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Home / Travel

How to land a lifetime ban from Disneyland

NZ Herald
23 Jul, 2019 09:57 PM6 mins to read

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Viral fight at Disneyland’s Toontown. Video / KTLA5

Disney's Tower of Terror at the Hollywood Studios, Florida, was an apt setting for the furore that saw a 23-year-old guest issued a ban for life.

The July 13 incident took place at the popular ride, which often has long waits.

Florida's Orange County Sheriff's office says the woman, who was part of a group denied the use of a FastPass queue jump, punched a Disney World worker in the face.

According the Orlando Sentinel the woman from Chicago began pushing buttons on the ride's operation controls.

Though part of a group of unruly tourists, only the woman earned a lifetime ban from Disney attractions.

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"We don't tolerate unsafe behavior," explained a Disney spokesperson approached for comment.

The Disney worker didn't want to press charges, but they will presumably be relieved to hear the guest will no longer be welcome at the park.

What does it take to be banished from the happiest place on earth?

While unsafe behaviour towards cast members and guests is an understandable ban, it appears you can get locked out of the kingdom for a number of other "violations". Some more straightforward than others.

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In February Dion Cini, of New York was issued a lifetime ban for unfurling a "Re-elect Trump 2020" banner in the park.

Many Trump supporters read the ban as a politically motivated move by the park operator.

However, though Cini's move riled up park members and those running the resort, he was banned on a matter of park policy, not politics.

Written in the park's "terms and conditions" is a clearly worded ban on "the usage of any flag, banner or sign for commercial purposes, or to incite a crowd."

Apparently there are a bunch of rules that can get you exiled from the Magical Kingdom, and not all of them as serious as punching an employee.

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No swimming

The Reddit page "why are you banned from Disney?" is full of moments of vain glory and bad visitor behaviour that have produced lifetime bans for guests.

Among the other rules set by Disneyland, taking a dip in the Epcot park's lagoon is apparently also a bannable offence.

Duck dive: No swimming in the Epcot park lagoon. Photo / Getty Images
Duck dive: No swimming in the Epcot park lagoon. Photo / Getty Images

Reddit user pantslessalways says an adventure with friends into the lagoon at his school graduation party "landed us a life time ban".

His friends decided they wanted to "go explore Tom Sawyer's Island," in the middle of the lagoon.

"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 event earned his year group a ban and a degree of infamy in his neighbourhood.

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Breaking the fourth wall

In a land of make-believe there are certain parts of Disney's attractions that are "off-limits" to guests in an effort to preserve the magic.

In a recent article looking at the secrets of Disney's 64-year-old theme park, one of the more surprising and less known facts was the inclusion of a tunnel system beneath the attractions.

Underworld: The surreal, joyless tunnels beneath the theme park. Photo / wikicommons
Underworld: The surreal, joyless tunnels beneath the theme park. Photo / wikicommons

The tunnel system was devised as a way of getting employees to the correct lands, avoiding the confusion of costumed characters walking through the "wrong" part of the park – shattering the illusion for guests. Although the secret tunnels are also used for more mundane tasks, such as park maintenance and rubbish disposal.

For many visitors the legend of this forbidden network of tunnels is too much of a temptation.

Most entrances are disguised within the theme park, but are easy to access if you know where to look.

Reddit user ymo was inspired to peek behind the curtain and explore the tunnels after hearing them described by friends employed by Disney.

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Hidden behind a cartoonish wooden door, which looked like part of the set, ymo decided to "venture into the underbelly of the hyperreal" and have a look at the tunnels for himself.

To his surprise the door was unlocked, giving him access to Disney's secret underworld.
"Gone were the sounds of joyous capitalism. The fluorescent lighting, the soundtrack of the park's digestive system, was already all I could hear."

Bumping into park workers, ymo said he fell back on a "foolproof" blame avoidance method of "repeating 'Switzerland' and 'sorry' while smiling and shrugging."

This sort of adventure can land you with a ban and a lot of trouble.
But online, Disney employees saw the funny side.

While visiting the tunnels isn't specifically a bannable offense, trespassing on Disney property certainly is.

One cast member said they were "cackling uncontrollably" and ymo was "damn lucky he didn't get a lifetime ban".

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Another reader, who claimed to be an employee of Disney, said his adventure wasn't that surprising. "I worked in Magic Kingdom for a little bit. NONE of the doors are locked. Like, literally, NONE."

Fancy dress

Perhaps suprisingly for a theme park inhabited by people in cartoon costumes, fancy dress for adult visitors is banned. Turning up in a costume could see you kicked out.

There are only certain events, such as the Disney Halloween parade, where costumes are allowed but under strict guidelines. Even then, masks and face coverings are prohibited for those over nine.

The reasoning being that this will discourage "fake" cast members posing with guests and running amok in the park.

Even looking like a cartoon princess can see you turned away at the gate, as visitor Natasha Narula discovered to her embarrassment at Disneyland Paris.

But apparently even non-Disney themed costumes are enough to get you kicked out of the kingdom.

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EverythingIsMediocre explained how he and a friend were sent home for their "full body elastic suits."

At first it looked like they had got away with it.

"Getting into the park was a non-issue," he explained. "People were laughing, we got pictures with guests and characters alike. The only thing we had to do was keep our faces revealed."

But the temptation of pulling their hoods up on the Thunder Mountain rollercoaster was too great.

Glorious: EverythingIsMediocre and pal ride the rollercoaster in bodysuits. Photo / Supplied
Glorious: EverythingIsMediocre and pal ride the rollercoaster in bodysuits. Photo / Supplied

After the ride stopped, he and his friend were met by guards.

"They took down our drivers license information and escorted us out through the back of the park (really cool) telling us we weren't welcome back."

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While they were bummed-out by the lifetime ban, neither of them minded too much.

They had got the glorious lycra-clad photo on the front row of the rollercoaster, which they came for. They didn't need to come back.

While Disney's full costume guideliness are fairly comprehensive, there are some things visitors are actively encouraged to wear.

Disney assures visitors that Mickey Mouse ears will always be welcome.

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