Guest banned from WDW for meth lab joke.

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
I don't see how you can say this is a "ridiculously stupid overreaction on Disneys's part". You've only heard from one side of the story of course his story is favourable for his side.

Would it have been such an over reaction if you and your family were staying on the same resort, Same building, and they found something in his hotel room.

The only way to get the true story is if Disney ever release the tape of the phone conversation. Which I don't think will ever happen

Also you can't compare a YouTube guy to someone possibly having a meth lab. They are two completely different things.

Here's why it's an overreaction unless there is more to the story:

Just like the kid with the clock in school, when the police arrive at the hotel and find not only no meth lab, but no evidence of one, no raw materials, no drug addicts, etc. – game over. If the police are satisfied that all the guy did was blow off steam, a warning will suffice to teach an adult a lesson and finish his vacation. While I don't think he and I would get along, it's not illegal to be a jerk. If he was abusive with a cast member, which is more than just gruff or rude or disgruntled, then Disney had every right to throw them out. We haven't heard from Disney so we don't know if that's the case.

Having been in the service industry forever, you know you and your employees will get a certain amount of pushback from people who weren't raised right. For the most part, you smile and take their money.

If it crosses the line to verbal abuse or belittling of a lower-level cast member, they don't get paid enough for that. They should refer it to a supervisor. The supervisor is paid to take a little more of it, but is also trained to defuse it, and typically has more options at their disposal. If the customer is still beyond reaching at that point, the business should cut its losses and throw them out, and if necessary call law-enforcement.

If you don't expect any rude customers, you're in the wrong business.
 

mattdenine

Well-Known Member
Here's why it's an overreaction unless there is more to the story:

Just like the kid with the clock in school, when the police arrive at the hotel and find not only no meth lab, but no evidence of one, no raw materials, no drug addicts, etc. – game over. If the police are satisfied that all the guy did was blow off steam, a warning will suffice to teach an adult a lesson and finish his vacation. While I don't think he and I would get along, it's not illegal to be a jerk. If he was abusive with a cast member, which is more than just gruff or rude or disgruntled, then Disney had every right to throw them out. We haven't heard from Disney so we don't know if that's the case.

Having been in the service industry forever, you know you and your employees will get a certain amount of pushback from people who weren't raised right. For the most part, you smile and take their money.

If it crosses the line to verbal abuse or belittling of a lower-level cast member, they don't get paid enough for that. They should refer it to a supervisor. The supervisor is paid to take a little more of it, but is also trained to defuse it, and typically has more options at their disposal. If the customer is still beyond reaching at that point, the business should cut its losses and throw them out, and if necessary call law-enforcement.

If you don't expect any rude customers, you're in the wrong business.

there are rude and disrespectful customers however even from what this guy has admitted to he was over the top.

Unless Disney releases the tapes we'll never have the true story.

I personally think Disney has a responsibility to all of its guests and for what panic he probably cause to cast members and police officers a ban doesn't seem out of the question.
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
A ridiculously stupid overreaction on Disney's part.....which as stated, will only hurt them as the case gets reported on the news and more people hear of it. BUT.....in reality, it'll just dwindle away into nothing. It may even eventually be overturned quietly like the "lifetime ban" Disney had in place on YouTuber "Adam the Woo" (who now is allowed back in).
Finally an eyewitness to this thing. Can you give us some more details about what you saw and heard?
 
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DisneyJunkie

Well-Known Member
Finally an eye witness to this thing. Can you give us some more details about what you saw and heard?

Yeah, nice and simple: Guest complains about his wait saying he could open a meth lab in his room. Staff completely overreacts, possibly out of sheer stupidity in not recognizing sarcasm. Family is banned from WDW. There you go.
 

mattdenine

Well-Known Member
Yeah, nice and simple: Guest complains about his wait saying he could open a meth lab in his room. Staff completely overreacts, possibly out of sheer stupidity in not recognizing sarcasm. Family is banned from WDW. There you go.

The problem is it's not nice and simple, he's making you believe it is and you're only getting his side. Unless you some how heard the tapes or where in the room you don't know 100% what was said.

Also he was the only one banned not the entire family.
 

DisneyJunkie

Well-Known Member
The problem is it's not nice and simple, he's making you believe it is and you're only getting his side. Unless you some how heard the tapes or where in the room you don't know 100% what was said.

Also he was the only one banned not the entire family.

