Do Central Florida theme parks screen for sex offenders?
Orlando, Florida’s WESH, aired a report on sex offenders in theme parks this evening which featured commentary from FAC’s President, Gail Colletta.
You can watch the report here: https://www.wesh.com/article/sex-offenders-at-florida-theme-parks/27269367
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I live in Central Florida and 4 years ago my wife and I purchased season passes for Disney. We went the first day to activate the tickets about a month later we went back and as we were going through entrance it showed my ticket was voided. (but my wife’s was ok) I was told to go to customer service to find out what the issue was. When we got to the window they took my license and my pass and we were told that someone would be with us. About ten minutes later a man shows up with a clipboard and tells us to follow him . We went into the park and went into a building where city hall is and led us to a back room. He then explained that Disney does background checks on all of the pass holders and that because I was on the registry I am not allowed to go to the park. I explained that my crime was 31 years ago and he said it was beyond his control all they know is that I am on the registry. Within 10 minutes 2 sheriff’s deputies arrived and called in to see if I had any warrants. Then I was served with a trespass order and told that I am not allowed on ANY Disney property in the world. Including Disney stores and even at the camping world stadium. They took my picture and fingerprinted me and a security officer escorted me to my vehicle. They asked my wife if she still wanted her pass to be active as she was ok to got the parks just not me. She said that she did not want hers either and they voided hers and within a week we were reimbursed all of our money that we spent on the passes. Prior to us purchasing the passes we spent tens of thousands of dollars at the Disney parks and we even pay for family members to stay at the Disney Polynesian resort when they come to Florida. Now we spend all of our money at other theme parks and we just do not get any season passes. I am okay with this as my life does not surround around if I can go to Disney or not. I try not to let things like this bother me as it is just how things are for now and as much as we complain society will still view us as dangerous as long as there is a registry that puts us in the forefront of everyone. I believe that the registry does not make anyone safer and the sad thing is that in my county (POLK) you have to pay the sheriff’s department to be on the registry or else you will be arrested for failure to comply and be sent to prison. The craziest thing that day at Disney was that one of the Sheriff’s deputies recognized me and asked for an autograph and a photo. I gave it to him as I don’t hold this against the deputies that are only upholding the laws no matter how stupid they are.
Am I understanding that this only applies to season passholders? How does that keep anyone safe when millions visit these parks every year? Who knows who is getting in. Just don’t buy a pass I guess and you will not be hassled or denied entry.
Sounds like your money may be better used hiring a lawyer to make a real change, or at least donating to these lawsuits.
Food for thought.
Does anyone know if wild adventures in Georgia has the same policy?? Or even Bush Gardens?? Me and my wife use to frequent theme parks before I was out in the registry and we would love to go again but just assumed I wasn’t allowed.
Six flags or wild adventures you can have season passes
Six Flags was the first amusemant park to place a formal ban on Registered Persons. Have they quietly changed that because the mosr recent thing I’ve seen was an arrest in 2014 for an RC being in a Six Flags park.
I can’t understand why anone would want to patronize any businesses that actively discriminate against RCs.
At any rate, I haven’t seen a formal anti-RC policy at Disney, other than having the right to refuse service to any non-protected class of people. I have not the same amount of issues in California, so if you really want to spends money on a trip to see the Mouse, maybe go to Anaheim and tell FloriDUH to shove it.
I don’t know about other folks, but I do whatever I can to avoid buying anything known to come from Florida. No Florida Oranges or Juice, no Florida Crystals sugar. I cheer when every Florida team loses in sports, which is a lot as of late. Even when I did the Christmas at the Camp event back in 2016, everything I donated was bought in Ohio. It may be petty but I loathe the state of FloriDUH so much that I am willing to take extra steps to not spend any of my money on an item that sends even one red cent to the state.
Thinking about going to universal studios June of 2020. I live in Texas and am a registered SO for something that happened in 1999. Will I be allowed in if I purchase tickets online?
Did you find anything out on this? Curious as we would like to go in October but my husband is on the registry. We live in Illinois
Have you ever gone to universal studios? Any issues? My husband is on the registry (Illinois) and we want to plan a vacation but don’t want to get all the way down there and then find out he can’t go in.
