Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, includes Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, and the streets and sidewalks around it are part of how visitors get there. On Sunday, October 25, a 65-year-old man died near the resort’s Katella Avenue entrance, and TMZ has since reported new details and obtained video.
Many readers have questions, and some can’t be answered yet. This report is organized around them, with each answer attributed to its source. A content note: this report discusses a death.
Two sets of reporting are in play: TMZ’s, which describes video it obtained and what police told it, and earlier coverage that draws on a statement from Sgt. Eric Anderson and on The Disney Scoop. We’re keeping them separate, because their descriptions of the first moments don’t fully match.
What does TMZ report?
TMZ reports that it obtained video of police standing around the 65-year-old man on Sunday afternoon. According to TMZ, police said they were called to the scene for a “person in distress,” who then fell unconscious outside Disneyland.
What did police tell TMZ?
The Anaheim Police Department told TMZ that by the time officers arrived, they determined the man was already dead, according to TMZ. Police also told TMZ that the man was a transient in the area and apparently died of natural causes.
Was the area closed?
TMZ says officers closed the area around Disneyland’s south entrance for a period while they investigated. Earlier coverage says Anaheim police cordoned off a stretch of sidewalk, and that pedestrians heading to the resort or back to nearby hotels were redirected around it.
Who responded?
TMZ says members of the Orange County Coroner’s Office also responded and were seen removing the covered body on a gurney. Earlier coverage says officers and Anaheim Fire and Rescue units responded at approximately 1:40 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, 2026, to the 800 block of West Katella Avenue.
Where was the man found?
According to earlier coverage, he was found unresponsive beneath the arched blue Disneyland Resort entrance sign. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the death occurred on Disneyland property or on the public sidewalk beside it.
Did the accounts match?
Not entirely. The earlier coverage, drawing on Anaheim Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Eric Anderson, says responders found an unresponsive man, paramedics administered aid, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. TMZ says police were called for a person in distress who fell unconscious, and that officers determined he was already dead on arrival.
We aren’t reconciling those versions, and the information we have doesn’t explain the differences.
How is the man described?
Earlier coverage says authorities said he was known to be homeless in the area. TMZ says police called him a transient in the area. Both are attributed to police, and neither tells us anything else about him.
What caused his death?
That hasn’t been announced. Initial assessments indicated he appeared to have died of natural causes, and police said they did not suspect foul play. The official cause and manner of death have not been publicly released.
Has he been identified?
His identity had not been publicly released as of the latest reports.
What does the coroner do?
The Orange County Sheriff-Coroner is responsible for determining cause and manner of death in cases under its jurisdiction, and The Disney Scoop reported that the formal process can take weeks. The available information doesn’t say whether an autopsy or toxicology testing has been ordered, and authorities hadn’t announced whether further public updates would be provided.
Did the parks close?
According to The Disney Scoop, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure remained open and unaffected, with no interruption to internal operations identified. TMZ says that shortly after the area was closed, things went back to normal. It doesn’t say when.
Why was there so much attention online?
Early scanner posts on X, including from @OC_Scanner, flagged an unresponsive individual in the Disneyland Resort area around 2:30 p.m., according to earlier coverage. The Disney Scoop reported that one post passed 400,000 views by Sunday night. Those are unverified social media posts, and they don’t add to what police have said.
BREAKING 🚨🚨
#Anaheim / #California
Anaheim police are investigating the death of a person found unresponsive on the floor in the Disneyland Resort area around 2:30pm Not many details are known except A beer can was reportedly located next to the person. The cause of death remains unknown as the investigation continues.
Disneyland Parks remain unaffected at this time
— OC Scanner 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 (@OC_Scanner) October 25, 2026
Is this related to October 12?
The earlier coverage compared Sunday’s response with an October 12 incident, when suspicious bags prompted a bomb squad response and temporary closures near the Esplanade. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad found no explosives. Police say they don’t suspect foul play in Sunday’s death, and the information we have doesn’t connect the two events.
What should visitors do near the Katella side?
The earlier coverage describes the Katella Avenue side as a walking route for guests staying at hotels south of the parks. If a sidewalk closes for police or emergency activity, follow officers’ directions, allow extra time, and check official channels for updates. That’s general advice, not a description of any procedure, which we don’t have information about.
What is still unknown?
The official cause and manner of death haven’t been released. The man’s identity hasn’t been released. It isn’t clear exactly where he was when he died, or how the different accounts of the first moments fit together. And we don’t know whether further public updates will be provided.
Anyone offering answers to those questions beyond what officials have said is guessing, and we won’t join in.
Where can I find updates?
Look to the Anaheim Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner for official information. Our thoughts are with the man’s loved ones. We’ll keep following this story, and if you were nearby and want to tell us how the detour affected your walk, please do in the comments, and keep it to what you saw yourself, with respect for the man and his family.
