Disney is big legal & public trouble...

[Disney4648]

I don't know if this has been posted before but....there will be a story in the Orlando Sentinel tommorow about how 5 FSU football players (class of 2008) who comitted to FSU recently(still in high school) were stopped by Disney security and Orlando police and issued citations for loitering in the Disney Village shopping plaza. Apparently, two lawsuits have already been created...

Nothing on the Sentinel website as of yet...but this has been confirmed by an unoffiliated sports website about FSU athletics.

 

[primetime52]

I don't understand what the problem is. Are you trying to say that they weren't actually loitering? Based on the information provided in this post, it sounds like FSU will be the ones facing legal and PR trouble. It never looks good when recruits get arrested.

Those security guards were probably Gator fans.

 

[IROC it]

Tallahassee is a fer bit away compared to good ol' Gainesville.:lol:


I prefer the Garnett & Gold myself... but I've got family that went to both places..

 

[haveyoumetmark]

I doubt something like this constitutes "big legal & public trouble" for Disney...

 

[The Mom]

Filing a lawsuit does not equal winning a lawsuit.

And not all of the "Public" is enamored of college, or ANY, football players, especially tourists who just want to go to DTD without running a gauntlet of rowdy teenagers.

 

[tigsmom]

Here is your story... http://www.orlandosentinel.com/comm...7,0,6910406,print.story?coll=orl_tab01_layout

Its because of the crackdown on loitering at DTD.

 

[napnet]

Disney Guards were probably all Gators or Canes... anyways i like what Disney is doing but it seems in this case they went overboard or atleast did this to kids who wern't gangsters, came from respectable familes (civil rights lawyer and disney manager), and are (from all reports i have read about them in tallahassee) good kids. While i like the anti-gang rule and having disney crack down at DTD, it seems they may be just looking for non-familes and trying to keep them in line.

It seems two of the kids parents might cause the biggest PR issue for Disney, especially with one of them being a civil rights lawyer.

Now my only question, if they are banned from the park, what if FSU wins a National Championship and want's to have a parade at WDW

 

[WDW Monorail]

I don't care if you are the son or daughter of the president of the United States, if you are doing or a suspected of doing something wrong, then you should not have any special treatment.

 

[AndreainNY]

I am in no way against DTD Security booting people who are loitering around, especially if there were asked to leave and didn't. Am I the only one though that thinks being banned for life is a bit much? I mean - how are you going to enforce that? If I was banned from Disney property for life, and I was a teenager, how are you going to follow that through if I book a trip say 20 years from now? Are they creating a database or something? I would think a 5 year ban or something would probably be more reasonable (although based on the behavior of some adults I have witnessed while at WDW makes me doubt that some people EVER grow up). Even with that, how do you enforce it?

 

[lilclerk]

I agree, a lifetime ban is a bit harsh and unreasonable. 5-10 years sounds good, at least til they're out of college and hopefully a bit more mature.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I am in no way against DTD Security booting people who are loitering around, especially if there were asked to leave and didn't. Am I the only one though that thinks being banned for life is a bit much? I mean - how are you going to enforce that? If I was banned from Disney property for life, and I was a teenager, how are you going to follow that through if I book a trip say 20 years from now? Are they creating a database or something? I would think a 5 year ban or something would probably be more reasonable (although based on the behavior of some adults I have witnessed while at WDW makes me doubt that some people EVER grow up). Even with that, how do you enforce it?

I would imagine they take a picture of you and if they ever see you in the parks again doing something wrong, they swoop in, pull you backstage and bolt your feet to the ground at "it's a small world". Same way Disney deals with shoplifters.

I don't really think this lawsuit holds any ground. Disney is a private business, and it is their choice who they allow to enter their parks. People get blacklisted from bars all the time, and I don't hear of many lawsuits.

 

[Keyda]

Seems extreme to be banned for life when you were just sitting around. Seems like these kids weren't causing any trouble. It is ashame to hear this. Can you imagine when they have kids down the road and the kids are begging daddy to go to Disney World and daddy has to reply "sorry we can't, Daddy got banned from Disney when he was a kid" It just seems wrong

Funny to see that these kids are getting more punishment than the family who left the three year in the stroller. Why can't they be banned from Disney World. Just my thoughts.​

 

[tigsmom]

I know people who have been "banned for life" from places multiple times. :lol:

What everybody seems to forget is DTD is private property, run by the Disney corporation. It is not a public park owned and operated by the city or county. Disney has every right to ask people to leave and to have them arrested if they refuse to do so. I have not been there, but there is the feeling that "gang" presence abounds. :shrug: Were people not just calling for increased security after the latest round of trouble there? Disney responds by adding more security and cracking down on loitering (which most places have public ordinances against) and people ? If one of those boys were injured or robbed they would be screaming in the opposite direction.

 

[hrcollectibles]

Disney Guards were probably all Gators or Canes... anyways i like what Disney is doing but it seems in this case they went overboard or atleast did this to kids who wern't gangsters, came from respectable familes (civil rights lawyer and disney manager), and are (from all reports i have read about them in tallahassee) good kids. While i like the anti-gang rule and having disney crack down at DTD, it seems they may be just looking for non-familes and trying to keep them in line.

It seems two of the kids parents might cause the biggest PR issue for Disney, especially with one of them being a civil rights lawyer.

