Key Aspects:
- A child is suing Disney Cruise Line through her parents after breaking both of her wrists in an accident onboard Disney Wonder.
- The young girl was sleeping in a Murphy-style bunk bed when she rolled through an open gap and fell to the floor of her cruise cabin.
- Her legal team claims that Disney is negligent because of the dangerous design of the bed and for failing to warn passengers about it.
Disney Cruise Line will have to answer in court after a child was injured in a nighttime accident while sailing onboard Disney Wonder.
The minor girl, who has only been identified as C.S., is suing the cruise line through her parents. The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court for Brevard County, Florida, on May 18, 2026.
However, the accident in question occurred on the night of July 30, 2024, nearly two years before the lawsuit was filed. At the time, the family was enjoying an Alaska cruise onboard Disney Wonder.
Cabin 2508 was their home away from home for the duration of the sailing. This is a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom that features a bed, a sofa bed, and a Murphy-style bunk bed to accommodate up to four guests.
The lawsuit states that C.S. went to sleep in her bunk between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on the night of the accident. While there is a railing on the Murphy-style bed to keep guests safe, it does not run the entire length of the bed.
At around 1 a.m., the child allegedly rolled in her sleep and fell through the gap in the guardrail. She broke both of her wrists when she fell, which included a fracture to the growth plate in her right wrist.
The family is now demanding a jury trial. They are seeking damages over $50,000 for pain and suffering, medical care, permanent disability, and future losses.
Cruise Hive reached out to Disney Cruise Line for a statement, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Disney Cruise Line Accused of Negligence
Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, which is the firm that is representing the family, has accused Disney Cruise Line of three counts of negligence.
The first count accuses Disney of failing to provide reasonably safe accommodations because the guardrail did not extend the full length of the bed.
“DISNEY CRUISE’s breach was the cause-in-fact of C.S.’s great bodily harm in that, but for DISNEY CRUISE’s breach C.S.’s injuries would not have occurred,” the lawsuit stated, in part.
Next, the cruise line is accused of failing to warn its passengers of the hazards posed by the bunk bed. The suit states that Disney should have been aware of the danger, but the risk was not obvious to a sleeping child.
“Despite having actual and/or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition, including the gap in the guardrail on the upper bunk bed, DISNEY CRUISE did not warn passengers, including C.S., of the risk of falling,” the lawsuit continued.
Finally, the family claims that DCL is vicariously liable for the employees or contractors who designed, installed, approved, and/or failed to properly inspect the bunk bed.
The lawsuit asserts that Disney Cruise Line or anyone acting as its agent were negligent in failing to identify the short guardrail as dangerous and in not correcting the issue.
Safety is a Top Priority for DCL
Though Disney Cruise Line has not commented on this specific case, the cruise line is known for its commitment to safety.
“At Disney Cruise Line, nothing is more important than the well-being of our guests and crew members, and the safe and secure operation of our ships,” DCL wrote in a letter to guests that is posted on its website.
“From regular crew training, safety drills and equipment inspections to the latest navigational technology, we employ multiple processes and procedures to uphold high standards of safety at all times, whether at sea or in port,” the cruise line added.
Disney has also been known to take the initiative to modify its ships when safety concerns are brought to light.
For example, the cruise line added new plexiglass and railings to portholes onboard Disney Dream after a child fell through an open porthole while posing for a picture.
Additionally, Cruise Hive reported that Disney modified the Nemo’s Reef Splash Pad onboard Disney Dream after a child fell from a coral fixture and broke his femur.
In Disney Wonder’s case, the 84,130-gross ton vessel is operating normally. The 2,713-guest ship is homeporting in Vancouver as it takes cruisers to see the highlights of Alaska, just as it was at the time of the bunk bed accident.
