We have all heard the horror stories of Disney princesses dealing with some overly-friendly fathers while performing, but did you know that moms could be just as guilty? Being a prime vacation destination, Walt Disney World in Florida sees many different Guests from all walks of life. While most of them are simply there to have a good time, Cast Members sometimes have to deal with the absolute worst of humanity. One entertainment Cast Member recently shed light on his experiences with grabby Guests.
Learning Basic Respect
It truly boggles the mind how people can lose all decorum when on vacation, especially in a theme park for families. This goes without saying, but a person performing as a character in costume is not an open invitation to violate them. However, entertainment Cast Member Justin Aldridge stresses that this appalling behavior isn’t limited to only plaguing female performers. In fact, getting groped was common for him during his time as an actor at Hollywood Studios.
Aldridge told The Mirror that the horror stories of intrusive parkgoers at Disney World extended way further than just unreserved dads and princesses. Some Guests would occasionally forget personal boundaries when interacting with him as a Green Army Man. He went into detail about his negative experiences with certain encounters:
A lot of women – including moms – would slip their hands down lower and lower while waiting on a photo to be taken. Luckily, playing a ‘toy’ I could leave in a hurry by saying, ‘Never leave a toy behind, see you later’ or something like that. Mostly, the women would be fine with that but on occasion, they could get a bit aggressive. I’d also get some women who would use me as a prop and wrap their leg around me for a photo, but we can’t have photos like that ending up online, so I always had to put a stop to it.
Inappropriate Disney Guest Behavior
It is a strange concept to grasp. Almost no one would try this behavior with a random stranger anywhere else. So why do some people suddenly think it’s okay to do simply because the Cast Member is dressed head-to-toe in green? The mental gymnastics of it is truly wild!
This is not the first time the issue has been brought to life. A viral video earlier this year showcased a Guest inappropriately harassing Gaston from Beauty and the Beast at Disneyland Resort in California. One Captain Jack Sparrow performer said it wasn’t uncommon to have Guests offer their hotel room key, hoping for a visit later. Even a Love Island star had to be escorted away from Kylo Ren for refusing to behave appropriately.
While alcohol could play a factor in many of these negative interactions, some happen at Magic Kingdom, where alcohol is not easily found. Nevertheless, there is never a justification for unsolicited inappropriate behavior with a performing Cast Member.
Here’s hoping that bringing these incidents of inappropriate Disney Guest behavior to light will slowly start to help lessen their chances of occurring. No employee should ever have to get used to unacceptable Guest behavior as part of the job.
