Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicGetting stuck in jail is no joke, and while “Disney jail” might appear to be a little more magical, it can certainly be traumatizing for those who are caught and brought into the sterile white basement for questioning, according to Hollywood superstar Blake Lively.
While many may look to Disney and associate the theme park with Sleeping Beauty Castle (or Cinderella Castle), Mickey Mouse, churros, attractions, and fireworks, there is a not-so-magical side under the theme park. Disney has their own set of rules and regulations that they intend for their guests to follow, but sometimes, some guests choose to break the rules.
At Walt Disney World Resort, Guests have access to nearly everything they need at their fingertips (literally, My Disney Experience can help you accomplish nearly anything you need). There are four incredible theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT, as well as two water parks: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and the currently closed Disney’s Blizzard Beach, as well as Disney Springs. Things are the same at Disneyland, with Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure just steps away from each other.
While visiting Disney is meant to be magical, poor behavior can land you in Disney jail.
Should a guest egregiously violate rules or laws, prompting the involvement of authorities, Disney resorts have a system in place known as their “Disney jail.” To avoid creating a public spectacle, unless there is an ongoing physical altercation, Disney prefers to address such matters discreetly, behind closed doors. Considering Disney’s extensive network of utilidoors (underground tunnels) to prevent guests from witnessing cast members navigating between different areas, the company is committed to concealing any negative incidents, including arrests, whenever possible.
In Disneyland, Disney jail is down a set of stairs in a white room. Here is where a guest breaking the rules would be brought for questioning, and, sometimes, used as a holding space until the authorities could come and arrest a guest, depending on the situation.
Lively stated, “I was banned from Disneyland for a year because I went to Disney prison. I was really young, so I was not responsible for this. This is all my brother’s fault. You get a stamp when you leave the park. If you spray hairspray on it, you can transfer them to someone else’s hand.”
Now, Fandom Wire has shared more details on what happened, when the two attempted to use the hairspray trick to transfer the stamp.
“So, in the parking lot, he went up to somebody and said, ‘Hey, can we spray hairspray on your hand and transfer it?’ Then, we go in and they say, ‘Excuse me, can you come with us?’ and I’m like 6 years old. My brother says, ‘No matter what they say, do not confess. I will not admit that we did this.’ So, he was a professional felon.”
She also criticized the company for marketing it as a happy place for all children but punished them for trying to get in.
“We go downstairs in Disneyland – it’s all-white rooms, everyone is dressed in all white, the furniture is all white, and they just interrogated us. It was really scary and traumatizing. It’s interesting, because they spend billions and billions of dollars building a wonderland for kids, and then they’re stunned and surprised that kids would want to sneak in.”
Lively is now welcomed back to the theme parks with open arms, but her story serves as a warning to guests trying to sneak into the theme parks. Of course, this method of “sneaking in” to Disneyland would not work today, as stamps for re-entry are a thing of the past. Now, tickets, fingerprints, and photos are used to identify guests.
Blake is not the only big name to have gotten in trouble at Disneyland, as former US President Barack Obama was kicked out of the happiest place on earth for smoking in the now-demolished Skyway.
Rebel Wilson shared that she was banned for 30 days from Disneyland after taking an “inappropriate bathroom selfie.” Additionally, rock star Bruce Springsteen and E-street Guitarist Steven Van Zandt were kicked out of “The Happiest Place on Earth” after their attire didn’t match Disney’s dress code.
One of the more common ways we have seen guests sneak others in their group into the theme parks is by placing a child over the age of three in a stroller, in hopes that a cast member will think that there is a baby or young infant inside, and not ask for another ticket. As noted by Disney, children under the age of three can get into the theme parks without a ticket, as long as an adult is with them. With tickets easily costing guests $140+ per person, having your child turn three means you will be spending quite a bit more in the parks.
That being said, many of these guests are often caught by cast members.
Have you ever seen another guest get in trouble by Disney security?