, who weighed 334 pounds at the time, was 34 pounds over the maximum weight limit allowed under American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) safety guidelines for single-rider slides.
READ MORE US NEWS
GRIM END Man, 89, and dog killed in black bear attack as lab workers make grisly discovery
But Disney World employees allegedly turned a blind eye, allowing the man to go on the ride using one of the park's provided inner tubes.
During the descent, Strickland says he "became momentarily airborne".
He added that the tube "became forcibly, suddenly, and unexpectedly dislodged" from underneath him, which then made him "land with force onto the hard plastic surface of the slide".
The lawsuit blasted Disney's safety protocols, and claimed the slide was in a "dangerous condition"
It also branded the ride as a "safety hazard and concealed trap".
They accused the company of knowingly keeping the ride open without proper warnings or sufficient repairs.
Blaze breaks out at Disney World's Epcot theme park forcing visitors to flee
Strickland's lawyers said: "These injuries are permanent and continuing within a degree of medical probability, and Plaintiff will suffer these losses in the future."
The complaint also accused Disney of using "deficient, inadequate, ineffective, or underinflated inner tubes", while knowing that they were not fit for use.
They also said the park failed to properly inspect the slide, maintain the equipment, or enforce posted weight limits.
The scathing complaint outlines 13 specific examples of negligenc.
It included allowing the "unrestricted use of an unsafe high-speed water slide", failing to correctly train staff, and ignoring its own safety regulation.
Strickland said he is still suffering physically and emotionally as a result of the horror ordeal.
He explained that he suffers from pain, disability, scarring, disfigurement, mental anguish, and a diminished quality of life.
These came alongside his ongoing medical expenses and the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions.
A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027, and Disney are yet to comment publicly on the case.
The Sun reached out to Disney for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Iconic Brit TV show RETURNING after 22 years with Claudia Winkleman, Holly Willoughby or Davina McCall lined up to host
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LEGENDARY TV love-match show Blind Date is returning to screens after 22 years. There had been rumours the programme — famously hosted on ITV by the late Cilla Black — was to be revived on the BBC. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 7 Cilla Black with a Blind Date hopeful in 1989 Credit: LWT 7 Claudia Winkleman is one of the three women lined up to host the revived show Credit: Getty 7 Blind Date is returning to screens after 22 years, with Holly Willoughby also lined up to host Credit: Rex 7 Davina McCall is another top host to have been shortlisted for the role Credit: Doug Seeburg However a surprise twist will see the reboot go instead to global streaming service, Disney+. Producers want to keep the tradition of a top British female host, with a shortlist including Claudia Winkleman, Holly Willoughby and Davina McCall. The famous sliding wall separating the contestants will also return. But it is not known whether it will feature a replacement for Graham Skidmore - aka 'our Graham' — who provided Cilla with a summary of contestants. He died in 2021 aged 90. He has plenty of famous namesakes, including chat show host Graham Norton, ex-footballer Graeme Souness and actor Stephen Graham. An insider said: 'Although there's likely to be some modern twists, the bosses very much want to keep the essence of the original. 'There'll be key elements returning, including the famous sliding wall. 'Plus there will be a prize up for grabs of a wedding package, which echoes Cilla's famous gag whenever couples had enjoyed a successful date, and she used to ask, 'Do I need to buy an 'at for the wedding?'' The Sun last year revealed plans for a revival after another Saturday night ITV hit, Gladiators, had successfully moved to the BBC. It is believed the deep pockets of Disney+ ensured it won out over the Beeb. Paul O'Grady pays tribute to original blind date host Cilla Black It is expected to film later this year — 40 years after Blind Date first aired — and drop in 2026. The original ran from 1985 to 2003, pulling in up to 18 million viewers. After Cilla's death in 2015, aged 72, it was briefly revived two years later on Channel 5 with Paul O'Grady. Disney+ were approached for comment. 7 Could chat show host Graham Norton be in line to replace Graham Skidmore? Credit: The Mega Agency 7 Will Stephen Graham become 'our Graham'? Credit: Getty
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
New Disneyland attraction SLAMMED by Walt Disney's granddaughter who calls mechanical tribute to him a ‘robotic grampa'
