disney disaster

[dbcnbc]

Last week, we went to Disney, all was going well. on the 2nd day of our 5 day visit, we went to MGM. We had heard that the Fantasmic Show was not to be missed. We went that night to the show. We were all the way in the back. It was a very windy night. At the end of the show there are a few fireworks. After the fireworks had ended, my 5 year old starting screaming that something was in his eye. We went to the first-aid and they were very nice. They flushed out his eye and told us that sometimes ashes from the fireworks get in your eyes. They gave him an ice pack and said that he should be fine in the morning. We kept an ice pack on his eye that night. The next morning, his eye was pretty much swollen shut. We were with my parents and my 13 year old, so we took them to Epcot, hoping that my 5 year old would start feeling better. When we got there, he was worse so we took him over to the first aid at epcot. They told us that he looked really bad and that we can get a free shuttle over to an emergency clinic. My husband took him over to the clinic where, $300 later, he was diagnosed with a scratched cornea and spent the rest of the day back at the condo with my husband.
I went over to guest relations and told them the whole story including the fact that my husband's and son's tickets for that day were useless.
The manager at guest relations made no attempt to try compensate us for anything. I really don't know what to do at this point. Mostly I'm greatful that my little guy was doing much better within two days and he will be fine.
But it did leave a bad taste in my mouth about the whole thing.
If anyone has any advice for me I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Diane

 

[sanibelover]

Poor little guy. Scratched corneas are very painful!!!

Don't assume that he got ashes in his eye. Scratched corneas are not unusual. If a kid gets something in his eye and rubs, scratched corneas can result. (Been there with my DS.)

I'm not sure what Disney could do to compensate you. Obviously, the first aid station is no place to diagnose a scratched cornea - we went to the pediatrician for 4 days straight before that diagnosis was made. If Disney comped every guest who came into the park and left sick, well, you can imagine the cost.

I'm not trying to downplay the aggrevation and worry that you must have been feeling, I just don't think it's fair that you think Disney owes you something.

 

[dbcnbc]

I agree, these things happen, but my parents kept telling me that Disney was liable. My father said that he was standing with my son at the fireworks and that he got something in his eye as well. Thanks for your input. I don't think I would have felt so bad if my parents hadn't kept badgering me to DO something about it.

 

[Grumpy lover**14]

When we went to Walt Disney World about a year ago the same thing happened to me. It was so scary my mom told me about going blind if they didn't get it out. I went with my dad to a clinic and i had to wait for 2 hours with tons of screaming kids around. I had a firework casing in my eye and they had to get it out by putting a dye in my eye that made it glow in the dark under a black light. The only thing that was different was i didn't scrath my cornea. My mom thoughtout about going to the manager but she didn't want to make a big deal.

 

[vacationwoman]

If you went to first aid immediately after it happened and explained how it happened then they should have a written report of the incident.
When it was worse the next day and you had to take him to emergency and put out
$ 300. for care it seems to me that WDW should reimburse you if it was determined to be caused by the firework ash.
Send an email to - wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

If you don't hear from them in a timely matter send a letter to:

Al Weiss, President
Walt Disney World
P.O.Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830

 

[boucheresq]

Poor little guy - the same thing happened to me but I was REALLY far away. My dh and I took the Wishes cruise from WL to watch Wishes from the Lagoon - and I got firework ashes in my eye! Wow, did it hurt. Thankfully they were able to clean it out and no scratched cornea, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that could happen to me so far away.

 

[DawnCt1]

Considering the fact that you went to the first aid station immediately and they surmised that your child got ashes from the fireworks in his eye, at least, if only for good will, you should have been given an extra days pass into the parks. It really isn't a big loss for Disney but a little good will goes a long way. I find that in recent years, Disney is reluctant to extend appropriate good will. Its a cost saving measure that nickels and dimes guests and does leave a bad taste in one's mouth. When DS 17 was a toddler he had a dental accident at WDW. Without going into a lot of detail, we were given the equivalent of 5 three day passes for future use. It was dealt with after we got home so don't hesitate to pursue it.