That's irrelevant. The point is Disney completely overreacted to a harmless overexaggeration from someone just trying to make a point. Empty words shouldn't earn a person a ban or the extreme measures that were taken against him.
 

Luxe

Well-Known Member
"We've suffered greatly" sorry bud but it's not your god given right to go to Disney World...

There's just too many things about this guy that makes me upset. I watched all of his videos(unfortunately) and as plenty of others have mentioned, there's obviously another side to this story. The fact that he keeps dropping the disability card is frustrating as it has NOTHING to do with this issue. He's trying to gain sympathy from the people watching the videos to join his side and fight 'Goliath'(gimme a break...). He spends most of the first set of videos giving detailed information about his wife(did he tell you she's handicapped?) and kids and how they're just innocent Disney goers who love Disney World so much blah blah. That's great but it still has nothing to do with the situation.

Isn't it convenient how in part 1 of his second set of videos the video ends with "I'm handicapped, and I'm in a wheelchair". Then the second part JUST SO HAPPENS to start off with the same line. It's obvious that he recorded the entire thing and then split it up after the fact to post to YouTube and made the conscious decision to leave some of the first part in the second to remind everyone that he's handicapped.

Sorry it seems like I'm taking sides but there is just too many red flags from this guys videos...
 

tenchikiss

Active Member
Anyone who works or has worked in customer service should have picked up the red flags in the story in the first set of videos. After the second set it should be becoming more and more apparent to most that this isn't a story about a kind old man being done wrong by Disney. It is a story about how Disney is finally putting its foot down with a very entitled and difficult customer.

One of the first red flags is all the rambling this dude did in the first set of videos. Unless you got a cute cat video you need to get to the point. A quick "we arrived at Disney Friday afternoon and spent time pin trading at various hotels before checking into our room at the Pop Century" would have set the scene for viewers. Instead most of the first video is so full of fluff it makes The Hobbit trilogy look concise. Talking about St. Augustine being so busy clearly going to Disney World was a better option, talk of the monorail, the singing/birthday boy, ect ect. None of this matters to the main story. This long drawn out story only exists to make people forgot to ask important questions later on, because you are so bogged down with so much already. The build up has so many more details than the actual event, the thing we are supposed to be focused on. Because the more details about the story would reveal how/why the man got kicked out of Disney in the first place.

Second major flag was the amount of time spent talking about WHO this person is. Disabled, disabled, disabled, church go-er, amazing father who decided adopting two children, one who has a disability while he and his wife has disabilities themselves and are not exactly spring chickens, was a great idea, and did he mention disabled? Clearly if this event had happened to me, a married childfree younger able bodied person, the offense would be far less greater. But since he and his family have SUCH hardships the very idea of this happening to them was beyond human understanding. Or you know...this is code for I am a special snowflake and I am use to being treated like one and when I don't get my way I will throw a fit so you best just shut me up with freebies before I go to the press.

Another red flag was how the man portrayed this first phone call that left him on hold for 15 minutes. Which we all know in the grand scheme of phone calls that is really not such a long time to wait, especially if they were really trying to help the man despite him being told NO twice already. Hmmmm not taking no for an answer? But yes. The man made a point to mention how he was "playing" on the phone, passing it around to his family like it was a joke. Yeah right. He put that information out there in case Disney does release the phone call. Because this man who does not take no for an answer was saying tons of crap guaranteed. He is presenting an out, saying LOOK I said I was playing before so this proves nothing. But really with all the information we know this man wasn't being all kind sweet grandpa with the gosh darns and oh my stars.

While people can argue that this was extreme and overkill, the believing there was a meth lab and the consequences, we have to add in the facts of the new set of videos. In the first set the man makes it sound like Disney has always been wonderful and they have been model guest. But the second set of videos, the ones I suppose he thought was going to get him more sympathy with the public, really shows Disney's mind set and how this man really is. Very, very entitled. The rules don't apply to him or his family. I am not going to pretend to know how to manage small children with disabilities while being disabled myself. But if it policy that multiple people can't ride a scooter at once that is policy. Even if this dad was super safe rules are for all, as others might not be super safe. Perhaps this family got away with the double scooter riding at other parks as he demonstrated he was a safe driver and other CMs/managers just looked the other way. But the people at Hollywood Studios wanted to do things by the rules, safety first. This family was use to the rules bending or not applying to them and reacted....entitled. Notice when the first incident takes place the man talks about going to an office. Um....what happened before the office? You don't go from rolling down to the Great Movie Ride to THE OFFICE. Clearly something escalated to the point where higher ups needed to get involved. Funny how there is less details for that encounter yes? During the second incident the man lied when things went poorly again, saying he thought policy changed. I doubt he ever looked up any such policy before and didn't do so for this new trip. He just hoped to get away with breaking the rules again and thought enough time had passed. Notice the outrageous behavior the man drew to the CM attempting to do his job. This man is accosting me, touching me, ect ect. Yeah this is a season professional at causing a scene to get his way. Look at the poor disabled people being treated meanly at Disney. Things escalated again and surely a record of this man was made.

