Disney World, often celebrated as the “Happiest Place on Earth,” is currently facing a somber reality that has cast a shadow over its magical allure. In a troubling turn of events, the renowned Orlando resort has witnessed a series of tragic incidents that have left visitors and staff in shock.

In a span of just two weeks, the theme park has been the backdrop for the untimely deaths of three guests. This unsettling sequence of events is not the first to challenge Disney World’s family-friendly image, as the park has experienced similar tragedies in the past.

One of the recent incidents involved Summer Equitz, a devoted Disney enthusiast, who passed away on October 14th at the Contemporary Resort Hotel. The 31-year-old’s death was ruled a suicide, with the medical examiner citing multiple blunt impact injuries as the cause, though further details were not disclosed.

But the recent deaths are among dozens which have previously shattered the family-friendly resort’s facade.

Earlier this month, Disney superfan Summer Equitz, 31, died after killing herself at the Contemporary Resort Hotel on October 14. 

Her cause of death was ruled as multiple blunt impact injuries, with the medical examiner providing no further information. 

Just days later on October 21, a man in his 60s died after suffering a medical episode at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

Aspiring NFL referee, Matthew Cohn, 28, was the most recent person to die at the resort.

Disney fan Summer Equitz, 31, killed herself at the Contemporary Resort Hotel on October 14

An aspiring NFL referee, Matthew Cohn, 28, died by suicide at the same hotel as Equitz did on October 23

Both Cohn and Equitz died at the hotel in Florida, which has a monorail linking it to the park

Cohn took his own life at the same hotel as Equitz on October 23. He reportedly jumped from a balcony. 

Including the three recent deaths, Disney World’s death toll since its opening in 1971 is 68. 

While most deaths have been attributed to natural causes and drowning, there have been several mysterious fatalities, as well as freak accidents and acts of violence. 

November 4, 1974

Disney World’s first fatal tragedy occurred about three years after its historic grand opening. 

While many details from the incident remain unclear, Robert Marshall, 49, died while repairing a boat in the park.  

The carpenter was killed when a lightbulb filament ignited fumes from the glue he was using, according to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

August 22, 1980 

Disney World’s River Country water park shuttered in 2001 

An often forgotten piece of Disney’s history is its River Country water park, which was shuttered in 2001 following troubling incidents – including the death of an 11-year-old. 

The boy contracted a brain-eating bacterium after the play area’s warm water went up his nose. 

The Amoebic Meningoencephalitis caused his brain and nervous system to stop functioning.

Traces of the bacteria were discovered, but no legal action was taken because it was ruled that the deadly microorganism could live in any warm water, so it was not Disney’s fault, according to the Dam Firm. 

September 12, 1992

In 1992, a man smuggled a gun into Epcot (pictured) and held security guards hostage 

While Disney is a well-known spot for romantic proposals, it was once the scene of a shooting rampage that ended in suicide – all sparked by an apparently nasty breakup.  

Allan Ferris, 37, of New York, smuggled a shotgun into Epcot in an over-the-shoulder bag, the Tampa Bay Times reported. 

The gunman tried to stay in the park after hours in the hope of confronting his ex-girlfriend, who worked there as a security guard. 

Ferris refused orders to leave the premises and threatened to kill the staff who got in his way. 

Amid his violent frenzy, Ferris fired at the guards and even held two of them hostage in a bathroom for about ten minutes. 

Police surrounded the bathroom and ordered Ferris to drop his weapon as he emerged from the building.

But he refused, instead turning the gun on himself and firing a bullet into the side of his face.  

Ferris never saw his ex-girlfriend that day. Police later revealed he was under court orders to stay away from her.

Ferris reportedly tried to kill himself before his Disney visit. He first attempted to take his own life that July, when his ex-girlfriend broke off their eight-year relationship. 

August 2009 

In August 2009, a performer’s fall during a performance at Magic Kingdom (pictured) was fatal

Stunt performer Anislav Varbanov (left), 30, suffered traumatic head injuries after taking a fall during a rehearsal for the Indiana Epic Stunt Spectacular

Mark Priest, 47, died after being hospitalized for severe head and spinal injuries he sustained while acting as a pirate 

While Disney recently saw its most deadly three-week span in history, the theme park had a similarly alarming bout of deaths among its stars in August 2009. 

Stunt performer Anislav Varbanov, 30, suffered traumatic head injuries after falling during a rehearsal for the Indiana Epic Stunt Spectacular on August 17.

NBC reported that the stunt that ultimately took his life was a common one. Witnesses said he landed on a mat, but on his head. 

On August 6, Mark Priest, 47, died four days after being hospitalized for severe head and spinal injuries he sustained while acting as a pirate during a Pirates of the Caribbean performance in Magic Kingdom. 

Priest slipped in a puddle and slammed his head into a nearby wall, according to the Associated Press. 

While he reportedly seemed to laugh off his serious ailments in the immediate aftermath, his health rapidly declined and he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

April 12, 2015 

Gary Terry, 35, was killed while working at Disney’s Exotic Driving Experience

For thrill-seeking sports car lovers, the Exotic Driving Experience was an absolute must during a Disney trip. 

But the attraction that allowed guests to put the pedal to the metal in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Audis and Porsches was shut down after one of the park’s driving instructors was killed while a guest was behind the wheel. 

Tavon Watson, who was 24 at the time, was doing 102mph on the speedway when he slammed the passenger side of a $220,000 Lamborghini into a guardrail, killing instructor Gary Terry, 35. 

Evidence suggests Terry tried to grab the wheel and ‘counter steer’ the out-of-control vehicle in the moments before it crashed.

Watson has never faced any charges since the accident occurred on a closed track, and there are no indications that he was doing anything criminal, authorities said.

‘It’s not the kid’s fault. It’s a freak thing that happened,’ Timothy Horvath, a friend of Terry’s, said at the time. 

As for Terry, Horvath asserted that, ‘if he thought he was in any danger, he wouldn’t have done it’.

June 14, 2016 

Lane Graves, two, was fatally attacked by an alligator at the Seven Seas Lagoon

While Disney prides itself on its safe, family-friendly nature, the parents of Lane Graves, two, are forever scarred by their trip to the so-called happiest place on earth. 

The Nebraska family’s lighthearted vacation ended in terror when an alligator mauled the toddler at the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. 

Lane’s parents tried their best to pull him to safety, but their desperate attempts were unsuccessful.

The child’s body was found in the water about 16 hours after the attack. 

Disney has since built a statue of a lighthouse in Lane’s honor. 

His parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, also started the Lane Thomas Foundation to support families of kids who need organ transplants. 

Tragedies have struck at Disneyland in California, too

In 1979, a woman was reportedly decapitated at the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction 

Disney World’s smaller Anaheim, California, counterpart, Disneyland, has also suffered its fair share of devastation over the years. 

Opening its gates in 1955, more than 30 people have died on its grounds, according to lawyers the Dam Firm. 

Its most notable – and graphic – incident took place on the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride on August 14, 1979. It was the first and only decapitation in Disney’s history. 

The 48-year-old victim was flung from one of the cars on the ride and was hit by one of the oncoming bobsleds. 

Her seatbelt was unfastened, but investigators could not determine if she had left it unclipped or if it malfunctioned, according to the Dam Firm. 

Rumors of someone’s head coming off on Space Mountain have been debunked.