Ten Most Interesting Theme Park Lawsuits against Disney

[MaxPower]

Here's a report from The Hollywood Reporter about Disney Lawsuits:

Another week, another lawsuit involving Disney World. Some employes at the Happiest Place on Earth have just filed a proposed class action alleging that Disney violated their privacy by making them show their social security numbers on their ID badges. The plaintiffs include bell clerks and room service cashiers at the Disney World hotel in Orlando, Florida. The complaint hints at possible identity theft but doesn't offer any specific damage.

The suit reminds us that Disney World has a history of facing down lawsuits. Some have merit. Others are just plain crazy. Here are our picks for the ten most interesting ways Disney has been sued over the years....

1.Parents of a 4-year old boy sued alleging that a 2-feet high fence wasn't high enough to keep their child from drowning in the moat.

2.Pennsylvania parents sued with claims their four-year-old died of cardiac arrythmia while riding the Mission: Space ride.

3.Three disabled people sued over Disney World's ban on Segway scooters.

4.A Disney World employee, a practicing Sikh, sued with claims his red turban didn't conform to the "Disney look" and he suffered discrimination. Also, the Teamster's Union sued with claims that its "English only" policies discriminated against the Disney World hotel's Haitian and Hispanic housekeeping and laundry workers

5.A woman who rode Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror ride up to 50 times a day, saying it was the only thing that alleviated a medical condition she had, sued with claims she was banned from the Disney World park.

6.One park visitor sued claiming she was beaten by another park visitor and that Disney didn't have adequate security staff.

7.A mother sued after her 21-year-old son, an employee at Disney World, died in a collision while operating the monorail.

8.A Pennsylvania woman sued with allegations her breast was groped by Donald Duck.

9.A man sued for allegedly being stranded on the "It's a Small World" ride for 40 minutes.

10.San Diego parents sued after their young sun suffered "severe burns" from scalding hot nacho cheese at the entertainment resort.

[Daisy'sMom]

Some do have merit, but some certainly comes under the "bad parenting" label.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

While some of these are just plain silly,others may have merit. I think you would really need the particulars on each case to really pass judgment. I don't think I would be happy about my SS# being out there like that either, I would try to solve it without suing first though.

[UCJen]

I must admit I am intrigued by no. 5.

What medical condition could that possibly be?


*Off to Google*

This has got to be a doozy...

[lindique]

I took the "Undiscovered Futureworld" tour some years ago. The CM giving the tour told us about this as we were entering the (former) hydrolators into the Living Seas building.

It seems someone sued Disney because they got the bends or something like that because of the rapid hydrolator descent into SeaBase Alpha. She said they actually brought the judge and jury to Disney World to see for themselves that the hydrolator didn't go anywhere!

[MarkC]

Social security numbers on ID badges? I'm guessing those are not badges the general public would see like Castmember name badges.

I used to work insurance claims and people will sue for anything. But like other posters said-- some of these due have merit. I have no idea if Disney tries to settle these, denies all claims, etc. Most of them will probably settle out of court. I could tell you guys some stories of some claims I've handled. Wow, you wonder how some people survive in today's times.

[smcd]

I'm just loving #9...stuck on It's a Small World....hehehehe

[RazdOnDis]

#9 is legit in my book, as I would consider spending anytime at all on IASW as being officially stranded. I'd have to swim for it.

[Ramblingman]

Actually, the man who was stuck on IASW is a paraplegic. I had wondered as well about how someone could be "stuck" on it, but saw the details later.

I'll add the disclaimer that you can't make a definitive conclusion without the details, but with that being said...there are some people out there who will sue for anything at anytime, as long as the target has money.

[LisaP]

#9 is legit in my book, as I would consider spending anytime at all on IASW as being officially stranded. I'd have to swim for it.

[Ed]

Another week, another lawsuit involving Disney World. Some employes at the Happiest Place on Earth have just filed a proposed class action alleging that Disney violated their privacy by making them show their social security numbers on their ID badges. The plaintiffs include bell clerks and room service cashiers at the Disney World hotel in Orlando, Florida. The complaint hints at possible identity theft but doesn't offer any specific damage.

My wife has been a CM at WDW for eight years, and her ID badge has NEVER listed her Social Security number. The only numbers on her badge are her "Perner" (employee #, which bears no resemblance to her SSN) and her cost center. And her name tag shows only her first name and hometown.

[AnnetteFan]

Yeah, I'm a bit confused about the ID lawsuit as well. I'm a former CM and never had my social displayed on anything, just my perner. Although these could be operating partners that actually work for another company or something, that's the only thing that would make sense to me.

[Mufasa]

The question of SSN on IDs was brought up to Bob Iger during the Q&A session at the shareholder's meeting- it is encoded in the barcode on the ID and the lawsuit was raised by members of the hotel union at Disneyland (Unite Here Local 11) that raised concerns that they can be read easily by smartphones that have barcode apps and present a risk of ID theft

[magicofdisney]

The question of SSN on IDs was brought up to Bob Iger during the Q&A session at the shareholder's meeting- it is encoded in the barcode on the ID and the lawsuit was raised by members of the hotel union at Disneyland (Unite Here Local 11) that raised concerns that they can be read easily by smartphones that have barcode apps and present a risk of ID theft

Can't they just ask to have it removed? Is a lawsuit necessary?

[BAMABOY]

"8.A Pennsylvania woman sued with allegations her breast was groped by Donald Duck."


This was thrown out of court citing there was no "fowl" play involved.

I know, that was bad but I couldn't help myself.

[squad51]

First the mother of the monorail driver has a legit suit. As a trained railroad engineer I can tell you that this crash and death should never have happened. The dispatcher/supervisor being off site, no one spotting the reverse movement, and not being able to stop in one-half the distance of any obstruction are all violations.

On a lighter note, can we sue for the massive eyesore that was the castle birthday cake?

[wdwaggie]

Couldn't the idiotic woman on Tot have gotten similar relief from jumping on a trampoline? I'm sure she was a monster to deal with and this was just her excuse to have the world cater to her instead of just adapting and getting along without infringing on everyone else around her.

[kemps@wdw]

#5...