So what does it take to get kicked out of the most magical, happiest place on earth? Well for some, a good street brawl, others an inebriated night at Epcot and assaulting Donald Duck. Whichever the story, we don't recommend recreating any of these stunts at any theme park, unless one plans on being banned for life, because for these poor souls the closest they'll ever get to Disney again is at the movie theater.
The Hit on Donald Duck
“I’m not the banned one, but I worked for Disney and was there for two instances. One was a group of three Portuguese guys who decided that it would be cool to smack Donald Duck in the face when it was time to get their picture taken with him.
The other time, it was the glorious Food & Drink Festival at Epcot and two guys, after what appeared to be the full party circuit around the World Showcase, took off their shirts and ran through the mini maze garden in France. I guess that wasn’t enough, so they started harassing Aurora, who was taking pictures with kids and trying to keep it cool.
That’s the only time I used my radio for an actual issue and I wasn’t quite sure what to say, which is why I had such a hard time saying, ‘Two shirtless guys are meticulously doing the maze in France. Can we stop them?’ Security responded surprisingly quickly and the guys weren’t very hard to corner because they had gone back to doing the maze, and they wouldn’t jump the mini hedges.
Both of those stories ended in lifetime bans and the Donald Duck whackers actually had charges pressed against them I believe.”
When Sticking it to The Man Goes Wrong
“I have a friend who went to Disney World in Orlando, a few summers ago. For laughs, he flipped off the camera on the biggest slope of the ride he was on. Due to no line, he was able to ride the same ride repeatedly without having to get up. The ride began with a slight rise, and then a complete turn around to the first slope. The turnaround was situated directly over the booth that displays and sells your photos after the ride.
After a few passes flipping off the camera, the guy in the booth started yelling up at him to stop as the ride would pass by. He flipped the camera off even harder. This happened a handful of times until he decided to get off, somehow thinking very little about what he had been doing.
On his way through the ride’s exit, the man at the booth pointed him out, and two security guards led him out of the park and told him never to come back.”
Everybody Hates Mickey
“This happened in the 70s at Disneyland, as told by a friend of mine, who was an accountant for the park. That year, the whole band who marched in the parade, intensely disliked the cast member who played Mickey Mouse.
Apparently, he had real attitude and was a real diva. So, after Mickey started leading the parade down Main Street, he tripped hard and fell, so the band members quickly started running past him, leaving him on the ground and angry. Parents and children started laughing, to see Mickey trying to catch up with the running band, so he could be in front, again.
When they were almost to an employees-only gated area, Mickey hauled off and started punching the tuba player, (the leader of the coup) which ended up, in an all-out legendary brawl.”
A Very Sad Story in The Magic Kingdom
“I work the front desk at one of the Disney resorts. A little over a month ago, a teenage girl came up to one of our lobby greeters sobbing and said she needed to speak to a manager. The greeter tried to talk to her, but she insisted upon talking to a manager. Two of our managers took the girl into this side room that we usually use to diffuse situations, and they could tell she was really upset.
Next thing you know, Disney security shows up, Orange County Police show up, Department of Children and Families representative shows up.
Long story short – the girl had some form of mental disability – we were never given the specifics but from the description of the situation, it was assumed to be autism. She got into an argument with her dad in the room (only the two of them were traveling together), he was wasted, and he DECKED her in the face – like a full on punch. She freaked out, ran out of the room, and came up to the desk, putting us where we’re at in the story now.
The dad eventually comes down to the desk. Police take him outside for questioning while they keep the girl in the other room (behind a locked door). At that point it was time for me to go home, but found out a few days later at my next shift that the girl’s mom was out of state, was called about the situation, Disney arranged to have the girl flown home the next day, and the dad was arrested and issued a lifetime ban.
Some sneaky cast member I work with had gotten the family’s last name, creeped on their hotel reservation, and discovered the dad had been REGULARLY visiting the pool bar and buying bottles from the hotel gift shop every night. Yay, drinks and anger – what a good mix.
