Credit: DisneyThe Most Magical Place on Earth is an escape for most guests. We visit Walt Disney World Resort to ignore the outside world and immerse ourselves in childlike wonder.
Unfortunately, guest behavior has impacted the Disney Resort experience in recent years. Whether social media makes stories of rulebreaking more prevalent or theme park violence is indeed on the rise, many Disney Parks fans feel guests are ruining the magic.
And it’s not just fighting over photo spots or line cutting: Real-life issues are making their way to the Central Florida Disney Parks. In the last year, multiple Neo-Nazi groups protested in front of Walt Disney World Resort. One man was arrested for participating.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his allies encouraged action against The Walt Disney Company in 2022 after former CEO Bob Chapek denounced the “Don’t Say Gay” law (the Parental Rights in Education Act). After taking away a legal privilege the Mouse held since 1967, DeSantis buried himself in an ongoing legal battle against Disney – spending millions of tax dollars.
But DeSantis isn’t the only Republican impacting Walt Disney World Resort.
Reddit user u/UnicornGlitterZombie recently recalled witnessing police apprehend a Donald Trump supporter in 2020, soon after Walt Disney World Resort reopened following COVID-19 closures.
“When Covid was still in full swing, riding the Ferry back from [Magic Kingdom] after fireworks and some a-hole in a political tee shirt (this was after the election and his candidate lost) kept pulling his mask down,” the guest wrote. “…The [cast members] in the ferry kept having to speak to him about it.”
“Eventually this guy got SO angry he was cussing and ranting about covid and elections… scaring the littler kids onboard… and he was like 3 feet from us,” they continued. “Like how they had the ‘stand here’ stickers- he and his gf were on the one next to us.”
Thankfully, the man didn’t target the guest’s family. But Disney cast members didn’t stand for his behavior.
“I really thought we were going to be in the background of a viral Disney video,” they concluded. “When we docked, there were police already waiting for him.”
What happened to the guest after police apprehended him is unknown.
It’s best not to intervene when encountering belligerent or violent behavior on your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Instead, notify the nearest Disney cast member or security – they’re trained to de-escalate heated situations!
Have you witnessed a disturbance at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or a Disney Resort hotel? Share your story with Inside the Magic 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 Park operations.