On Friday evening at about 5:10 p.m, guests passing by the Mark Twain at the Disneyland Resort were only giving the warning of a crackling sound before a voice cried out "Run!" and and a 20 foot cork oak tree crashed to the ground. A vending popcorn cart (known to the regulars as Popcorn 3) was crushed by the tree but helped to break its fall. The crash injured a total of 29, including 27 Guests, 5 of which were children, and two park Cast Members. Fortunately all of those injured suffered fairly minor injuries. Two of the injured remained hospitalized on Saturday.

The crash left many Guests, both victims and witnesses alike, terrorized and in shock. Fortunately Cast Members responded promptly and efficiently to the incident, as an "all Call" went out around the park. By 5:25, all of Frontierland was cleared out and shut down, including the closure of Big Thunder Mountain and Mark Twain attractions. The first showing of Fantasmic! was also canceled, but the 10:30 show ran on time. The tree was cut into pieces and removed by park maitenance at approximately 9 p.m.

What caused the tree to fall has not yet been published, although the unusually high winds the day before the crash may have been a factor. An arborist said the tree could have toppled for several reasons, including bad soil, injury, or the awkward growth of roots and branches. However, it is rare that a cork oak tree falls.

Disney gave extreme care to some of the victims, putting them up in the Disneyland Hotel and offering them their counseling services. Disney is currently inspecting all trees at the resort.

Sources: Crackling heard before tree fell

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