It’s the kind of memory every family hopes to create—gathering along Main Street, U.S.A., as music fills the air and Disney characters glide past on glowing floats. But at Magic Kingdom this summer, what should’ve been a moment of joy turned into something much darker.
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away has become the newest crowd magnet at Walt Disney World. The nighttime parade dazzles with its electrified floats, beloved characters like Moana and Peter Pan, and a healthy dose of nostalgia reminiscent of the Main Street Electrical Parade. But with that popularity has come something else: chaos.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a 51-year-old tourist from Colombia, Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri, was arrested after allegedly injuring a 17-year-old girl during the nightly parade festivities near Cinderella Castle. Witnesses say tensions flared when Zapata-Echeverri tried to force her way toward the front of the viewing area. When the teen politely asked not to be touched and shifted aside to let another guest through, Zapata-Echeverri reportedly grabbed her and yanked her to the side.
The teen was left shaken, bruised, and with a visible abrasion on her arm. Zapata-Echeverri claimed the teen bumped into her first and that she simply pushed back while trying to follow her own daughter forward. Regardless, she was arrested and charged with child abuse, given a $2,500 bond, and banned from all Disney parks.
Unfortunately, that incident wasn’t the only one that left guests reeling.
On social media, another story surfaced—one that’s arguably even more disturbing. A commenter described watching a mother get shoved off a curb by another guest trying to claim a better spot. She was holding her toddler at the time. The fall reportedly led to a concussion and a hospital visit.
“She was seriously injured, and was holding on to her toddler at the time,” the commenter wrote. “Our friends had been waiting for the parade, and these people who hadn’t been waiting decided they deserved the better spot.”
No official police report was filed for that incident, but the post has circulated widely, sparking frustration among longtime Disney fans and families alike.
This isn’t just about a parade or a park—it’s about how we treat each other. Disney’s job is to create the magic, but guests have a responsibility to preserve it. When parents are getting hospitalized while holding their children just so someone else can see better? That’s a wake-up call.
So the next time you’re tempted to shove past someone during a parade, maybe take a breath and remember: the magic isn’t just in the show—it’s in how we act toward one another.