I’ve never heard of someone being trespassed from all Disney properties worldwide… for instance, if someone gets trespassed from Walt Disney World they can still go to Disneyland. If you’re sure that your trespass is company-wide, I’d be interested in seeing a picture of the order. (you can upload a picture of the order to an image host like Imgur and post the link in a reply to this comment.)
Additionally, the Camping World Stadium isn’t owned or operated by Disney.
I’m just glad the ex post facto sustainer is going up. I donated some! I challenge everyone who reads this to donate to it. Put your money where your mouth is. Let’s fund this damn thing already.
I am dumbfounded when I read things like this. Is this one incident out of millions of people who attend such parks over the years or is there a rash of incidents that we don’t know about? I think it’s the usual hysteria that has overtaken rational thinking in this country. Children are more likely to be harmed on the rides or on the drive to the park I would bet. And kids who have a parent who is denied entry to parks will suffer too. The article asks if sex offenders could be sitting next to your kids on a ride or standing in line. For that matter, a terrorist could be sitting next to them as well or someone high on meth or other drugs or a murderer who hasn’t been caught yet. “Law enforcement said that good advice for parents may be to act as the first line of defense by keeping their kids close to keep them safe.” Well duh, isn’t that what parents should always do?
The fact that nightly news reporters are starting to consult with FAC on these issues is a good sign. They consulted FAC, plus a defense attorney, but not a prosecutor or sheriff. That was a good use of their limited reporting resources. And, as usual, Gail did an amazing job.
I also appreciate that the theme parks did not use this story as an opportunity to hang registrants out to dry, instead being more cagey about their policies here, which is probably appropriate.
Way to set us back, Gerald. What are you trying to do – get us all put in the electric chair? Listen, if you haven’t learned your lesson the first time, that this life isn’t bad enough for you that you’re willing to risk what’s next by committing the same crime again, there just ain’t a whole lot we can do for you. If we’re going to be taken seriously and expect intelligent people to understand our cause, we have to also be willing to call a spade a spade when appropriate. If this guy can’t stop exposing himself to children in public, then the public has every right to do what it has to do. Gail, you handled it beautifully – as always. Thanks again for the work you do on our behalf.
Do the people working for Disney have any idea how many undocumented sex offenders are roaming around the park. Maybe riding next to a child?. Maybe none?. Maybe one?. There is no way to tell for sure!!. But there are definitely a lot of potential’s that haven’t been caught yet!. I wouldn’t want to worry the public!!. It’s just the ” FACT ” that is scary!!.
Friends,
I can’t stress enough that, as our numbers grow, we not prostrate ourselves before the Disney gods with our devotion or resources. We may have no political or social voice, but those of us who are blessed with the disposable income to visit these parks should vote with our wallets – not by being caught and kicked out and having our money refunded, but by publicly declaring our refusal to support these places of unwarranted prejudice and discrimination in the first place.
We should educate them with facts and back it with a determination to only support those establishments who will not forever treat us based on our worst mistakes of the past. If there are not any ignorant-free resorts in FL, then make the effort to travel to where you and your family can be treated as human beings. You and your family’s enjoyment and peace of mind will be worth the extra effort. I vacation with my family in places where my past never has to cross my mind at all, and that’s the best kind of vacation I could ever ask for!
I agree. The best way to promote change and the eradicating of the purely discriminatory policies which apply to ALL in one blanket, is to do so with our wallets. This is our true voice as a consuming public.
Guarding public safety is appropriate, but everyone can’t be placed in the same category, as each case is different. Each level of ‘alleged’ offense is different.
What about prior history? Type of offense? Length and purpose of visit? Reason for visit, outside the obvious for all?
The beauty and the unfairness of the ‘private’ entity is that they make their own rules. Perhaps, as in law, there are tiers to determine decisions to admit or refuse entrance in their ‘business’ holdings should characterize decisions.
When everyone is placed in the same category, there is inherent injustice present.Until some brave and determined soul files a lawsuit and litigates sound argument, discrimination remains legal.
