‘Exhilarating’ Speeds of Disney World Ride Cited in Lawsuit

Walt Disney World in Orland, Florida is the most visited theme park on the planet, as millions of fans travel to the "Happiest Place on Earth" each year to enjoy all the venue has to offer.

The trip is usually a highlight for children and fans of Disney's films and shows, as they get to see their favorite characters and scenes up close. 

Disney sends park goers home with a smile every day, but one guest is suing the park after they say negligence led to injuries during the operation of a ride.

Eugene Strickland filed a lawsuit against the park in Orange County last week, claiming that he suffered "catastrophic injuries" during a 2021 visit.

Strickland says he visited Disney World in late July of that year, and chose to ride the Downhill Double Dipper water slide at Blizzard Beach. After using an inner tube on the ride, Strickland says he “became momentarily airborne as a result of the ride’s ‘exhilarating speeds’ and design."

The lawsuit says that Strickland was separated from the inner tube as he went airborne, hitting the slide's hard plastic surface and causing "permanent catastrophic injuries."

The ride's posted weight limit is 300 pounds, but Strickland weighed 334 pounds at the time of his alleged injuries. The lawsuit does not state whether Strickland was aware of the weight limit before riding.

The suit alleges that Strickland's injuries are the result of a "defective" inner tube, and that Disney World operated the ride "knowing that they could forcefully dislodged from under the patrons relying on them."

Strickland, who is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, suffered "scarring and disfigurement" as a result of his alleged injuries. 

He believes Disney was aware of the dangers posed by the ride, and that the "dangerous condition" of the water slide is to blame for his injuries.

“These injuries are permanent and continuing within a degree of medical probability, and Plaintiff will suffer these losses in the future,” his lawyers said.

According to court documents obtained by People, the case is set for a jury trial in May of 2027, nearly six years after Strickland says he suffered the injuries.