Child has ‘cardiac event’ after riding Disney World roller coaster

You can't simply walk up and ride the new Guardians of the Galaxy coaster. Image via Disney.

A 5-year-old boy suffered a medical emergency after he rode Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy-themed roller coaster last month.

A new state injury theme park report described the child as having a “cardiac event” Sept. 9 but does not go into further detail other than to say he had a prior undiagnosed preexisting condition.

The child stopped breathing and had a seizure while he was on the ride, his mother said, according to People Magazine.

The family credited Disney employees and other visitors for intervening to help them. The child, who has a rare heart condition, is back home following surgery and has recovered to his happy old self, the story said.

The Guardians coaster opened in May 2022 as Disney’s first-ever reverse launch coaster and one of the longest indoor coasters in the world.

The incident involving the 5-year-old is the third time a guest has reported having a medical emergency after riding the coaster since the opening.

Last year, a 66-year-old woman with a preexisting condition had chest pains after exiting Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. That same year, a 43-year-old woman “became disoriented” after the ride.

In Florida, it’s hard to know what happens when somebody gets hurt or sick at the major theme parks. 

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services releases a report every quarter including incidents where someone was hospitalized for at least 24 hours after a medical issue occurred on a ride. But the report is bare-bones and provides few details.  

The new state report out Tuesday listed 11 incidents that occurred at Florida’s theme parks from July through September.

A 36-year-old man’s medical device got dislodged on Universal’s Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure roller coaster last month.

Two people had seizures at Disney World — a 38-year-old man after riding the flying Magic Carpets of Aladdin at Magic Kingdom and a 53-year-old woman on Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safaris Expedition.

A 79-year-old woman fell while exiting the Tomorrowland Speedway car attraction at the Magic Kingdom.

A 70-year-old woman felt motion sickness after riding the classic Space Mountain coaster at the Magic Kingdom.

A 68-year-old man with a preexisting condition “felt chest pain” after Epcot’s The Seas with Nemo and Friends ride.

Meanwhile, a 68-year-old man felt “dizziness” after riding the Trolls Troller Coaster at the kid-friendly DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios.

Other adults reported feeling dizzy or motion sickness at Universal’s Revenge of the Mummy, Jurassic Park River Adventure and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

No issues were reported at SeaWorld Orlando, Legoland Florida or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.