A Magic Kingdom family says their Haunted Mansion ride went wrong in the last few feet. A new Haunted Mansion lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. says Jeri Johnson’s left pant leg became caught in the moving belt at the ride’s exit at Magic Kingdom in December 2024, and that crews had to remove the track guards before Johnson could be freed.
The complaint was filed Nov. 5 by Jeri Johnson and Curtis Johnson, who are asking for a jury trial and damages in excess of $50,000. WDW News Today first reported the suit. Now the question is… will the 999 ghouls and spooks be forced to pay up?
A photo of the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom via Disney Parks website
What the Complaint Says Happened at the Exit
The complaint says the Johnsons were at Magic Kingdom on a family vacation on or about Dec. 14, 2024, as Disney’s “guests and business invitees.” They rode the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square.
The trouble came at the end. As Jeri Johnson stepped off, Johnson’s left pant leg “became entangled in a conveyor belt near the exit area of the ride,” according to the filing. The suit says Johnson was then “pulled down to the ground with considerable force.”
The ride was stopped and maintenance staff were called. Johnson stayed stuck until the track guards were taken off, the complaint says, and was then taken by wheelchair to the First Aid Center at Magic Kingdom.
What the Johnsons Are Asking For
The filing lists the harm in broad terms. For Jeri Johnson, it claims bodily injury and the pain and suffering that followed, disability, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, inconvenience, disfigurement and scarring, hospital and medical costs, lost earnings, lost ability to earn money, and the aggravation of a condition Johnson already had.
Curtis Johnson’s claim is different. He says the injury cost him “the love and affection, society and companionship, and the aid and assistance” of Jeri Johnson, a claim known as loss of consortium.
The suit argues that Disney breached its duty by failing to provide a safe environment and to protect its invitees.
The $50,000 figure is a floor, not a price tag. Under Florida law, county courts handle civil cases worth up to $50,000 when they are filed on or after Jan. 1st, 2023. Larger claims go to circuit court, so “in excess of $50,000” tells the court where the case belongs. It does not say how much the Johnsons expect to recover.
A photo of the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom via Disney Parks website
Where the Case Stands
A summons was issued on Nov. 6 to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. through its registered agent, Corporation Service Company in Tallahassee, Disney Dining reported. Once served, Disney has 20 days to file a written response with the court.
Disney has not commented publicly on the Haunted Mansion lawsuit. None of the Johnsons’ claims have been proven in court.
How the Haunted Mansion Exit Works
The Haunted Mansion opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971, and the whole ride is designed to keep the line moving. The Doom Buggies are linked in one long Omnimover chain that keeps running through a normal day. To let guests board without halting that chain, the floor at the load and unload areas moves too, matched to the speed of the vehicles.
That design means every rider crosses a strip of moving floor twice, once to get in and once to get out. If a guest needs a moment at either end, a cast member can slow the chain or bring it to a full stop, and that happens as a matter of routine for guests who use wheelchairs.
The ride’s moving parts have put Disney in court before. WKMG News 6 reported in July 2023 that an Orange County man had sued over an April fall at the Haunted Mansion. He was getting on to sit with his wife, his lawsuit said, when an employee triggered the emergency stop and the sudden jerk threw him from the vehicle. He also asked for more than $50,000.
UP NEXT: Disney Files Permit for Mystery Location Near Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom
The court will decide what Disney owed the Johnsons, and this Haunted Mansion lawsuit is only at its first step. Until then, the case puts a spotlight on the last few feet of the ride.
Do you ask cast members to slow the Haunted Mansion walkway, or do you hop off without a second thought? Let us know!