Apparently, the dad also made excuses that the daughter provoked him by hitting him first. Granted she was like 14, so he was just an inebriated idiot.
You ever wonder why they don’t sell spirits in the Magic Kingdom? This is a prime example.”
Delinquency on the High Seas
“In the late 70s, my mom and her family went to Disney with a couple of their friends and their families. Apparently, her brother, some of his friends, and possibly some additional Disney delinquents went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, got out of the boat, and set off firecrackers. They probably could have gotten away with the noise since there are fake explosions as part of the experience and everyone in their boat was in on it, but this was in the early days of security cameras so sure enough, when the rag-tag bunch got off the ride, they all were swiftly picked up by security.
I think my grandparents demanded proof, and they were shown the footage of him getting out of the boat.
So yeah, I’m not sure when the lifetime ban became a thing but I’m assuming he is no longer allowed back. My mom likes to claim that he was the reason there is an announcement at the beginning of your ride to stay in your boat; apparently they didn’t say that before.”
Good Parenting
“My adult sister got hammered at the dueling piano bar with my parents. They had gone to get a Build a Bear dinosaur for my mom earlier in the day and my sister was still carrying it around in its special box after drinking. Now she already looks like she’s 14 or 15 years old, and she was stumbling and weaving and sloppily singing down the walkways between the Disney resorts. My parents were just a few feet behind her and supervising but recording it for posterity and laughing. To be fair she’s hilarious when wasted.
Apparently, a lot of people assumed that they had gotten this young girl inebriated and were terrible people because she got rushed by security and ID’d before they realized she was a grown woman who had bought her own drinks.”
The World Is His Bathroom
“I once had a lady who was waiting in line ask me if it was okay if her son went to the bathroom. I said sure thinking she was going to take him, nope this boy who had to be close to 10 pulled down his pants and started peeing in line. I did not know how to react. I just stood there in watched astonished.”
Quick Thinking Saved The Day
“Not banned myself but I’m pretty sure a couple of my friends are. It was 1995, a friend showed up with a 1/2 lb of cheap weed. We decided it would be a great idea to head to Disneyland.
The hour-long drive was spent hot boxing a Chevy Suburban. We get to the park and hit a couple rides. We take a ride on the Haunted Mansion, I’m in the front of our group. I get off and a large cadre of Disney security are waiting there for our group. We’re summarily led to the backstage area and taken to Disney jail. One by one they start questioning us. They get about four in and must have given up at that point as they just round us all up and walk us to the front gate.
As it turns out, the two that did smoke on the ride had a brief moment of clarity upon exiting the ride and handed the pot off to a third who walked out a different direction. They couldn’t find anything on us, so they just kicked us all out.”
Well, There’s Always Dave And Buster’s
“For years, it was tradition for our high school grad night to be held at Disneyland. Apparently, the park would be kept open later than usual for a number of schools around Southern California to let their seniors frolic around. Just like any prom or school event, you had your gaggle of teens that would sneak (or attempt to sneak) in flasks, pot, and other banned items.
A few particularly rowdy seniors from my high school somehow managed to smuggle some coke into the happiest place on earth. After doing some lines in a bathroom, they decided that the absolute best next move would be to go explore Tom Sawyer’s Island. Only problem was that that attraction was closed and no ferries or canoes were making the trip to the island. The solution: simply jump into the river and swim across.
The Adventures of Coke Sawyers landed us a lifetime ban. We’ve been holding our grad nights at Dave and Buster’s ever since. Extreme downgrade.”
Ma’am This is Disneyland, Please Put The Shirt Back On
“It was 10 years ago, and more than likely still the policy today, but shirts were required at all time in the park. It didn’t matter if it was ungodly hot and someone wanted to take off their shirt or stay in a bikini top, they had to be wearing a shirt. We were told to tell people to please put on a shirt.
One time I told a lady to please put on her shirt as it was required. She was very wasted and defiant while wearing only a bikini top.
She said, ‘Why? You like my body don’t you?’
