A video of a fight involving two family at Walt Disney World went viral on social media recently. Here’s a look at the aftermath of what it means for Disney and the families involved.
What Happened: A fight broke out at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom theme park between two families and was captured and shared on social media.
A Fox News report said the fight broke out after a guest realized they left their phone on a vehicle and left the line they were standing in. The guest was then blocked by another family when they tried to rejoin the line they left.
The video shows that many punches were thrown, guests were choked, and kids nearby can be heard crying.
The fight led to one guest being hospitalized for face lacerations and the involvement of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Fights are uncommon at Disney World, but reports of altercations between guests and also between guests and cast members have picked up with rising park attendance post COVID-19 pandemic.
A report from WDW News Today, a Disney news blog, says one of the family that was involved in the fight is now permanently banned from Disney Parks.
The other family saw several members arrested, according to a family member.
“We got banned from Disney forever unless we contact the head,” the family member told WDW News Today. “[Two] people from [the] other party got arrested, and the rest left.”
The family that was interviewed said they had a vacation booked at a Disney resort for two additional weeks, but were forced to leave.
Disney’s park policies state that incidents like fighting can lead to removal from parks and lead to a potential lifetime ban.
Related Link: Disney Q2 Earnings Highlights: Disney+ Hits 137.7 Million Subs, Streaming Platforms See Higher ARPU, Parks Segment Up 110%
Why It’s Important: Along with the fight at Disney World, reports of overcrowding during the spring and summer months are being highlighted by Disney blogs.
InsidetheMagic shared that the Epcot Food and Wine Festival had huge crowds recently, and the Park Pass system being used by Disney is showing multiple sell outs for theme parks for future months.
In May, guests were escorted to leave the park through a backstage area after a fireworks display due to potential overcrowding issues.
After being forced to close its theme parks or operate at limited capacity throughout parts of the world during COVID-19, attendance at Disney’s parks has roared back.
Disney reported a 110% year-over-year increase to its revenue for its Parks, Experiences And Events segment in the second quarter, its second straight quarter of triple-digit year-over-year growth.
Operating income for the Parks segment was $1.8 billion, compared to a loss of $406 million in the previous year’s second quarter.
Domestic Parks had revenue of $4.9 billion, up 188% year-over-year, led by higher guest counts and increased guest spending.
Reports of fights and overcrowding at Disney theme parks could hurt the company’s ability to maximize revenue for its theme park segment and should be monitored closely by investors.
DIS Price Action: Walt Disney shares are down 2% to $100.62 on Tuesday, versus a 52-week range of $90.23 to $160.32.
