Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
When guests flock to Disney parks, they expect escapism, nostalgia, and carefully managed experiences—not headlines involving criminal investigations. Yet last month, Disneyland Paris found itself at the center of a disturbing story involving deception, forgery, and a staged wedding ceremony that never should have happened.
Security is a hallmark of Disney’s global resorts, which operate under tight procedures designed to prevent disruptions. Still, history shows that no system is infallible. Over the years, guests have snuck in weapons, scaled buildings, and even launched flash mobs. But what occurred in Paris in June 2025 defied expectations in both scale and motive.
Credit: Disneyland Paris
The event was booked under the guise of a luxury wedding. According to officials, what unfolded was an elaborate hoax orchestrated by a convicted British sex offender who allegedly manipulated Disney’s private event protocols to stage a mock wedding ceremony with a nine-year-old child.
A Chilling Plot Disguised as Celebration
British national Jaskarn “Jacky” Jhaj used a falsified Latvian identity to rent Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris. Reports say he paid around €130,000 for the event, which took place early in the morning before park opening. He hired an orchestra and recruited around 300 people—including 100 children—to serve as guests and extras.
The “bride,” a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl, appeared in a white gown and high heels, prompting concern among cast members. Within moments, the ceremony was stopped and local authorities were called. Four people were arrested onsite: Jhaj, the girl’s mother, and two individuals who had posed as the child’s father and sister.
Credit: Disneyland Paris
Prosecutors later confirmed the child was not physically harmed or coerced. Jhaj, who remains in custody, faces multiple charges including fraud, identity theft, breach of trust, money laundering, and corruption of a minor. He allegedly told Disneyland that the event was a social media production.
A Man Steps In To Stop Fake Disneyland Wedding
The wedding might have gone ahead unnoticed if not for one man: a former Russian special forces paratrooper named Vitalijs. He had been hired to play the father of the bride, paid the equivalent of £550. But just hours before the event, he discovered the child’s real age and walked away.
“I knew I had to do something,” he told authorities (via Daily Mail). “I sneaked into Disneyland without a pass.”
Carrying a handwritten note that read, “This is not a real wedding. The girl is nine years old!” Vitalijs infiltrated the park and handed it to a Disney employee. The employee stopped the ceremony immediately. Police arrived within minutes and arrested those involved, including Jhaj.
Credit: Disney
At the police station, Vitalijs was shown a fake British passport bearing his photo. He explained that a woman in Riga had once asked for a passport photo, claiming it was for a Disneyland pass. “Of course, I told the police that it wasn’t me and that it wasn’t my passport,” he said.
Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the Meaux prosecutor, later confirmed that the child had suffered “no violence, neither physical nor sexual,” and had “not been forced into playing the bride.” Still, the case has raised significant questions about how such an event was able to proceed on Disney property.
Disneyland Paris has not commented in detail but is reportedly reviewing internal procedures related to private events and third-party bookings. For many, the incident has underscored the need for greater scrutiny, even in places designed to feel far removed from the outside world.
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