Guest banned from WDW for meth lab joke.

The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
I can confirm his story.

I too received a lifetime ban from WDW. I was standing in line for Nemo - Experimental Prototype Clownfish Of Tomorrow. I joked to the CM's that I was going to protest the dumbification of EPCOT with a math lab in InnoVentions. Then later that evening hotel security together with a SWAT team kicked in my hotel room and escorted me and my literate kids off the premises, telling us to take it to a museum or national monument instead.
 
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
tenchikiss said:
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.
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My daughter injured her knee a week before our trip to Uni. I rented a scooter for her. The guy from the rental company told us several times when going over how to operate it that it's meant for just one person to ride. So imagine putting a child on your shoulders as you operate a motorized wheelchair. He did say he put his daughter on his shoulders, like others parents do. He said it several times. That's dangerous. No wonder someone stopped him. What a jerk.
 
Daniel Johnson

Daniel Johnson

Well-Known Member
He did say Disney says he needs to write a letter about being reinstated...he seems set firm that Disney needs to reach out to him. Being a man who has been in trouble with the law, I know a out stretched hand when I see it. Write a letter, be polite, and you probably will get the ban lifted. Or, keep making videos that only solidify Disney's reasoning behind a ban and enjoy your life as is...
 
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glvsav37

glvsav37

Well-Known Member
mdisney said:
I read everything on here, and even watched all 4 videos. Here is the huge thing is Disney is private property. Also I'm sure if his daughter who was on top of his shoulders got hurt he probably try and sue since there was no rules saying that she should not be on top of his shoulders.
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This is exactly where I fall on this situation. He comes across to me as the type of person who will look for opportunity when things don't go his way—waiter was a little late with the food...complain till you get a free meal! Magic Bands not working correctly...refuse to leave guest relations w/o all day FP's. And I bet he was one of those who was probably very vocal to Disney about the guest assistance changes (I'm not trying to open that debate).

I'm breaking the rules b/c I can but if I get hurt while doing so, i'll sue.

I've come across many of those types of 'never satisfied' people in my life and to be honest, I find it hard to ever trust or back them.
 
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Sans Souci

Sans Souci

Well-Known Member
The Empress Lilly said:
I can confirm his story.

I too received a lifetime ban from WDW. I was standing in line for Nemo - Experimental Prototype Clownfish Of Tomorrow. I joked to the CM's that I was going to protest the dumbification of EPCOT with a math lab in InnoVentions. Then later that evening hotel security together with a SWAT team kicked in my hotel room and escorted me and my literate kids off the premises, telling us to take it to a museum or national monument instead.
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What a humble brag. :cautious:
 
G

GrammieBee

Well-Known Member
After finally watching all four videos and after wading through all the church going, children loving, wheelchair handicapped, forgiving Disney sugar sweetness stuff, apparantly Mr. Swindler believes what he is saying. While he is definitely playing on our sympathies, he truly thinks it was all someone else's fault he has been put to all this trouble; even to the point of accusing the CM who took the call of lying about what he heard.. He, of course, has done nothing to esculate the situation, ever. (Sarcasm.) . True, or not, it shows how our minds will go to great lengthes to protect our self image.

What I find really interesting, however, is that, at least so far, no lawyer wants to become involved. Mr. Swindler did mention that he had contacted lawyers for help That, in itself, says a lot about the whole situation in that Disney has a solid case and Mr. Swindler is whistling in the dark.
 
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Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
GrammieBee said:
After finally watching all four videos and after wading through all the church going, children loving, wheelchair handicapped, forgiving Disney sugar sweetness stuff, apparantly Mr. Swindler believes what he is saying. While he is definitely playing on our sympathies, he truly thinks it was all someone else's fault he has been put to all this trouble. He, of course, has done nothing to esculate the situation, ever.. True, or not, it shows how our minds will go to great lengthes to protect our self image.

What I find really interesting, however, is that, at least so far, no lawyer wants to become involved. Mr. Swindler did mention that he had contacted lawyers for help That, in itself, says a lot about the whole situation.
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It would really say a lot about the situation if he can't find one to represent him with out paying a retainer.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
mkt said:
It says a lot about how powerful Disney is within the state of Florida.
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Not hardly. If everything this guy is claiming is 100% true and you have an open and shut case with Disney being at fault, finding a lawyer willing to take the case for 30% would be easy.

Inevitably, someone that just passed the bar and still believes in the "It will lead to more paying work" line will take up the case.
 
mkt

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
Original Poster
Master Yoda said:
Not hardly. If everything this guy is claiming is 100% true and you have an open and shut case with Disney being at fault, finding a lawyer willing to take the case for 30% would be easy.

Inevitably, someone that just passed the bar and still believes in the "It will lead to more paying work" line will take up the case.
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It's not finding a lawyer - it's also finding an honest judge and an unbiased jury.
 
M

mdisney

Active Member
mkt said:
It's not finding a lawyer - it's also finding an honest judge and an unbiased jury.
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If the call was recorded case close. He now also admitted to smoking in a spot were he should have been in. I'm sure his DIsney file might have other things he has been warned about.
 

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