Professional Disney Queue Jumpers Arrested, Imprisoned for up to 14 Months

Think you’ve seen the worst of queue jumping at Disney World? Think again.

There are plenty of guest quirks that irritate Disney parkgoers, from perching children on your shoulders and blocking the view of others during the nightly fireworks to loudly vlogging or livestreaming within the parks. However, if there’s one action that frustrates guests more than others, it’s queue jumping.

While it’s certainly not an issue limited to Disney parks (Knott’s Berry Farm, for example, introduced signs encouraging guests to snitch on violators via text in 2024), many feel like cutting in line is most prevalent on Mickey Mouse’s turf.

At one Disney park, the issue has actually become so significant that you can find professional queue jumpers who will help you skip the lines at Disney parks.

Those involved, however, were brought to justice this week after a court sentenced two individuals to 14 and 10 months in prison.

Shanghai Disneyland’s Fake Professional Queue Jumpers Imprisoned

According to local reports, Shanghai Disneyland has seen a slew of scammers selling counterfeit products on social media that promise VIP access and exclusive guided fast-track tours that will help visitors skip the lines for iconic attractions such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Soaring Over the Horizon (which is soon receiving updates to tackle its infamously long lines), TRON Lightcycle Power Run, Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure.

These packages cost between 799 yuan ($112) and 4,880 yuan ($685) and were sold between July and August 2024. While guests were promised priority entry, exclusive tours, and no waiting time for rides, the reality was that the individuals had absolutely no connection to Shanghai Disneyland. Unlicensed guides were sent to the venue or provided guidance via WeChat, with few (if any) fast-track passes actually purchased.

Victims received standard admission tickets and, after requesting a refund, were reportedly threatened to wait, or told that “reporting the incident would result in losses.”

In total, the scam impacted dozens of victims and raked in over $10,900.

On October 21, the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court sentenced two individuals to 14 and 10 months in prison, respectively. Both also received fines, with the court claiming that they had systematically engaged in “organized fraud that maliciously exploits the trust of tourists and poses a significant threat to society.”

Disney Guests Face String of Scams

Unfortunately, Disney park guests have fallen victim to several organized scams in the past. Last year, Shanghai Disneyland introduced stringent new rules for buying park tickets, with guests now required to provide their ID at the time of purchase and then present the same ID when entering the parks, all in an effort to tackle ticket scalpers.

For example, fraudsters will often buy military-exclusive Disney World tickets and resell them online at a discount through online platforms such as Craigslist and Facebook. Guests are also often approached by strangers outside Disney park exits who ask to borrow or buy their tickets.

Guests themselves have also tried to game the system in the past. Earlier this year, it was reported that non-Florida residents are reportedly using shady methods to pose as Floridians and score discounted Walt Disney World Resort annual passes typically limited to those who actually live in the Sunshine State.

Have you ever fallen foul of a Disney park scam?