A recent ride on a Disney attraction was anything but expected for Disney Park Guests.
Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland Resort, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland are all Disney Parks that bring in thousands of Guests daily for memories to be made.
Disneyland Paris has two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. Each Disney Park includes something different for Guests to enjoy. At Disneyland Park, Guests can be prepared to be inspired and enchanted, for magic is in the air. Disneyland Park includes attractions such as Dumbo Flying Elephant, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, Peter Pan’s Flight, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Autopia, Pirate Galleon, Phantom Manor, and many more attractions.
Next door, at Walt Disney Studios Park, Disneyland Guests, can experience different worlds like Avengers Campus, World of Pixar, Toon Studio, Production Courtyard, and Front Lot. Guests can enjoy attractions such as Cars ROAD TRIP, Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, Ratatouille Adventure, Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure, The Twilight Zone of Terror, and many iconic attractions.
One Guest found out the hard way by going viral on TikTok what happens when you try and film during an attraction at Disneyland Paris, however.
While visiting Disneyland Paris, @thedisnerdSwiftieGuest– from New York– found out that you cannot film on attractions at the Disney Park.
While Disney World and Disneyland California have has Guest film and not had issues, that doesn’t mean that film policies aren’t in place. Disney World’s policy includes that photography, videotaping, or recording of any kind, or otherwise engaging in any activity, for unapproved commercial purposes, is prohibited.
Guests riding attractions at any Disney Park should not be recording the rides. Phones, Go-Pros, and cameras could fall and hit another Guest on the attractions, causing damage, and then subsequently, delays for the attractions to retrieve the items.
Walt Disney World Resort recently denied a Guest with a disability not allowing their emotional support animal inside.
Walt Disney World Resort is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” After this encounter, I doubt this Guest can say the same about Disney.
Disney World has four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. If you’re visiting Disney World with a disability, Disney allows service dogs to go on certain attractions, and when the service animal cannot go on that attraction, Cast Members will stay with the animal and watch it in the kennels set up just for service animals.
Guests bringing service animals to Disney are considered medical equipment that the Guests need to function. Guests should not approach a service dog, for it is working. If Guests spot another Guest experiencing an emergency, find a Disney Cast Member, and they will get help for them.
In a Reddit Thread, one Disney Guest recently discussed how their emotional support animal was denied at Disney Parks. One reason emotional support animals are not allowed at Disney World is that service dogs are extensively trained to perform tasks and will not interact with other dogs. Unlike an untrained emotional support animal who is friendly- they want to play with the other dogs or interact with them. Another reason is that Disney knows that animals are animals and accidents can occur, and denying emotional support to animals prevents as many animal accidents from happening.
However, it seems that another set of dogs were permitted and these pups “got into a big fight,” according to another Guest.
“At Disney in a store..watched 2 pit bull “service dogs” get into a big fight and the owners were right there and traveling together, so it wasn’t like the dogs didn’t know each other.”
Disney has a pass called Disability Access Service, or DAS. This is for Guests who have a disability or someone in their party who does. Disney does their best at accommodating Guests with disabilities. Tips for Guests to know about DAS is that it is intended for Guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability. DAS doesn’t provide immediate access to experiences but instead allows Guests to request a return time for a specific incident that is comparable to the current standby wait. This allows the Guest using DAS to enjoy other experiences in the park instead of physically waiting in the standby line.
When a Guest requests to use DAS, they must be present during registration (in person or live video call) and when redeeming a DAS return time at Walt Disney World theme parks. Safety for Guests and including service animals, is Disney World priority.
The drama in the Disney community never seems to settle down. Yesterday, things at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort got extremely messy when a man was escorted out of the Park by Disney security and Orange County deputies. The man in question is “Disney fan” Christopher Martin, who has remained an enemy of the Walt Disney Company due to the fact that he continues to steal intellectual property from the company.
Christopher and Hannah Martin have been on Disney’s bad side for over a year. It all started when the duo created their merchandise company Sparkling Dreamers. Sparkling Dreamers sells unauthorized homemade Mickey ear headbands that are inspired by Disney characters, which Disney does not approve of. Disney has sent Christopher and Hannah numerous lawsuits over the stolen intellectual property. Christopher first announced that he was being sued on January 28, 2023, but he claims that the legal issues between Sparkling Dreamers and Disney have been happening since December 2021.
Time and time again, Christopher has reiterated that the “Bloggers, TikTokers & more are not telling the correct story.” He truly believes that he is not guilty in this situation, and he feels confident that he will come out of this conflict mostly unscathed.
Were being sued by THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY! We have remained quiet, up til now, but we want our voice to be heard! Bloggers, tiktokers & more are not telling the correct story… its time we clear the air on this all. #lawsuit#suedbydisney
This all changed yesterday when Christopher trespassed onto Walt Disney World property. He was in magic Kingdom when security and police escorted him out of the premises. Christopher took to Facebook where he posted an 18-minute video blog of him being taken off of Disney property and “banned for life.” Disney Parks fans have criticized him for his bizarre behavior during the situation.
Despite the uncomfortable situation that occurred today, Christopher is not giving up. He claims that he is just a fan and will be visiting Disneyland Resort next week. He says that he was banned for “Annual Pass violations,” but it seems pretty clear as to why Disney does not want him on the property.
As of now, the Sparkling Dreamers website is still up and selling its products. His vlog of the event is also still up, and he encourages his fans to “like and share.”
A costumed character at Disney World was visiting with Guests during a scheduled meet-and-greet at Magic Kingdom when she sprang into action, saving the life of a male Guest in the process.
