Disneyland is facing legal issues over the mistreatment of a disabled woman by their staff members. As per documents by PEOPLE, the daughters of Joanne Aguilar, 66 years old, blame the employees for laughing at their mother. They were laughing at their mother just before she got injured while exiting a ride.
She passed away five months later after the incident because of an infection that lead to septic shock while her recovery period.
The Anaheim theme park has denied all the accusations against them in the U.S. California District Court and claims that the mother and the daughters were well aware of the risks in the ride.
According to the daughters, Aguilar(recovering from knee injury) was first boarded to the ride by her two daughters and then while getting out of the ride (boat), she was not helped or assisted by any of the staff members.
The complaint states that “cast members began snicker[ing] and giggling” while watching her struggle. As she “began to feel the shame and embarrassment of the situation and felt dehumanized,” she lost her balance and fell back, breaking her leg.
The lawsuit claims compensation for “all past economic damages,” which includes funeral, medical, incidental damages, and attorney fees.
Disneyland in California is set to reopen this month with a 15% capacity. Disneyland was closed for almost a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in its 65-year history, the theme park initially shut down for a month on March 12.
“While last week’s announcement stated that theme parks might open starting on April 1, the fact is it will take some time to get them ready for our guests,” Chapek, chief executive officer of Disney, said.
The theme park guidance stated on March 5 stating that Disneyland is permitted to reopen if Orange Country is in the red. Under the orange tier, the park should have a maximum capacity of 25%, and if the country reaches the yellow tier, then the capacity should be 35%. All these tiers are only for Disneyland, California.
Disneyland website states, “To enter a park, both a theme-park reservation and a valid admission ticket for the same park on the same date is required for each Guests ages 3 and up. If you have a multi-day ticket, you must make a park reservation for each date of your visit.”
Though the theme park is limited to 15% capacity, many feel this is the appropriate time to begin to reintroduce these activities. Chapek ended by saying that it is good news for the Anaheim community, which depends on Disneyland for jobs and business generated by visitors. For the Disneyland entry, you’ll need both a ticket and a theme park reservation.