Not allowed into a Grand Floridian restaurant because he wore his swimming trunks, a drunk South Carolina man slapped a teenage Disney Cast Member and then threatened to sue Disney as he was arrested, according to a newly released arrest report.
Drunk Man Slaps Teenage Cast Member at Citricos
John Munro, 64, has been charged with misdemeanor battery and pleaded not guilty, court records show.
Munro knows something about luxury hotels. He is the Vice President of Hospitality, Sales, and Marketing at the prestigious Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, where he lives. The resort confirmed Munro works there but did not comment further.
“It’s a personal matter,” The Sea Pines Resort spokeswoman Karen Moraghan said.
Munro was arrested in Orlando following the incident at Citricos, the fine dining restaurant with the Mary Poppins Returns theme.
“Guests are expected to dress accordingly in attire that respects the restaurant’s sophisticated and upscale aesthetic. Clothing should be clean, neat, and in good condition. Please no swimwear,” Disney said on the restaurant’s website.
At 8:55 p.m., on November 19, 2023, Munro showed up to his reservation in swimming shorts and a T-shirt, and the Disney Cast Member warned him he could not eat with the rest of his family who was dressed appropriately, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s arrest report. (The sheriff’s office takes months to release public records so that’s why we’re writing about it now.)
Munro said that would be no problem and wanted to wait with his family before they got seated. He waited for 15 minutes and then tried to walk in with them to their table anyway, still wearing his swimming trunks.
One of Munro’s family members asked the cast member for help.
“Please don’t allow him to sit with us. He is really drunk, underdressed. It’s my birthday and I’m embarrassed!” the woman said, according to the arrest report.
The cast member told Munro he wasn’t allowed into the restaurant.
Then Munro got aggressive with the Cast Member who wore a name tag.
He slapped the Disney Cast Member three times on her forehead and taunted her, saying her name over and over again, the arrest report said.
The 19-year-old Cast Member “stood in shock while she held onto the restaurant menus with both hands,” the arrest report said. She wasn’t injured but the incident made her cry, the report said. She wanted to prosecute Munro.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office intervened and arrested him.
“During my interactions with John, whom I identified via his South Carolina driver’s license, he appeared intoxicated based on his slurred speech, glossy red eyes, and John constantly repeating that he was going to sue Disney,” the arrest report said.
Munro’s attorney did not respond to a message for comment Friday.
Munro talked about the importance of hotel staff nine months before his arrest when The Sea Pines was recognized in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hotels” rankings.
“Perhaps even more important than achieving a ‘Best Hotel’ ranking for the very first time is sustaining excellence over several years,” Munro said, according to a resort press release. “This is a tribute to each welcoming staff member who understands our commitment to go above and beyond to ensure guests make memories here and keep returning with family and friends.”
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