A shocking scene unfolded at Disneyland Resort as a woman was taken into custody in front of stunned theme park visitors. The incident occurred at California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Orange County, after the woman allegedly refused to show her ID to peace officers inside the park.
According to the Anaheim Police Department, she was cited for obstructing a peace officer.
Disneyland officials revealed that the woman had attempted to sneak her children into the park without valid tickets. When confronted by staff, she allegedly failed to cooperate, prompting the involvement of the Anaheim Police Department.
READ MORE: ‘I weighed 28 stone and felt like a burden – but trip to Disneyland made me turn my life around’
It is suspected that this was not an isolated incident, as police believe the woman had tried to exploit the park’s age and ticketing rules on a previous occasion. Disneyland’s policy allows children under 3 to enter the park for free, provided they are accompanied by a guest with a valid ticket and theme park reservation.
A disturbing video of the arrest has been circulating on social media, showing the woman being escorted out of the park with two visibly distressed children. The footage has sparked outrage among viewers, who have criticised security officials for their handling of the situation, reports the Mirror US.
One viewer commented, “The fact that no one’s helping the girls and people just staring and recording these police don’t care about children.”
Another added, “Breaks my heart cause they’re gonna have a bad memory from Disneyland pobres bebes they just went to have fun”.
One commenter backed Disney’s decision to involve the authorities, saying: “Everyone saying Disney is wrong for this… uhhh sorry but play stupid games win stupid prizes. That’s on HER.. and it’s not her first time trying to do this type of thing. So… MOM DO BETTER.”
Another user agreed, adding: “This mom is wrong for letting her girls stress out… she needed to get to their level and say it’s ok we are going to talk .SHE IS THE DRAMA”.
Last year, Disney implemented stricter measures to prevent visitors from exploiting ticket-buying rules. The company announced that guests found to have made false statements to obtain Disability Access Services (DAS) would be permanently banned from their parks.
In a statement on its website, Disney emphasized its commitment to preventing the misuse of the DAS scheme, which enables individuals with disabilities to enjoy rides without waiting in long queues.
“If it is determined that any of the statements a Guest made in the process of obtaining DAS are not true, the Guest will be permanently barred from entering the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort,” the Disney website states.
The company further warns that customers found to have lied about their disabilities will forfeit their previously purchased Annual Passes, Magic Key passes, tickets, and other park products and services without a refund. DAS, which stands for Disability Access Service, is a complimentary system designed to assist guests with disabilities by allowing them to schedule a return time for attractions instead of waiting in conventional lines.
Before updates were made, DAS was defined as a programme for “guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.”
Initiatives such as this are crucial in ensuring that individuals with access needs have the same opportunities to delight in theme parks and tourist hotspots. However, current DAS participants will need to re-apply for the service to meet the updated criteria.