In July 2022, Michael Johnson — from Osceola County, Florida — took a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort with his daughter. They ventured over to Disney Springs — a massive shopping, dining, and entertainment area in the Resort. They parked in the Orange Garage and tried to take the elevator to the ground level. However, the elevator didn’t function correctly, giving Johnson and his daughter a terrifying trip.
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According to Johnson, once he and his daughter boarded the elevator, it “malfunctioned by dropping several feet suddenly and without warning, then stopping abruptly, forcefully shaking, and dropping again before ascending to the fifth floor of the parking garage.” The Orange Garage is five stories tall, so, the elevator allegedly brought Johnson and his daughter to the top.
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Johnson is now suing the former Reedy Creek Improvement District for more than $50,000 in damages, claiming that he has “suffered bodily injury in and about his body and extremities, resulting in pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, permanent and significant scarring, mental anguish, loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment, loss of earnings, and loss of the ability to earn money in the future.”
Disney Springs currently has three parking garages and two large parking lots. Guests who wish to park in a garage can park in the Lime Garage, the Grapefruit Garage, or the Orange Garage. Like the Orange Garage, the Lime and Grapefruit garages are also five stories tall.
Although Johnson is suing the Reedy Creek Improvement District, it should be noted that the Reedy Creek Improvement District no longer exists. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially dissolved the RCID in February 2023. He then replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The District is now run by a board hand-picked by Governor DeSantis.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District may no longer be in charge, but since they were the board in charge at the time of the accident, they would be the ones responsible if Johnson wins the lawsuit.
Neither Disney nor any former Reedy Creek Improvement District board members have commented on the lawsuit.
Have you ever dealt with any malfunctions while at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!