Disney security cast members at Walt Disney World Resort followed an alleged thief in real time as he worked his way through Disney Springs, pocketing trading pins at multiple merchandise locations before finally being confronted by authorities.
Caught in the Act
The incident unfolded on March 2, when a Disney cast member at DisneyStyle — a retail shop in the West Side area of the Disney Springs shopping, dining, and entertainment complex — noticed a 27-year-old Florida man slipping Disney Trading Pins into the front pocket of his shorts. The Disney cast member alerted one of their managers, who called security.
Rather than moving in immediately, security cast members kept watch as the man left DisneyStyle, ducked into a nearby Starbucks bathroom, and then walked over to Star Wars Galactic Outpost, another Disney-owned merchandise location. There, he was observed loading even more Disney Trading Pins into his pockets.
When Walt Disney World Resort security and Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies finally stopped him, the 27-year-old had 50 Disney Trading Pins spread between his backpack and his clothing. Two eyewitnesses had observed the thefts, and the man himself admitted to taking the items.
After tax, the pins totaled approximately $922 — clearing the bar for grand theft, a third-degree felony in Florida. A conviction could mean up to five years in prison, five years of probation, and as much as $5,000 in fines.
Family Calls It a “Mistake”
The State Attorney’s Office had not filed formal charges as of the time of reporting, according to WDWNT, so the man’s name has not been publicized. His mother spoke to the outlet in his defense, saying her son “is mentally unwell and made a mistake.”
Walt Disney World Resort has not made any public statement regarding the arrest.
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