Former Disney Cast Member Reportedly Stole 100 Souvenirs, Changed Hairstyle To Get Away
A former Walt Disney World Resort cast member is facing grand theft and robbery charges after authorities say she walked out of the World of Disney store at Disney Springs with a bag full of stolen merchandise, then ducked into a nearby restaurant and changed her appearance in an alleged attempt to avoid being identified.
What Happened at World of Disney on June 12
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to World of Disney at Disney Springs on June 12 after a cast member reported witnessing 28-year-old Cynthia Elizabeth Molina allegedly filling a large reusable bag with unpaid merchandise. According to the incident report, the employee noticed Molina near a jewelry display, “ripping locked up bracelets off the hooks and placing them in her ‘already very full bag.'”
Following company policy, the employee notified a manager, and the two tracked Molina’s movements through the store. The manager eventually approached her directly, “touched her right arm (which was holding the bag) and advised how she needed to pay for the merchandise.”
Molina’s response, according to the report, was to push the manager and “shrug him off as she left the store.” The manager then contacted Walt Disney World Resort security.
Surveillance footage from inside World of Disney later confirmed the manager’s account, showing him “lightly tapping the back of her right arm” while wearing a Disney uniform with a visible badge and credentials, and Molina “brushing off his hand” before walking out.
The Disguise That Didn’t Work
When Molina left World of Disney, she was wearing a Toy Story (1995) shirt. She made her way to Raglan Road, the Irish pub at Disney Springs, and emerged from inside wearing a different shirt and her hair pulled up in a bun. Both employees who had interacted with her at World of Disney identified her as the same person regardless.
When confronted by authorities, Molina declined to answer questions and requested the security camera footage, claiming the manager had touched her first. Inside her reusable bag, investigators found what the incident report described as “Mickey Mouse plush, pencils in a variety of colors, various stationery pouches, jewelry consisting of bracelets and necklaces and other trinkets, phone straps and additional Walt Disney World miscellaneous items” — 100 items in total, valued at $2,193.
The Arrest and What Authorities Found in the Records
Molina was arrested and transported to the Orange County Jail, where she was charged with grand theft in the third degree and robbery. An Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy noted in the incident report that Molina’s prior employment history was relevant to the case:
“Let it be known Cynthia was a prior cast member at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She worked in retail and was familiar with Disney’s policy concerning retail procedures, and more importantly theft as well as the uniforms worn by cast members and leads/supervisors.”
Cynthia Elizabeth Molina has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
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