Credit: Inside the MagicOne Disney park has been slapped with a lawsuit over an attack made on a guest earlier this year.
In April, an incident was caught on camera after a 24-year-old male guest approached a fellow Disney parkgoer, said to be in his 30s, and requested that he stop smoking in a non-designated area. The smoker subsequently attacked the man after claiming that he had an “aggressive tone” (via City News Service). The victim was later taken to the hospital due to soft-tissue contusions.
Now, Disney is being sued over its failure to intervene in the incident.
Disney’s Lawsuit Over Smoker Attack, Explained
The incident in question took place at Shanghai Disneyland – specifically, next to an outdoor restaurant area in its Disneytown shopping and dining district.
Both sides agreed to resolve the case through mediation, according to the police notice. Officers handled the dispute under Chinese public-security regulations, with Xu apologizing to Zhang and paying 10,000 yuan ($1,487 USD) in compensation. The pair then signed a formal mediation agreement.
However, the victim – named by Chinese media only by his surname, Zhang – is now insisting that Disney’s cast members should have stepped in to prevent or stop the attack.
“They did nothing when the conflict happened, just stood by like tourists,” Zhang said (via Sohu). “I had to call the police myself.” Allegedly, one female cast member warned his attacker not to smoke before the incident took place.
Zhang is requesting that Shanghai Disneyland issue a written apology and bear litigation costs.
He also said that, during pre-litigation mediation, Disney verbally apologized and offered him several “VIP cards,” which would have allowed him to choose when to visit and receive priority access to popular attractions. He ultimately rejected the proposed settlement.
Smoking Issues at Shanghai Disneyland
Smoking has long been handled differently at Shanghai Disneyland than at Disney’s U.S. parks. While Disneyland and Walt Disney World removed their in-park smoking areas in 2019, Shanghai Disneyland continued to offer designated locations across the actual theme park, plus Disneytown, its hotels, and select other areas on property.
The full list of smoking areas inside the park itself includes designated spots near:
- Package Pick-Up, Mickey Avenue (the park’s equivalent of Main Street, U.S.A.)
- Entrance marquee, Adventure Isle
- Roaring Rapids, Adventure Isle
- StoryHouse Stage, Adventure Isle
- Lawn, Treasure Cove
- Barbossa’s Bounty, Treasure Cove
- Pooh and Friends Treats, Fantasyland
- Guest services, Fantasyland
- Meet Mickey Tent, Gardens of Imagination
The issue has still sparked repeated clashes. In March 2025, a confrontation broke out in the park’s security line after parents asked another guest to stop smoking around children. The disagreement escalated into pushing and shoving, while cast members acknowledged that some guests continued to smoke outside designated areas.
Shanghai Disney Resort tightened its policy in May 2025, slashing the number of smoking areas and installing more than 2,800 “No Smoking” signs and warning that serious rule-breaking can result in removal, police involvement, or bans.
It’s unclear whether the man involved in the April incident was banned from the park.
As per the park rules listed on the Shanghai Disneyland website: “With the exception of designated smoking areas, the smoking of tobacco, e-cigarettes or other products that produce a vapor or smoke is not allowed in the Park. Please refer to the Shanghai Disney Resort Official App for designated smoking locations or ask a Cast Member for assistance.”
Guests have also complained about smoking beyond permitted areas at other parks – most often at Disneyland Paris, where multiple visitors have reported witnessing fellow parkgoers either smoke or vape outside the smoking areas that still exist within the parks.
France notably has a higher percentage of smokers than other countries boasting Disney parks. According to the World Population Review, approximately 30.1% of the country’s population smokes, compared with 22.6% in China, 16.4% in Japan, and 9.6% in the United States.
While Disney World no longer permits smoking inside its theme parks, we also noticed multiple guests attempting to covertly vape within the likes of Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on a trip earlier this month. That included more secluded areas, such as the outdoor queue for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the seats around Rosie’s All-American Cafe, and quieter spots surrounding Under The Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid.
The Disney World website states: “Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney Resort hotels are smoke-free environments except for designated smoking areas. Please note that smoking marijuana is not permitted at any time across Walt Disney World Resort, even in designated smoking areas.”
The same is true over on the West Coast, with the Disneyland Resort website adding, “For the comfort of all Guests, the theme parks, the Esplanade between the parks and the Downtown Disney District are smoke free. The smoking of tobacco, e-cigarettes or other products that produce a vapor or smoke is allowed only in designated outdoor smoking areas. Guests may not smoke in Disney Resort hotel rooms, on patios or balconies.” Marijuana is also prohibited.
Do you think Disney is strict enough on in-park smoking?