 

[ktbugsmom]

I highly doubt if Disney will admit any liability for this issue. Here is my experience:

Last summer, my 4 year old daughter burned her finger on a light that was illuminating some art in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We did not feel that the lights were made "off limits" or protected very well - thus it was very easy for my daughter to touch the bulb.

However, when my husband went to get help for our screaming daughter (she got a very bad blister), he was told all they could do was call an ambulance - at our expense. I then spent 3 hours in our room with my daughter who cried almost the entire time. My husband went back to the lobby and requested a manager and asked for some assistance. He was hoping they would offer some cream or sauve or something. Again was told they could not help, would not give any first aid items, but could call an ambulance at our expense.

We were not looking for any discounts - just possibly some ointment and we wanted them to know that they lights were in a bad spot for small children. They said that would be "duly noted" - but did not offer anything else.

So - sorry to say, but in this litigious society we live in, I doubt if Disney will help you at all. If they did, they would be admitting liability and open themselves up to numerous lawsuits. It was a bummer and I was upset at the time (not so much at Disney, but because my daughter was in honest pain), but I kind of understand their situation.

I hope you have better results.

 

[dbcnbc]

Hi everyone,

Thank you all so much for giving me some advice. I knew you guys would come through for me. I really felt a little victimized by this whole situation.
Well, on Monday I e-mailed Disney at the address that someone posted for me. Today (Wed.) I received an e-mail from someone at Disney asking me for our phone number and address and they said they would like to talk to us about what happenned. I will keep you guys posted on the situation.

Thanks,
Diane

 

[Chris]

Hi everyone,

Thank you all so much for giving me some advice. I knew you guys would come through for me. I really felt a little victimized by this whole situation.
Well, on Monday I e-mailed Disney at the address that someone posted for me. Today (Wed.) I received an e-mail from someone at Disney asking me for our phone number and address and they said they would like to talk to us about what happenned. I will keep you guys posted on the situation.

Thanks,
Diane

Good luck Diane and I am glad your little guy is ok.

 

[KittyKitty]

Now in my viewpoint, Disney can do no wrong. Always had a strong loyalty for the company. That being said, if the care center said it was an ash in his eye, then Disney needs to pay for the medical care, and the lost of tickets use. Your boy may have scratched his cornea by rubbing his eyes, not the ash itself, but the ash did cause the injury to begin with. I've scratched my cornea a couple of times in my life, and it hurts like heck. Fortunately, eyes heal quickly(8-16 hrs).

It sounds like you are not asking for the moon, just compensation.

Let us know how it goes.


Susan

 

[d-hlaw]

Listen, if your child has long lasting effects from the injury then you will regret not following up. I would offer this advice...... Let someone represent you in getting some assistance from the park. If you need help I am certainly able to offer my assistance. You should at least be reimbursed for the medicals as well as lost time on vacation!!! They may just need a wake up letter!!!

Brett

 

[pongoperdigirl]

I do believe that on your tickets that Disney claims no responsibility in case of injury in the parks. You are entering at your own risk. While the moral thing to do would be to compensate you in some manner, possibly in the form of tickets that were lost, but...I think that the disclaimer that they have takes care of liability.

 

[babby]

Last year at POP my son fell off of the bed and hit his head on the nightstand causing an inch long gash in his forehead. It was gushing blood and I went nuts. I call the front desk and said my son needed medical attention immediately. They put me through to 911. An ambulance came and one paramedic told the other "we need a bandaid"!! Apparently they didn't think it was that bad. But my baby (he was 1 1/2 at the time) was bleeding badly. The manager of POP came and the lifeguard. The ambulance took us to the celebration hospital where DS got 7 stitches. We got back and our room had been cleaned of all the bloody towels and there were towel animals about the room. I was a little dissapointed that the manager had not called to check on my son. The next day passed and still nothing. The next day came and she came to our room that morning with another towel animal for my son and one for my 7 yr old daughter for being so brave when they took mom and brother away in the ambulance. She said she had tried to contact us the previous day. I thought that was nice. I didn't expect anything else. When we got home the hospital bill was 800.00 and the doctor bill was 250.00. We paid what our insurance did not pay. About 300.00 for us for my son had not met his 250.00 deductible yet. I kept waiting for the ambulance bill and after a month or so posted on the boards here asking if anyone knew anything about the policy. Well, come to find out the policy that Disney has is that any accident occuring on their property, the ambulance ride is free. That was a relief for me to hear for I thought that might be a pretty penny. Well, that's my story, good luck with yours.

