Accident at Kidani

[TennesseeTink]

I'm not sure where is the best place for this post or if it's even appropriate, but after searching the web all morning and finding no info, I'm gonna give this a shot. Last night after 11pm, we saw emergency vehicles on the savannah from our balcony. Apparently a guest fell from a balcony into the savannah below. I know that Disney is good at keeping these things hushed up, but I am wondering if anyone has heard about this and knows if this person is okay.

[kakn7294]

I hope he or she is not seriously injured!

[TennesseeTink]

That's my hope as well! That is just so horrifying. We were on the top floor, and as much as I love the animals, I'm always too scared to get close to the railing. I can't imagine what this person and his/her family are going through.

[SBETigg]

I've never been in that building. Is it really possible to fall from the balcony? I've heard there have been some suicides like that, one at the Contemporary I recall discussing here. You're not likely to hear news of it, but I hope that whatever happened, the person is okay and all is well now. Also, I'm sorry this happened with you there and I hope you can move on from it and still enjoy your vacation.

[TennesseeTink]

Yes, Sherri, it's definitely possible. I'm 5'3" and the railing on the balcony comes to my chest. There's a track that runs along the building so it's about 20 feet from the building to the savannah where the animals are.

I hadn't heard about the suicide at the Contemporary. But this definitely sounded like an accident. We could hear some of what was going on. Other than the emergency vehicles with flashing lights, you would never know anything had happened. No sirens and the lobby area was deserted. Very creepy.

Unfortunately that was our last night :-( Headed home today. The rest of our trip was magical as usual. I'm just worried about that guest but like Sherri said we'll probably never hear exactly what happened.

[SBETigg]

Yes, Sherri, it's definitely possible. I'm 5'3" and the railing on the balcony comes to my chest. There's a track that runs along the building so it's about 20 feet from the building to the savannah where the animals are.

That's pretty scary, then. Especially with kids out there, though the balcony should provide some protection unless you're leaning out. Goodness. You're probably always going to wonder. I didn't mean to sound cold thinking of the impact on your vacation, but really, who wants to think back on that instead of happy times with your family? Though of course I hope no one was seriously hurt. It's unfortunate.

[TennesseeTink]

No worries! Obviously whatever happened is none of my business. I just wonder how something like that can happen....was alcohol involved, was someone climbing on the railing. We could see that the balcony railings in that area were still intact so I don't see how Disney could be at fault. It just makes you wonder, you know?

[EeyoresBestFriend]

In our area, if there is a suicide, either with a vehicle or jump, it is very rarely ever in the news. People have enough weird ideas without more sensationalism.

The "quiet" just may be WDW's way of keeping other disturbed people from getting ideas, and also not upsetting other guests from one selfish person's actions.

It also could have been someone climbing to where they shouldn't have. I've seen that time and again on fences, etc in AKL and other areas. Again, no reason to reinforce in the minds of others.

[quack arf squeak]

Follow the rules and nobody gets hurt.

[Dixie Springs]

I love Disney, but they are the champions of "move along - nothing to see here, folks".

[jonahbear2006]

That is really scary! We had an almost oops like this at the wilderness lodge and it is possible. We were on the 3rd floor, which is higher than it sounds, and all 4 of our children were on the balcony. We looked over and our then 3 yr old was leaning over the balcony swaying forward and backward trying desperately to regain his foothold on the table, which he had used to climb up there. I gasped and ran out and grabbed him as he teetered forward. I, to this day, cannot get that image out of my head, even though it was two years ago. I have since then requested first floor and if we dont get it, we lock the balcony and nobody is allowed out there. We stayed bay lake tower in December and their balconies lock really well. I was impressed with their design and the one that the kids had access to...well, thats where our playpen went for teeny tiny. Im sure its happened more than once there.. But if its ever my kid, im going down after them. In our case, they were watching an alligator,in the wooded pond, to make this story even a bit creepier.

[TennesseeTink]

Oh my goodness!!! That is so scary!! Thank goodness you saw him in time to prevent a tragedy. As much as I love that savannah view, it crosses my mind every trip that it could very well happen. For what it's worth, the 2 members of our party who heard the commotion first are fairly certain that it was an adult male who fell. Not that it makes it less horrifying! But as a mother, it breaks my heart to think it could happen to a child. I'm with JonahBear...I'd be going in after them.

