Credit: Shanghai Disneyland A recent incident has proven the importance of following Disney park rules to avoid a lengthy ban.
Like all theme parks, Disney’s destinations worldwide are governed by rules designed to keep everyone – guests and cast members alike – safe. Some of these rules are obvious, such as prohibiting violent behavior (not that that’s stopped a slew of physical confrontations in the past) and bringing illicit substances into its parks (yes, multiple people have tried to smuggle cocaine through the security checkpoints at Magic Kingdom).
Other rules are a little bit more specific and can vary from park to park. At Tokyo Disney Resort, for example, guests are generally not allowed to bring their own food into Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea. “It is to allow our guests to enjoy the ‘out of the ordinary’ experience at Tokyo Disney Resort,” a representative for the Oriental Land Company previously said when questioned on the policy. “We have prohibited it since the facilities first opened.”
Meanwhile, some Disney parks are stricter than others when it comes to when adult guests can or cannot wear character costumes onsite, while each park may enforce its own dress code to varying degrees. Different Disney resorts also have different rules for smokers. For example, Disney World and Disneyland do not allow guests to smoke in the parks, but Disneyland Paris still features several smoking areas (and generally boasts a more lax attitude to smoking and vaping).
Disney Guest Banned For Two Years
One rule that rings true across every Disney park is the fact that guests must be respectful towards cast members.
In the past, we’ve seen guests trespassed from Disney World for lashing out – whether that’s physically or verbally – at the employees simply trying to maintain the magic.
This week, a guest was also banned from Shanghai Disneyland for disrespecting cast members.
Sohu reports that a male guest climbed onstage during a performance of The Adventure of Rhythm – a daily show that sees guests explore “diverse styles of music and culture, and embark on a magical rhythmic journey with our Disney friends” – on August 10.
The man proceeded to try to dance with the red panda Mei Mei from Turning Red (2022). Video footage showed him touching Mei Mei before he was escorted offstage, interrupting the performance for a few minutes before it continued.
Shanghai Disneyland later confirmed that the man’s behavior disrupted the park’s normal operations, affecting the experience of nearly 1,000 visitors, and violating the Shanghai Disneyland park rules. As stated on the park’s website (translated from Chinese): “Please respect the performers and other Cast Members (including Disney friends). Whether onsite or online, use civilized language, do not engage in any dangerous, illegal, harassing, or aggressive behavior.”
Management reportedly ordered the man to leave the park that day and banned him from returning for two years.
A Summer of Drama Unfolds at Shanghai Disneyland
This isn’t the first dramatic headline to emerge from Shanghai Disneyland this summer. As the park continues to swelter its way through the summer, Tigger collapsed during a performance of the Mickey’s Storybook Express parade. That’s despite Shanghai Disneyland introducing operational measures earlier this year to mitigate the impact of extreme heat on both guests and cast members.
Meanwhile, injuries were reported after a fight broke out between guests in late May. According to video clips shared on Weibo, the dispute unfolded near a retail shop inside the park and lasted more than a minute before bystanders intervened. One video shows one man, dressed in white, exchanging blows with another male guest, who wore a black t-shirt. The altercation quickly drew a crowd, including several children who witnessed the brawl up close.
As the fight intensified, one of the guests’ girlfriends rushed over and attempted to separate the men. She was seen trying to poke the other man in the eyes before pushing his wife and young daughter, who had been standing nearby. In response, the man shoved her away, and the situation spiraled further. One woman fell to the ground in tears while still holding onto her daughter.
Home to a mixture of classic attractions and more unique additions – including TRON Lightcycle Power Run (which has since been replicated at Magic Kingdom), Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, Jet Packs, and Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure – Shanghai Disneyland is Disney’s newest theme park. It was designed to be both “authentically Disney” and “distinctly Chinese,” with Disney CEO Bob Iger carrying this culturally relevant ethos over to Disney’s upcoming theme park, Disneyland Abu Dhabi, which will reportedly be “distinctly Emirati.
The park is set to add a new Spider-Manh-themed area in the coming years, complete with a brand-new thrill attraction inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe character. It previously debuted Disney’s first Zootopia Land in December 2023.
Have you ever visited Shanghai Disneyland?