Disney adds ‘courtesy’ notice after rowdy theme park behavior

(NewsNation) — Disney theme parks are reminding patrons to be courteous to fellow attendees and employees when visiting family-friendly locations.

Disneyland and Disney World have added “courtesy” sections to their websites apparently in response to an increase in fights at the theme parks.

“We ask all who come to this happy place to treat others with respect, kindness and compassion. To help Guests have a safe and enjoyable experience, we regularly update our Disneyland Resort rules,” the notice reads.

The section then links to the park’s rules, which include information about what is and isn’t allowed inside.

The preexisting page also details the park’s courtesy policy:

“Please show common courtesy to fellow Guests and our Cast Members by not using profanity or engaging in unsafe, illegal, disruptive or offensive behavior, jumping lines or saving places in lines for others,” the section reads.

Casey Starnes, blogger, travel agent, and owner of DisneylandDaily.com, told NewsNation she thinks Disney is responding to any sort of issue to try to fix them quickly.

“I think Disney is really just trying to keep their guests safe and keep the integrity of the parks intact,” she said.

There have been recent physical altercations and screaming matches at the Florida theme parks, and a fight broke out during the “Fantasmic” show at Disneyland in May, according to the Register.

Additionally, reports from Anaheim police indicate visitors have been removed from Disneyland or issued citations for violent encounters, the newspaper reported.

Police told KTLA that incidents at the park are handled internally by security.

When asked if the theme park had seen any kind of uptick in those kinds of incidents, Disneyland officials did not have any further comment.

Starnes said incidents like this aren’t only happening at Disney parks.

“I know that Knott’s Berry Farm has had some issues, possibly Universal as well, that they have had their own chaperone policies put into place,” she said.

Knott’s Berry Farm earlier this year added — and has since updated — a chaperone policy in an effort to prevent fights at the Buena Park theme park. Response to the policy has been mostly positive.

NewsNation affiliate KTLA contributed to this report.