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Credit: SouthernDisney Belle It is never ok to promote hatred, use hate speech, or push hateful propaganda on others while on Walt Disney World Resort property. Unfortunately, this recently did happen at one of the entrances to the property.
In the past, we have seen protests being held on Walt Disney World Resort property, with the most recent one being related to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In case you missed it, as noted by NPR, “The legislation prohibits any instruction about sexuality or gender between kindergarten and third grade “or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Many had been looking to Disney to make a comment on the bill, pulling support to the LGBTQ+ community as well as a portion of their Cast Members who fall within the community. Bob Chapek had been at the forefront of a lot of the backlash from Disney fans for not speaking out on the bill as CEO of the company. President Joe Biden has come out stating that the bill is “hateful” on Twitter, where previous CEO Bob Iger chimed in in agreement.
The protest broke out then, however, Disney has since spoken out heavily against the now-passed bill.
Yesterday, it seems Tiffany (@FloridianTiff) posted a video on Twitter that showed some people standing right outside the Disney Springs entrance with horrific propaganda.
Right outside of Disney Springs!
Right outside of Disney Springs! pic.twitter.com/pWrXdNmxFu
— Tiffany (@FloridianTiff) May 7, 2022
Tiffany added that they were yelling at people to “go back where they came from” on megaphones. Disney World is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, attracting millions of Guests worldwide each year.
They were yelling at cars driving by on megaphones telling people to go back where they came from!
They were yelling at cars driving by on megaphones telling people to go back where they came from!
— Tiffany (@FloridianTiff) May 7, 2022
Online, many were not happy to see the chaos and horrible message that this display was causing. Read more on the full story here.
Don (@@fhondofsmall) chimed in and said, “They have been hanging around different parts of Orlando for months now.” Which is true, we have seen these flags waved on overpasses of major Orlando roadways. Another Disney fan said, Clueck (@@cindylueck) said, “Wow!💔😖”, clearly heartbroken by the horrible visuals. Kez (@KeznAl) said, “I love Florida but it’s really lost it’s way, I’d love to visit again but honestly not sure I will for a while”. It seems that the ongoing controversy surrounding the state has been a deterrent as to why others are not looking to visit.
Currently, Disney is at war with the state, as Governor DeSantis is actively looking to dissolve. The Reedy Creek Improvement Act. As we have previously explained:
The Reedy Creek Improvement Act essentially allows Walt Disney World to reside in Florida unregulated, acting as its own “government” in a way. The act involved creating a special taxing district that acts with the same authority as a county government. The legislation made the claim that landowners within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, primarily Walt Disney World, could be allowed to be solely responsible for paying the cost of providing typical municipal services like power, water, roads, fire protection etc. Local taxpayers, meaning residents of Orange and Osceola County, would not have to pay for building or maintaining those services.
This bill to dissolve the district has passed both Florida’s Senate and House of Representatives but recently, some concerned taxpayers have now possibly put a halt to this tense feud. As shared by The Hollywood Reporter, taxpayers are now suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his recent actions against Disney and its Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Put simply, taxpayers are hoping to block this bill from gaining further traction. “It is without question that Defendant Governor DeSantis intended to punish Disney for a 1st Amendment protected ground of free speech,” reads the lawsuit. “Defendant’s violation of Disney’s 1st Amendment rights directly resulted in a violation of Plaintiffs’ 14th Amendment rights to due process of law.”
Thankfully, these people were gone shortly after they arrived.
These are some things that you should not do when you are visiting the Disney Parks:
- Stealing: This one is obvious. If you steal, you will not only be in trouble with Disney but likely the cops as well.
- Don’t use rude gestures: If you are caught doing something terrible such as giving the finger on an attraction for the photo, whatever comedy you thought of will be gone as you are removed.
- Propaganda: You can’t just roll into Disney World with banners and posters to push your ideals. I know what you might be thinking, “Who in their right mind brings a banner to hang at Disney?!” and I also wonder that too. But, some people may see Disney and it’s large crowds as a huge platform to spread a message, which is likely why this happens.
- Don’t throw dead people: You would not believe how many people think they can bring ashes of their loved ones to scatter at a Disney Park. It’s a popular myth that the Haunted Mansion is a dumping ground for many, especially so they could be that lucky number 1,000! Well, even on a dark ride like the Haunted Mansion, Disney is always watching you. If you attempt to do this, Disney will stop the attraction, sweep and toss the ashes, and you will need to leave the park.
- Don’t get drunk: You are of course allowed to drink at Disney! EPCOT is highly popular for its drinking around the world challenge, and Disney California Adventure has plenty of cocktails to enjoy around the park, so this is definitely something Disney encourages Guests to enjoy. However, if you are too drunk to behave properly, Disney will have to escort you out.
- Smoking: If you don’t know, smoking has been banned from Disney Parks in the U.S. If you want to smoke, there are designated smoking areas outside of the parks that you can use. But since March 2019, smoking (or vaping) of any kind is not allowed inside the parks.
- Fighting: Unfortunately, altercations have occurred on Disney property. Whether it be Guests harassing Cast Members or other Guests, fighting at a Disney Park can have you removed.
- Sneaking backstage: This should be common sense, but if you attempt to go “behind the scenes” at Disney, you will be kicked out. Backstage areas are solely for the Cast Members, and it helps to protect the magic by keeping all of the inner workings hidden away.
- Jumping out of a ride: There is a reason every Disney attraction states to keep your arms and feet inside the ride vehicle all the time. If you try and cause a scene by jumping out of a moving attraction at Disney, you will not only ruin the ride for all the other parties around, but you can also get in trouble.
- Cutting in line: Lines can get pretty long at Disney, so you need to respect all of the waits that all Guests have to do in order to ride. Finding a way to cut the line would be disrespectful, and if you are caught, there’s a chance Disney will reprimand you (and possibly you will not be able to wait in any more lines that day!).
Are you planning a Disney World vacation soon? Does any of the political issues bother you in terms of deciding to visit?
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!