“All my life I have loved Disneyland. There has been nothing better than a day in the Magic Kingdom. That’s why I was so surprised by the shocking events described in the book, Mouse Tales: A Behind The Ears Look At Disneyland, by David Koenig.
The book tells of visitors—many of them teenagers—who died at Disneyland, as well as guests who harassed the hard-working employees dressed as Disney characters.
Deaths at Disneyland
The park’s first death occurred in 1961, according to the book. Mark Maples, 15, fell from the Matterhorn after his friend unbuckled his seat belt. When Mark stood up at the top of the ride, he fell off. The boy was rushed to Palm Harber Hospital where he died three days later. The parents claimed it was the park’s fault but lost in court. There was just no way Disney-land could have prevented the accident.
Two years later, Thomas Guy Cleveland, 19, climbed a 16-foot fence and walked on the Monorail track, the book said. A security guard screamed at him to jump, but instead Cleveland hid under the track on a canopy. The train killed him.
In 1967, a group of teenagers decided to fool around on the People Mover, according to the book. While passing through a tunnel, the teens started jumping from car to car. All of them made it except Ricky Lee Yama, 17, who fell between two cars and died.
During a 1980 Grad Night, Gerardo Gonzales died after trying to climb from one car to another on the People Mover.
In 1983, tragedy struck again on Grad Nite, Koenig reported. Philip Straughan, 18, and a friend were visiting from Albuquerque, New Mexico. After they had been drinking outside the park, they went in and took a maintenance boat out for a midnight ride on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. During their ride they hit a rock, throwing Straughan overboard, where he drowned.
The last death to occur at the park happened in the parking lot, the book said. In 1985, Jennifer Reid, 7, was run over by a tour bus while searching for their car with her uncle.
Minnie Mouse was hassled
Part of the magic of Disneyland is its cast of characters, whether it be Mickey Mouse on Main Street or Donald Duck in Tomorrowland. But playing one of these roles isn’t exactly easy. These employees have had to deal with all sorts of crazy situations.
One woman kept asking Brer Fox if she was a boy or a girl inside, the book stated. The character was not allowed to speak and only made gestures. The woman, finally tired of asking, grabbed her breasts through the costume, and triumphantly declared Brer Fox a girl.
Once Chip was posing for a picture, the book said. He decided to put his arm around a girl, making her giggle. Her boyfriend punched and kicked Chip, until he realized that he was beating up a girl.
In 1986, a 21-year-old man visiting from England allegedly grasped Minnie Mouse’s breasts, the book reported. Pluto came to Minnie’s rescue, barking at him. Minnie ran away and contacted security, who apprehended the suspect on Main Street. He was then taken to jail and held on bail.
One night in the early 1960’s, Alice in Wonderland was approached by a man with a knife, demanding that she go out on a date with him, the book said. The Mad Hatter spotted the incident and quickly moved to help. The man stabbed him in his big rubber face. Luckily, the Mad Hatter only suffered minor cuts on his hands. The White Rabbit came along just in time with security to arrest the individual.
It seems that some guests are so preoccupied by the magic of it all that that they don’t pay attention to what they’re doing.
One woman was so into her brochure that she got into a line on Main Street, figuring it was for a ride, the book reported. When she finally reached the end of the line she found herself standing in the men’s restroom!
One elderly couple asked how long the submarine ride was, the book said. The attendant jokingly told them it was two days long. So they got on the Monorail and went back to the Disneyland Hotel. They returned to the ride with suitcases prepared for the journey.
On Tom Sawyer Island a man started walking on the barrel bridge when he suddenly jumped into the water, claiming the bridge was breaking, according to the book.
Disneyland strongly protects its image, which is probably why many of these incidents are not widely known. But that doesn’t mean you’re not safe in the park—you are. They have tight security, but even the best security could not prevent these accidents. Disney-land isn’t perfect.”