Angry at a Magic Kingdom Cast Member for looking at her, a tourist took action by grabbing the employee’s vest and threatening to file a complaint to Disney, according to a newly released Orange County Sheriff’s report.
The Cast Member said a guest — identified as 58-year-old Emily Santos from Sacramento, California — grabbed the back of her vest and demanded to know her name as tensions ran high during the Festival of Fantasy Parade, according to the sheriff’s report.
The 27-year-old Cast Member told Santos to stop touching her but Santos kept pulling on her vest. The Cast Member walked away to get her supervisor.
Telling her side of the story to authorities, Santos accused the Cast Member of “behaving rudely and unprofessionally towards her,” the report said.
During the parade, Santos said the Cast Member continuously stared at her and her family. Santos went up to the Cast Member and asked for her name because Santos wanted to file a complaint “over her conduct,” the sheriff’s report said.
Santos said the Cast Member “blatantly ignored her and began walking away” which is why Santos said she tapped the Cast Member’s shoulder to get her attention.
The Cast Member covered up her name on the tag and asked why Santos wanted to know her identity.
Santos denied grabbing hold of the Cast Member’s vest or shirt.
But another Disney employee verified the Cast Member’s account. The other Disney employee said she watched the two women get in a “brief argument” before the parade. Later on, near the end of the parade, the employee saw Santos grab the cast member’s shoulder to get her to turn around so Santos could read the Cast Member’s name tag. The cast member backed away from Santos while Santos continued to follow her until other Disney employees stepped in and defused the situation.
Santos wasn’t charged with a crime. The sheriff’s report “was written for informational purposes only,” the document said.
The incident happened on November 5 near The Crystal Palace. It took the sheriff’s office months to release the report which is why WDWNT is reporting on it now.
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