(Disney) Animal Kingdom Worker Dies

[Omaha Steve]

Source: CF News 13

According to Disney officials, the woman hurt over the weekend after falling at an Animal Kingdom ride has died.

Disney said that over the weekend the worker was operating the Primeval Whirl roller coaster at Animal Kingdom when she fell from a ride platform and hit her head.

The 63-year-old worker was taken to the hospital, and Disney said it learned Wednesday that her condition has gotten worse.

The company said the ride was working normally at the time and that the worker went into an area where she wasn't supposed to.

Read more: http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2007/11/29/osha_retracts_confirmation_of_animal_kingdom_worker39s_death.html

[Mnemosyne]

1. Of course she HAD to have broken the rules,

nothing bad happens to employees or visitors at the "Magic Kingdom"!

At least not that we hear about very often.

Poor soul and her poor family. Bet they send her family the hospital bill since 'they' aren't responsible for her demise.

I used to love Disney movies.

Thanks Steve, for all you do to help educate the masses on labor issues. :hi

[Skarbrowe]

2. I worked right next to the Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom.

That job almost killed me. Not the ride, but how hard they worked you in the sun and heat. I don't know all the details about this at the time, but I wouldn't think it would be heat related right now. It's easy to get hot enough to pass out in that area. When I was there, it had just been completed and this whole area was one of the hottest areas in the park. All concrete, no trees or wind blowers of any kind. The short time I worked there ( just wanted to work for Disney for fun, yeah right!), there were all kinds of accidents and heart attacks happening. Most of the accidents were visitors playing around and falling in the "Bones" section. Heart attacks were probably because of the heat. I've been on the Whirl many, many times and I've also seen it closed down for some reason or other many, many times. Bet you we might not ever hear what really happened.

I'm not saying this as a WDW hater. It still has a kind of magic for me and most of my memories of working and visiting there are good ones.

[roguevalley]

3. poor thing. someone's grandma. :( What a sorry holiday 'surprise'

for some family.

[Skarbrowe]

4. Yes, it is a tragedy. I worked with people older than myself and

that's pretty old. heh Disney decimated the pay scale right before I hired in over 5 years ago. At one time if you got a job at Disney and you stayed there, within 5 years or earlier you could be making 15 dollars an hour. Now I know that doesn't sound like a lot now. But, this was unskilled labor usually. And it you were willing to work overtime where you could be making $24.50 and hour to maybe just pass out drinks in a dining room for eight hours ( if I've done my math right ). well, people could buy homes on that salary and Disney also had great health insurance. All of that changed at the end of the 90's early 2000's. I know the insurance was changing as I left, for the worse. I think the most you make if you stayed forever was base nearly 11 dollars an hour and they were hiring so many college students that were paid 6 bucks an hour....oh nevermind. I realized that there was no magic at the magic kingdom. There was once. Corporate greed strikes again. Because now all they want to hire is people who don't speak English..seriously, I worked with a wonderful girl from Peru, but she only spoke a few words of English and older people thinking the magic is still there and they might want only two or three days a week to go with their pensions and SS. This way WDW gets out of paying an awful lot of benefits. I've heard and read that Orlando has gotten REALLY bad in the past 5 years since I've moved away.

I'm not trashing Orlando. The crime that is going on right around my neighborhood is bad also. I still have a soft spot for Orlando and if I was really brave I would back there.

[spinbaby]

5. I think you're right

I've been in that park and couldn't believe how hot it was--Florida heat and no air conditioning anywhere. I almost passed out on the pavement by 11:00 am. We left before heat stroke set in and never went back. I can't imagine working there.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. Just like Texas, spinbaby!

Heat and humuggity like you would not believe.

[Maeve]

8. I was there the year it first opened

That was a hot one--grass fires closed down the freeways and Animal Kingdom felt more like REAL Africa than Disney-Africa. Florida in the summer is not my favorite place!

Very good memories of the family time we spent there (whole extended family, grandparents and four families of kids w/grandkids), but it requires huge inputs of money and labor to keep the place possible.

[Xenotime]

7. Funny nobody ever "dies" at DW. It's always at the hospital.

[spinbaby]

9. Urban legend

http://www.snopes.com/disney/parks/declare.asp

[LeftHander]

10. 63 year old carny...(wtf) nt