Disney Guest Arrested After Attempting To Access Closed Pandora Attraction
Disney’s Animal Kingdom may look peaceful once the sun starts setting over Pandora – The World of Avatar, but according to WDWNT, one incident near park closing recently turned into a situation serious enough to lead to an arrest.
The report centers around a Canadian tourist who was allegedly involved in a physical confrontation with a Disney Cast Member after attempting to enter a ride queue that had already closed for the night.
According to WDWNT, the incident happened on March 20 shortly after Animal Kingdom officially closed at 7 p.m. The report states that the situation unfolded around 7:10 p.m. near Pandora, one of the busiest sections of the park at the end of the evening.
Anyone familiar with Animal Kingdom knows why crowds gather there late at night.
Pandora becomes one of the most popular places in all of Walt Disney World after dark thanks to the glowing pathways, nighttime lighting, and the massive popularity of Avatar Flight of Passage. Guests regularly rush to the area hoping to squeeze in one final ride before Cast Members officially close the queue.
According to WDWNT, 48-year-old Domenico Barbieri from Ontario, Canada, was arrested and charged with first-degree misdemeanor battery following the incident.
The outlet reported that Barbieri initially approached a Cast Member asking about family members who were outside the attraction entrance after the ride had already closed. At that point, chains had reportedly already been placed across the queue entrance.
According to WDWNT, several of Barbieri’s family members allegedly crossed the chains anyway and entered the attraction line before being escorted out by the Cast Member.
But the situation reportedly did not end there.
WDWNT says Barbieri and his family later returned and allegedly attempted to enter through the Lightning Lane entrance instead. That was when the confrontation reportedly escalated.
According to the arrest report referenced by WDWNT, the Cast Member stood in front of Barbieri and attempted to stop him from moving farther into the attraction queue. She reportedly asked him to leave and attempted to move the conversation outside the attraction area.
The report alleges Barbieri continued moving forward anyway.
According to WDWNT, the arrest report claims Barbieri shoved the Cast Member with his shoulder while continuing deeper into the queue. The Cast Member allegedly kept positioning herself in front of him to stop him from reaching additional employees and guests farther ahead in line.
The report also alleges that the Cast Member was shoulder-checked a second time during the confrontation.
Eventually, Disney Security and management were alerted.
One detail that stands out is that, according to WDWNT, the sheriff’s office interviewed Barbieri afterward and stated he “largely corroborated” portions of the Cast Member’s account.
The exact attraction involved was not officially identified in the report, though WDWNT noted that the location listed by law enforcement strongly suggests the incident happened near either Avatar Flight of Passage or Na’vi River Journey.
For Disney fans, situations like this continue raising conversations about guest behavior inside the parks.
Disney vacations can already feel stressful enough between high costs, long wait times, Lightning Lane return windows, and packed crowds. But Cast Members are still responsible for enforcing operating rules, especially at park closing when attraction queues officially shut down.
And lately, Disney appears far less willing to tolerate aggressive guest behavior toward employees.
According to WDWNT, Barbieri pleaded not guilty, and a pre-trial hearing is scheduled for May 22.
