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Credit: Disney, Orlando Mug Shot ZoneA new report has revealed information regarding an incident at Walt Disney World.
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The Walt Disney World Resort is famous for its jaw-dropping scenery, wonderful rides, and delicious snacks. Aside from all this good stuff, one of the best aspects of Disney theme parks is their family-friendly atmosphere, allowing guests of all ages to let loose and enjoy their day at Disney. Whether you’re visiting the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Florida, or Disneyland Paris in Chessy, France, you can almost guarantee that you will have an amazingly perfect vacation filled with magic around every corner. However, even the Disney magic fades from time to time, reminding us that places like Walt Disney World are still located in the real world. This is exactly what happened at the Magic Kingdom late last year.
According to a new report, a woman was assaulted at the Magic Kingdom in October 2023, claiming that she had been attacked by an elderly couple. The woman was identified as Mikal Guthrie, who stated that the elderly couple, identified as Bruce and Nancy, approached her and asked her to leave her spot. The couple claimed they were trying to save a spot for their family, asking her to move away. Guthrie refused to move, which is what prompted the alleged assault.
Mikal stated Bruce began to kick her buttock region repeatedly and pushed her towards the end of the curb attempting to remove her from the area. Nancy also positioned herself behind Mikal and began to kick her and pull Mikal’s hair.
Guthrie stated that she asked the couple to stop kicking her and pulling her hair. Eventually, a Magic Kingdom cast member approached the scene and escorted Guthrie away from the couple. Law enforcement spoke with the cast member who confirmed the attack. A written statement was provided to law enforcement.
Lauren [the cast member] was on mainstreet [sic] in Disney guiding guests to safe areas in preparation for the upcoming parade. Lauren observed an elderly male identified as Bruce yelling at and kicking Mikal telling Mikal to get out of the spot she was sitting in. Lauren then approached Mikal and told her she was randomly selectd to go to a special viewing area of the parade to get Mikal out of the situation
The officer spoke to the elderly couple, Bruce and Nancy Klaff, who confirmed that they were holding the area for their family. However, Mrs. Klaff claimed that it was Guthrie who began the assault by kicking her.
Later on, Bruce admitted that he “nudged” Guthrie out of the spot.
The Klaffs refused to provide statements to law enforcement. Based on the evidence at hand, the officer had reason to arrest both Bruce and Nancy Klaff but only arrested Bruce. The reason Nancy was not arrested was not revealed, but Bruce was arrested on battery charges. The couple was also issued bans from the Walt Disney World Resort. These can last anywhere from a few weeks to a lifetime.
Court documents show that Mr. Klaff has pleaded not guilty to the battery charges.
It’s important to note that Walt Disney World actively discourages guests from saving seats for other guests throughout the resort, as stated on the official website.
Stay tuned here at Inside the Magic for more information.