Scooters at Disney Parks Spawn Accidents & Lawsuits

Available for rent to anyone over 18 for only $50 a day, scooters are as visible in Disney as Mickey Mouse ears. According to a Disney employee, when the park opens up at 9am, half the scooters are already taken and by 11am they are completely gone. These scooters provide a lifeline for people, some with disabilities, who cannot walk the massive grounds.

However, with the increase in Disney crowds, the electric scooters have also brought in a rapid increase in lawsuits- some reports of being run over, and others reporting they were injured in accidents.

With the rapid crowd increase, the park recently banned oversized strollers to avoid accidents. However, in regards to scooters, Disney is limited on how they can regulate them due to federal law governing rights for people with disabilities. According to a senior staff attorney at the National Disabilities Rights Network, scooters receive the same protection under the law as wheelchairs. This means Disney, and other companies, are not allowed to outright ban them. The most a company can do is place regulations on them, such as speed limits, restricted areas/lanes, only if there is a real documented danger. But, any such rule would likely require the U.S Department of Justice’s approval.

In 2018, 11 law suits were filed that allege injuries caused by scooters at Disney, the most in the last 5 years. From 2014-2017 there were only two to three per year. These law suits are filed by both people getting hit by scooters and the drivers themselves. One driver, following Disney protocol, went backwards off the monorail while being directed by theme park workers when his scooter flipped and slammed his head into the concrete and twisted his neck, causing him to need surgery.

Despite the fact that Disney employees give instructions to scooter drivers and there are written instructions at the vendors, arguments are made that there needs to be more instruction given before letting people lose with scooters throughout the park.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a scooter accident, call and schedule a free consultation with the attorney’s at Kaire and Heffernan today.