So we fast forward to this event and the man is making stupid comments to a person who he thought put him on hold. He was already told no twice to getting his stay extended. This upset man called again, this time not rainbows and butterflies and said something really stupid. And based on how well he does at staying on point and holding his temper I think it is possible the CM over the phone misunderstood what the exact words were. They might have heard **$# #*$# $*## meth lab and panicked. Overreacted? Maybe. But as stated earlier this is a pretty serious thing to talk about with long lasting consequences. Disney goes above and beyond sometimes to protect people from NOT dangerous situations. They can't afford to be lax on serious situations.

I am sure if the man had responded to this search with less attitude things might have ended better. While it is neither here nor there on how much butt kissing people should do to the police it is a basic fact that if an officer says get out of your room.....you get out of your room underwear or not. Things probably escalated from there and major details were left out. If someone is going to call to complain about a smell, to not take no for an answer twice, repeatedly break park rules to the point where someone HIGH UP has to get involved I am going to go out on a wild limb and say that being questioned by police late at night during the rain didn't bring out the best in this already upset man. I am sure that there are even more incidents of this man being....a lovely customer and this was the final straw.

This man just reeks of every bad customer anyone has ever had to deal with. In his first set of videos he seemed super off put that a major network hadn't picked up his story yet. Don't they know he is a POOR disabled man who can barely afford anything?! Like...annual passes for Disney and possibly Universal Studios? While the Woo person eventually got his trespassing thing overturned this might be a different beast, disabled adopted church going family or not. The Adam guy could have only gotten himself hurt and was banned for disobeying rules and to stop potential copycats. This matter involved a long time problem customer who evoked the words meth lab and then probably escalated the problem to the point where banning him was the only option at that point. Hopefully Disney finds a way to remain firm in their decision despite the obvious bad press this will get due to WHO this man was. I wish Disney would release their details but I don't see that happening.
 

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
Anyone who works or has worked in customer service should have picked up the red flags in the story in the first set of videos. After the second set it should be becoming more and more apparent to most that this isn't a story about a kind old man being done wrong by Disney. It is a story about how Disney is finally putting its foot down with a very entitled and difficult customer.

This man just reeks of every bad customer anyone has ever had to deal with.

I have only skimmed the videos (because they make me want to scream) but agree with this 100%. Even the most patient corporation will only put up with so much before they decide your business just isn't worth it anymore.
 

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
Anyone who works or has worked in customer service should have picked up the red flags in the story in the first set of videos. After the second set it should be becoming more and more apparent to most that this isn't a story about a kind old man being done wrong by Disney. It is a story about how Disney is finally putting its foot down with a very entitled and difficult customer.

One of the first red flags is all the rambling this dude did in the first set of videos. Unless you got a cute cat video you need to get to the point. A quick "we arrived at Disney Friday afternoon and spent time pin trading at various hotels before checking into our room at the Pop Century" would have set the scene for viewers. Instead most of the first video is so full of fluff it makes The Hobbit trilogy look concise. Talking about St. Augustine being so busy clearly going to Disney World was a better option, talk of the monorail, the singing/birthday boy, ect ect. None of this matters to the main story. This long drawn out story only exists to make people forgot to ask important questions later on, because you are so bogged down with so much already. The build up has so many more details than the actual event, the thing we are supposed to be focused on. Because the more details about the story would reveal how/why the man got kicked out of Disney in the first place.

Second major flag was the amount of time spent talking about WHO this person is. Disabled, disabled, disabled, church go-er, amazing father who decided adopting two children, one who has a disability while he and his wife has disabilities themselves and are not exactly spring chickens, was a great idea, and did he mention disabled? Clearly if this event had happened to me, a married childfree younger able bodied person, the offense would be far less greater. But since he and his family have SUCH hardships the very idea of this happening to them was beyond human understanding. Or you know...this is code for I am a special snowflake and I am use to being treated like one and when I don't get my way I will throw a fit so you best just shut me up with freebies before I go to the press.

