Disneyland Resort is often called “The Happiest Place on Earth,” but a recent guest experience has cast a shadow on that reputation. A Disneyland Park visitor recently shared an unsettling account of a racially motivated verbal altercation that left her shaken during her trip to the Southern California theme park.
Stephanie (@stephanielizabeth08 on TikTok) visited Disneyland Park with her wife last week, hoping to enjoy the magic of the holiday season. However, as the couple made their way out of the park during the busy A Christmas Fantasy Parade, an unexpected encounter with another guest disrupted their afternoon.
“I had a really weird experience at Disneyland,” Stephanie said in her TikTok video. She described the chaotic atmosphere on Main Street, U.S.A., where guests were tightly packed due to the Christmas parade.
@stephanielizabeth08 shaking because if you’re brown, you know this feeling… you know why it happened… #disneyland #disney @Disney Parks
Stephanie recounted that she and her wife were silently walking behind a mother and daughter when the mother suddenly yelled, “Move! These people are driving me crazy.”
The woman pulled her daughter aside, seemingly waiting for Stephanie and her wife to pass.
“I turned around like, wait, did she just say that?” Stephanie explained. “And she’s just staring at us. I was so confused.”
The couple thought the uncomfortable moment was over but reencountered the same woman after briefly stepping into a souvenir shop. When they exited, the mother and daughter were behind them once more, and Stephanie noticed the woman glaring at them.
“She was just mad-dogging us again,” Stephanie shared in her video. “And yes…they were [white].”
Stephanie explained that the incident left her shaken and feeling racially targeted. “Shaking because if you’re brown, you know this feeling… you know why it happened…,” she wrote.
Stephanie’s story resonated with many Disney Parks fans, some of whom shared similar experiences in the TikTok comments.
“This reminds me of a lady who kept claiming we cut in front of her at Star Tours once, and my mom was speaking Spanish, and she started being racist towards us,” one commenter wrote. “I didn’t know till we got out, but I would’ve swung so fast.”
“One time I went by myself and this lady shoved me because I didn’t give her enough room to walk past me,” another user said. “It was insane.”
Disneyland Resort has strict policies to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all Southern California theme park guests. If you witness or experience harassment, verbal or physical, Disney encourages guests to report it immediately to the nearest cast member. Security teams are trained to handle such situations and can respond swiftly to ensure the safety of everyone in the park.
Have you encountered a rude guest at Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort? Share your story with Disney Fanatic in the comments.
