Visiting the Happiest Place on Earth – or if you’re in Orlando, the “Most Magical Place on Earth” – doesn’t come cheap. After spending hundreds to enjoy the magic, the last thing you want is to be escorted out of Disney parks and find yourself trending online for all the wrong reasons.
Unfortunately, this seems to happen all too often. We’ve seen guests booted from Disney parks for all sorts of wild and wacky reasons in recent years, some of which are more alarming than others. From nude antics to scaling park structures, here are some of the wildest cases.
Stripping Naked
One of the most shocking incidents in recent years involved a male guest who stripped naked on Disneyland’s “it’s a small world.” In full view of stunned park-goers, he climbed through the attraction’s show scenes and even ran through the ride’s water canals. Authorities quickly apprehended him after his bizarre streak through the beloved family attraction.
“He just looked out of it,” one guest, Maegan Carmona, told EW, adding that she was worried about the guest and that at least four cast members tried to help him get down during his antics.
“He just didn’t look like he knew where he was. He looked worried. My friends and I had seen him, and it looked like he was going to jump on us. The cast member got him to sit down for a minute, but after that he continued walking in the opposite direction, behind us. Once he got to a different part of the ride, he ended up walking into the water and started drinking the water, and ran off toward the entrance of the ride.”
The nude guest was later escorted out of the park by police officers and Disneyland security cast members. He was then arrested for indecent exposure and for being under the influence of a controlled substance, as per Anaheim Police Department.
Scaling Disney Rides
The pyramid in EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion, home to the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros and San Angel Inn Restaurante, has become a surprising target for thrill-seekers. Multiple guests have reportedly attempted to climb the iconic structure, despite doing so being off-limits to visitors (because, well, duh).
Most famously, a male guest managed to climb his way to the very top of the pyramid and return to the ground without being apprehended by security in 2016. When a female member of his party tried to do the same, she was stopped by cast members.
It goes without saying, but don’t try this for yourself.
This week, we also heard of a female guest caught on camera scaling the bridge in Disney California Adventure Park’s San Fransokyo area. It’s not clear whether she was apprehended or removed by cast members.
Fighting With Other Guests
We’ve heard of too many fights at Disney parks to count in recent years. In August, a brawl broke out in the middle of a performance of “Fantasmic!” at Disneyland Resort. While Mickey Mouse tried to tackle the forces of evil, the guests in question reportedly came to blows over how close some were sat to each other.
Another fight broke out in 2023 at the iconic entrance to Magic Kingdom Park, right in front of the Walt Disney World Railroad station on Main Street, U.S.A. The conflict allegedly started because one family asked another to move for a photo-op, and they refused.
In 2022, two families were permanently trespassed from Walt Disney World Resort after a similar viral brawl in Fantasyland. Multiple Guests were hospitalized and arrested, though charges were eventually dropped.
Jumping Into the Water
As inviting as that water may seem at Disney parks on a hot day, it’s worth pausing to consider just how clean it really is before you take the plunge. Several guests have risked it all to jump into lakes at Disney in the past.
Most recently, a guest jumped off a bridge into EPCOT’s World Showcase Lagoon last October. While he managed to climb out of the water without being apprehended by cast members, the guest – who reportedly jumped into the water over a bet – was soon tailed by security and removed from the park.
This summer, another guest was caught on camera swimming from Tom Sawyer Island to a dock behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America. You know, where alligators are spotted on a regular basis.
@_disney._stuff_ #duet with @Jeffrey Tillitt #swimmer Guy jumps in water at Magic Kingdom #disney #disneyadult #magickingdom #disneytiktok
While there was no confirmation of the guest being kicked out of the park, cast members did apparently get involved, so it’s fair to think a removal wasn’t far behind.
Fighting With Cast Members
If you thought fighting with other guests was bad enough, there have been cases of guests getting into altercations with cast members in the past.
A guest reportedly assaulted a cast member at EPCOT’s Space 220 Restaurant earlier this year, with onlookers claiming that he not only punched the worker in question but seized a pole from the ground and started swinging it around while approaching other guests.
Over the holidays last year, another guest reportedly punched a cast member at Magic Kingdom Park’s monorail station. While the incident wasn’t caught on camera, the aftermath was, and soon circulated TikTok.
With the rise in incidents of aggression toward both cast members and guests, Disneyland and Disney World have introduced new courtesy agreements in recent years to help ensure a safer and more respectful environment for everyone.
“Please show common courtesy to fellow Guests and our Cast Members by not using profanity or engaging in unsafe, illegal, disruptive, or offensive behavior, jumping lines or saving places in lines for others,” the updated rule reads. “For your safety and the safety of others, please refrain from running except in designated areas.”
Trying To Sneak Drugs Into the Parks
As a general rule – if something’s illegal outside of Disney parks, it’s illegal inside Disney parks. That hasn’t stopped guests from trying to bring or take drugs at Disney in the past. In April 2022, a guest was arrested for attempting to bring meth – plus a “cracked glass pipe” – into EPCOT (seriously, why is it always EPCOT?)
If you’re caught under the influence of drugs, you’re also in with a high chance of being kicked out of Disney. Another guest was once asked to leave Disney property after smoking weed in the Disneyland Hotel parking lot, with a group claiming that they were taken to “Disney jail” and banned for 48 hours after also smoking up at Downtown Disney.
Stealing Mickey Ears
In December 2023, a man was charged with robbery, a third-degree felony, after allegedly ripping a Mickey Mouse ears hat off a stranger’s head at the Magic Kingdom. The man, Mark Robinson, claimed it was a misunderstanding, believing the woman was wearing the same pair of ears his daughter had left behind on a ride earlier that day.
The victim, 36-year-old Susana from Milwaukee, Wisc., had just exited an attraction with her husband and child when Robinson began shouting at her from behind. Unaware he was trying to get her attention, she ignored him.
According to the sheriff’s report, “Mark proceeded to forcefully snatch a Mickey Mouse ears style hat from off of Susana’s head claiming the hat belonged to his daughter.” Robinson later pleaded not guilty to the charge.
What’s the wildest reason you’ve heard of a guest being kicked out of Disney parks?