Walt Disney World Guest Sues Over Alleged Injury During Ride Evacuation

A guest at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida has filed a lawsuit against the theme park, saying she fell and hurt herself during an evacuation of the EPCOT Test Track earlier this year. The lawsuit was obtained by the website Orlando Theme Park Zone and published in its entirety on their site, though the plaintiff remains anonymous. She is seeking at least $50,000 in damages for her injuries.

The lawsuit claims that the plaintiff was at EPCOT riding Test Track on March 17, 202, when "the ride malfunctioned and shut down in the middle." The guests on the ride were asked to evacuate the ride and were assisted by cast members. The plaintiff said that "she fell into a three-foot drop-off" and suffered a "permanent injury." Details on this injury were not included in the lawsuit, but it did note that there were medical bills. The plaintiff is seeking damages that "exceeds the sum of $50,000, exclusive of costs, interest, and attorneys' fees."

Test Track is a slot car ride at EPCOT, giving visitors an idea of the high-speed tests used by car manufacturers when designing new vehicles. It first opened in 1999 after a minor delay, and closed for one major refurbishment in the summer of 2012. However, just last month Disney World announced that the ride would be undergoing another "re-theming," so it could be closed again soon.

Guests start out by designing their own "Sim Car" for the Test Track ride, then take it through some virtual test drives. In the process, they can create a commercial for their custom car and drive it in different virtual environments. It is a popular attraction since it sends guests home with a unique souvenir.

The theme park has not publicly responded to this lawsuit over Test Track, so it's not clear what comes next. The lawsuit was filed in Orange County, Florida.