A young man and his friends were visiting Disney World shortly after he returned from a non-combat deployment with the U. S. Armed Forces. The group of friends visited Universal Studios and the Disney World Resort during the multi-day trip. Though they were at visiting two places known for fun, entertainment, and magical memories, the man says on the inside, he was desperately struggling, and no one was the wiser.
“My friends and I decided to go to Disney World and Universal to have some fun as I just got back,” he wrote on the social media platform. “Kinda celebrate coming home, but it was more to just have fun together. However, at this time, no one in my life knew I was extremely suicidal.”
He says he did everything he could to mask his feelings and keep them to himself. But he was in a bad place from a mental and emotional standpoint.
“The thoughts, the anxiety, the depression,” he wrote, “the plans to do it. All of it, and I masked it all as best I could.”
The Guest says that during the entire trip with his friends, he did his best to hide what he was feeling, to hide the thoughts he was having. It was important to him to make sure that everyone else in the group was having a good time. But while on the trip, he came to a point where he just couldn’t mask his feelings anymore.
“I couldn’t shake the depression [and] suicidal thoughts and even the plans to do it,” he said.
On the final day of their Disney World trip, the man and his friends decided to stand in line to see Tinker Bell for a Guest meet-and-greet. By this time, his friends knew he was struggling, and they encouraged him to join them for the experience and have photos made with Tink.
“[They] egged me on to get a picture with her to cheer me up,” he said. “Throughout that day, I believe I had a few teary-eyed moments by myself, and I was visibly depressed. I honestly probably had red puffy eyes, too.”
Though he was struggling, he agreed to say hello to Tinker Bell and pose for photos with her, but he couldn’t have known that his life was about to change, and things were about to start looking up for him.
“I don’t know if Tinker Bell knew I was depressed, or it was something I or a friend said, or [if] she just gives cheek kisses every now and then,” he explained, “but she gave me an unexpected smooch on the cheek, and I proceeded to light up like a Christmas tree. To me, it was just the act of unexpected generosity, kindness, and affection from a complete stranger that made me feel like the lingering gray cloud disappeared, even if it was for a brief passing moment.”
The Guest captioned his photos with Tinker Bell online with these words:
“So I’ve been suffering from depression lately, and I went to Walt Disney World for the first time in my life. Thank you, Tink, you really made me smile the hardest in a long time.”
The week after he returned home from the group trip to Universal Studios and Disney World, the man says he reached out, made a call, and scheduled his first therapy session. Though he thought his magical experience with Tinker Bell only helped temporarily on that very difficult day at Disney World, he discovered that it gave him the motivation and encouragement to take ask for the help he needed. And in the days and months following that encounter with Tink, things began to fall into place, and he began to heal.
“Because of it all, I got the professional help I needed [and] got on meds that help,” he said.
But that’s not all.
“I [also] met my girlfriend (now my wife), got a bunch of pets to love, bought a house, and just overall made a better life of myself,” he said. “My suicidal thoughts, ideations, plans are behind me, although the thoughts do still pop up every now and then. But they’re not as bad as they were.”
For this Guest, the magical encounter with Tinker Bell that October day at Disney World was so much more than just a chance meeting with a beloved Disney character. It was the beginning of a second chance at life.
“I keep this picture on my refrigerator door,” he explained, “and sometimes it brings a smile to me when I need it most. My wife also loves this picture because she knows the story behind it. She also thanks this Tinker Bell for saving my life.”
A greater awareness of the need for mental health care is paramount in getting help to those who need it most. Those who need help should have open access to it–access free of stigmatization and judgment. Suicide need not be a “taboo” topic, especially since a majority of those struggling with suicidal thoughts also suffer from severe depression and battle feelings of loneliness and isolation. Normalizing conversations about suicide, suicidal ideation and thoughts, and depression can open the door where help and healing can begin.
We’re so thankful that this young man found the strength and courage to reach out and get the help he needed.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, there is help. You don’t have to suffer, and you don’t have to do this alone. There is hope at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line). As of July 2022, those searching for help can also dial 988 to be relayed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
“That actress, her brief moment, just in passing, helped me,” he said. “She unknowingly saved my life.”
A Disneyland Resort Guest was caught vandalizing Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Disney Resorts all across the world are known for their friendly Cast Members who make magic that last a lifetime. But, unfortunately, some Guests find ways to try and ruin that magic.
The most prominent Disney Resorts include Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California and Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Walt Disney World Resort is home to four theme parks– Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom– while Disneyland Resort has two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
Disneyland Park is the theme park that started it all, and Disney Park is best known for its iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, as well as attractions like “it’s a small world,” Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and Haunted Mansion.
But, that doesn’t mean that it’s the only Disney Park that draws in a crowd.
Disneyland Paris, located nearly 6,000 miles east, is also home to many of the same attractions, as well as Sleeping Beauty Castle.
In a viral video, one Disneyland Paris Guest was caught vandalizing Sleeping Beauty Castle.
This Disney Guest was not spreading magic throughout the Park, instead choosing to tag the popular tourist location.
The TikTok shows the Guests bringing a paint marker inside the Park and starting to write their tag on the Disney Castle.
Disney tries its best to keep the Parks clean for Guests to enjoy. Vandalizing Disney property is a direct violation of Resort rules and can be grounds for being trespassed.
Disneyland Resort has a list of items on its official website that are prohibited at Disney Parks. So far, paint or paint markers are allowed at Disney Parks after this accident, but Disney may change its policy on what markers are allowed inside the Parks. Guests heading to Disney typically bring markers or paint markers for Disney Characters to sign autograph books, hats, shirts, cups, Mickey Mouse ears, and much more.
Disneyland Cast Members work hard to keep Parks looking clean. As fans, let’s all help keep Disney Parks clean by not vandalizing them.