This is like refusing admission to all gay or black people. EVERYONE does not fall into one category. Where’s the human factor that informs us that we are as alike as we are different?
How about this: When visiting theme parks or other restricted places, being accompanied by family or friend who may ‘vouch’ for the ‘offender’ thus allowing entrance? There must be compromises. Otherwise, where are we demonstrating the goal of preparing convicted for engaging in society as a positively functioning individual? Is it fair to convict ALL for life and never give opportunity for a second chance to engage in society with all rights and privileges?
Couldn’t agree more. My loved one made the mistake of doing cagey things with cagey people when he was 19/20 and got in with the wrong people..with some girls that shouldn’t have been hanging there either doing the things they were doing. He did his 4 years in prison, got clean, and has led the straight and narrow since. Steady job, home, we have 3 kids. Because of this, he was finally able to get removed from the state registry after 20 years and also have his tier reduced. We have friends that are aware of his situation that would trust him more with their kids than some of the adults they know without any priors. It’s nauseating that he’s still being punish for his stupidity when he was a teenager/young adult.
Amanda. What state do you live in?
New Jersey
Wouldn’t you be more worried about the possibility of a child being molested by an adult rso at a theme park rather than the rso not being treated justily by not being allowed into a theme park focused on attracting kids. If you want to bring justice for them do it in a court room not after they have been charged. Plus, doesn’t it worry you that they are on here trying to get information from one another on how to bypass a security procedure to keep rsos away from kids.
When has an RSO ever molested a child in a theme park? I think you’re worried about the wrong things.
Has anyone tried disney on their new system?
Because it’s been shown time and time again, that those on the registry are not a viable threat. Do.the research. Disney goes above and beyond to screen their job applicants, and yet they have had at least 3 employees arrested for sexual assault, or possession of child porn or other things I the past few years, and guess what list they aren’t (or ever were on). RSO’s are blackballed from being able to attend theme parks, but any other violent offenders are welcomed with open arms. Its pathetic that someone parolled for murder, or someone with multiple felonies, arsonists, gang members, drug dealers etc aren’t even considered for any screening at the ticket window, but oh no, we cant let the guy with a conviction over 20 years ago from having an underage girlfriend in high school in because he’s on the registry.
Nope, because I don’t buy into your big government “registered sex offender” stupidity. I know that big government cannot be trusted for 1 second to tell me anything about who might be dangerous and who might not.
I’m a responsible parent and I educated my children about how to not be a victim from anyone, whether or not the person is listed on a big government list or not. I educated them and supervised them when I needed to. I never needed the lies of big government about “protecting” my children. I know that even if big government and the boot lickers like Disney who support them were able to keep every single person who is listed on their Registries out of parks or wherever, that it would not change the risk level in any significant way at all. It wouldn’t affect anything. How’s that for pathetically ineffective?
Also, no informed, moral American thinks the big government Registries are acceptable in any way. People on this web site are fighting against the immoral harassing terrorists who think Registries are acceptable. They aren’t doing anything except trying to live normal lives.
We live in Polk County FL. I would love to know where we can vacation as a family without worry. My son is a RSO from juvenile charges when he was in 9th grade. He is 21 now and not the least bit of a threat to anyone.
I agree , reading this is scary as shit! Sex offenders on a public platform figuring out on how to get into a theme park! Wtf , just knowing that they are trying so hard to figure out how to get in is crazy!
I’m going to guess this is sarcasm? Trolling? Or willful ignorance?
I don’t know that anyone would bother going to the theme parks with intentions of committing a crime of that nature with the high levels of security that are everpresent. Then again, and this goes with any crime, if someone truly wants to commit a crime, not a single sanction or law will be stopping them.
Food for thought.
Just want to know if incan take my kids for one day.
Yeah because EVERY S.O. is wanting to go to Disney just to molest children. It has nothing to do with them wanting to take a vacation with their family like a normal person. Are you aware that it’s over a hundred thousand times more likely that your child will be molested by a family member in your own house than by a guest a Disney world?