Woman dies after riding 'slow-moving' 56-year-old attraction at Disneyland

Visitors at Disneyland were left shocked this week after a routine evening at the park took a tragic turn.

The incident took place on Monday evening (October 6), when a woman in her sixties suffered a medical emergency while riding one of the park's most popular attractions.

After she exited the ride, staff quickly realized she was unresponsive and called emergency services around 6:30pm local time.

The tragedy unfolded on the Haunted Mansion ride, a long-standing favourite among fans of Disney’s spookier side, which has been running for over five decades and is known for its gentle pace, eerie atmosphere, and family-friendly design.

Riders drift through dimly lit rooms filled with ghostly projections and theatrical effects, making it one of the park’s most recognisable experiences. It’s also one of the few rides that has remained largely unchanged since Disneyland first opened its gates in the 1960s.

Mary Poppins at Disneyland California (smckenzie/Getty Images)

While the Haunted Mansion might be more about atmosphere than thrills, its dark corridors and slow-moving 'doom buggies' hide a chilling history.

The ride, built in 1969, once saw tragedy back in 1974 when a teenage boy fell onto the walkway and broke his neck. That incident, which police later confirmed wasn’t caused by the ride itself, remains one of the park’s earliest fatalities.

Now, more than 50 years later, tragedy has struck again.

At the scene on Monday, Disneyland security administered CPR until paramedics arrived, according to the Anaheim Police Department. The visitor was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after.

APD spokesperson Matt Sutter said in a statement: “This appears to be an unfortunate medical episode, and our thoughts go out to the family.”

Reported by the LA Times, the woman's official cause of death has yet to be confirmed. Police later clarified that there were no mechanical problems with the attraction and that it reopened shortly after the incident.

The Doom Buggies used in the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland California (MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Disneyland has not yet issued an official comment regarding the woman’s death.

Currently themed around The Nightmare Before Christmas for the Halloween and festive season, the Haunted Mansion continues to be described on Disneyland’s website as a 'slow-moving' ride that is suitable for children. The park’s site notes that 'the ride itself is gentle, but young children may be frightened by the special effects'.

The woman’s death comes only weeks after a separate fatal accident at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park in Florida, where a man was found unconscious on a roller coaster less than four months after the park’s grand opening.