Teenager at Disneyland suffered one of the worst deaths imaginable on an attraction that no longer exists

Although Disneyland is considered “the happiest place on earth,” the theme parks have also been the scene of many tragedies over the years.

The macabre subject has recently been brought back into the spotlight in the wake of the wrongful death lawsuit filed by widower Jeffrey J. Piccolo after his wife suffered a fatal allergic reaction following a meal at a Disney Springs restaurant.

Although most of us have magical memories of visiting the legendary sights, not everyone is so lucky.

Deborah Gail Stone of Santa Ana got a job as a hostess at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California in 1974.

This happened shortly after she graduated from high school so that she could earn some extra money before going to college.

Deborah Gail Stone took a job at Disneyland to earn money before going to college. (Facebook)

The 18-year-old’s job was to greet visitors as they entered the newly opened “America Sings” attraction, which replaced “Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress” when it was relocated to the Magic Kingdom.

Essentially, it was a rotating theater that rotated counterclockwise, where audiences watched a cast of animatronic animals belt out songs from different eras of U.S. history.

The building where America Sings was held had an outer ring of six seating areas, all connected by partitions that moved every four minutes during the show.

Disney fans were excited about the new addition to the Anaheim park when it opened – but on July 8, 1974, just nine days after the first “America Sings” show, tragedy struck.

The 18-year-old was responsible for welcoming guests to the “America Sings” theme park. (Wikimedia Commons)

It is believed that the fatal chain of events that cost Deborah her life occurred during the 45-second intermission at the end of each 24-minute performance to allow the audience to leave.

According to reports from the time, the teenager greeted the next theatergoers over a microphone before the outer ring of the “America Sings” attraction rotated, leading the audience to the first scene of the show.

At around 11 p.m. that evening, Deborah is said to have come too close to the area between the rotating wall and the stationary stage wall – and somehow got trapped between them.

The exact circumstances of her death remain a mystery, as it is not clear how she became stuck in the gap.

But the young Disneyland employee suffered one of the worst deaths imaginable when she was cruelly crushed to death between the two walls.

Audiences in their seats at the next “America Sings” show reportedly thought Deborah’s screams of terror were part of the show – but one audience member realized something more sinister was going on.

Although additional staff were alerted, it was too late to save the 18-year-old when they arrived.

The revolving theater featured animatronic animals singing songs from different eras of US history before it closed. (YouTube)

An article published in the Los Angeles Times at the time reported that Daniel Robison, a member of the U.S. Air Force, was sitting with his family in the front row of an adjacent movie theater when the incident occurred.

The father told investigators that he saw what he believed to be a child being dragged between the two walls and heard a terrible scream.

After Deborah’s shocking death, Disney launched an investigation into the incident and promptly closed America Sings. However, it reopened just three days later, on July 11, 1974.

Operators installed safety lights and replaced the rotating attraction’s interior walls with tear-off versions to provide a chance of escape in the event of a similar accident.

Deborah’s parents reportedly filed a lawsuit against Disneyland after her death and allegedly received a “small amount of compensation.”

On April 10, 1988, America Sings closed permanently.