Disney Cracks Down on Prohibited Activity, Bans Multiple People from Parks

Disney World is cracking down hard on a popular activity.

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The Walt Disney World Resort is an absolutely magical place for the entire family to visit. Located in Orlando, Florida, guests of Walt Disney World will find hundreds of fun and magical activities to explore and enjoy, ranging from thrilling roller coasters to incredible live shows and entertainment. The Walt Disney World Resort is comprised of four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, all of which offer amazing adventures that you simply must do during your stay. However, with Disney World being as large as it is, we don’t blame you for getting lost, whether that’s literally or figuratively.

The Walt Disney World Resort property in Florida consists of nearly 28,000 acres of land, which, along with the four theme parks, also houses two water parks, an outdoor shopping and dining area known as Disney Springs, golf courses, and other recreational activities. Due to the sheer size of the resort, Guests can traverse Walt Disney World in many ways, ranging from the iconic Monorail to the amazing Walt Disney World Skyliner.

To summarize, Walt Disney World is massive, and it can be extremely overwhelming, especially for first-time guests. This is where tour guides can really help.

Disney offers a ton in the way of VIP tours and behind-the-scenes experiences, though these all come with a hefty price tag of course. Some of these tours allow guests to skip the lines on rides and attractions or enjoy experiences that are usually off-limits to general guests. However, a long tradition of the Walt Disney World resort is apparently no more, with Disney cracking down significantly on third-party tours.

As reported by Insider, police officers are serving trespassing warrants to third-party tour guides in Florida.

Nicholas Deniz worked as a third-party tour guide, teaching guests about the massive Walt Disney World property. This all changed last month when he was waiting with his clients and was approached by a manager and two Orange County police officers. Deniz was escorted away from his clients, during which they “felt horrible” as they watched him leave.

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“It felt like he had done something terribly wrong, the way that they pulled him aside and spoke to him,” said one of the clients. Denize stated that eventually, a police officer handed him a trespass notice and informed him he was indefinitely banned from all Walt Disney World properties in Orlando, Florida. The ban could reportedly be appealed via a handwritten letter addressed to security only after one entire year had passed.

After speaking with park staff, Deniz said a police officer handed him a trespass notice and told him he was indefinitely banned from all Walt Disney World properties. He said the officer told him the ban could be appealed via a handwritten letter addressed to Disney’s security director after one year. According to local law, those who violate this ruling could face arrest as well:

“Unauthorized commercial activities are not permitted at Disney World as clearly stated in our property rules,” a Disney spokesperson told Insider in a statement. A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told Insider they have deputies assigned to work at the park every day.

Several companies revealed they two had been hit with trespassing notices, some of whom have been operating for decades. According to Insider, a lot of these businesses help clients secure dining and lodging reservations at Disney World, potentially bringing in more business for The Walt Disney Company.

These third-party organizations are often substantially cheaper than the VIP experiences Disney offers.

“None of us are attempting to portray Disney in a negative light, but are just desperate for answers,” said Alayna Crutchfield, owner of Elevate Amusement, told Insider.

A spokesperson for Disney stated that the company is beginning to crack down on third-party organizations because they are conducting unauthorized activity. Disney claims that because business is served on private property, it is therefore unlawful. This crackdown is affecting hundreds of people, some of whom have been doing this job for quite a long time.

Melinda Hanks has owned and operated her business since 2008 until this crackdown.

“This was my livelihood, and it’s completely stopped,” Hanks said.

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This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.