A lawsuit filed on March 19th with the Orange County Circuit Court is claiming that a rat bit a man while he and his wife were visiting the Magic Kingdom‘s Tomorrowland; the couple are seeking more than $15,000 in compensation from Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
According to the lawsuit, Galen Haldeman and his wife Carol were exiting Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin when a rat entered the attraction’s merchandise area. One guest purportedly yelled, “Rat!” and kicked the animal away, where it then proceeded to jump onto the wheel of the wheelchair owned by Carol Haldeman. It was at this point that the alleged bite happened. According to the lawsuit,
“Just as the rat was about to bite into Carol’s arm, Galen grabbed the rat and yanked it off the chair. As he did so, the rat bit into one of Galen’s fingers. Galen had to twist the rat’s neck, and the rat fell to the floor where someone threw an empty plastic container over it.”
The Haldemans claim that a Disney employee arrived to remove the rat, and urged guests not to take photographs.
The lawsuit accuses Disney of violating “its duty to keep its park clean and safe by allowing conditions to get to the point where rats were inhabiting the park and were even bold enough to come out openly, among people.”
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the compensation sought by the couple is for “attributed ensuing medical expenses, physical handicap, disfigurement, mental anguish and other problems” related to their experience.
Source: The Orlando Sentinel
