Credit: Inside The MagicWalt Disney World Resort is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” and Disneyland Resort is called “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Those names evoke feelings of warmth and great memories, and bring smiles to the faces of millions of people around the world. It’s hard to think that anything bad could happen at such a magical place like a Disney theme park.
Unfortunately, there are always people who seem determined to ruin not only their own day, but also the days of the people they are with or the people who have the bad fortune of interacting with them.
Related: Cast Members Make Magic Happen on TikTok
Disney has a zero-tolerance policy regarding violence or dangerous/threatening behavior from visiting guests. Cast members will not hesitate to call in Disney security or even the police as they work to keep everyone else safe. That means that some guests find themselves in handcuffs instead of back at their Disney hotel at the end of the day.
As 2025 fast approaches, we take a look back at some of the craziest arrests we saw at Disney this year.
Guest Begs to Be Arrested
Now, you might be saying, “Who asks the police to arrest them? Especially during their Disney vacation!”. However, that is exactly what happened in Disney Springs back in September.
Related: A First-Timer’s Guide to Disney Springs
According to the police report, multiple guests reported a drunk woman bothering guests and even falling into a planter because she was too drunk to stand up. When the police arrived, they noted that the guest reeked of alcohol, had glassy eyes, was unsteady on her feet, and slurred her words when speaking with them.
But that was not the most interesting part of their interaction with her.
The guest, identified as Marta Kaiser, had cut herself at some point and fought with police and paramedics when they tried to treat her. Things got so bad that she ended up telling police, “F*** you, take me to jail. I want to go to jail.” And that is exactly what the police did.
Woman Gets Arrested on Purpose
Disney Springs seems to be a hotbed of weird arrests, and this next one is no exception.
Back in August, Orange County Deputy Christopher Morelli was sitting in his car at Disney Springs. Suddenly, and without provocation, Nicole Handboy slammed her purse into his marked police car. When Deputy Morelli asked her why she did what she did, Ms. Handboy ignored him and tried to run away.
Deputy Morelli apprehended Ms. Handboy, who was reportedly drunk, and she finally revealed why she attacked his car.
Ms. Handboy told Deputy Morelli that she had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend, and he ended up leaving Disney Springs without her. Ms. Handboy then decided that she was going to try to make her boyfriend pay, literally. She said that she wanted to get arrested, so her boyfriend would have to pay money to bail her out of jail.
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Unfortunately for Ms. Handboy, the court records don’t indicate that her boyfriend bailed her out. She ended up pleading no contest to the charges against her and paid a fine.
Young Girls Cling to Mother Arrested at Disneyland
Shocking arrests don’t just happen at Walt Disney World Resort, there are also a fair share of police incidents that occur at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. And sometimes, those arrests go viral.
In late September, a heartbreaking video began going viral, showing a mother being escorted through Disney California Adventure Park in handcuffs. What made the video particularly upsetting was the fact that her two young daughters were clinging to her, shouting “Ayuda”, which means “help” in Spanish.
@william_martinez4 This aint right 😤😓#disney
Many commenters were shocked that Disneyland Security and local police officers would be so callous towards two innocent children. They couldn’t believe that Disney would “destroy the magic” in such a way.
However, the tides turned when it was revealed why the woman was arrested. Local news reports stated that the woman paid for herself to get into the theme park, but didn’t appear to pay for her two children to enter. She refused to cooperate with Disney cast members or local police officers when asked about her children’s ages, as only children under 3 can get into the parks for free.
To make matters worse, it was allegedly the fourth time in just a few months that Jessenia Diaz had lied to get her children into the parks.
Related: Mother Threatens to Sue Disneyland After Getting Arrested and Kicked From Theme Park
Drunk Cop Arrested at EPCOT
We would like to think that if there is one group of people who know how to behave during a Disney vacation, it is police officers. Sadly, one officer apparently did NOT know what kind of behavior was acceptable, and instead of putting the handcuffs on someone, he found the cuffs on himself.
In late January, Brookline, Massachusetts, police detective Duane Danforth tried to enter a private event at EPCOT. Disney security informed him that he could not enter the area and that he would have to go around it. Mr. Danforth ignored the security guard and reportedly began trying to remove the barrier ropes.
Related: Domestic Altercation Ends in Handcuffs at EPCOT
After being told a second time that he could not enter the area, Mr. Danforth threatened to kill the security guard and forced his way into the event. When later confronted by a police officer, Danforth reportedly pushed the officer away from him.
After his arrest, Mr. Danforth was suspended from his job at the Brookline Police Department.
Shirtless Guest Arrested After Ripping Pole Out of Ground
Drinking Around the World at EPCOT has become increasingly popular in recent years. EPCOT is certainly the theme park to go to if you want to enjoy a delicious adult beverage. Regrettably, it has also become a theme park where many guests forget how to control themselves and drink responsibly.
Related: Fans Call for End to Disney World Drinking Culture
Over the summer, a shocking video began making the rounds in Disney circles. It showed two shirtless men walking around outside Space 220, a restaurant located next to Mission: SPACE. One of the men held a stanchion in his hand that he had actually managed to rip out of the ground.
The woman who recorded the video stated that the man actually began swinging the pole at other guests and punched a cast member. He reportedly punched the cast member when she made his group wait for a manager when they arrived at the restaurant. The cast member said the man appeared to be under the influence while operating an EVC scooter.
@alexis.ringel Replying to @alexis.ringel #disneyepcot
The police report stated that one of the men actually attacked and threatened multiple Disney World cast members. Both men were arrested and taken to the Orange County booking and release center. They were charged with assault and battery and released on bond.
As stated above, Disney has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to this type of bad behavior in its parks. Most, if not all, of these guests were not only arrested but also likely banned from returning to any Disney property in the future.
With 2025 just around the corner, let’s hope that it is filled with more Disney magic and fewer Disney arrests.
Have you ever seen someone get arrested at Disney? What happened? Share your story in the comments!