Disabled man awarded $8000 after being stranded on Disneyland ride [It's a Small World]

nbcnews.com ^ | 3/27/2013 | Unattributed

[Huntress]

A wheelchair-bound man was awarded $8,000 by Disneyland after the "It's A Small World" ride broke, stranding him for a half hour while the theme song played continuously, according to an attorney for the plaintiff.

Jose Martinez, who suffers from panic attacks and high blood pressure, did not medically stabilize for three hours after the ride broke down in 2009, attorney David Geffen said.

"He has panic disorder and that was really what started everything rolling," Geffen said. "What caused the court concern, as well, because Disney was alerted about his panic problem and didn't call for the fire department right away."

Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said the Anaheim theme park believes it provided appropriate assistance during the incident, and is disappointed that the court did not fully agree.

Martinez uses a wheelchair, and Geffen said the plaintiff's high blood pressure was aggravated by a need to urinate while he was stuck on the ride.

While the other riders were able to get off, Martinez was stuck until he could access his wheelchair.

Half the award ordered last week is for pain and suffering, and the rest is for a violation of disability law, Geffen said.

Brown told NBC4 the violation concerning the height of the counter in Disneyland’s first aid station has been corrected.

[memyselfandi59]

It’s not this guy’s fault...it’s Disney’s fault. They do have warning signs for rides that disabled shouldn’t go on.

As to It’s a Small World, it’s the least “thrilling” ride at Disney (except for the darn song that repeats and repeats) there are no thrills.

It’s not the disabled guy’s fault the ride broke down and Disney had no contingency plan...it’s Disney’s problem. He was not taking a risk by going on the ride, and would have been fine if it had not malfunctioned. I’m sure he’s on meds for his BP and probably for his panic disorder, just in that situation, his meds weren’t enough.

[toothless_elk]

For a Spinal Cord injured person, “having to pee” can be a life-threatening issue. Autonomic-dysreflexia causes the blood pressure to spike to life threatening levels. Google it, become informed before you make a frivolous comment like that.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”I loved those movies.

Yep, as I did being a kid. In fact seeing the intros to Walt Disney TV show with Wild Kingdom intros on youtube brought me back.

I recall Russell did those Disney movies into the early 70s, then in late 70s he starred in a TV movie as a sniper-type terrorist in Texas who started just shooting everyone from a tower that he saw on a campus.

But its the Irwin Allen dumb sci-fi shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (my favorite) that really rung my bell as a kid.

In fact I been DVRing it Saturday night s on Me TV here.

[Political Junkie Too]

You should see the ride at Christmastime. It's all done up in lights, they use the building as a screen for laser shows every 15 minutes when the clock chimes, all the dolls are dressed up in cultural Christmas clothes, the soundtrack is changed to Christmas songs with "Small World" choruses interspersed, and the Israel section is curtained off.

-PJ

[Pollster1]

How many people will have nightmares after reading the title alone?

[married21]

Both Small World and Pirates have updated looks, in terms of color, lighting, and some animatronics. But the canal that the boats travel in seems to be the same. Perhaps the mechanisms that move the boats and open and shut different “rooms” are still old?

[Salamander]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNTxr2NJHa0

[bigbob]

I’ll bet he’d volunteer for waterboarding rather than go through this again ;-)

[supremedoctrine]

Yeah, I was thinking along those lines also/
$8000 seems like a disappointing settlement amount
for any lawyer who had to spend time building a case
for his client. Lawyers usually get 1/3 of these settlements
so yes, it was around $2666.66. Nice payday if it only involved filing,paperwork, deposition,etc. But just barely acceptable to a lawyer for these kinds of claims.
Undoubtedly they started at 50 times that amount and a few hours with an arbitrator or the team of Disney lawyers settled on this relatively miniscule amount of $8K. Disney is just one among thousands of corporate entities seen as
“deep pocket” sources of income for lawyers and their “horribly wronged” clients.

