In Orlando, Florida, 31-year-old Summer Equitz, a Disney superfan, died after jumping from the 12th-floor balcony of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Hotel guests and staff witnessed a horrifying scene. Equitz wasn’t an average visitor.
Disney was her life. She had posed for pictures with Disney CEO Bob Iger while working as a character performer and entertainment host at Disneyland Anaheim from 2012 to 2015. Her social media was filled with selfies in castles and Mickey ears. Only a year before, she and her husband, Nicholas Danlovich, had their honeymoon at Walt Disney World. But everything changed on October 14.
A scene played out in front of witnesses at the Contemporary Resort, according to court documents that were obtained by the New York Post. A couple was lounging on the observation deck on the fourth floor when they heard a “huge bang.” They turned to find a woman thirty feet away, lying still. According to a report, “[they] moved closer to see if she was breathing, which she did not appear to be.” Equitz jumped from three stories below, as a hotel employee was on the fifteenth floor at the time.
A detail in the case was the discovery of a blue tote bag, which was thought to be hers. It was propped against the railing on the balcony on the 12th floor. Equitz reportedly flew to Florida without telling anyone, according to a missing-person post on Reddit, before authorities confirmed her death. Online investigators started making assumptions; some even claimed she had been struck by a Disney monorail, which the police later refuted. There were no indications of foul play, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
 BREAKING: 4 Guests Dead at Walt Disney World in Just 3 Weeks — Why the Silence?
Oct 14: Summer Equitz, 31, suicide at Contemporary Resort.
Oct 21: Man, 60s, medical episode at Fort Wilderness.
Oct 23: Matthew Cohn, 28, suicide from Bay Lake Tower.
Nov 2: Woman, 40s,… pic.twitter.com/lRKq8WvKFh
— FredH (@FredH07666) November 7, 2025
Multiple blunt force injuries were the cause of her death, which was determined to be suicide. Unfortunately, four people died at Walt Disney World in 19 days, including Equitz. Matthew Cohn, a future NFL referee, died by suicide at the same resort a week later. Then, in November, a woman in her 40s was discovered dead at Fort Wilderness, and a man in his 60s died there after a medical episode. The headlines were anything but for “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Equitz will be remembered by those who knew her through the Disney community.
In her last months, Equitz shared a sonogram on social media to reveal her pregnancy ten months before her passing. Many who find comfort in Disney have found her story very relatable. But even the most magical places can’t shield anyone from life’s struggles. As this news shocks Disney fans, how could someone so full of joy meet such an end in the world she loved the most?
Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by phone/text, or go to 988lifeline.org, if you or someone you know is having difficulties. Assistance is available round-the-clock.
