Credit: Inside the MagicGetting banned from a Disney park is not as uncommon as one might assume. Numerous stories have surfaced over the years that detail the various ways an individual can be removed and trespassed from one of The Walt Disney Company’s theme park destinations. And it’s not just regular guests that can find themselves shut out of The Happiest Place on Earth, no, celebrities too can face the wrath of the Mouse.
Disneyland Resort. Walt Disney’s first foray into theme parks. It set the precedent of what was possible in the amusement park space and went on to become the spiritual home of Disney fans everywhere–the park that Walt himself touched. Since its 1955 opening, five other resorts have joined the Californian hotspot: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Paris in France, Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort in China, and Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan.
Guests in their millions flock to these popular Disney destinations year after year after year, so it’s no surprise that many of these locations rank as some of the most visited places in the world. Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and the Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort especially entertain large crowds. But with those crowds come those whose behavior can leave them cast out of the gates.
When it comes to celebrities, though, many well-known names have faced the wrath of the Mouse. Just last year, Pitch Perfect franchise star Rebel Wilson was banned for 30 days after snapping a bathroom selfie in one of the park’s most secretive locations. Decades ago, former President of the United States Barack Obama was caught smoking cannabis in Disneyland and was removed. Back in 2017, soccer star Alex Morgan was evicted from EPCOT in Walt Disney World after becoming unruly and partaking in an altercation with other guests.
From Bruce Springsteen to Blake Lively, celebrities are not immune to the many park rules Disney enforces to keep the magical places running as smoothly as possible. But when it comes to famed director Alfred Hitchcock, the Hollywood titan was not banned because of something he did inside the park, but of something he created.
Alfred Hitchcock is known for his extensive work in cinema, which includes the likes of Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963). When creating a new film, an unfinished project called The Blind Man, one Walter Elias Disney got in the way and barred the director from his family-friendly haven.
The Blind Man, written by Hitchcock and screenwriter Ernest Lehman, was supposed to be about a blind pianist named Larry Keating. Keating undergoes ground-breaking eye transplant surgery but discovers he can see the killer of the person whose eyes he now has etched into his vision. One scene that Hitchcock wanted to be included in The Blind Man was Keating being chased through a theme park by the crazed murderer. The park Hitchcock wanted was Disneyland.
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Of course, this kind of thing is not what one can expect to see at The Happiest Place on Earth, and upon hearing the request, Disney reportedly banned the director from stepping foot in his park to film the sequence. According to John Russell Tyler’s biography “Hitch: The Life and Times of Alfred Hitchcock” (1978), “Walt Disney read it, and promptly made a statement that in no circumstances would Hitchcock, maker of that disgusting movie Psycho, be allowed to shoot a foot of film in Disneyland,” per Far Out Magazine.
After this, Hitchcock’s The Blind Man actually never saw the light of day, at least in cinema form. Mark Gatiss adapted the story as a radio drama starring Hugh Laurie for the BBC.
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From the Kardashians to reality stars, celebrities taking vacations to Disney parks are not uncommon. In fact, just earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs visited Disneyland Resort after beating the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII victory last weekend. This visit was even more heightened thanks to the highly-publicized relationship between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and global music superstar Taylor Swift.
Have you ever seen a celebrity at a Disney park? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!