Luckily the streets were not full of guests. In the video a few guests panicked and started to run inside into the merchandise stores when they saw the actions of the horse. The two cast that calmed down the horse need company recognition!
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Horse gets tangled with Balloon
- Thread starter Walt_Disney
- Start date
DoleWhipDrea
Well-Known Member
Gotta clarify a bit what happened here, as those that were there have said more about what happened on Twitter that isn’t seen in the video.
The toddler/small child with the balloon started rushing towards the horse, Merida and handler CMs while their parents weren’t fully paying attention. The dad was able to just catch his child with a fast grab, but in doing so, the child lost hold of their balloon, with the momentum flying it towards the horse’s legs. The handlers walked the horse offstage with the balloon still tied around their legs. Haven’t been able to confirm how the horse is doing.
This could have been very bad for all involved. As it is, horses have a rough time walking on pavement and are more prone to slipping as traction is harder. The pavement is already bad on their legs from the shock of striking their hooves down from their immense weight. If the horse had slipped...
Merida was right to get out of the way as promptly as she could. It’s not a laughing matter.
It was a freak accident, but could very easily happen again. Guests are an unpredictable variable - small children even more so. Perhaps Disney could have more CMs walking between the cavalcade and guests, but that wouldn’t exactly work with social distancing.
People are now calling for the ending of using horses in live entertainment in the parks like this, others are saying that Disney should stop selling balloons, or even both. In any case, this was an awful incident coming at a time when the public is already critical of the parks re-opening. Something is going to have to change to make sure that this never happens again.
The toddler/small child with the balloon started rushing towards the horse, Merida and handler CMs while their parents weren’t fully paying attention. The dad was able to just catch his child with a fast grab, but in doing so, the child lost hold of their balloon, with the momentum flying it towards the horse’s legs. The handlers walked the horse offstage with the balloon still tied around their legs. Haven’t been able to confirm how the horse is doing.
This could have been very bad for all involved. As it is, horses have a rough time walking on pavement and are more prone to slipping as traction is harder. The pavement is already bad on their legs from the shock of striking their hooves down from their immense weight. If the horse had slipped...
Merida was right to get out of the way as promptly as she could. It’s not a laughing matter.
It was a freak accident, but could very easily happen again. Guests are an unpredictable variable - small children even more so. Perhaps Disney could have more CMs walking between the cavalcade and guests, but that wouldn’t exactly work with social distancing.
People are now calling for the ending of using horses in live entertainment in the parks like this, others are saying that Disney should stop selling balloons, or even both. In any case, this was an awful incident coming at a time when the public is already critical of the parks re-opening. Something is going to have to change to make sure that this never happens again.
champdisney
Well-Known Member
I agree with your sentiments and I believe those cast members will receive some kind of gracious acknowledgment.
BAChicagoGal
Well-Known Member
Don't balloons usually fly up? It definitely had to be a very freak accident, to have the balloon end up around the horses feet.
Not when they are sold with plastic weights that keep them from flying up up and away, which all Disney balloons are sold with.
po1998
Well-Known Member
I love how this thread evolves into a parenting argument. Everyone has to be a keyboard warrior, no matter what the topic...politics, virus, police protests, balloon gets tangled on horses leg, etc...
No one was hurt and the cast members did a GREAT job calming the horse.
/endthread
No one was hurt and the cast members did a GREAT job calming the horse.
/endthread
deathcab718
New Member
Absolute freak accident. Can we point out though that the Dad had enough sense to get his kid out of the route and then this unfortunate thing happened? Would be surprised if it ever happened again but no reason to start petitions for the horses removal etc nor flame the family.
deathcab718
New Member
Also props to all CMs involved. No panic. Took care of the situation. The horses probably are out of their normal routine too which could be a factor.
WEDway Inc & Company LLC
Well-Known Member
I wouldn’t sell the balloons period.
Movielover
Well-Known Member
100 percent props to all CMs, the handlers did a good job trying to calm a panicked animal which is one of the most unpredictable things you could have to deal with. Merida did the very smart thing to do and quickly got out of the path of the horse. This just seemed like one complete freak accident.
Mickey5150
Well-Known Member
There is an easy solution to this problem, don't sell balloons with strings attached. Just rub the balloons on the kids head and stick it to them. No need to worry if they let go.
Movielover
Well-Known Member
No you can have the strings... just staple the strings directly into the child's skin...
Spectro shire
Well-Known Member
Fixed this. Then again, I have always hated balloons.
Now your making Carl sad, don’t make Carl sad!
Seriously though they are too much of a money maker and an iconic part of Main Street for them to stop.
deathcab718
New Member
Precisely. Imagine her falling off and getting kicked? She didn’t run either which I think helped to calm the situation. They’re trained.
Apologies if I’m blasting just personal frustration over several things lately..... including letting 4 year olds bike around at night in my complex with no lights or parents....
(Deep Breaths).
Movielover
Well-Known Member
No need to apologize, venting is healthy! You know what will help with those 4 year old's on bike? Clothes lines! lots of clothes lines strung about waist high across the pathways to hang your clothes to dry. Make sure they are nice and tight because you don't want them to sag from the weight of the carcass... I mean clothes, yes wet lifeless clothes hung out to dry...Precisely. Imagine her falling off and getting kicked? She didn’t run either which I think helped to calm the situation. They’re trained.
Apologies if I’m blasting just personal frustration over several things lately..... including letting 4 year olds bike around at night in my complex with no lights or parents....
I may have a issue...
This is the first time I've heard of anything like this happening. So, despite almost 50 years of safe ballooning, you want to stop selling balloons because one kid got out of control?