Crowds at Disney World are always an issue. Nobody loves the park being full of people jostling into each other, but an incident at Magic Kingdom last night was a worst-case scenario of how bad things can be. A minor panic broke out in the park after some violence between guests, combined with a loud sound that some perceived as a gunshot, led to guests running for cover.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which responds to police matters inside Walt Disney World, a fight broke between guests somewhere at Magic Kingdom a little after 10 pm local time. During the fight, a loud popping sound was heard. While it is now believed the sound was a popping balloon, which is likely considering just how many balloons are at Disney World, in the moment people were afraid the fight had escalated and the sound was a gunshot. This led to what’s being described online as a “stampede.” A video showing one of Magic Kingdom’s gift shops in the aftermath has gone viral.
went to magic kingdom today and there was literally a stampede because of a suspected shooter i thought that was actually going to be my last day. i was shoved out of the way and fell. mothers were crying looking for their daughters, people were hiding, it was so bad. pic.twitter.com/NATeMuwceKAugust 30, 2024
We usually see gift shops at Magic Kingdom, especially in the evening full of people buying souvenirs. After it has become clear to guests that there is no shooter, the shop is empty, though items are strewn all over and several guests are still on the ground where they had attempted to take cover.
Walt Disney World Cast Members evacuated the park with many guests reportedly leaving through backstage areas. In a statement (via Scott Gustin) a Disney World spokesman said…
We appreciate the immediate response of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to quickly assess and clear the situation. Normal operations have resumed and the park is now closed for the evening
Fights in theme parks, while rare, certainly happen, as they can be places where lots of people are pushed together. We’ve seen viral videos of fights at Disneyland and absolute brawls at Disney World before. Details about this fight are few. An image which purports to be It seems the fight and the popping sound may not have even been related, just two events near each other that resulted in guests panicking.
The odds of a gun making it inside a Disney theme park are remarkably small considering the security measures in the resort. People have tried to bring guns to the parks, it actually happens often, but they are routinely stopped. Still, considering the gun violence in public places we have seen, it’s not surprising that nobody was thinking of that when they heard a sound that could have been a gunshot. There are no reports of any injuries, either from the fight that started everything or from the “stampede” that occurred in its wake. Hopefully, everybody is ok.
