A recent guest incident at Disney California Adventure Park has sparked outrage.
Since Disneyland Park first opened its gates in 1955, unruly guest behavior has been an unfortunate part of its history. From guests climbing out of moving ride vehicles to sparking physical altercations with other visitors – even cast members – there seems to be no limit to the ways people have tested the park’s patience.
In recent times, though, many argue that these incidents are becoming more frequent, with social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube fueling the rise of attention-seeking stunts. While bad behavior is nothing new, the constant presence of smartphones and the thirst for viral content has made these moments more visible—and perhaps even more encouraged.
Although we wouldn’t blame social media entirely (there have been countless cases of guests behaving badly for decades), it’s clear that the ease of recording and sharing these antics has made it seem like guests are more brazen and reckless than ever before.
The guest was caught on camera scaling the San Fransokyo Bridge, a structure that opened in 2023 near Pixar Pier. The bridge, designed to resemble San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in the style of Big Hero 6 (2014), became the stage for dangerous behavior as a woman climbed it in full view of other guests.
The video, shared by user marinebiostu on Reddit, shows the woman even hanging upside down briefly before returning to safety. “She just jumps down right after though and walks away,” they added. “I didn’t see any security walking towards her.”
Many Disney fans were quick to voice their frustration with the guest, with one predicting that she would likely be escorted out by security regardless and banned from the park. “Disneyland doesn’t tolerate that kind of behavior,” they added.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in guest misconduct at Disney parks, with more people seemingly acting out for the sake of creating social media content.
A Reddit user shared their own encounter with social media-driven antics, describing a mother coaching her child to swing a churro like a lightsaber for a video, inconveniencing others in line.
“The last time I was there, I noticed more people than usual who were filming video that looked like it was for social media,” they wrote. Like, I was just trying to buy some churros, and this mom who had been next to me in line bought some for her family, and then handed one to her son, and was coaching him through a video before letting him eat it. “Okay, now swing it like a sword! Pretend it’s a light saber!” Everyone had to take a step back because this kid was swinging a churro around, because his mom told him to.”
Disney has a history of swiftly dealing with rule-breaking guests, and while it’s unclear if the woman on the bridge was apprehended, previous incidents suggest that security doesn’t hesitate to act.
For instance, just last year, a guest jumped into EPCOT’s World Showcase Lagoon on a bet but was quickly stopped by security after climbing out of the water. Other examples include guests scaling EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion (many, many times), sneaking into the parks and trying to stay overnight, wielding metal poles at fellow visitors, and even punching Disney cast members.
The recurring issue has left many Disney fans frustrated by the increasing prevalence of these stunts, which prioritize social media fame over the safety and enjoyment of other guests.
Do you think there’s been an increase in guests behaving badly at Disney parks?
