I Fell at Disney! Here’s Why First Aid Should’ve Been My First Stop
I took a nasty fall at Disney World last November. It hurt. A lot. But even worse than the pain was the embarrassment. Instead of accepting a Cast Member’s help or heading immediately to a First Aid Center, I bolted. I Not my smartest move. But in the heat of the moment, logic takes a backseat to instinct. So if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, do what I didn’t — take the help.
Let’s set the stage. My family of three has to split up when riding coasters. My wife and son usually sit together, meaning I get to play the seat partner lottery. I lost the lottery on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train that day. Another family of three was behind us, so the Cast Member assigned one of them to my lane. The dad briefly stood with me before joining his wife and daughter. He realized his mistake, but only after the gates had closed. It was chaotic. CMs weren’t happy, but this was the family’s first visit, and English wasn’t their first language.
Cast Members re-opened the gates, and the dad and I squeezed into our car. We weren’t comfortable. I never am on that ride (the seats are ridiculously small), but having another tall guy next to me made it even worse. But we had a blast riding together. Then the chaos returned.
As we were exiting, the daughter ran to see dad, excited to tell him about Snow White. My family, the power users that they are, were already heading for the next ride. I was still in the car, my path blocked. I tried to get around the two while climbing out, but whatever my foot touched wasn’t solid (was it a water bottle?), and I went down. Hard. This wasn’t a take-a-knee fall. I landed fully on my side, my camera bag somewhat beneath me.
I heard a crunch and panicked. A Cast Member immediately asked me if I was okay. I most certainly wasn’t, but I’m a grown man.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”
Me, definitely not fine
My family heard the commotion. My son told my wife, “I think that was Dad.” It sure was, my boy. They circled back to find me inspecting my camera at a trash can. They asked if I was okay. “Yeah,” I lied.
I fully expected to find a bag full of broken glass. But my camera was fine. I took a few pics to be sure. Blurry, crappy pics never looked so good. I took a few more once I got outside. Everything worked, thank goodness. That crunch might have been that bottle. Or my bones. We’ll never know.
At that point, the adrenaline had worn off and the pain set in. My right hip was throbbing. My left elbow was skinned and bleeding. I covered it in hand sanitizer. More pain, but I had just been lying on the ground in a theme park. I wasn’t taking any chances.
I realized I needed help, so I opened the My Disney Experience app and looked for the First Aid station. It’s located between Casey’s Corner and The Crystal Palace. I’ve passed it hundreds of times and never noticed.
After hobbling over, I checked in, providing my name and the reason for my visit: “Big doofus fell down.” I was quickly led to an exam room, where a nurse asked me all the relevant questions while she patched me up. She also gave me extra bandages and antibiotic ointment. She could’ve sent me to AdventHealth Centra Care Urgent Care if needed. Transportation is complimentary for Walt Disney World Resort guests. Thankfully, I was only bloody and bruised.
I talked to a former Cast Member about my fall. He confirmed I messed up. “Always accept the help. A ride or custodial CM can request aid faster than you can get to an aid station.” He also emphasized the importance of documenting an accident with Disney in case it’s a serious injury.
Mine wasn’t the only fall at Magic Kingdom that day. I witnessed an older woman trip while climbing the stairs outside Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I flagged down a Cast Member who tried to help her, but like me, she refused. Pride is a powerful thing.
I refused to cancel our Moonlight Magic evening that night. I felt good as long as I was moving. Getting up from those comfortable Nomad Lounge sofas was tough, though. I iced my hip for an hour that night. It developed a ghastly 6-inch bruise that lasted for weeks.
I made it through the rest of our vacation without any trouble, but I learned my lesson. I hope I never have to put it into practice.
First aid in Disney and Universal parks
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