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Credit: DisneyUnruly guest behavior continues to be a persistent problem at the Disney parks, and a recent report from the EPCOT center at Walt Disney World further proves that more action needs to be taken. It’s one thing to jump into a fountain at Coronado Springs, but when a stunt for social media clout keeps an entire ride from functioning, there needs to be consequences.
Out of all the Disney parks, it’s safe to say that EPCOT is a consistent environment for less than magical guest behavior. If they aren’t absolutely hammered from drinking around the World Showcase, they’re making things difficult for people just trying to enjoy a ride’s preshow, and there have even been reports of arrests for disorderly conduct.
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A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld reported a first-hand account of multiple guests running through the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, ultimately resulting in the ride’s shutdown and ruining the experience for numerous riders. To say that the other guests involved were upset would be a grand and glorious understatement.
EPCOT Guests Out of Control
The following post was made by u/RubyWish, describing the events that led to Cosmic Rewind’s shutdown last night.
“We were waiting to load onto Cosmic Rewind for our last ride of tonight’s After Hours event. An 18yo videoed his 19yo friend running down the loading area and next to the track of Cosmic Rewind. This obviously tripped an alarm and shut down the ride. The runner was escorted out. The video taker remained on the ride and continued videoing himself the whole time while the ride was reset. He claimed that he didn’t know his friend was gonna do it, and that the reason his friend did it was that he really had to pee. I feel so bad for everyone who was affected by these two selfish jerks, especially the poor cast members. I’m so grateful the CMs went through the full reset process, which took probably 30 minutes, and let the rest of the line ride, including us. We got September, and it was a great way to end our night!”
After the incident was reported on the platform, other Disney World guests began sharing similar experiences in the comments, further proving that the situation is indeed a growing problem and that guests are doing more than just being obnoxious in the open public areas at the parks.
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Further down, u/booksiwabttoread adds,
“Guests don’t realize that many ride shut downs are caused by guest behavior – dropping items in the track, being in the wrong area, doing something stupid. Guests want to blame Disney for not maintaining rides when it is really the fault of other guests.”
Guests flooding the entryways post-preshow happens on other Disney rides, and the rowdy behavior seen in the post is only one of the most recent reports. Other guests on the thread believe that the parks and the Walt Disney Company aren’t doing enough to prevent or punish this behavior.
u/texas_archer writes,
Zero tolerance for YouTuber and TikTok people thinking they own the parks, streets, pools, gyms, etc. this trend has gotten out of hand.
And just under that, u/MrMichaelJames shares in their response,
“This is a perfect example of where Disney needs to step up the punishments. Both should be kicked out of the park with a ban. Start tossing and banning people who disrupt and break rules and eventually people will start behaving.”
Unfortunately, the original poster also shares in the thread that the guests in question were seen leaving the park “without a security escort,” likely meaning they got off scot-free. The question remains, how long until there are some actual consequences?
Is Disney Doing Anything About It?
As previously stated, this isn’t the first time Disney has dealt with social media stunts interfering with other guests’ enjoyment. Disney parks overseas have already implemented filming bans and phone restrictions on certain attractions. Judging by what some of these guests are reporting, it seems like the American parks might be next.
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Hell is other people, as the saying goes, and it looks like Disney is suffering the effects of that maxim. If behavior like this isn’t dealt with some serious repercussions, it won’t bode well for the company’s image.
Inside the Magic reached out to Tyson Blatter, but received no response at the time of publishing.
Should guests be punished for behavior like this? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!