Disney staff didn’t help disabled woman off ride, suit says. She fell and later died

The family of a woman with disabilities who died after falling at Disneyland is suing the theme park, saying staff members did not help her disembark a ride and instead “snickered” at her, according to the lawsuit.

Joanne Aguilar fell while getting off a ride and had to be hospitalized, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of her daughters. She died months later of septic shock after contracting an infection.

Aguilar went to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, with her daughters on Aug. 22, 2021, the lawsuit says.

Aguilar, who used a wheelchair while at the park, went to a ride called the Jungle Cruise, which usually allows guests to remain in their wheelchairs while on the attraction, according to the lawsuit.

But when she got there, staff told her a wheelchair-accessible boat was not available and that she could go in a non-wheelchair-accessible boat with assistance, the lawsuit says.

Staff members put “small unsecured blocks” on top of each of the boat’s steps in order to “reduce the height of each step” and make it easier for her to get on and off the ride, the lawsuit says. But this created a “hazardous situation,” the suit says.

When the ride was over, Aguilar had trouble getting off and had to “propel her body upward with her lower legs,” which was impossible due to her disability, the lawsuit says.

Disneyland staff did not assist her in getting off the boat and instead were “standing around watching,” according to the lawsuit.

They “snickered” and were “giggling” at her, causing her to feel ashamed and “dehumanized,” the lawsuit says.

At one point, she stepped on one of the unsecured blocks, lost her balance and fell backward, “sustaining serious injuries,” the lawsuit says.

Disneyland did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Disneyland said in a statement sent to KTLA that Aguilar was injured because of “her own conduct and negligence” and that the theme park did not discriminate against her, the outlet reported.

Aguilar went by ambulance to a hospital, where she stayed for 10 days. During post-operative rehabilitation after she suffered a broken leg, she contracted an infection, which eventually led to septic shock, the lawsuit filed in November in Superior Court says. She died on Jan. 29, 2022, at age 66, the lawsuit says.

Park staff members should have known that the blocks placed on the ride’s steps would create a hazard for Aguilar, the lawsuit says. They also failed to provide her with a wheelchair-accessible boat in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and did not assist her in getting off the ride , the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit seeks damages including Aguilar’s funeral and burial costs, medical expenses, attorneys fees and other damages.

“My clients went to Disneyland with the hopes of creating life-long happy memories, and instead are left with the memory of a lack of dignity and respect for their mother which ultimately led to her final demise,” Michael Jeandron, an attorney representing Aguilar’s daughters said in a statement. “Two daughters are heartbroken, healing, and seeking accountability for Disney cast members who laughed at their struggling mother instead of helping her.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 9:14 AM with the headline "Disney staff didn’t help disabled woman off ride, suit says. She fell and later died."