For some crazy reason, it seems that more and more people are bringing guns on their Walt Disney World vacation. Recently, we reported on a man who was arrested as he tried to hide a gun in his car — along with a knife — at Disney Springs. We have also reported that, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, gun arrests at Disney World have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the “bringing a gun to The Most Magical Place On Earth” trend is showing any signs of slowing down.
The Sheriff’s Office recently released its arrest records report, and we found that, on May 28, a woman set off Disney’s metal detectors as she tried to go through security at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Security went through her belongings and found a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun that the woman claimed belonged to her husband. The woman further stated that she and her husband had gotten into a fight over the gun, as she didn’t like that she had it in the first place. The unnamed woman told police that she did not realize her husband had put the gun in her bag and that she was “embarrassed”.
Unfortunately, Disney has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bringing weapons onto its property, and the woman has been banned from the Parks. Not only was the gun loaded, but there were 12 rounds in it. At this time, the woman has not been charged with a crime, but the Orange County Sheriff’s Office forwarded the case to the State Attorney’s office, saying that there was “probable cause” that she was trying to bring a “concealed firearm” into the Park.
It should be noted that even though Florida allows people to carry guns in public if they have the proper permitting and paperwork, Walt Disney World Resort is private property, and it has its own rules on what is and is not allowed. No weapons of any kind are ever allowed at any of the theme parks — the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, or Hollywood Studios — water parks, Disney Springs, nowhere. If you want to see what is not allowed at Disney, you can click here to see the prohibited items list.
Even though the woman has been banned, she could always decide to fight the ban. Disney can ban people for the day, a week, months, years, or even for life. It is difficult to reverse a ban, but if she can prove she had nothing to do with the actions of her husband, Disney may decide to reverse its decision.