Disneyland California guest dies after riding Haunted Mansion attraction, sparks investigation

Madeline Cove
The Nightly
Woman dies during the haunted mansion ride at Disneyland.
Woman dies during the haunted mansion ride at Disneyland. Credit: Disneyland

A woman has tragically died after riding Disneyland’s iconic Haunted Mansion attraction, prompting shock and sorrow at the Anaheim theme park this week.

Emergency crews were called to the New Orleans Square area on Monday, October 6, after the woman became unresponsive shortly after exiting the ride.

Matt Sutter of the Anaheim Police Department reported that “Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded to the Disneyland Resort for an unresponsive woman who had just finished riding the Haunted Mansion attraction,” adding that “Disneyland security personnel provided CPR until paramedics arrived.”

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The guest was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

“She was transported to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased,” Mr Sutter confirmed.

A spokesperson for Disneyland told People that a visitor required medical assistance inside the park and was transported for further care, though they declined to share more details “out of respect for those involved”.

Witnesses said paramedics rushed through the cobblestone courtyard of the Haunted Mansion, one of Disneyland’s most beloved and storied rides.

Known for its ghostly illusions, creaking doorways and famous “doom buggies,” the attraction has been a fixture at the park since 1969.

A woman dies during a ride at Disneyland.
A woman dies during a ride at Disneyland. Credit: Berzane Nasser/ABACA/PA

For many fans, the ride’s spooky charm is a childhood rite of passage, making the tragedy especially jarring.

It wasn’t until later that officials confirmed the guest was a woman in her 60s. The Coroner’s Office will determine her official cause of death, though authorities have not indicated any foul play.

The park remained open following the incident, and the Haunted Mansion has since resumed normal operation.

The death comes less than a month after another fatal theme park incident, this time at Universal Orlando, where 32-year-old Kevin Radriguez Zavala died on September 17 after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Epic Universe.

He died from multiple blunt impact injuries, according to the local medical examiner, who determined the manner of death to be accidental.

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