Nine Things You’re Not Allowed to Do at Disney
Disney markets its theme parks as the Happiest and Most Magical Places on Earth.
Obviously, maintaining that level of harmony comes with a few strings attached.
Guests must all agree to behave appropriately. Otherwise, the system collapses.
Here are nine things you’re not allowed to do at a Disney theme park.
Image Credit: Disney
Dress Like a Disney Character
During the fall of 2020, Disney visitors received a rare treat. For a brief period, they could dress like their favorite Disney characters.
This ability may not sound like a big deal, but it represented a cataclysmic, albeit temporary, policy shift for Disney.
Park officials don’t want adults dressing like characters for fear that they may misbehave.
The company spends plenty of resources training its staff on proper behavior.
Some rando dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow might do something that upsets a guest.
Such behavior would reflect poorly on Disney…even though they have nothing to do with it.
So, Disney disallows guests from wearing such costumes.
The company made a brief exception since the pandemic canceled Disney’s Halloween party. Don’t expect that to happen again anytime soon, though.
BYOB
Some of Disney’s rules make perfect sense.
For example, guests cannot bring alcohol into the parks under any circumstances.
First of all, if you need a beer so bad that you cannot wait until you reach the World Showcase, you probably need to start a 12-step program.
Second, the last thing that cast members want is for someone stinking of whiskey to give them a hard time about a ride wait-time or the like.
Emotions already run high at the parks sometimes. Adding alcohol to the mix would make the situation even worse.
Also, you never know who might have some absinthe that they think would be fun to chug before getting on Space Mountain.
That’s a protein spill waiting to happen.
Chew Gum
When you check out at any grocery store in North America, the cash register shelves will feature like 27 flavors of bubble gum.
(Kent Phillips, photographer)
However, have you ever noticed that you don’t see any at the counters at theme parks? That’s not a coincidence.
Disney spends an inordinate amount of time cleaning its parks. The last thing any cast member needs is to be scraping gum off benches and sidewalks.
This rule comes with a bit of an asterisk. Disney won’t kick anybody out for chewing gum. It’s just something they strongly discourage.
Cut the Line
You’d be surprised how much this one comes up each day at the parks.
There’s always some bozo in a line who thinks that they can cut in front of a bunch of people.
Even before the age of Magic Bands, this idea worked poorly at Disney. Cast members maintain constant vigilance for such selfish park guests.
Now that Magic Bands exist, park officials know where you are at all times.
So, if you’re getting through lines too quickly, Disney will know something’s up.
You will not be treated in a friendly manner when you act this way, either.
Enter Staff Areas
Disney does such a terrific job with theming that you won’t even notice many cast member areas.
However, some have proven more challenging to hide, especially at shops and restaurants.
Also, some attentive guests search for entry points for the Utilidors, which is the real reason for this rule.
Disney doesn’t want park visitors roaming the underground Utilidors. It’s not just about ruining the illusion; it’s also dangerous.
Photo: Disney
Since some people have grown obsessed with trying to look behind the curtain, Disney has adopted harsh rules for cheaters who sneak into the Utilidors.
Those of you who would like to see them still have a chance, though. Some Magic Kingdom tours include brief walks through the underground passages.
Exit Moving Rides
Did you know that Patrick Warburton once got sent to Disney jail? Yes, the voice of Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove got busted doing something naughty.
Warburton and his friends decided to jump off the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in the middle of the ride.
That’s a huuuuuge no-no at Disney. It jeopardizes the safety of guests and cast members alike. It could even trigger a sensor that automatically shuts down the ride.
Disney will punish anyone who foolishly gets out of a ride cart without cast member approval.
You’ll get sent to Disney jail for questioning, and you might even get banned from the park!
Feed the Animals
My brother and his wife recently told me a story about how their lunch at a Disney restaurant got disrupted by angry birds.
No, I’m not talking about the videogame creatures. I mean that some birds were hanging out near the restaurant’s outdoor seating area.
Photo: Kent Phillips
Based on experience, they knew that they could score some tasty barbecue from generous guests. It happens all the time at Disney.
In fact, a handful of restaurants notoriously suffer from bird interference.
For this reason, Disney has banned guests from feeding animals at the parks.
Yes, this rule applies to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Really, it applies more there than anywhere else.
Cast members meticulously plot animal diets, and your sandwich could screw that up.
Smoke
You’re not misremembering. You could smoke at Disney as recently as the spring of 2019.
Over the years, park officials discouraged the practice. First, Disney limited smoking to designated areas of the parks.
Photo: Irish Cancer Society
Then, Disney gradually reduced the number of places where smokers could go.
Finally, in May of 2019, the parks adopted a totally smoke-free policy. And yes, that applies to vaping and marijuana, too.
Photo: Bustle
By the way, Disney has cameras everywhere and enforces this rule strictly. So, don’t think you can smoke in the bathroom or in a secluded area.
The eye in the sky will know.
Spread Ashes
Did you just cringe? I know that I do anytime I think about the macabre nature of this rule.
Disney bans the spreading of ashes because it must. Fans are passionate about the parks, and some of them make a dying wish.
Photo: WorthPoint
They ask their friends to take a part of them and leave it at Disney. Generally, the deceased select their favorite attractions.
However – and I think you know where I’m about to go with this – one attraction garners even more attention.
Photo: Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort
Haunted Mansion happily informs guests that it has 999 happy haunts but room for 1,000. The Ghost Host even asks for volunteers.
Well, that’s a rhetorical statement rather than a serious offer. Cast members will freak out if they catch anybody trying to spread ashes on the ride.
If you ever hear a Disney employee shout HEPA cleanup, you should probably wash your hands and change your clothes back at the hotel.
