Before ending her life, an Illinois woman checked into a Walt Disney World hotel known for its shocking history of suicides.
Disney superfan Summer Equitz, 31, was found dead Tuesday night at Florida’s Contemporary Resort, sending shockwaves through the theme park community.
Summer Equitz, from Naperville near Chicago, married last year and honeymooned at Disney World in October. Just two months later, she announced she was pregnant—though it’s still unknown if she ever gave birth.
Since opening in 1971, the iconic hotel where Equitz ended her life has been the site of multiple tragic incidents, adding to its dark reputation.
According to reports, on March 22, 2016, a guest tragically leapt to their death from the resort’s iconic A-frame tower.
At just 31, Equitz suffered "multiple blunt force injuries" that led to her death at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort in Florida. Ron Buskirk/imageBROKER/Shutterstock
Details about the incident and the victim were scarce, leaving many questions unanswered at the time.
In March 2020, a woman jumped from the Contemporary Resort at Disney World, leaving onlookers horrified.
Authorities, including deputies and officials from Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, told WESH that emergency crews had found her dead at the scene.
A relative revealed that Equitz, seen with her husband Nico Danilovich, secretly booked a flight to Disney World on the day of her death. facebook/summer.equitz
“At this time, we believe this was a suicide, and we have no other information to release,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Tragically, in July 2023, a man allegedly ended his life at the resort hotel.
One purported hotel guest claimed “security wouldn’t allow us to take the 5th floor bridge to Contemporary this morning” in a post on X at the time.
“Walked outside and saw the scene being cleaned up [and] investigated from a distance. Apparent suicide. Prayers to the family,” they added.
Police confirmed the shocking incident in an official statement.
“On July 26, 2023, at 5:33 a.m., deputies responded to the Contemporary Resort after a call came in about a man found unresponsive on the hotel grounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene,” the statement read.
Just outside Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary Hotel stands out as perhaps the most iconic of Disney World’s 25-plus resorts.
At the Contemporary Resort, the monorail zips straight through the lobby, connecting guests to Magic Kingdom and other nearby hotels. Once inside, visitors can enjoy a meal and take photos with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Daffy at Chef Mickey’s — Disney World’s first character dining restaurant, which debuted in 1977 as Coconino Cove.
Jim Hill from the 'Disney Dish' podcast told The Post about the chilling connection between the Contemporary Resort and a series of suicides.
“There’s this weird phenomenon where people who are severely depressed but want to have that one last good happy family memory will go to Walt Disney World,” Hill said in 2022.
“They’ll deliberately book a room at the Contemporary Resort, which is 14 stories tall. And after that happy family time, they will throw themselves off the building,” he said.
Just hours after vanishing from her Illinois home, 31-year-old Equitz was discovered dead at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort, one of the resort’s more than 25 sprawling hotels. facebook/summer.equitz
He alleged that Disney frequently shields the public from suicides and other mishaps that occur on its property.
“Disney actually has a canopy setup so they can fairly quickly cover the body,” said Hill. “They try very hard to shield folks from tragedy.”
“[Back in the day] Walt Disney World [had] its own fire and emergency equipment, so if somebody died there or was fatally hurt and there were no signs of life, there was this rule that they were supposed to continue heroic efforts until their emergency vehicle left the property,” Hill said in 2022.
Decades ago, during one such incident, a man died by suicide at Epcot — putting a gun to his head in full view — and wasn’t pronounced dead until much later, according to the 1990s book "Inside the Mouse."
“The medic told me that they are not allowed to let them die there,” a cast member told the team of authors at the time. “Keep them alive by artificial means until they’re off Disney property, like there’s an imaginary line in the road, and they go, ‘He’s alive, he’s alive, he’s dead.'”
In today’s world, where everyone carries a camera in their pocket, Disney has struggled to keep suicides and accidents from making headlines.
As of Thursday, Walt Disney World had not responded to repeated requests for comment.
EDITORS’ NOTE: If you’re having suicidal thoughts or a mental health emergency in New York City, call 888-NYC-WELL for free, confidential counseling. Outside the city, dial 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org for immediate help.
