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Credit: My Photo Journeys, Flickr (L) / Disney (R)Disney World fights are more commonplace than one might think, and sometimes these events can completely disrupt other Guests’ vacations to Disney’s leading Resort.
There are a number of policies and regulations in place at Walt Disney World Resort, as there are at other locations like Disneyland Resort, but not all Guests follow the rules and risk being banned from Disney Parks.
Walt Disney World Rules
What does Disney World expect from Guests?
Walt Disney World has a series of theme park rules Guests must follow when attending one of their theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom), water parks (Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park), and Disney Springs, as well as their 25+ hotel Resorts such as Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.
The rules are clearly listed on each Disney Park’s respective website. For Walt Disney World, the “General Walt Disney World Property Rules” outline everything a Guest must do to “ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.” It details what Guests can and can’t bring into the Parks, what activities they cannot do inside the Parks, and their child supervision policies.
In recent months, Walt Disney World, as well as Disneyland Resort, has added a new section to their rules and advisories — a note on how to be courteous at the Parks.
While this may seem common sense and natural behavior for many, the addition of this new courtesy section has been spurred by a string of grotesque, vulgar, and violent behavior at the Parks.
What does Disney say about courtesy?
Disney’s courtesy section can be found on the know before you go page of the website and reads:
Be the magic you want to see in the world. You must always remember to treat others with respect, kindness and compassion. Those who can’t live up to this simple wish may be asked to leave Walt Disney World Resort.
Another version of the rule can be found on the general rules page too, which states:
Please show common courtesy to fellow Guests and our Cast Members by not using profanity or engaging in unsafe, illegal, disruptive or offensive behavior, jumping lines or saving places in lines for others.
But, even with these necessary statements and the general niceties and politeness people must show each other in large public environments like theme parks, some Guests have ignored Disney’s recent warning.
Fights at Walt Disney World Resort
What has happened at Disney World since Disney added the warning?
Disney added the new courtesy section to its websites and apps in mid-December 2022, and since then, numerous high-profile fights have broken out on Disney World property. Let’s round up all the misdeeds that have happened and been captured on social media since every Guest was warned that they could be removed from the Parks with Disney’s courtesy addition.
Disney World Fights
January 2023
Just a month after Disney acknowledged its recent string of problematic behavior (remember that Fantasyland Peter Pan brawl from last summer?), an “ugly” altercation was reported at the monorail at Disney World. While Guests were waiting in line, other, more brazen, individuals strode past those waiting, including the elderly and families with young children, to the front of the queue. This sparked outrage from others and led to a push-and-shove disagreement between two Guests who had to be broken up by others in line.
January 2023
Also captured on social media in 2023 was an incident that happened in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. A woman had left the line to go to the bathroom to change her tampon when another Guest blocked her from returning to her family in the queue. A heated argument and screaming match ensued, with both parties raising their voices. The Magic Kingdom altercation eventually ended when the woman hopped the fence and walked through props and shrubbery to get back to her family while her father yelled back at the person who blocked her way.
April 2023
Taking place across the country on the West Coast in Southern California, two Guests were captured in a heated vulgar argument using explicit language toward each other. One Guest was equipped with a lightsaber, but things seemingly never got physical. One part of the dueling duo shouted, “Somebody get this guy,” before storming off.
May 2023
In early May 2023, on Star Wars Day (May 4), two Guests got into a public fight in the middle of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The popular land, named the Black Spire Outpost, is found in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and welcomes fans of the galaxy far, far away on the biggest day of the year for Star Wars fans.
What should have been a warm celebration of a very dedicated fandom was ruined by two Guests who couldn’t keep their hands off each other. A since-deleted video revealed the Guests being restrained by others, and later continued to shout at each other, but did not show if any Cast Members intervened or any punishments were given.
May 2023
Another West Coast event saw one woman caught on camera yelling and gesturing violently at other Guests in the back of a Parking tram at the Disneyland Resort. It is not clear what the issue was, but Cast Members got involved and would not let the tram depart until things had settled down. Those spectating made comments about how this “isn’t Knotts Berry Farm” and called the person “Karen.”
May 2023
Another event in May 2023 saw a fight between two families break out just outside of the entrance to Magic Kingdom. The fight, which began over a dispute regarding a photo opportunity, was captured on camera and shared on social media. This tweet shows the brutal — and bloody — fight with multiple people involved.
The incident began when one family asked another to move out of their photo. According to Fox 35 Orlando, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office dealt out two trespass warnings, meaning if they return to Disney World, they can be arrested.
Per Disney’s rules, all of the above could warrant expulsion from the Parks. Of course, it is best to alert a Cast Member if anything like this happens so they can deal with the people involved.
Disney’s addition of the courtesy section shows they are watching Guest activity and noticing the seeming uptick in vulgar and violent behavior at the Parks, and are attempting to curb it.
Have you ever been caught in an altercation at a Disney Park or witnessed a Disney fight? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!