Cast Members Portraying Mickey, Minnie & Donald Touched Inappropriately
Cast members who portray Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck claim they were touched inappropriately by guests at Walt Disney World in December. The three Walt Disney World employees filed police reports this month asserting those claims.
The Orlando Sentinel printed the following from Disney, “Everyone should feel safe at work, and we encourage Cast Members to come forward in any uncomfortable situation,” said Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger in a statement. “We provide multiple resources to protect our Cast Members’ well-being, including on-site law enforcement officers who respond, and are available to them, if needed.”
The Orlando Sentinel described the incident with Mickey Mouse as, “In one case, a woman who works as Mickey Mouse at the Magic Kingdom went to the hospital because of a neck injury after a woman patted her on the costume head about five times, according a report she filed with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The force made the character’s head slide down, straining the 36-year-old employee’s neck, the report said.
The employee didn’t believe the grandmother hurt her on purpose, and the sheriff’s office ruled the Dec. 4 incident a civil matter, not a criminal one. No lawsuits appear to have been filed in Orange County Circuit Court.”
The Orlando Sentinel went on to describe the incident with Minnie Mouse as well:
“It started innocently when a 36-year-old Disney employee who portrays Minnie Mouse posed for pictures with a man and his wife from Minnesota in the park’s circus-themed meet-and-greet area.
Afterward, Minnie Mouse gave the man a hug. Then without saying a word, he groped her chest three times, according to the sheriff’s incident report.
The employee alerted her supervisors. On Dec. 6, she identified pictures of the 61-year-old man from Brewster, Minn.”
Apparently the man had a previous interactions with a cast membrer which was inappropropiate as well. The Orlando Sentinel continued, “The man also had “an inappropriate interaction with a cast member” Dec. 5 at the Magic Kingdom, according to the sheriff’s office incident report that didn’t provide any additional details on what happened. Disney declined to elaborate.
Disney took some action to ban the man from the theme parks.”
“It should be noted that (the man) is a Disney Vacation Club member. As a result, he was trespassed from all of Walt Disney World property, to exclude the Saratoga Springs resort,” the sheriff’s report stated.
Lastly, the Orlando Sentinel reported the following regarding the incident with Donald Duck: “The Orange County Sheriff’s office also responded to another call from a guest mistreating a Disney World costumed character Dec. 3 at an Animal Kingdom restaurant.
Donald Duck agreed, but the situation escalated quickly as the 18-year-old employee playing the character said the woman began touching and grabbing the character’s arms, chest, belly, and face.
The employee moved toward another Disney employee for help, but the woman followed her, holding on, and then “frantically” put her hands inside the character’s costume, touching her chest.
The woman’s family realized what was happening and shouted at the woman to stop. The character attendant led the employee away to the break room.”
All three cast members who filed the reports ultimately declined to press charges.
Source: OrlandoSentinel.com