I tried to be professional and just said, ‘Sorry ma’am, it’s the policy to wear shirts.’ She kept insisting that I was checking out her goods (her language.) She then grabbed my face and kissed me and walked away. I told a manager this in a sort of ‘What just happened’ kind of way, not actually bothered by it or demanding action be taken.
Later on she was kicked out of the park for being really inebriated at a show geared towards toddlers.”
Gators and Colosotomy Bags
“About three years ago, when I was working at Epcot, a guy wandered into the lake in the middle of the park from the side by Test Track. He was absolutely wasted and it was the first day of the Food and Drink Festival. My cast friends and I still talk about how our manager and three coordinators had to convince him to come out of the lake. There are alligators in that lake, man.
Another story, I was at a different attraction when this happened, but when you work across an area, your friends tell you all the great stuff you missed when you’re at another building. One day, a woman came onto Mission Space with a colostomy bag. She chose the non-spinning version (that’s Green) but somehow her bag started leaking from the Ready Room all the way into Bay 2 and the onto her ECV and down the exit corridor. No one noticed until a guest complained about the trail of poop that had leaked all over the hallway.”
I’ll Take My Order To Go Please
“Worked at the Plaza Inn restaurant as a bus boy during my college program a couple years ago. The craziest thing I saw wasn’t really that crazy actually, more just bizarre and gross.
I was at my bussing station breaking down some plates, when I notice a family of four and a guest service member sit down in my section. Anyway, they sit down, eat their food for maybe five minutes and then leave suddenly with their plates barely half-eaten. I didn’t immediately bus their table on the off chance that they weren’t actually done and just didn’t bother to tell me they were coming back (it’s happened before).
So as I’m waiting to see if they might come back, I notice this older man slowly pushing a wheelchair with who I assume was his mom (she looked maybe about a thousand years old) up to this family’s vacated food-covered table. When they get to the table, they open their bags and start dumping this family’s half-eaten plates of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and green beans into a bunch of Tupperware containers and souvenir cups they had in their bags. They took absolutely every last morsel of food in about 30 seconds, and then quickly escaped. They were professionals. It all happened so fast, I couldn’t really do anything to stop them, so I just stared in bewilderment.”
The Wild Bush Pooper
“Best story I have is after the Safari ride in Animal Kingdom. We were walking down the path just before where it opens back up into the park. Well I look over from the path and see this young gentleman, about 22 years old, sitting in the bushes. Don’t think much about it until see his pants around his ankles. He’s just looking around and doing his business. We have a laugh and walk past a cast member who just heard about this wild bush pooper. The look on his face was a solid ‘If what I just heard is ACTUALLY happening then I’m gonna have to deal with it. GREAT’ Kicker is that the bathrooms were only about 30 feet away”
Saving This For Later, Thanks!
“A friend of mine used to work at Disneyland, and she told me this lady with a serious obsession with Alice who would pretty much go every day to Disneyland dress up like her. Apparently one day she decided she needed a piece of Alice for herself and actual cut off a piece of hair from the actress at the park!”
Turns Out The Magical Kingdom’s Jail Isn’t Very Magical
“A while back, Disney World used to host ‘Grad Night’ for graduating high school seniors. Basically, it was where they kept the Magic Kingdom open all night and it was only open to seniors. There was also a required student to chaperone ratio of 10:1. One chaperone always had to be ‘on duty’ in a designated area and the other chaperones were allowed to wander the park. Needless to say, it was one of the major events of senior year.
The year my brother graduated (1988), a couple of guys from his class were caught shoplifting. Security nabbed them almost instantly and took them to ‘jail.’ From what they told me, it was basically a security office…nothing themed, no bars or locks…just a room where they made you sit until they could figure out what to do with you.
Security ended up going to the on-duty chaperone and brought her down to security where she had to identify and ‘take custody’ of the two guys. The paperwork was intense, too. They were both personally banned for a year. They had to spend the rest of the night in the chaperone area.
The next year, it was my class’s turn. Rumor was that the entire school had been banned because of this incident and our headmaster (private school) had to formally petition for us to be allowed back.”
