Disney Denies Monorail Accident Ever Happened

It was reported earlier this year via multiple sources that a park guest was planning to file an action against Disney in a lawsuit over an alleged accident on the monorail.

Related: Guest Sues Disney World After Falling off Iconic Attraction

The Original Monorail Accident Claim

The park guest claimed that she was visiting EPCOT on March 24, 2023, when the monorail doors closed on her. In a lawsuit filed by the Walt Disney World Resort guest, she stated that she suffered a severe injury and that as the event unfolded, no cast members came to her assistance.

She alleges that the incident occurred while boarding the monorail at Bay Lake. Furthermore, she claimed that she was only freed from the doors because five other Disney guests helped pry her loose.

Related: Disney Guest Claims Child Was Injured on Ride, Files Lawsuit

Disney Monorail Lawsuit

As a result, the woman accused Walt Disney World Resort of failing to maintain safe operating conditions aboard the monorail and its ability to properly correct the issue once it occurred. In the lawsuit, she’s seeking compensation for damages over $50,000.

Disney Challenges

Disney, however, is challenging the incident. In court documents filed by Orange Country, the plaintiff has yet to provide any evidence or proof supporting her claims (see screenshot below).

They also, at least as of September 14, have yet to provide any documents proving that they were in Walt Disney World Resort during March 2023. This could have included theme park tickets, travel itineraries, photographs, or videos of them visiting the theme parks.

However, in an affidavit filed in Orange Circuit Court late last month, her boyfriend, John Ruffin, included the following statements:

“As we were getting on the monorail, the monorail doors slammed shut on Rebecca. Guests on the outside and myself and others on the inside were trying to pry Rebecca loose from the doors. Eventually we got her out. Rebecca was badly injured.”

John Ruffin’s statement continued. “The monorail speaker came on while she was trapped in the doors and it said there was something malfunctioning and resetting with the monorail. There was a uniformed Disney employee there that did nothing to help us get Rebecca out.”

Related: Guest Sues Disney After Monorail Accident

The affidavit was signed by John Ruffin last month.

Ruffin’s affidavit gives another witness to support the plaintiff, Rebecca Vanturini’s, claims. His statements further support her claim that a nearby cast member did nothing to help the plaintiff from the trapped door.

The court documents doesn’t give many further details about the plaintiff’s specific injuries or more details of what actually happened other than she had “a permanent injury to her body.”

Related: Guest Sues Disney After Breaking Leg On Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Walt Disney World Resort is fighting back and denying the allegations. The Disney monorail lawsuit was originally filed in July and is still pending. However, Vanturini’s attorney filed a notice that he is ready for trial.