 

[the kabuki]

When DD was 3, she fell on the "car" in front of the sci-fi theater. Seems she was trying to reach for the steeing wheel, but it was spaced too far away and she fell into the cement part of the "dashboard" giving a HUGE gooseegg right by the corner of her eye. Ran to first aid, gave us some ice and a 101 dalamations stuffed animal.

Was it disney's fault, no she fell, accidents happen. But she still has that stuffed animal dalmation, and good memories of the vacation. For a $10 toy, disney made everyone feel better and that's what they need to remember. A phone call, a follow up, some token however small is always appreciated and remembered.

 

[stemikger]

Poor little guy. Glade to hear he is better. I think at the very least they should have compensated you for a lost day. You sound like a very reasonable, trustworthy person who just wanted to get the minimum compensation. I think in this situation you were being very fair. There are tons of people out there who would try to capitlize and sue Disney thinking they could make a windfall. So I think Disney should have been greatful they weren't dealing with someone like that and given you the little you asked for.

 

[peachgirl]

I do believe that on your tickets that Disney claims no responsibility in case of injury in the parks. You are entering at your own risk. While the moral thing to do would be to compensate you in some manner, possibly in the form of tickets that were lost, but...I think that the disclaimer that they have takes care of liability.

I really don't know if Disney is legally liable for this incident or not, but their disclaimer really means nothing.

It's simply something they print on their tickets that they hope will make people believe that no matter what happens, Disney isn't responsible. It's comparable to signs you see at some businesses that say "Not responsible for accidents". They mean nothing legally. No individual or company can disavow themselves of their legal liabilites simply by posting a sign (or printing it on a ticket) saying they aren't responsible and they can't sign away someone else's legal rights to be compensated.

If they're liable, they're liable no matter what disclaimers they put on their tickets.

 

[gjw007]

I highly doubt if Disney will admit any liability for this issue. Here is my experience:

Last summer, my 4 year old daughter burned her finger on a light that was illuminating some art in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We did not feel that the lights were made "off limits" or protected very well - thus it was very easy for my daughter to touch the bulb.

However, when my husband went to get help for our screaming daughter (she got a very bad blister), he was told all they could do was call an ambulance - at our expense. I then spent 3 hours in our room with my daughter who cried almost the entire time. My husband went back to the lobby and requested a manager and asked for some assistance. He was hoping they would offer some cream or sauve or something. Again was told they could not help, would not give any first aid items, but could call an ambulance at our expense.

We were not looking for any discounts - just possibly some ointment and we wanted them to know that they lights were in a bad spot for small children. They said that would be "duly noted" - but did not offer anything else.

So - sorry to say, but in this litigious society we live in, I doubt if Disney will help you at all. If they did, they would be admitting liability and open themselves up to numerous lawsuits. It was a bummer and I was upset at the time (not so much at Disney, but because my daughter was in honest pain), but I kind of understand their situation.

I hope you have better results.

I expect that to be Disney's response for insurance reasons. Of course, a court case should decide differently. The problem is that Disney may be negligent. The first time something happens, it may be excusable as something that wasn't thought of and wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. But if it happens again, the company was already aware of it and may be liable. I took a business law class that used an example of somebody trying to kill themselves by locking themselves in the trunk of a car. After not killing themselves, they sued the car company because it didn't provide a way of a locked trunk. The case was dismissed but car manufacturers now have a way for somebody locked in the trunk to open the trunk so that they don't face the liability.