Another red flag was how the man portrayed this first phone call that left him on hold for 15 minutes. Which we all know in the grand scheme of phone calls that is really not such a long time to wait, especially if they were really trying to help the man despite him being told NO twice already. Hmmmm not taking no for an answer? But yes. The man made a point to mention how he was "playing" on the phone, passing it around to his family like it was a joke. Yeah right. He put that information out there in case Disney does release the phone call. Because this man who does not take no for an answer was saying tons of crap guaranteed. He is presenting an out, saying LOOK I said I was playing before so this proves nothing. But really with all the information we know this man wasn't being all kind sweet grandpa with the gosh darns and oh my stars.

While people can argue that this was extreme and overkill, the believing there was a meth lab and the consequences, we have to add in the facts of the new set of videos. In the first set the man makes it sound like Disney has always been wonderful and they have been model guest. But the second set of videos, the ones I suppose he thought was going to get him more sympathy with the public, really shows Disney's mind set and how this man really is. Very, very entitled. The rules don't apply to him or his family. I am not going to pretend to know how to manage small children with disabilities while being disabled myself. But if it policy that multiple people can't ride a scooter at once that is policy. Even if this dad was super safe rules are for all, as others might not be super safe. Perhaps this family got away with the double scooter riding at other parks as he demonstrated he was a safe driver and other CMs/managers just looked the other way. But the people at Hollywood Studios wanted to do things by the rules, safety first. This family was use to the rules bending or not applying to them and reacted....entitled. Notice when the first incident takes place the man talks about going to an office. Um....what happened before the office? You don't go from rolling down to the Great Movie Ride to THE OFFICE. Clearly something escalated to the point where higher ups needed to get involved. Funny how there is less details for that encounter yes? During the second incident the man lied when things went poorly again, saying he thought policy changed. I doubt he ever looked up any such policy before and didn't do so for this new trip. He just hoped to get away with breaking the rules again and thought enough time had passed. Notice the outrageous behavior the man drew to the CM attempting to do his job. This man is accosting me, touching me, ect ect. Yeah this is a season professional at causing a scene to get his way. Look at the poor disabled people being treated meanly at Disney. Things escalated again and surely a record of this man was made.

So we fast forward to this event and the man is making stupid comments to a person who he thought put him on hold. He was already told no twice to getting his stay extended. This upset man called again, this time not rainbows and butterflies and said something really stupid. And based on how well he does at staying on point and holding his temper I think it is possible the CM over the phone misunderstood what the exact words were. They might have heard **$# #*$# $*## meth lab and panicked. Overreacted? Maybe. But as stated earlier this is a pretty serious thing to talk about with long lasting consequences. Disney goes above and beyond sometimes to protect people from NOT dangerous situations. They can't afford to be lax on serious situations.

I am sure if the man had responded to this search with less attitude things might have ended better. While it is neither here nor there on how much butt kissing people should do to the police it is a basic fact that if an officer says get out of your room.....you get out of your room underwear or not. Things probably escalated from there and major details were left out. If someone is going to call to complain about a smell, to not take no for an answer twice, repeatedly break park rules to the point where someone HIGH UP has to get involved I am going to go out on a wild limb and say that being questioned by police late at night during the rain didn't bring out the best in this already upset man. I am sure that there are even more incidents of this man being....a lovely customer and this was the final straw.

This man just reeks of every bad customer anyone has ever had to deal with. In his first set of videos he seemed super off put that a major network hadn't picked up his story yet. Don't they know he is a POOR disabled man who can barely afford anything?! Like...annual passes for Disney and possibly Universal Studios? While the Woo person eventually got his trespassing thing overturned this might be a different beast, disabled adopted church going family or not. The Adam guy could have only gotten himself hurt and was banned for disobeying rules and to stop potential copycats. This matter involved a long time problem customer who evoked the words meth lab and then probably escalated the problem to the point where banning him was the only option at that point. Hopefully Disney finds a way to remain firm in their decision despite the obvious bad press this will get due to WHO this man was. I wish Disney would release their details but I don't see that happening.
Nice analysis.

I see the trespass as a "time out" from WDW that will give the individual a moment of pause to reflect on the situation. Since Woo was reinstated, WDW has shown they are willing to relent most likely after a mutual agreement on acceptable behavior is reached between WDW and the individual.

I see that the individual going public is not helping his case. As in other aspects of life, if you have a disagreement, work it out with the other side in private.
 

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