Disney enforces a wide range of rules at its theme parks, from restrictions on what guests can bring in with them to behaviors that are likely to get you ejected. Most of them are fairly obvious, and apply at many other theme park chains, too – but some are a little unexpected, and guests do occasionally fall foul of them.
We think it’s unlikely that many Theme Park Tourist readers will need educating about what they can and can’t do on Disney property. But we still thought it might be fun to round up a list of things that Mickey frowns upon…
20 Go topless
It can get really hot at Disney theme parks, especially those in Florida and California. It doesn’t help that you’re probably racing in an excited state from one attraction to another.
Take your top off to cool down, though, and you’re likely to be immediately approached by a Cast Member and asked to put it back on. Refuse, and you’ll be asked to leave.
The same applies to shoes – Disney wants you to wear them at all times. The exception, of course, is at Walt Disney World’s two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.
19. Shoot video on a roller coaster
Carrying loose objects onto a roller coaster is a very bad idea. If you drop them, they could strike a fellow rider (or you) at high speed, with devastating results. That’s one reason why Disney forbids video recording on rides such as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Space Mountain.
You’ll also get into trouble for filming during attractions that feature a lot of copyrighted material, such as Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. You’re unlikely to have a problem capturing footage of your ride on It’s a Small World, however, despite it technically being against the rules.
18. Swear at another guest or Cast Member
There are plenty of reasons to get frustrated at Disney parks, such as rides breaking down or other guests cutting in line. Keep your cool, though – if you get abusive with other guests or Cast Members, you’re likely to be removed from the park.
17. Shoot a movie
“Videotaping, recording of any kind, broadcast or transmission for commercial purposes” is forbidden at Disney parks. In reality, this isn’t strictly enforced – if you run a theme park website like ours, for example, it’s unlikely that anyone will stop you from filming footage of a new ride, despite it technically being for commercial purposes.
Try and bring in a full-scale film crew, though, and you’ll soon be stopped. That’s why the few non-Disney movies that have been shot at the parks have been filmed largely undercover using amateur equipment.
16. Take flash photos an indoor ride
It’s not just video recording that’s discouraged on indoor rides. Flash photography can be very annoying to other guests, particularly on atmospheric attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean.
In our experience, this is one of the rules that is most frequently broken by guests at every Disney resort.
15. Ride a Segway
Disney explicitly bans "wheeled mobility devices with less than 3 wheels and devices that cannot maintain stability and balance when stopped, unpowered or unoccupied" from its parks. The aim is clear - the company does not want Segways rolling up Main Street, USA.
One woman with muscular dystrophy challenged Disney's ban in court, but a California judge ruled against her. Among the evidence that Disney submitted? That "in 2010, the owner of the company that makes Segways, died when he apparently lost control of his Segway."
14. Ride a skateboard or rollerskate
Thinking of saving on shoe leather and beating the crowds by skating around Disneyland? Think again. The park, along with all other Disney parks, bans skateboards, rollerskates, rollerblades and just about anything else on wheels (with the exception of strollers and wheelchairs).
13. Wield a weapon
You may want to defend yourself from Darth Vader, Maleficent or some of the other scarier characters at Disney’s parks – but you’ll have to do so in a non-violent way. Since September 11, Disney has protected its parks with extensive bag searches, and bringing in a knife of any kind (or even worse, a gun) is really not a good idea.
12. Sit on a folding chair
Waiting to watch one of Disney's parades can be a brutal affair. Families gather an hour or more in advance, lining the pavements of Main Street, USA and waiting in the beating sun for Mickey and his friends to come past.
Wouldn't it be lovely to have a folding chair with you to make that wait more bearable? Tough luck - they aren't allowed. Probably understandably, given the amount of precious room they would take up.
11. Drink your own alcohol
Disney may have relaxed its alcohol ban at its theme parks over the years, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to allow you to bring your own in.
Glass containers are also banned, with the exception of baby food jars.
Comments
When I was in MK in March there were 5 women who were all dressed as Cinderella. 3 of them really looked like her as they were blonde (there hair was up as Cinderella's is), all had on the blue dress, long white gloves and one was wearing shoes that looked like the glass slippers. You could tell it was confusing for the little kids because they kept pointing at them and yelling Cinderella. Why was this allowed?
You all have valid points, but you missed one. I was a Disney world cast member for 2 years. To help with the " Disney Magic ", all characters have a schedule. No two of the same characters is allowed to be in public at the same time. So, if Cinderella is out in public in Disneyland, she will not be seen in any other park during that time.
This is not true. This myth would be impossible to maintain. Entertainment schedules in Disneyland in California are in no way tied to schedules in Walt Disney World in Florida. At Disney World, characters could be viewed at the same time in different parks. For example ... Mickey could be doing a meet n greet at the Studios while appearing on stage at the Magic Kingdom. These two parks are about five miles apart. The part of this myth that is true is that you won't see the same character in public at the same time in the same park. For example ... At the Magic Kingdom, Mickey would not be appearing on stage while driving by in a parade.
not completely true, A Disney character can not be seen in the same place as a double, they are scheduled but only a few characters are a guarantee. They name a spot like "princess room" but will not say who is in the room. That is so they can actually have the characters be in different parks or locations
That's not true at all. I was in Disney Entertainment, friends with many characters ( you know what that means if you were a cast member for 2 years ) for nine years, and I promise you that they would put characters everywhere they could get away with. There were times we would just miss each other when we were out but a parade was coming, or we would almost be able to see each other when we were on opposite ends of the park doing meet and greets. The parade would be going on with one character and that character would also be out somewhere else in the same park. Mickey's house when it used to be at WDW and Mickey's house at Disneyland are prime examples. We're all right next to each other, and you'd never know. Please don't talk about things you don't know.