Credit: Disney A former Disney Cast Member recently shared his favorite “bad guest” story, which took place on Magic Kingdom’s beloved Dumbo ride.
The Iconic Dumbo Ride
Based on Dumbo (1941), Dumbo The Flying Elephant is a Fantasyland favorite in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort. The classic ride lets guests of all ages control a sky-high adventure with an unforgettable view.
“Soar high in the sky—and see an elephant fly—on a whimsical flight aboard Dumbo,” the official Walt Disney World ride description reads. “Based on the 1941 Disney animated masterpiece Dumbo, this classic attraction lets you hop atop everybody’s favorite circus elephant as he discovers he can fly. Dumbo’s faithful friend Timothy Q. Mouse helps keeps you aloft with his ‘magic’ feather. As the jubilant organ melody begins, lift off for a graceful cruise around (and around and around) Storybook Circus.”
A Disney Cast Member’s Revenge
Former Disney Cast Member Joey Mayberry (@joey.mayberry on TikTok) recently recalled getting back at a difficult parent on Dumbo The Flying Elephant:
@joey.mayberry My favorite #Disney bad guest story. #castmemberlife #disneyworld #dumbo #fyp #joeymayberry
As a mother boarded Dumbo The Flying Elephant with her daughter, she stopped in front of an occupied ride vehicle and insisted the family inside it move.
“She wants the pink Dumbo,” the woman said, refusing to take her seat in another elephant so the ride could begin.
The family inside the pink Dumbo declined to move from their assigned seat, but the woman wouldn’t budge.
Mayberry offered for the mother and daughter to wait two minutes for the next ride when they could be the first to the pink Dumbo. The guest refused because she used a FastPass for the ride and didn’t want to wait.
Dumbo The Flying Elephant couldn’t start for fifteen to twenty minutes as the guest argued with Mayberry. Eventually, a manager arrived and told her the same thing the Disney Cast Member did.
“Now she’s mad, big mad,” Mayberry recalled. “She screams about how this is unacceptable, about how she never should have come here, she spent so much money.”
“So instead of waiting the 90 seconds, she stood there in the Florida sun for almost 20 minutes and then decides, ‘I’m not riding,’ and decides to storm out the exit,” he continued. “That’s when the little girl, who’s been standing there patiently and politely and silently the entire time, burst into tears because now she’s not going to get to ride Dumbo because Mommy’s a b****.”
Mayberry and his fellow Disney Cast Members finally started Dumbo The Flying Elephant, but he felt terrible for the little girl. He asked his manager for permission to get her a gift from Big Top Souvenirs, a nearby merchandise location.
The Disney Cast Member got the most oversized Dumbo plush he could find and brought it to the little girl.
“Her face just lights up like it’s Christmas morning,” Mayberry said. “And this little girl looks up at me and goes, ‘I love you.’ The face that I got from that mother because I just made her child’s day… God, it felt so good… I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Commenters overwhelmingly supported Mayberry, and many pointed out there was an extra bit of “revenge” in his kindness to the little girl.
“Added bonus: that lady had to deal with a giant plush the rest of the day and maybe even on a flight home,” @bandgazebo wrote.
Do you have a favorite interaction with a Disney Cast Member? Share it with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Cast Member experience. No two experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.