[Disney Doll]

Not to be crass, but I don't think it's possible to "fall" off that balcony. It's not like you trip and oops you're on the savannah. You would need to be somehow elevated either by standing on something or climbing on the rail. Regardless, I hope that person is okay. I just don't want people to think that the balcony areas are somehow unsafe because I don't think it's an issue with the balcony.

I love the balcony areas, but I watch my kids like a hawk and it stays locked unless an adult is out there to supervise. In fact when we stay in a balcony room we usually remove the small table and hide it in a closet because it's such a climbing temptation. We noticed the tables at Boardwalk looked to be glass topped so not only is there a risk of climbing and falling, but the risk of breaking and getting cut.

But yeah, if my kid falls in I'm going in too.

[Lizzy]

Wow I hope that person is ok too. I would probably think about that alot too. I would want to know how it happened. But I can be nosy about those things.


Jonahbear- I am so glad you were there to catch your little one! I never thought about the balconies being so dangerous before. I only ever traveled with my one son until just this year and we had a ground floor room at the Poly.

[Aurora]

That is really scary! We had an almost oops like this at the wilderness lodge and it is possible. We were on the 3rd floor, which is higher than it sounds, and all 4 of our children were on the balcony. We looked over and our then 3 yr old was leaning over the balcony swaying forward and backward trying desperately to regain his foothold on the table, which he had used to climb up there. I gasped and ran out and grabbed him as he teetered forward. I, to this day, cannot get that image out of my head, even though it was two years ago. I have since then requested first floor and if we dont get it, we lock the balcony and nobody is allowed out there. We stayed bay lake tower in December and their balconies lock really well. I was impressed with their design and the one that the kids had access to...well, thats where our playpen went for teeny tiny. Im sure its happened more than once there.. But if its ever my kid, im going down after them. In our case, they were watching an alligator,in the wooded pond, to make this story even a bit creepier.

Oh thank goodness you were there to grab him back -- it's definitely a cautionary tale! I lost my 3-year-old at the Boardwalk one year and that was scary enough -- especially since he liked to look over the rails near the water. Things can happen so fast!

We were at BLT last year and the balconies made me extremely nervous. Nothing wrong with the design -- they were just so far up! None of my or my sister's kids were allowed out there without an adult (not even the teens, in case the little ones followed them out).

Hope the person they were caring for at Kidani is OK!

[shadowden]

Not to be crass, but I don't think it's possible to "fall" off that balcony. It's not like you trip and oops you're on the savannah. You would need to be somehow elevated either by standing on something or climbing on the rail. Regardless, I hope that person is okay. I just don't want people to think that the balcony areas are somehow unsafe because I don't think it's an issue with the balcony.

I love the balcony areas, but I watch my kids like a hawk and it stays locked unless an adult is out there to supervise. In fact when we stay in a balcony room we usually remove the small table and hide it in a closet because it's such a climbing temptation. We noticed the tables at Boardwalk looked to be glass topped so not only is there a risk of climbing and falling, but the risk of breaking and getting cut.

But yeah, if my kid falls in I'm going in too.

We're the same way with our kids.

[themesazon]

Came across this post via Google. My wife and I were likewise @ Kidani June 2 and saw and heard the result of the accident. It was obviously a significant emergency as they had the emergency vehicles cutting through the savannah to pull right up to the outside of the room. I could hear an adult male (20ish?) in severe pain—very sad indeed.

I hope to hear good news in the future—likewise not seeing anything online.

[TennesseeTink]

Wow! That's exactly what our group witnessed. It was kind of eerie because we never saw anyone else on their balcony, and other than the injured man there were no sounds. I would have expected to hear distraught family or witnesses, but there was nothing like that. The whole thing was just creepy.

[K8screen]

As a PP said, there is a track round between AKL and the savannah, and, how I remember it, unless you stood on the balcony rail and JUMPED (and you were an Olympic standard long jumper!) I dont think you could land in the savannah.
Any hotel, WDW or anywhere else, that has more than one floor and has balconies, poses a risk for the careless, stupid, drunk or deranged to have this sort of "accident".

[DizneyRox]

Any hotel, WDW or anywhere else, that has more than one floor and has balconies, poses a risk for the careless, stupid, drunk or deranged to have this sort of "accident".

Also called Natural Selection...