Incidents at Tokyo Disney Resort
Encyclopedia
This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at Tokyo Disney Resort
in Japan
.
The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, deaths and significant crimes. While these incidents are required to be reported to regulatory authorities for investigation, attraction-related incidents usually fall into one of the following categories:
Tokyo Disney Resort
is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, deaths and significant crimes. While these incidents are required to be reported to regulatory authorities for investigation, attraction-related incidents usually fall into one of the following categories:
- Caused by negligence on the part of the guest. This can be refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions, or deliberate intent to break park rules.
- The result of a guest's known or unknown health issues.
- Negligence on the part of the park, either by ride operator or maintenance.
- Act of GodAct of GodAct of God is a legal term for events outside of human control, such as sudden floods or other natural disasters, for which no one can be held responsible.- Contract law :...
or a generic accident (e.g. slipping and falling) that is not a direct result of an action on anybody's part.
2011 earthquake and tsunami
- On March 11, 2011, an offshore earthquake struck Japan, forcing the resort to cease operations mid-day. The resort's parking areas were flooded after the earthquake; initial reports stated that the flooding was caused by the resultant tsunamiTsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, but police later stated that liquefactionSoil liquefactionSoil liquefaction describes a phenomenon whereby a saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress, usually earthquake shaking or other sudden change in stress condition, causing it to behave like a liquid....
was the more direct cause. No visitors or employees were injured during the quake, but at least 20,000 of the estimated 69,000 visitors that day spent the night inside the resort's two theme parks due to the closure of Tokyo's public transportation systems. Park officials announced the closure of the resort for at least 10 days in order to conduct inspections and maintenance. Tokyo Disneyland re-opened on April 15, with ¥300 per guest entering the park being donated to the Japanese Red Cross. The Disney Ambassador Hotel and Tokyo Disneyland Hotel were also scheduled to reopen on April 15, with Cirque du Sol'sCirque du SoleilCirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
ZED resuming on April 23. Tokyo DisneySea and its hotel, the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel Mira Costa remain closed until further notice. It is estimated that the resort, as a whole, lost more than $400 million in profits during the five weeks of closure, the first extended shutdown in its history. On April 28, just ahead of the start of the Golden Week string of public holidays, Tokyo DisneySea reopened. The date also coincided with the planned debuts of Fantasmic!Fantasmic!Fantasmic! is a Disney nighttime show at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo Disney Resort. The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large...
and the Mickey and Friends' Greeting Trails meet-and-greet area. Despite the full reopening of the Resort effects of the earthquake and power shortages remain, including the closure of Big Thunder MountainBig Thunder Mountain RailroadBig Thunder Mountain Railroad is an indoor/outdoor mine train roller coaster located in Frontierland at several Disneyland-style Disney Parks worldwide...
in Tokyo Disneyland, the limiting of lighting and air conditioning, and the postponement of the Tokyo DisneySea 10th Anniversary celebration planned for September. Ongoing restoration work continues, including the installation of three electrical power generators.
Parades
- On January 8, 2008, a portion of a parade float collapsed during a presentation of the park's "Disney Dreams On Parade." A steel pillar, estimated to weigh 660 pounds, fell from the Buzz LightyearBuzz LightyearBuzz Lightyear is a character and the main deuteragonist of the Toy Story franchise. Buzz is a space ranger action figure and the co-leader of Andy's Room. He has also appeared in the movie Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins and the television series spin-off Buzz Lightyear of...
float not far from park visitors. No performers or visitors were injured in the collapse. The park canceled its parades for the first time in its history in order to complete safety checks.
Space Mountain
- On December 5, 2003, a roller coaster train derailed as it was returning to the station. No riders were injured, and the ride was closed pending an investigation. A January 2004 investigation completed by Oriental Land Company, the park's owner/operator, determined that an axle on the train had failed because its diameter was smaller than the specifications for the part required. The attraction re-opened in February 2004, after 17 park officials were reprimanded for the accident.
Swiss Family Treehouse
- In January 2008, a fire broke out in the attraction, forcing its evacuation. No visitors were injured, and firefighters were able to put out the fire an hour later.
See also
- Incidents at Disneyland ResortIncidents at Disneyland ResortThis is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.While the California Department of Safety and Health has ruled that some guest-related incidents are Disney's fault, the majority of incidents were due to negligence on the guests' part.The...
- Incidents at Disneyland ParisIncidents at Disneyland ParisThis is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at Disneyland Paris.The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, deaths and significant crimes.-Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:...
- Incidents at Walt Disney World ResortIncidents at Walt Disney World ResortThis is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.Several people have died or been injured while riding attractions at Walt Disney World theme parks. Since 2001, Disney has been required to report incidents to state authorities...
- Amusement park accidentsAmusement park accidentsAmusement park accidents can result in serious injury or death to somebody visiting or working at an amusement park.Most amusement park accidents are required to be reported to regulatory authorities. They usually fall into one of the following categories:...