[Political Junkie Too]

BTW, Disneyland is very big on Christmast. All throught December, they do something called Candlelight Processional. They have choral groups from around the state perform Christmas Carols each night with a symphony orchestra on the Main Street Train Station, with the Disney Fanfare Trumpeters at the top, and have a guest celebrity read the Nativity story of Joseph and Mary at the Inn.

-PJ

[rlmorel]

This is hilarous! My wife and I went to Disneyworld many years ago, and we literally did a one day whirlwind through, but we actually hit nearly everything even though we didn’t stop walking. Everything from the Teacups to the world pavilion, or whatever they call it.

We DID have to go on the “Small World” thing. Just to say we did it.

It was bad enough going through it, but when I was leaving, I realized I had left my prescription sunglasses in the boat, so...I had to wait, and wait, and wait for it to come around again, checking every boat.

I still have damaged brain tissue from listening to that song play over and over and over and over and over and over and over again...

My wife laughed like hell when she saw the story! She said I could have sued them!

[freedomlover]

Disney has a wonderful legal dept. they almost always get off real light

---

In the legal profession there is a well-earned phrase:

DON”T MESS WITH THE MOUSE

Disney doesn’t eff around.

[Riley]

But its the Irwin Allen dumb sci-fi shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (my favorite) that really rung my bell as a kid.

Oh, yeah. Poor CPT Crane probably wishing that the Flag would get off his boat so he could actually -you know- assume command. Giant squids and flying submarines and all that good stuff.

I couldn't understand at that age why real submarines didn't have huge viewports in the bow like the Seaview did. :-)

[rlmorel]

hahahaha...so stupid. They used to have the pirates chasing the wenches, I had a friend who made up his own lyrics...

Yo ho, YO HO
A Pirate’s Life for me
Drop your drawers
And give her the oar
Be back on the deck by three!

[C210N]

It's a Small World...

and I thought the words were...

Duff beer for me,

Duff beer for you...

I'll have a duff,

you have one too!

Repeat!!

[Political Junkie Too]

Funny, I've been DVRing Combat! and 12 O'Clock High on MeTV.

I enjoyed the movie of Voyage, and the first season of the TV show, but I recall it devolved into the rubber monster of the week, so I didn't like it so much after that.

I also watched Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants, too.

-PJ

[rlmorel]

Someone told me they changed it so the pirates don’t chase the wenches around in circles anymore...

[sickoflibs]

Maybe they will update it to show gay couples (figures) holding hands singing ‘its a small world’ with all the other ‘types’ of people ,asians, Africans etc after the decision.

Gays (Gays-ians or is that Gays-ese ?) come the country Gaysia. Aint immigration a wonder?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I used to have a neighbor who was a music producer for WGBH (PBS Boston) who was stuck on that ride with his wife and kids for over an hour. Considering his professional background, he could have sued based on the effect it had on his kids. (And considering his professional background he was not a bad guy. I do remember he used to have a “One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day” on his Civic and would routinely cut in front of me from the right turn only lane at a particularly intersection during the morning commute. )

[MD Expat in PA]

what the hell is a wheelchair bound man with a panic disorder doing on a carnival ride????????????????? have people lost their ever loving minds

Thank you. My thoughts exactly!

I for one am terrified of roller coasters. But if I get on one voluntarily and suffer a panic attack, is the ride operator to blame?

I have a friend who loves roller coasters but is terrified of Ferris wheels. I however love Ferris wheels. When we went to Hershey Park, we made a deal: I would get on a roller coaster with her (not one that hung upside down mind you – that was a deal breaker) and she would get on the Ferris wheel with me.

When the roller coaster made its first big plunge, I recall screaming to my friend, “I really hate youuuuuuuuu!” She felt and expressed the same when the Ferris wheel stopped for about 5 minutes while we were at the top.

No while I’m not so found of roller coasters, I’m not so phobic to the point of having such a full blown panic attack that I might try to do something stupid like jump off or require medical attention. Same with my friend on the Ferris wheel; she was not happy but she survived.

But if someone is prone to full blown panic attacks, they shouldn’t be getting on any amusement ride IMO, not even a Merry Go Round (and I don’t really like them either.)