Most guests who run into trouble with Walt Disney World Resort‘s dress code are turned away for wearing too little. Jesse Cole had the opposite problem.
Too Much Tuxedo for EPCOT
Cole, the owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team, is rarely seen without his signature bright yellow tuxedo — a look that has become inseparable from his personal brand. In 2017, he brought that look to EPCOT as part of a promotional “world book tour” for his book, “Find Your Yellow Tux,” with a plan to travel through the World Showcase asking cast members and guests to say “Go Bananas” or “yellow tuxedo” in their native languages.
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The tour started in the Mexico Pavilion. It ended at the Morocco Pavilion, where a security cast member pulled Cole aside and delivered the news.
“A security guard has his eyes on me, and he comes over, and he says, ‘Sir, we're gonna have to ask you to leave,'” Cole recalled. “‘You're confusing our guests as one of our characters.' And that was that. He walked me out of the park, and my world book tour was cut short.”
The Fine Print
Nothing in Walt Disney World Resort‘s written dress code specifically prohibits a yellow tuxedo. The rules target things such as costumes worn by guests 14 and older, clothing that exposes too much skin, and attire featuring objectionable language or imagery. But Disney's policies also give security broad authority to remove guests whose presence is deemed “inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests,” leaving considerable room for interpretation.
In Cole's case, the outfit wasn't the only issue. By filming promotional content for his book inside the park, he was also running afoul of Disney's ban on photography or recording for unapproved commercial purposes. And…posing for photos with strangers throughout the World Showcase put him in territory typically reserved for official character performers.
Cole, to his credit, owns it all.
“Looking back, it makes complete sense,” he said. “I believe you either have a success or you have a story, and with this world book tour, we certainly had a story.”
“Disney was 100% right when inviting me to leave!” he added in the Instagram caption. “Looking back, it makes total sense why they did what they did. My World Book Tour at EPCOT will go down as one of the not so great ideas I've had over the years.”
From Banned to Welcomed Back
The 2017 EPCOT exit hasn't defined Cole's relationship with the Disney parks. The Savannah Bananas returned to Disneyland Resort on March 26 for a second official “Savannah Bananas Day,” featuring player meet-and-greets, a special cavalcade, exclusive entertainment, and a merchandise pop-up at Downtown Disney.
Have you ever accidentally violated the Disney dress code? Share your story with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
Disney doesn’t follow their dress code. So many people (women) with their ass cheeks hanging out or wearing see thru lingerie. Its sad..