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Disney Security Catches Woman Trying to Steal Expensive Scooter

spaceship earth at epcot
Credit: Becky Burkett

Security stepped in after a guest driving a Walt Disney World Resort rental scooter decided she’d rather have another guest’s personal electric wheelchair instead. The woman allegedly chased after the other guest, demanding access to the $4,000 mobility device.

Walt Disney World Resort offers rental wheelchairs and electric conveyance vehicles (known as ECVs or scooters) throughout Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs. Third-party companies will deliver rental mobility devices to Disney Resort hotels for guests who wish to use them outside the Disney parks and Disney Springs.

While some Disney Park guests find it frustrating when inexperienced or impatient scooter drivers crash into their ankles or cut them off in foot traffic, the devices serve an essential purpose. They’re the only way thousands of visitors can tackle an expansive Walt Disney World Resort visit.

Two gray mobility scooters like the ones used at Walt Disney World

Credit: Matte via Wikimedia Commons

One Walt Disney World Resort guest didn’t find her rental scooter satisfactory and instead tried to steal an electric wheelchair from Redditor u/useful-inspection954. The victim recently recalled the distressing incident on social media.

“I parked myself in the shade by [the] water between the Port of Entry and Canada,” the guest explained. “I was simply staying out of the way while the rest of my group was enjoying the festival food booths. This Karen decided that my electric wheelchair(yes, I have customized it to [a] Star Wars theme) was a Disney rental, and she should have it and not the rental scooter she got from the park.”

A bustling parking lot with numerous vehicles, with the iconic EPCOT geodesic sphere visible in the background against a clear blue sky.

Credit: Inside the Magic

The guest purchased the electric wheelchair for $4,350 just weeks before their Walt Disney World Resort vacation. They tried to explain that Disney didn’t offer such devices, but the woman wasn’t convinced.

“She…started following me around screaming at me,” the guest continued. “I ended up having a cast member get involved. The cast member ended up calling security, which quickly determined that I was the owner.”

It only took security cast members a minute to determine who owned the wheelchair, but the incident ruined the guest’s day at EPCOT. They weren’t sure if security forced the attempted thief to leave the Disney park.

Journey of Water in front of Spaceship Earth

Credit: Disney

“I was upset to the point of leaving EPCOT for the day,” they concluded.

When confronted by another guest, it’s best to follow this guest’s lead and notify a Disney cast member. Security cast members can safely and efficiently de-escalate conflicts.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve witnessed another Walt Disney World Resort guest do? Share your story with us in the comments.

This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic. 

About Jess Colopy

Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alum and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.

3 comments

  1. Surely this couldn’t of happened! Can anyone be that entitled to demand another guests etc ! Absolutely shocking,thank heavens for cast members

  2. I had rented a scooter from Scooter Bug. On April 15th I was at EPCOT and the scooter came up missing. It was parked near The Seas. My sisters and I had contacted nearby cast members and looked for almost 20 minutes trying to locate the scooter. I had the keys with me and the battery was in the resort room. I filled out an incident report and contacted Scooter Bug. They were kind enough to deliver another scooter to us.

    I was contacted my Disney yesterday, April 22 that the scooter had not been found and the case closed.

    I hope that whoever took is proud.of themselves for taking what didn’t belong to them and that it quit in the middle of EPCOT.

  3. I use a scooter at Disney and I can believe that anything can happen. But I want to comment on the guest saying that it so upset her that she left Epcot. I would encourage her to be more resilient than that. She did nothing wrong and while it would make me a little crazy to have to deal with CRAZY women, I would not let it upset my day. Don’t let others control you and your enjoyment and your reactions to your life. You are better than that!