Disney Looks to FBI For Guest Protection

The Disney Parks are truly the most popular tourist destination in the world. Walt Disney World Resort in Florida alone sees more than 100,000 Guests a day easily. Unfortunately, being the most magical place on Earth also makes it a huge target for criminal activity. Even just this week, a hate group gathered outside its entrance gates, waving Nazi flags. On another day, guests brawled with each other at the entrance!

So how does Disney deal with all the potential safety threats?

Credit: Jason M Ramos, Flickr

Easy. They hire the FBI. Not the entire Federal Bureau of Investigation…but specifically David Bowdich, who serves as the Senior Vice President And Chief Security Officer for The Walt Disney Company. That’s a pretty serious title for a really serious job. How do you even go about preserving the safety and freedom Guests expect stepping on to Disney Property?

That’s where Bowdich’s 25-year career at the FBI comes in handy. Disney is serious about delivering the highest standard of magic, and that means the highest standard of protection as well.

Credit: Disney

Bringing the FBI to Disney Security

A former Albuquerque police officer, David Bowdich became an FBI Special Agent in 1995 in San Diego. He has degrees in Leadership from Georgetown University and Criminal Justice from New Mexico State University. In 2012 he moved to Los Angeles where he was a FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Counterterrorism Division, and was later promoted to the head of the office. The Walt Disney Company explains that he “oversaw all Criminal, Terrorism, Counterintelligence, and Cyber investigations and was responsible for Crisis Management and the deployment of Response Assets.”

President Barack Obama awarded Bowdich the Meritorious Service Award in 2016! He worked his way up through the difficult ranks of the FBI from Associate Deputy Director to Deputy Director, which is the second highest position in the entire FBI. He has served on the President’s Law Enforcement Commission by request of Attorney General William Barr, and received the FBI Director’s Medallion for Exceptional Leadership from the head of the FBI when he retired. This guy is NO joke.

Credit: Disney

In 2021, David Bowdich secured a job with the Walt Disney Company as Vice President of Global Security for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products. I mean, how could he not with a resume like that? Now he’s the CSO and oversees the management of ALL security functions. This includes US Parks, international theme parks, all resorts, the Disney Cruise Line, and Disney-sponsored trips. He’s ALSO in charge of security for “retail/e-commerce, productions, studios, facilities, employees, guests, and intellectual property.”

With the FBI’s David Bowdich on the job, the only things that can hurt you at Disney Parks are rouge ECVs and the trolley tracks.