Update for June 19 – 25, 2006
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News and Views
Family sues Disney over last year’s Mission: Space death
Last Monday, one day before the first anniversary of his death after riding Mission: Space, the family of Daudi Bamuwamye sued Walt Disney World for wrongful death. The lawsuit—filed in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida in Orange County—claims that Disney should never have allowed the boy on the ride, that they didn’t give adequate warning of the dangers of riding, and that they didn’t do enough to help him after the ride was over.
Mission: Space spins guests in a centrifuge similar to that used in astronaut testing. The attraction carries warnings that riders “should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated” by the attraction. The height restrictions for the attraction, based upon the minimum size to fit the restraints in the capsule, are 44 inches. Bamuwamye, 4 years old at the time of his death, was 46 inches tall.
The boy’s family claims that Disney should not allow 4-year-olds to ride Mission: Space. Disney does not have age restrictions on any attraction at Walt Disney World, but rather relies upon parents to make choices based upon their knowledge of their own children.
There is some conflict over the response to the boy being stricken on the ride. He was unconscious when his mother carried him out of the capsule yet, according to the audio of the 911 call made by cast members, no cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered for well over two minutes after the call was made. The cast members on the scene apparently believed initially that the boy had merely passed out. Paramedics were on the scene approximately four and a half minutes from the time that the call was made. It is unclear exactly how much time elapsed between the time that the boy was stricken and the 911 call was made.
According to the autopsy results, Bamuwamye apparently died as a result of idiopathic myocardial hypertrophy with fibroelastosis of the left ventricle, or dead scar tissue and abnormally thick muscle walls in his heart. While it is a rare condition in the U.S., according to the medical examiner it affects a third of the children with heart disease in Uganda, the native country of the boy’s parents. The heart condition is apparently so severe that those suffering from it are at risk of sudden death throughout their lives.
Because of this condition, it is unclear whether starting CPR sooner or the use of defibrillators would have had any effect. The family’s complaint includes the fact that Disney paramedics did not use a portable defibrillator on him. There was no portable defibrillator installed at the attraction, though Disney stated that the emergency response was handled appropriately.
As of May 19, the attraction now offers two different ride profiles. The “Green Team” ride is identical to the original ride, except the centrifuge units do not spin. The “Orange Team” ride is unchanged from the original. The Orange profile now carries the warning “If you are uncertain whether Orange Team – More Intense Training is right for you, we strongly encourage you to select Green Team – Less Intense Training, or proceed to the Advanced Training Lab, which offers alternative space training activities for all astronaut conditions.”
On April 12, Hiltrud Blümel, a 49-year-old German woman, died from an apparent stroke after riding the attraction.
Disney released a statement noting that “Daudi’s death was a terrible loss to his loved ones, and we sympathize with them. However, we disagree with the assertions in the lawsuit.”
What’s your opinion? Join the discussion of the lawsuit on our MousePad discussion forums (link).
“Keys to the Kingdom” sweepstakes update
Last week, we reported on the “Keys to the Kingdom” sweepstakes being used to kick off the “Year of a Million Dreams” promotion. We noted that – according to the official sweepstakes rules—the grand prize trip must be taken October 1–4, or that an alternate winner would be selected. This would appear to have excluded Jews, who would be observing Yom Kippur on October 1–2. We’re pleased to report that we received confirmation from Walt Disney World late last week that, despite the fact that the sweepstakes appear to mandate that the prize must be taken October 1-4, “the dates for the [prize] could become flexible should the need arise.”
We’re glad to see that Disney is willing to adjust to ensure that everyone gets a chance to receive the prize, even if it means that there is the possibility that the winning family might not receive their prize in front of the assembled press at the annual media event.
Alberto blows by
Tropical Storm Alberto blew on shore far to the north of Orlando, dropping about three inches of rain on the area, but otherwise not doing much damage. The rain helped put out most, but not all, of the wildfires in the area. None of the area theme parks closed due to the storm.
Rumors swirl about possible new DVC resort
Rumors have been flying for a little while now about a possible new Disney Vacation Club resort to be located near the STOLport. (That’s the now-decommissioned Short Take-Off and Landing airport across World Drive from the Magic Kingdom parking lot). The rumors have indicated the possibility that the resort would actually be located with a stop on the Epcot monorail beam.
Lending support to that rumor is the fact that there have been a number of surveys being done in the STOLport area recently. Further support comes from some drawings of a proposed new DVC resort near the Contemporary Resort that have recently surfaced, showing a 16-floor resort.
Does this mean that it’s going to happen? No. But it certainly makes the possibility much more likely. In any case, don’t expect any announcement until the Saratoga Springs Resort is just sold out. After all, if you were considering buying into DVC and only had the option to buy at Saratoga Springs, but you knew that a new Epcot monorail resort would be available in the near future, wouldn’t you hold off buying to get that new resort as your home resort?