Simply because a manager at a site says that they are not liable, that may not be true. Rather than make the issue bigger, they should help by providing assistance. Even if they aren't liable, it create goodwill. IF Disney's fireworks has a known issue, ash in the air, it needs to take reasonable precautions, including notices of the possible dangers. I don't ever recall seeing such notices.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

My DBIL's family stayed at FW in a Disney mobile home and the eldest child went swimming in the pool. He came down w/ the worst flu-like poisoning they had ever seen. My DBIL is a water specialist and suspected the pool water, but didn't have his instruments w/ him to test the water himself. No one else got sick, but the poor boy and a parent lost a couple days in the parks due to being bedridden from the sickness. My DBIL mentioned it to the manager of the resort, who sent someone to take a statement. This person apparently prodded my DBIL to sign a disclaimer saying Disney was not responsible. Within hours, the pool was drained due to "refurbishment" but my DBIL thought otherwise.

Anyway, nothing came of it. No phone calls, no admission that it was/was not the pool water, no reimbursement of the tickets... nothing. My DBIL was very very disappointed at the way they handled it.

I keep thinking if more could have been done if they just followed up on Disney a little more. I know these things happen, but it's the way they are handled that change a bad experience into a better one. My DBIL wants to drop it. I probably would have gone from one manager to another until someone truly listened. I am not a sue happy person, but I think a little could go a long way.... like a free day at the parks the next time they visit. Or maybe a ticket to BB or something for 2. WDW wouldn't lose any money w/ an extra person wandering around, and they might actually gain a little because that person will probably buy food or souvenirs anyway. All they are doing is redeeming a pass that wasn't used anyway but was technically paid for. Plus, they give the family incentive to try Disney again. When a customer is unhappy, they may not go back and will tell others of their bad experience.


I am truly sorry your little boy got hurt and I hope that Disney comes thru and compensates you in some way for your lost days or medical bills. You don't sound like you are trying to get rich of this, just trying to get WDW to do the right thing. I hope you resolve this quickly. Please let us know what happens.

 

[dislover123]

We had an incident where the bus driver turned the bus off while my 4 year old was exiting the back (side) door. Apparently the driver's are to never turn off the bus for any instance while passengers are on board. When he turned the bus off the doors closed on my daughter and it took me, my mother in law, and my mom to keep the doors open so they would not fully close on her neck. We were yelling at the driver to open the door, well when that happens the doors will close automatically by themselves. He had to turn the bus back on to open the doors it seem like 10 min we were standing there but it was only like 30 sec. But we all had bruises within 10 min on our arms from holding the door open. Luckily my daughter was uninjured and she will still ride the bus (just got back from WDW), she makes us carry her off though.
The bus driver did not even say sorry and he just drove off after we got off (we found out later that according to disney policy the driver should of called immediately and stayed until someone arrived to investigate).

Disney was awesome in their response, we were staying at the WL and we immediately went to the front desk and wanted to know who to report this to. The manager of the WL came out immediately and wrote a report while we were waiting for the ambulance service to come. He insisted that we were all checked out, and we were not charged the fee, they even came right to our room. Head of Transportation came to our room and filed a report.

We were not looking for any monetary or comps, we just wanted the incidient reported so the driver could not do the same thing to someone else and to know that they should not have buses were the doors automatically close like that.

The manager of the WL could see that we were very shaken up by the incident, I mean the only thing that was keeping those doors from closing on my daughters head/neck was our arms and it took a lot of strength.

He kept asking to do something for us and we kept saying that was not our point. After an hour of reporting and making sure everyone was ok they all left our room. I would like to say that also that they went out of there way to come to our room so we could be comfortable. We did not have to sit in a office for an hour.

The manager of the WL called back an hour later and said he had made PS for us at Chef Mickey's for dinner that night and that dinner would be taken care of. While he was in our room he was talking with our 4 year old and he asked her if she had eaten with mickey mouse yet and she said no. So I guess he remembered that.

So the reason for the long story is that I do believe from personal experience if Disney fells they are truly at fault they will go out of their way to make sure everything is reported and taken care of.