Man Overboard
“My friend didn’t get banned, but they came very close. According to the friend, he and a few buddies were in college and decided to eat some mushrooms before hitting up the happiest place on earth. One of the friends trips out during the ship battle part of the pirates ride, freaks out and jumps out of the boat thing they’re all in. He’s wading through the water frantically when one of the cannon ball splash effects goes off right next to him, and he reacts as if he’d actually been hit and dives off to the side. The friends still in the boat are losing their minds.
The wasted guy finally comes up like 20 feet away from the boat and like ninjas, Disney security appears and takes him away.
After the ride they went to the security office looking for him and explained it was the guys 21st birthday, and he was just really wasted so they let them all go.”
Sucker Puncher Gets Punched Out
“There are a lot of crazy things I’d rather not get in to, but the worst was one night during the fireworks exit, we had a bunch of 20-year-olds being morons on the resort platform.
They started punching each other in the arms, being the usual pricks to each other. One of them ended up missing his friend and cold clocking a 12 year-old girl. The girl’s dad had to be 6’4 and 320 pounds. And built. I mean really built. It took four security guards and two Orange County deputies to pull the guy off the bloody pulp that remained of the kid.
His friend ended up jumping into the bushes to get away from one seriously angry father.”
A Slap on The Wrist
“My husband and I snuck in backstage to beat the after firework crowds. There is a gate at the lockers and it connects to a gate by the main street square. The employees were more impressed that we knew our way around the secret passage ways over the fact we just snuck into a restricted area. We told them we have pass to Disneyland and come often and that is why we know all the secrets. We had a good laugh about it and our punishment was to walk from Sleeping Beauty’s castle to the front gates. The most crowded spot after the fireworks, with a bunch of grouchy parents and tired/crabby children.”
Super Dad
“I worked Magic Kingdom from 2007-2010 and ended up working strollers for a week. I was at the wheelchair stand which has a view of the front gates. So this guy gets to the front with his kids and realizes he forgot his tickets. No problem happens all the time. So he turns around and heads back to his car. However, Super Dad left his kids at the gate. Three kids, oldest couldn’t have been more than 12, youngest was like 4 to 5 years old.
Now on a good day a round trip to the parking lot and back can take over 20 minutes with monorail/ferry and then tram to car. This guy was gone for over an hour. Kids got picked up by security after like 10 to 15 minutes and taken to the child care center and two state troopers take their place. Dad shows back up and gets thoroughly chewed out while being led into the park.”
Streaking and Kidnapping in the Magical Kingdom
“Not me, but two other Epcot stories I got from trustworthy friends: A dude got wasted on St. Patrick’s Day and started streaking. Got around for a good two or three minutes before they could catch him. Another plastered dude picked up a princess, threw her over his shoulder and started heading toward the exit. I don’t believe his intentions were malicious, but security/police followed him until he was done with his ‘act’ and promptly took him to jail where he got charged with at least one felony.”
Beware of Falling Objects
“I was working on one of the roller-coasters and there was a kid on it with his dad. The kid was very scared and shaking. On this coaster, the rider is held in by a harness and your legs hang free. I looked down at the people walking under the ride only to see that this kid was so scared that he pooped himself and some of it smacked an old lady on the face. Poor lady fell over from the force of poop and had to go home in an ambulance.”
Fear and Loathing at Epcot
“I got banned from Canada at Epcot. We did a drinking around the world tour. We started in Mexico and continued in that direction. After completing most of the world we decided to stop in England for a ‘few’ pints.
After a few hours of singing with the awesome panino lady, we had to finish the world tour. My buddy and I got to Canada and demanded to go on the ride. After being informed there was no ride we concluded that the lady was lying to us because we were hammered. She informed us that we could watch the information video. We said forget that and went in search for the ride. In true operator fashion we started our search all while slobbishly singing ‘Oh Canada our home and sacred land!’
That was the only part of the song we knew. We were abruptly discovered because we wondered backstage to the show. We were led to the entrance and told to never enter Canada again.”