Police Called to Disney Park After Man Pushes Woman to Ground While in Line

Summer is one of the busiest times to visit Walt Disney World Resort. It is also one of the hottest. Add a holiday weekend into the mix, and things can really hit a peak. Between the heat, the crowds, and the long lines, tempers can flare and things can get out of control quickly. That appeared to be the case during a Fourth of July incident at EPCOT.

According to a newly released report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a woman claimed that she was shoved to the ground by an older man during a trip to EPCOT over the holiday weekend.

The report states that a woman named Tiifani — a 37-year-old from Tennessee — alleged that she was shoved to the ground while waiting in line for the popular attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Tiffani said that she was waiting in line for the ride when a group of people tried to walk by her. They said that they were catching up to their party. Tiffani said that they should wait in line like everyone else, and the rest of their party could wait for them at the front of the line.

Then, she said a man, identified in the report as Michael, said, “So, you’re not going to let us pass?” Tiffani said that, before she could respond, he shoved her out of the way. She claims that she fell to the ground and twisted her ankle. She refused medical treatment, but did say that she wanted Michael arrested and wanted to press charges. Furthermore, she said that there was enough room for him to go around her in the line without touching her.

Michael, however, had a different version of events that he told the police.

Michael said that, if he touched Tiffani, it was most likely with his backpack and he didn’t mean to. He said that he had taken his grandchild out of the line to use the restroom. When he tried to get back in line, Tiffani thought that he was trying to cut the line and would not let him pass with his grandchild. He said that he did not push her out of the way or bump into her on purpose.

Police noted that Michael had a thick Irish accent, and it was tough to understand what he was saying sometimes. However, they determined that he did not do anything intentionally or with malice. Michael, who stood at about 5’5″ and weighed about 130 pounds, said that he was not walking fast enough to knock anyone down or push them off balance.

The police report notes that there were other guests who witnessed the event, but they were not spoken to. Michael was not arrested, and Disney did not issue a trespass notice. The officer wrote in the report that there was not enough evidence to constitute an arrest.

Michael and his family left EPCOT after the incident. Tiffani and her party remained in the park.