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Disney World Responders Handle Dozens of Heat Emergencies During Brutal July Heat Wave
Florida’s summer heat hit like a fire-breathing dragon this July, and Walt Disney World area first responders were kept busier than ever. New records from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District show that during an 11-day stretch of last month’s heat wave, emergency teams rushed to 86 heat illness calls across the Walt Disney World Resort, with about one in four ending in a hospital trip, according to reporting by Florida Politics.
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The heat spared no age group. The youngest patient was a baby boy who spiked a fever while on Epcot’s Ratatouille ride. Thankfully, he was treated and released on-site. At the other end of the spectrum, an 81-year-old woman collapsed from heat exhaustion at the Disney Springs food trucks and was hospitalized. In between, children, teens, and adults of all ages felt the toll of Central Florida’s record-breaking summer.
July 29 proved to be the most dangerous day of all. That’s when Orange County recorded a blistering heat index of 113 degrees, prompting an extreme heat warning — only the fifth time in history that the county has experienced heat that severe. “Heat is a silent killer,” warned Will Ulrich of the National Weather Service. “You can feel it, but you can’t see it.”
The reports paint a sobering picture. Guests fainted in Epcot’s France pavilion, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Disney Springs. At Animal Kingdom, a 14-year-old got sick in Asia and needed hospital care. Over in Magic Kingdom, a 44-year-old woman flagged down help when her Apple Watch showed her heart rate had spiked to 160 beats per minute.
Disney has long recognized the risks of summer heat. The resort offers free ice water at quick-service restaurants, keeps umbrellas, misters, and fans running throughout the parks, and stations water refill areas and first aid centers within easy reach. Cast members get scheduled hydration breaks and wear more breathable costumes designed for Florida summers. Despite these efforts, this July’s intense heat still pushed the parks — and their guests — to the limit.
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And Disney wasn’t alone. Orange County Fire Rescue logged multiple heat-related calls at SeaWorld, and even Universal’s under-construction Epic Universe had at least one emergency. SunRail slowed its trains to prevent warped tracks, while cooling centers opened across the county.
Medical experts warn the danger doesn’t always end after a hospital visit. Dr. Ariel Mejia of UCF noted that heat exhaustion is common but manageable if caught early, while heatstroke can cause lasting organ damage. New research from UF professor Thomas Clanton even suggests possible long-term health impacts of heatstroke, with patients across the country reporting symptoms years later.
With July officially ranking as the 14th-hottest on record for Florida, and heat advisories climbing compared to past years, the warning is clear: whether you’re visiting a theme park, catching a train, or just strolling outside, extreme heat is no fairy tale villain — it’s a very real danger.
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