Now my only question, if they are banned from the park, what if FSU wins a National Championship and want's to have a parade at WDW

:ROFLOL:I mysaelf am An FSU fan

 

[WDWFREAK53]

What is the definition of loitering?

If they were just hanging around and not doing anything...then fine, ask them to move along or leave.

I know I have gone to DTD and not bought anything...I just went there to walk around. Is this not allowed anymore? People can't window-shop in DTD?

What if I go there, have dinner...and I leave the restaurant and sit to rest for a while...is this now loitering?

Do I think they need to crack down on security...yes...but a line does need to be drawn. If this was a group of kids/teens that were just hanging around. Great, ask them to move along or leave. But, they need to do this across the board.

Would they ask the typical family (Mom, Dad, 2 1/2 kids) to move along or leave? No. There is definitely some profiling going on. Rules are rules...No loitering means no loitering. If it's a group of punk kids loitering...treat them the same as if they were an elderly group that was loitering. No action is needed unless they don't comply.

 

[CoffeeJedi]

Of course they were troublemakers, they're TEENAGERS.
/gives hairy eyeball to all wdwmagic board members ages 13-17
I'm watchin' you punks......

 

[Keyda]

What is the definition of loitering?

If they were just hanging around and not doing anything...then fine, ask them to move along or leave.

I know I have gone to DTD and not bought anything...I just went there to walk around. Is this not allowed anymore? People can't window-shop in DTD?

What if I go there, have dinner...and I leave the restaurant and sit to rest for a while...is this now loitering?

Do I think they need to crack down on security...yes...but a line does need to be drawn. If this was a group of kids/teens that were just hanging around. Great, ask them to move along or leave. But, they need to do this across the board.

Would they ask the typical family (Mom, Dad, 2 1/2 kids) to move along or leave? No. There is definitely some profiling going on. Rules are rules...No loitering means no loitering. If it's a group of punk kids loitering...treat them the same as if they were an elderly group that was loitering. No action is needed unless they don't comply.

My thoughts exactly!!

 

[cdunbar]

Now I read the other article about this on going situation the other day, and in that article it said that a person could be banned for life if they did NOT answer the qustions of Disney Security. I mean maybe these kids saw something and were not willing to rat out some one when security asked if they saw John Doe take a CD from Virgin, for example, and b/c these kids weren't willing to be honest witnesses they were kicked out. I mean I don't really know if the fact that they will be going to FSU is anything important, but within that statement is the key word WILL BE GOING! These kids, if they did really do something, might no longer be future FSU students! I'm sure as smart as the FSU coaches are they have an out in these kids contracts if something like this happens.

 

[tigsmom]

What is the definition of loitering?

If they were just hanging around and not doing anything...then fine, ask them to move along or leave.

I know I have gone to DTD and not bought anything...I just went there to walk around. Is this not allowed anymore? People can't window-shop in DTD?

What if I go there, have dinner...and I leave the restaurant and sit to rest for a while...is this now loitering?

Do I think they need to crack down on security...yes...but a line does need to be drawn. If this was a group of kids/teens that were just hanging around. Great, ask them to move along or leave. But, they need to do this across the board.

Would they ask the typical family (Mom, Dad, 2 1/2 kids) to move along or leave? No. There is definitely some profiling going on. Rules are rules...No loitering means no loitering. If it's a group of punk kids loitering...treat them the same as if they were an elderly group that was loitering. No action is needed unless they don't comply.

loi·ter -

1. To stand idly about; linger aimlessly.
2. To proceed slowly or with many stops: loitered all the way home.
3. To delay or dawdle: loiter over a task.

according to reports that is what these guys were doing. They were asked to move on, they were asked to go to the movie they bought tickets for and refused. Were they causing trouble? :shrug:

As I said earlier, I have not been there in awhile, but enough people have complained and there has been enough trouble in the area that Disney has stepped up security and has begun prosecution in response to reported gang activity.

Are they profiling? I would say yes...not racial profiling, but age profiling.
It is usually not the families that are causing trouble, but the groups of teens (whether or not they are causing trouble) that make people nervous. I'm not saying its right, just that it happens.
If they continue to do nothing and somebody is seriously injured or killed then they open themselves to huge legal problems, bigger than malicious prosecution.

It all comes back to private property and Disney's right to refuse service (or admission). Have they gone overboard? Thats for a judge to decide.

 

[Master Yoda]

Just a couple of things...

5 teens were approached and told to move along. One teen said "yes sir" and everything was fine for him. 4 others apparently said "You can't tell me what to do!" or something to that effect and were removed from the property and banned for life. IMHO they got what they deserved.

The same thing is done in malls all over America. The management of said malls do not want their retail establishments to become teen hangouts simply because shoppers do not want to deal with that and will spend their money somewhere else. At one of the local malls here in Jacksonville where teens are a problem if security sees teenagers sitting at a table with no food and or shopping bags they are instructed to leave. If they do not comply they are arrested. What Disney is doing is no different.

Is it profiling in a literal sense? Sure is. Every type of security screening is. DTD is private property owned by Disney sole for the purpose of making money. The way DTD makes money is by people buying things. If teens that are spending no money are inhibiting others from coming to DTD and spending money then Disney is well within their legal rights to remove them.