Disney World — and everything that comes with it — is known around the world as the “Happiest Place on Earth.” So why are people dying there at an alarming rate? The reasons are haunting.
According to MSN, the latest death at a Disney World property occurred this past Friday (Jan. 2), when a man was found dead at Disney Springs, a shopping and entertainment district on the property. The incident marked the sixth death to shake the “Most Magical Place on Earth” in recent months, according to The New York Post.
The body was found around 9PM Friday night. Little has been released about the condition the body was found in, but officials suspect the incident was a death by suicide.
How Many People Die Each Year at a Disney World Property?
According to The Travel, since Walt Disney World opened in 1971, external estimates suggest that approximately 60–70 deaths have occurred across the entire property. That averages out to roughly 1 to 1.3 deaths per year historically.
By comparison, six deaths have been reported at Disney World properties in recent months, a figure that stands out against the historical average and has drawn increased attention to safety and incident reporting at the resort.
Why Are People Dying at Disney World?
There are several factors behind deaths reported at Walt Disney World properties, and in some cases, authorities have indicated that suicide may be involved. The idea that individuals travel to a destination known as the “Happiest Place on Earth” during moments of extreme personal crisis has drawn attention and concern.
The first death reported in recent months occurred on Oct. 14, 2025, when a 31-year-old Disney enthusiast named Sumer Equitz was found dead at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort. Authorities later described the death as an apparent suicide.
Just one week later, a man in his 60s was found dead on a Disney World trail. Authorities later said the death was caused by a pre-existing medical condition.
Two days after that, on Oct. 23, 28-year-old Matthew Alec Cohn died after falling from the 12th floor of a Disney hotel. The death was ruled a suicide.
Nine days later, on Nov. 3, a woman in her 40s was found dead at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Another body was discovered days later at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa in Lake Buena Vista on Nov. 8.
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