Walt Disney World has seen its third death in under two weeks, a shocking streak of tragedies that has cast a shadow over The Most Magical Place on Earth.
Tragedy struck Disney’s Contemporary Resort near Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida, as a man was found dead, the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed.
Officials have yet to reveal the cause or exact time of death, but a TikTok video filmed Thursday from a guest’s window shows police tape cordoning off the area and a swarm of officers and emergency workers in the hotel courtyard.
Inside the Magic reported that some guests said cast members came knocking on their doors, warning them not to look out from their balconies.
“Something happened in the back of the building with crime scene tape surrounding the water fountain. I don’t know if somebody jumped or accidentally fell to their death, but something happened. And they have an employee at every single window to shield you from looking out the back so you can’t view,” another guest wrote on Facebook.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort courtyard became a scene of emergency response as police and first responders arrived after the third death at the park’s Florida properties in just 10 days. Tiktok/aiotfamily
Just last week, a superfan tragically leapt to her death from the iconic A-frame tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort—the very same spot of the latest incident.
Summer Equitz, a 31-year-old Disney superfan from Chicago, had celebrated her wedding last year, honeymooned at Disney World in October, and announced her pregnancy just two months later—before horrifying guests by ending her life.
Questions remain about whether Equitz had delivered her baby.
On Tuesday, a man in his 60s collapsed at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and later died at the hospital, adding to a shocking string of deaths at the park.
Inside the Magic, citing the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, reported that police, resort personnel, and medical responders were dispatched to Fort Wilderness shortly after 7:30 a.m. following a "Person Down" call.
At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the iconic A-frame tower became the site where a 31-year-old superfan tragically ended her life last week.
Summer Equitz, a devoted Disney fan, tragically ended her life last week by leaping from the Contemporary Resort. facebook/summer.equitz
“A man in his 60s experienced a medical episode and was transported to a local hospital, where, unfortunately, he died. There are no signs of foul play,” an OCSO spokesperson.
The Contemporary Resort, a high-end getaway over $1,000 a night and located within walking distance of Magic Kingdom, has earned a grim reputation as a site for suicides.
In July 2023, tragedy struck the resort when a man reportedly took his own life.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, where tragedy struck last week as a man in his 60s collapsed and later died.
A hotel guest reportedly wrote on X that "security wouldn’t allow us to take the 5th floor bridge to Contemporary this morning."
Police issued a statement confirming the disturbing incident.
“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.
Located just steps from Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary Hotel stands out as perhaps the most iconic of Disney World’s 25-plus resorts.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort features a monorail that glides straight into its lobby, connecting the hotel to Magic Kingdom and other nearby resorts. Inside, guests can dine and take photos with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Donald at Chef Mickey’s—the park’s first-ever character meal, originally called Coconino Cove when it opened in 1977.
Jim Hill, host of the "Disney Dish" podcast, spoke about the Contemporary Resort’s chilling reputation for 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.
