Around 8:30 p.m. on August 3, 2021, two Guests experienced an unfortunate encounter, involving physical assault, while waiting for the fireworks at EPCOT.

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Lexie, who originally shared her account of the incident to Reddit and later spoke with Inside the Magic, explained that she and her boyfriend were sitting on a bench in the Canada pavilion in World Showcase waiting for the fireworks to go off. That is when the incident took place.
A few minutes before EPCOT Forever began, another Guest and her teenage daughter walked up to the bench and the daughter sat next to Lexie’s backpack. The mother asked the couple whose backpack that was, to which Lexie replied that it was hers.
The mother then asked if she could move the backpack, but Lexie said that she did not feel comfortable doing that, especially with the ongoing pandemic, and so she politely responded with, “No ma’am I’m sorry, we are trying to social distance”. According to Lexie, the woman proceeded to roll her eyes and then began calling her “trash” and other foul names.

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Lexie’s boyfriend stood up for the couple and politely asked the mother not to call them names, which sparked an argument. Lexie continued to explain:
“While I was getting yelled at by the daughter, another woman comes running up to me and is two inches from my face (I literally thought she was about to kiss me) and proceeds to yell at me as well, telling me to “shut the **** up, we’re all trying to watch the fireworks” then pokes me in my chest and pushes me back into the bushes behind me.
I get on my feet and push her off of me and her football built of a husband proceeds to get in my face and lays his hand on my boyfriend’s chest and begins yelling at him. At this point, I see a Cast Member walk by, and I inform her we need security.”

Lexie spoke to Inside the Magic directly to comment on the situation. She said:
“As soon as the lady’s husband put his hand on my boyfriend’s chest, I turned to look around for a Cast Member and one was walking about seven feet from us. It was the same very sweet Cast Member that worked at the kiosk/snack bar where I had bought a shrimp curry coconut noodle from right before we sat down at 8:30 p.m.
She informed other Cast Members nearby and four of them came to us immediately including a food manager until two security guards came a few minutes later.
After the fireworks were over, both parties just about took off running and that’s when my boyfriend and I asked the security guards to stop them. They stopped the family that had physically assaulted me but not the lady and her daughter, which was fine with me considering that argument was not physical.”
Lexie continued to tell Inside the Magic that following the incident and that same evening, one of the security managers, who was able to verify the Guest who assaulted Lexie via a picture taken with his iPhone, called the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and described what had happened. Lexie’s boyfriend decided to step in as he wanted to speak with the Sheriff’s Department directly.

Lexie told Inside the Magic:
“They proceeded to walk us up to the security room outside of the front gate where we met in a private room with two Orange County sheriffs. They informed me that if I were to press charges on the lady for battery, she and I both would have to fly back down to Orlando to testify in court.”
Both Guests involved were from out of state.

At that time, Lexie nor her boyfriend decided not to press charges, as they said that, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, if they proceeded to press charges on battery assault, the other family could as well since there was no footage of the incident to prove what had transpired.
Now, Lexie’s frustration with the situation is not because of something Disney did, but rather her experience with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Walt Disney World Resort is located in Orange County, and when incidents such as this one occur, county police officers will get involved. In this case, Lexie felt frustrated with the Sheriff’s Department and their response to her, given the situation she experienced at EPCOT that night.
Lexie felt “irritated” as she explained there was nothing that could be done in her defense. She told Inside the Magic that “it seemed as such Orange County Sheriff’s Department didn’t want to do any paperwork”. She said that the officers did not “write anything down when I was speaking.”
As this incident occurred between multiple Guests and not Cast Members, and Lexie and her boyfriend are not pressing charges, at this time it is unclear if more will come to light regarding this situation.
Related: Loud Altercation Reported Between Guests at Little Mermaid Ride

Lexie noted that Disney security was wonderful, quick, and very attentive to their situation.
If you are ever in need of help, be sure to speak with a nearby Cast Member as soon as possible and ask for security if you need it.
Per the Walt Disney World website:
The visible security measures at our theme parks and resort hotels include the presence of uniformed police officers, using specially trained hazard detection canines to help patrol our parks and resorts, bag checks at our theme park entrances and security kiosks at our resort hotels.

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Again, Disney Cast Members and security officials are at the theme parks in order to maintain a safe environment as much as possible. If you ever witness activity like this, or you are uncomfortable or concerned when visiting one of the Disney Parks, be sure to find the nearest Cast Member or report your issue with Guest Relations, located in each of the Disney Parks.