The Disney superfan who died by suicide at Walt Disney World had announced her pregnancy just 10 months before disappearing from home and being found dead at the resort.
Summer Equitz, 31, revealed she was expecting her first child in a Facebook post in December 2024.
She and her husband, Nico Danilovich, had celebrated their honeymoon at Walt Disney World just two months prior.
According to a relative, Equitz (seen with her husband, Nico Danilovich) booked a flight to Disney World on the day of her death without informing anyone.
She had shared no public updates on her pregnancy or marriage since posting a celebratory photo holding sonogram pictures 10 months earlier.
Her body was discovered at the Contemporary Resort Hotel on Tuesday night. A medical report obtained by Click Orlando stated that she died from “multiple blunt impact injuries,” and further investigation into her death is ongoing.
Earlier that day, a relative reported that she had flown from her Naperville, Illinois, home to Orlando without notifying anyone. The relative posted a now-deleted message on Reddit expressing concern for Equitz after she traveled to Disney World “without telling us.”
Equitz, 31, died at the Contemporary Resort Hotel, one of more than 25 hotels on the sprawling Disney World property, just hours after disappearing from her Illinois home.
Emergency vehicles rushed to the hotel, near the park’s Magic Kingdom, around 6:40 p.m. Tuesday after other guests reported seeing a body, according to law enforcement. Footage shared on social media showed emergency personnel setting up a white pop-up tent on the hotel terrace, with police cars gathering outside.
Initial rumors suggested a guest had been struck by the Disney monorail, which runs through the center of the Contemporary and connects to Magic Kingdom and other hotels. Authorities later clarified the reports were false.
“The guest was not struck by the monorail, so that is erroneous information,” a representative from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) told People magazine. “This is an apparent suicide.”
A devoted Disney fan, Equitz once shared that her favorite Disney show was Beauty and the Beast and that her “dream role” would be playing the heroine, Belle, according to a post on the Yorba Linda Spotlight Theater blog.
Equitz died from “multiple blunt impact injuries,” according to the medical examiner’s report.
She had previously shared a photo of herself smiling alongside Disney CEO Bob Iger during a visit to Disneyland in California.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday or Thursday.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available.
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In New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential support.
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Outside the five boroughs, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org.
