Fight Breaks Out at Fantasmic! After Disneyland Guests Block Child in Wheelchair

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Mickey Mouse in Fantasmic!

Credit: Disney

Fantasmic! returned to Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, on May 28. Despite a few technical issues, fans are thrilled at the return of the iconic nighttime spectacular.

Related: Guests Brace for Fistfight During Bizarre Disneyland Altercation

Unfortunately, one group of Disney Park Guests recently had a not-so-magical experience at Fantasmic!. u/istheresugarinsyrup took to Reddit to caution others to be mindful when using a Disability Access Service pass (DAS) at the nighttime show.

fantasmic at disneyland
Credit: Disney

Fantasmic! has a specific wheelchair viewing area, which offers all Guests an equal opportunity to watch the show. The Guest and their sister waited with their nephew, who is four and in a wheelchair stroller because he has “leukodystrophy which makes him very unsteady when he attempts to walk.”

Related: Current State of Disney’s Hollywood Studios Fantasmic! Refurbishment Revealed In Aerial Photo

Although the group was at the front of the line, a bunch of other Guests “rushed” ahead into the Fantasmic! wheelchair viewing area. The family wasn’t too upset because they still got a viewing spot for the young Guest in a wheelchair.

mickey mouse in fantasmic!
Credit: Disney

However, a group of three adult Guests stood in front of all of the wheelchairs, in an area reserved for wheelchair use only:

They tell you that wheelchairs go in front, and family members and those not in the chairs should stand in the back. Well, my sister kept inching his stroller up and it got too close to these people and one of the girls went off on my sister. She verbally attacked her so, of course, my sister goes on the defense and yelled back (my sister is the most laid-back, non-confrontational person who ever but when it comes to her kids, she’s very protective). My sister kept saying that her son has a disability where he can’t stand and that if your not in a chair you should stand behind the wheelchairs. This girl said that her boyfriend had a condition and that they were not going to move under any circumstances. She was completely rude and wouldn’t back down even when the other people in her party said they felt bad and maybe the little boy that can’t stand well should be able to watch the show.

fantasmic
Credit: Disney

A Cast Member got involved after the verbal fight broke out but couldn’t physically force the party of three to move. While a medical condition can qualify Guests for DAS, that only offers return time service to prevent waiting in standby lines for attractions, not special wheelchair viewing for nighttime spectaculars like Fantasmic! (unless the DAS-eligible Guest is also in a wheelchair).

Related: VIDEO: Brawl at Disneyland During the Return of Fantasmic!

Eventually, security got involved and escorted the three Guests out of the wheelchair viewing area:

We were kind of shocked they took this stance, especially an adult (albeit a young one) intentionally blocking the view of a 4-year old kid just because her boyfriend also had some type of ailment that required a DAS pass. I get hidden illnesses but the cast members said chairs go in the front, people that can stand go behind them. After a little bit longer security finally escorted them out since they refused to leave when the cast member asked them. We continued to see them several more times in the following days using the wheelchair access points even without having a chair.

DAS at Disney
Credit: ITM Screenshot

Thankfully, the four-year-old Guest was able to view Fantasmic! happily, but the family member asks DAS Guests to not “abuse” the service in places where it’s not required:

If you’re able to stand and intentionally block the view of anyone in a wheelchair, especially a kid, that makes you a jerk. Don’t stand there just to prove a point, you look like an a$$ and everyone around you will definitely be side-eyeing you and taking the disabled kid’s side.

Related: Disney Announces Special Offerings Returning For Fantasmic! at Walt Disney World Resort 

Have you experienced viewing difficulties at Fantasmic!? Let us know in the comments.

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Parks operations.

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