A late-night attempt to board one final Disney attraction reportedly ended with a guest being arrested at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
According to WDWNT, a Canadian tourist was taken into custody after allegedly shoulder-checking a Disney Cast Member during a confrontation near Pandora – The World of Avatar after park closing.
The incident reportedly took place on March 20 just after Animal Kingdom closed for the evening at 7 p.m.
While Disney World sees plenty of frustrated guests every year, this particular situation quickly became much more serious than a simple disagreement over a closed ride.
According to WDWNT, the problem began when 48-year-old Domenico Barbieri asked a Cast Member about family members who were outside the attraction entrance after the queue had already closed for the night.
At Disney World, closing time does not necessarily mean rides stop operating immediately. Guests already inside a queue before the posted closing time are usually allowed to ride. That creates a rush at many major attractions right before the parks close, especially at rides like Avatar Flight of Passage.
According to WDWNT, the attraction entrance had already been blocked off with chains when Barbieri’s family members allegedly crossed into the queue anyway.
The Cast Member reportedly removed them from the line.
That normally would have ended the interaction.
Instead, according to WDWNT, the family later returned and allegedly tried entering through the attraction’s Lightning Lane entrance.
The arrest report states the Cast Member attempted to stop Barbieri from continuing farther into the queue while asking him to leave the area again.
That’s when things reportedly became physical.
According to WDWNT, the report claims Barbieri continued moving forward and shoved the Cast Member with his shoulder after allegedly stating she was not going to stop him.
The report further alleges the Cast Member kept placing herself in front of him to prevent him from reaching other employees and guests farther ahead in line.
According to WDWNT, the Cast Member was allegedly shoulder-checked a second time before Barbieri finally stopped farther inside the queue area.
Disney Security and management were reportedly notified immediately afterward.
The report did not officially identify which attraction was involved. However, according to WDWNT, the location listed by law enforcement places the incident near Pandora – The World of Avatar, meaning the attraction was likely Avatar Flight of Passage or Na’vi River Journey.
For longtime Disney fans, the story feels like another example of how intense park environments can sometimes become.
Animal Kingdom’s Pandora area stays extremely crowded late into the evening because many guests believe nighttime is the best time to experience the land. Flight of Passage also remains one of the resort’s most in-demand rides, regularly posting some of the longest waits at Walt Disney World.
Still, Disney Cast Members are expected to follow operating procedures once ride entrances officially close.
And increasingly, Disney appears to be backing employees aggressively when guests become confrontational.
According to WDWNT, Barbieri was charged with first-degree misdemeanor battery and later pleaded not guilty.
The outlet also reported that a pre-trial conference hearing has been scheduled for May 22.
