Walt Disney World, long hailed as the “Most Magical Place on Earth,” has been rocked by a string of tragedies in October 2025, with three guest deaths reported in less than two weeks. The most recent incident unfolded on October 23, when Matthew Cohn, a guest at Disney’s Contemporary Resort near Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, was confirmed dead by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause and manner of Cohn’s death have not yet been publicly released, but the event has cast a somber shadow over one of the world’s most iconic family destinations.
According to The New York Post and multiple corroborating sources, the incident occurred at Bay Lake Tower, a Disney Vacation Club property connected to the main Contemporary Resort by a skybridge. Early that Thursday morning, guests awoke to a heavy law enforcement and emergency services presence outside their windows. TikTok footage captured police tape cordoning off the hotel’s courtyard, while other guests recounted being asked not to look out their balcony windows. One guest wrote on Facebook, “Something happened in the back of the building with crime scene tape surrounding the water fountain… They have an employee at every single window to shield you from looking out the back so you can’t view.”
Disney’s cast members, ever mindful of guest experience, reportedly knocked on doors to ensure privacy during the emergency. “We woke up to a VERY large law enforcement outside our balcony this morning at Disney’s Bay Lake Tower. We were told it was a ‘medical emergency.’ Prayers to the family & those involved!” a TikTok user posted, echoing the subdued mood that swept through the resort.
The operation inside the hotel carried on, but access to the affected area was restricted until authorities completed their investigation. Disney, as is typical in such cases, did not issue a detailed public statement, but their protocols—visual barriers, temporary closures, and a swift emergency response—were clearly in effect. The resort’s frequent security patrols enabled prompt action, with law enforcement and emergency crews arriving quickly to secure the scene.
Matthew Cohn’s death marks the third at Disney World in a span of just two weeks, a rare but deeply unsettling occurrence for the resort, which welcomes millions of visitors every year. The string of fatalities began on October 14, when 31-year-old Summer Equitz, a Disney superfan from the Chicago area, died by suicide at the very same Contemporary Resort. According to The Daily Mail, Equitz had given birth to a baby daughter earlier in 2025 and was believed by family to have suffered from postpartum depression. She had booked a trip to Florida from her home in Naperville, Illinois, without informing her loved ones. In the days leading up to her death, family members posted on Reddit urging guests to keep an eye out for her and to contact authorities if she was spotted at the park.
Equitz’s connection to Disney ran deep. Her LinkedIn profile indicated she had worked at Disneyland Resort in California as a character performer and entertainment host from 2012 to 2015. Last year, she honeymooned at Disney World with her husband, Nico Danilovich, and had posted photos of herself at the parks, including one alongside Disney CEO Bob Iger. “My life has peaked,” she captioned the shot with Iger. Rumors that Equitz was struck by the Contemporary Resort’s iconic monorail were dismissed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which clarified that her death was the result of blunt-force injuries unrelated to the monorail. The tragedy was a stark reminder of the personal struggles that can exist even in the happiest of places.
Just days after Equitz’s passing, on October 21, a man in his 60s died after experiencing a medical episode at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. According to Inside the Magic and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the man was found unresponsive in his room by his wife after she returned from breakfast. Emergency responders arrived after a “Person Down” call at 7:30 a.m., and he was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:26 a.m. Authorities found no signs of foul play, and the man’s history of hypertension and end-stage liver disease was noted.
While the deaths are unrelated, their proximity in time and location has drawn attention to the realities that can intrude even at a place designed for joy and escape. As Disney Dish podcast host Jim Hill explained to The New York Post in 2022, “There’s this weird phenomenon where people who are severely depressed but want to have that one last good happy family memory will go to Walt Disney World… They’ll deliberately book a room at the Contemporary Resort, which is 14 stories tall. And after that happy family time, they will throw themselves off the building.” The Contemporary Resort, with its $1,000-plus nightly rates, monorail running through the lobby, and legendary Chef Mickey’s restaurant, has become an architectural and emotional focal point for both celebration and, tragically, despair.
Bay Lake Tower, where Matthew Cohn died, is prized for its panoramic views of Magic Kingdom fireworks and upscale amenities like California Grill. The property’s allure is undeniable, drawing families, honeymooners, and Disney enthusiasts from around the world. Yet, as these recent events illustrate, even the most meticulously managed and joy-filled environments are not immune to life’s hardships.
Disney World’s careful orchestration—the very thing that makes it feel so insulated from the world’s troubles—can also make such incidents feel especially jarring. Guests are accustomed to seamless experiences, where even minor disruptions are handled with near-invisible efficiency. But the events of October 2025 have served as a sobering reminder that emergencies, medical crises, and personal struggles can and do occur, even in the shadow of Cinderella Castle.
Law enforcement and medical teams are a constant but largely unseen presence at the resort, ready to respond to the rare emergencies that arise among the millions of annual visitors. Standard procedures include not only rapid response but also efforts to preserve the dignity and privacy of those involved, as seen in the request for guests to avoid looking out their windows during the recent incidents.
As investigations into Matthew Cohn’s death continue, guests and staff alike are left to reflect on the fragility of life—even in a place built to conjure happiness and wonder. The three deaths in October 2025, while statistically rare, underscore the importance of mental health awareness and the unpredictable nature of medical emergencies. For many, the “Most Magical Place on Earth” will always be a symbol of joy, but for a few, it has become the setting for heartbreak and loss. The memories made at Disney World are cherished by millions, but the events of this month are a sobering reminder that real life, with all its complexity, does not stop at the gates.
For those touched by these tragedies, the hope is that the resort’s spirit of compassion and community can offer some solace, even as questions linger and investigations proceed. The magic, after all, is not just in the spectacle, but in the way people come together in times of sorrow as well as celebration.
