A visitor at Disney World Resort in Florida faced dual disciplinary action on April 21 after allegedly jumping the line and violently confronting a character performer.
The man was accompanied by his son and a woman, both of whom reportedly mirrored his actions.
The group sought to take photos with the cast member.
Social media reactions to the incident have been divided, with one user demanding the man be charged with “child neglect” for setting a wrong example for his son, and another justifying his refusal to honor the queue after buying “expensive tickets” for his family.
Highlights
- A Disney World visitor allegedly jumped the queue to meet a character performer, inviting disciplinary action.
- In a separate incident earlier this year, another guest was arrested after pushing an 18-year-old girl during a dispute over queue etiquette.
- Social media reactions to these incidents remained mixed, with some calling out visitors for being rude and others analyzing the underlying causes of the increasing violence.
An altercation at Disney World over queue rules led to action against a guest
Image credits: Jose Mizrahi/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
The man at the center of the fiasco has been identified as Diego Rodriguez. He wished to meet a Disney performer dressed as Mirabel from the 2021 film Encanto.
Rodriguez and his family attempted to skip the queue of other attendees in front of the performer several times but were stopped by staff members.
Image credits: Benoît Prieur/Wikimedia
However, the performer informed her that she was only taking photos at the time. The response reportedly led the woman to brandish the book in Mirabel’s face.
Image credits: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images (Not the actual photo)
At this point, Rodriguez allegedly grabbed the arm of a female staff member and shook her while using a**sive language toward her.
He subjected the cast member portraying Mirabel to the same aggression.
More staff then stepped in, and police officers were called to the scene.
Rodriguez was arrested and held on battery charges at the Orange County Police Department.
He also received a lifetime trespass notice, aka a permanent ban from all Disney World properties.
Another guest was arrested in Florida earlier this year for a clash over queues
Image credits: Orange County Jail
Keith Newman, 47, who works as a cabin crew member for Virgin Atlantic, reportedly pushed an 18-year-old girl when she went around him at Magic Kingdom on February 20.
His action caused her to spill her water all over her friend.
The pair reportedly told Newman that the rest of their group was just ahead of him, but he insisted she line up.
Image credits: Disney Parks
Newman was arrested on a battery charge by the Orange County Police Department, but pleaded not guilty.
On February 23, he was released on a $1,000 bond and returned home to the UK.
The victim’s father spoke to the Daily Mail on April 15 and called Newman’s actions “inexcusable.”
“It is never okay to put your hands on someone for reasons other than self-defense, especially somebody a lot younger than you and of the opposite s**,” he said.
The father, who works at the resort, continued: “At Disney, there’s never a time when somebody doesn’t slip the line.
“Usually, what happens is that somebody goes to the bathroom or gets water and comes back. Most people let them pass. Very few times has anybody challenged anybody. Maybe this guy didn’t understand the unwritten courtesy.”
Disney properties have witnessed numerous altercations among visitors over the years
Image credits: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images (Not the actual photo)
In 2019, a fight involving at least four relatives broke out in the Mickey’s Toontown section of Disneyland, California. In a then-viral video of the incident, children could be heard screaming and crying in the background.
In July 2022, ten people at the Florida park got into an argument after one family asked another to move aside so they could take a photo in front of the park’s 100th anniversary sign.
In June 2025, a video recorded by a Disneyland Shanghai visitor showed two men — one dressed in black and another in white — engaged in a fist fight as a woman in bunny ears tried to separate them.
Image credits: kaleb tapp/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
The brawl, according to local reports, started with an argument over cutting the line at Crazy Animal City at the park.
It was not clear if anyone had sustained injuries.
“And that’s why I don’t do Disney World. It might be labeled the happiest place, but it’s full of the rudest people who only think of themselves,” a netizen wrote.
“I have noticed Disney getting tense every passing day. Maybe it’s because they allow more people than the staff can manage each day,” offered another.
"Adults ruining things meant for kids," a separate user stated