WALT Disney's granddaughter has slammed the entertainment giant for turning its late founder into a 'robotic grampa'. Disney is unveiling an animatronic Walt Disney for Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration this July - despite repeated protests from his granddaughter Joanna Miller. 4 4 4 Joanna Miller told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that her beloved grandfather would have hated being turned into a talking mechanical replica. 'I think I started crying,' she said, recalling the moment she first saw the figure. 'It didn't look like him to me.' Miller said she voiced her concerns early on, sending a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger when the idea was first proposed. She said she later met with Iger and the team responsible for creating the attraction, telling him: 'I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grampa's legacy. "They will remember the robot - and not the man.' Despite Iger being 'very kind" and despite his promises to protect her grandfather's legacy, she said her request that they scrap the animatronic was ultimately ignored. Miller told the LA Times she wasn't speaking on behalf of any family members except her grandfather and mother. She added that it 'pains' her to call out the very company he created. In a Facebook post in November, Miller wrote that the company's "idea of a robotic grampa" made her feel "so so sad and disappointed". She explained: "The idea of a Robotic Grampa to give the public a feeling of who the living man was just makes no sense. "It would be an imposter. They are dehumanizing him. People are not replaceable." Disney announces brand new theme park She also argued that her late grandfather had "told Sam McKim that he never wanted to be an animatronic", claiming that she has been provided with first-hand proof to back this up. The figure will appear in a new attraction called Walt Disney - A Magical Life, located in the park's Main Street Opera House. The proposal to show 'what it would be like to stop by Walt's office' was announced by Disney last year. The company said it would be "a fitting tribute" to the man who made "significant advances with Audio-Animatronics". Walt Disney co-founded The Walt Disney Company (originally called Disney Brothers Studio) in 1923, with his brother Roy O. Disney. Walt is regarded as a pioneer of Audio-Animatronics, famously bringing Abraham Lincoln to life at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Josh D'Amaro, chair of Disney Experiences, told people at D23, the company's annual fan event: 'Creating our first Walt figure is an idea that's been whispered in the hallowed halls of imagineering for years, decades, even.' He added: 'We just had to wait for innovation to catch up with our dreams. And we're finally ready.' Disneyland California, which opened on July 17, 1955, will celebrate its 70th anniversary this July. 4
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
New Disneyland attraction SLAMMED by Walt Disney's granddaughter who calls mechanical tribute to him a ‘robotic grampa'
Walt Disney's granddaughter says the tribute is 'dehumanizing' 'SOULLESS' DISNEY BOT New Disneyland attraction SLAMMED by Walt Disney's granddaughter who calls mechanical tribute to him a 'robotic grampa' WALT Disney's granddaughter has slammed the entertainment giant for turning its late founder into a 'robotic grampa'. Disney is unveiling an animatronic Walt Disney for Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration this July - despite repeated protests from his granddaughter Joanna Miller. Advertisement 4 Joanna Miller, the granddaughter of Walt Disney, is against the company's plan to create an animatronic of their founder Credit: Getty 4 Miller says her grandpa would have hated being digitally revived - as pictured in an illustration of Walt Disney presenting a Disneyland model Credit: Disney 4 Pictured is an illustration of an animatronic Abraham Lincoln on a stage Credit: Disney Joanna Miller told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that her beloved grandfather would have hated being turned into a talking mechanical replica. 'I think I started crying,' she said, recalling the moment she first saw the figure. 'It didn't look like him to me.' Miller said she voiced her concerns early on, sending a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger when the idea was first proposed. She said she later met with Iger and the team responsible for creating the attraction, telling him: 'I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grampa's legacy. Advertisement "They will remember the robot - and not the man.' Despite Iger being 'very kind" and despite his promises to protect her grandfather's legacy, she said her request that they scrap the animatronic was ultimately ignored. Miller told the LA Times she wasn't speaking on behalf of any family members except her grandfather and mother. She added that it 'pains' her to call out the very company he created. Advertisement In a Facebook post in November, Miller wrote that the company's "idea of a robotic grampa" made her feel "so so sad and disappointed". She explained: "The idea of a Robotic Grampa to give the public a feeling of who the living man was just makes no sense. "It would be an imposter. They are dehumanizing him. People are not replaceable." Disney announces brand new theme park She also argued that her late grandfather had "told Sam McKim that he never wanted to be an animatronic", claiming that she has been provided with first-hand proof to back this up. Advertisement The figure will appear in a new attraction called Walt Disney - A Magical Life, located in the park's Main Street Opera House. The proposal to show 'what it would be like to stop by Walt's office' was announced by Disney last year. The company said it would be "a fitting tribute" to the man who made "significant advances with Audio-Animatronics". Walt Disney co-founded The Walt Disney Company (originally called Disney Brothers Studio) in 1923, with his brother Roy O. Disney. Advertisement Walt is regarded as a pioneer of Audio-Animatronics, famously bringing Abraham Lincoln to life at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Josh D'Amaro, chair of Disney Experiences, told people at D23, the company's annual fan event: 'Creating our first Walt figure is an idea that's been whispered in the hallowed halls of imagineering for years, decades, even.' He added: 'We just had to wait for innovation to catch up with our dreams. And we're finally ready.' Disneyland California, which opened on July 17, 1955, will celebrate its 70th anniversary this July. Advertisement
