The Walt Disney Company sells its parks on the idea that everyone who walks through the gates deserves a little magic. For one family at Disneyland Resort, that idea fell apart in the middle of a merchandise store.
A 14-year-old girl with autism reportedly bumped into another guest by accident, and what should have ended with an apology instead spiraled into a confrontation involving several adults, multiple cast members, and a teenager left in tears. The moment was captured on video and shared to TikTok, where it has reignited conversations about how guests treat one another inside Disney’s parks.
A Growing List of Guests Behaving Badly
This latest clip arrives during a rough stretch for guest conduct. At EPCOT in the Walt Disney World Resort, tempers flared in the queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and also on the East Coast, there have been numerous incidents aboard the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction.
When it comes to Disneyland Paris, a group fight erupted in line for the classic Mickey and the Magician show, while during the Christmas season at Disneyland Resort’s Disney California Adventure Park last year, an altercation broke out in the Radiator Springs Racers queue.
What Happened Inside Elias & Co.
The confrontation took place inside Elias & Co., the flagship merchandise store at Disney California Adventure, the sister location to Disneyland Park across the esplanade. Named after Walt Disney’s father, Elias, the store anchors Buena Vista Street, the park’s 1920s Los Angeles-inspired entryway, and is styled after a classic department store. As the largest shop in the park, it is rarely quiet, and its aisles can get tight when crowds build.
The footage was posted by TikTok user Devan Jean (@walkindevansears), who said they witnessed the incident. In the first clip, a black-haired woman appears to hold her husband back as he argues with other guests.
Another clip shows the situation turning physical as the crowded merchandise store becomes increasingly involved in the altercation. The woman, who was previously seen shouting that this was because of “[her] daughter” and pointing at another guest, approaches someone else in line and appears to shove her before at least one cast member and other guests step in to separate the two.
The TikTok user shared the following account of what led up to the footage:
The lady with the black hair holding her husband back at the beginning started all of this. She got upset because a 14 year old Autistic girl bumped into her a couple times. She made a comment about her being a little B word to the mother of the autistic child because she believed she should know how to control herself and not bump into people.
When the mother explained she was 14 and autistic that set the lady off even more because she believed that because she was 14 she is capable of being aware of her surroundings.. as the mother kept defending her daughter the lady with the black hair decided to start an altercation which her husband decided to join in on. He approached at least 3 different innocent bystandards through this event. She kept pointing fingers and blaming the mom and daughter to justify their actions to security and the cast members. I actually felt so bad for the young girl.
I approached her to make sure she was okay as she was crying upset because she didn’t know what this lady was going to do to her mom. Disability or not it’s not that hard to be a decent human and just walk away when you’re annoyed. I get it, Disney crowds are hard to manage if you’re not used to it but that does not make it okay to cause a scene in front of children and other guests. I did hear some comments about alcohol being a factor in the couples reaction but that doesn’t make it okay. That’s when it’s time for an escort out the gate.
From comments about Disney needing to limit alcohol sales in the parks (there was no confirmation that alcohol was involved, however) to jokes about Disney raising prices to “keep the riff raff out,” the video went viral on social media and has amassed over 237,000 views at the time of publication.
Crowded stores and busy walkways are part of any Disney day, and accidental bumps will happen. Should a disagreement start to escalate, the safest move is to step away and find a cast member rather than handle it yourself. Disneyland Resort’s park rules allow guests to be removed for disruptive behavior, and no souvenir run is worth a scene in front of someone’s child.
What is the worst behavior you have seen while visiting a Disney park? Let us know in the comments below!
