UPDATED: TMZ obtained a video of the boy falling, which we’ve included at the bottom of this article. The video is graphic so only watch at your own discretion.
A frightening incident unfolded at Disneyland on Sunday evening, June 21, when a 13-year-old boy exited a ride vehicle near the top of the main hill on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and slid down the attraction’s 52-foot plunge. Disneyland officials have since confirmed the incident and say the guest was evaluated at a hospital and later released. The attraction reopened and is operating today.
What Witnesses Are Saying
According to multiple posts on the r/Disneyland subreddit, the incident appears to have occurred around 5:48 PM. Reddit user u/Fast-You-7189 said their grandson witnessed the boy tumbling down the water slide from the bridge in front of the attraction, prompting a woman nearby to scream. Another guest, u/Prior_Theory5522, wrote that they were inside a log vehicle on the ride at the time and briefly saw the child fall as their log passed the drop, with four people in their vehicle witnessing it.
The thread was started by u/EntropyBier, who noticed a significant security and medical presence at the attraction’s exit around 6 PM. The poster described seeing several security personnel and what appeared to be medics stationed there. After completing the ride, they returned to find the queue closed and the attraction shut down. It remained closed through at least 10 PM that evening, according to u/108HighFives, who passed by the area after the park’s fireworks.
Reddit user u/MrMiggenzz, identifying themselves as having sources among current and former Disneyland employees, stated the boy was 13 years old and had attempted to exit the ride vehicle at the top of the final drop. The stop mechanism, u/MrMiggenzz claimed, either failed to engage or the vehicle had already passed the threshold before it could halt the drop. That same user said the boy sustained cuts and scrapes from sliding down the drop, but that luck was on his side and he did not appear to hit his head or tumble uncontrollably. u/TroutSeason later added that he was taken to the hospital as a precaution and is reportedly fine. TheDisneyScoop has not independently verified those claims.
When guests on the ride exited, u/Prior_Theory5522 reported encountering approximately six Disneyland security officers, along with a mother and two soaking-wet children. u/TrashAccomplished543 also stated that the attraction was fully evacuated and remained shut down for the rest of the night. The boy’s official condition has not been confirmed by Disneyland or any media outlet at this time.
Safety Questions
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which replaced Splash Mountain at Disneyland in November 2024, features a 52.5-foot drop as its climactic finale. At Disneyland, passengers are seated single-file in the log-shaped ride vehicles. The attraction does not use lap bars or seat belts, as is standard for log flume rides, which rely on seated guests remaining in position throughout the experience.
Disneyland has not issued any public statement about the incident at this time. California theme parks are required to report certain guest injury incidents to the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. It is unclear whether that process has been initiated.
TheDisneyScoop will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Disneyland Confirms the Incident
Disneyland officials have now confirmed the incident, telling reporter Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin on X) that a 13-year-old guest exited a ride vehicle on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on Sunday before the attraction ended. Officials confirmed the guest exited near the top of the main hill. The ride was immediately stopped, and the guest was evaluated at a hospital and later released. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure reopened and is operating today.
Cal/OSHA Clears Attraction to Reopen
In a follow-up post on Monday, June 22, reporter Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) confirmed that Cal/OSHA inspectors were on site the morning after the incident, reviewed the attraction, and cleared it to reopen. The news drew mixed reactions online, with some guests questioning whether reopening the following day was appropriate given the severity of what occurred.
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