While Disney specializes in creating artificial magic in their theme parks, we all know the real magic comes from their Cast Members.
Employees and their dedication to creating magical moments have set Disney parks apart from other parks since Disneyland Park opened in 1955. That's why it's even more annoying when guests, especially celebrity guests, take advantage of employee kindness and go out of their way to be rude and blatantly break the rules throughout their day at Disney.
Over the years, Inside the Magic has reported on some not-so-magical celebrity encounters that have happened at Disney theme parks, and here are seven of the most shocking stories we've heard.
JoJo Siwa
One recent example of “celebrity misbehavior” at Disney World was Dance Moms alum JoJo Siwa, the dancer, singer and actress who recently compared herself to fellow Disney legend Miley Cyrus in an attempt to shake off her child star image, was photographed and filmed looking extremely drunk at Epcot on her 21st birthday.
The video shows Siwa, a Disney World regular, trying (and failing) to get a nearby visitor to sing her latest song, “Karma.” A visibly intoxicated Siwa then stumbles past a Disney VIP tour guide and other attendees. “Who's that?” one audience member asks, to which another replies, “It's JoJo Siwa. She's totally drunk.”
Give her credit: Siwa wasn't being rude in the footage (in fact, some have questioned whether she was just pretending to be drunk for some reason), but this kind of behavior undoubtedly makes life difficult for the Disney cast members who are trying to whisk celebs around from place to place.
Leonardo DiCaprio
This story is quite old, so don't take it too seriously.
In 2016, a purported former Disney cast member shared a story on Reddit about an incident that allegedly happened at Walt Disney World Resort in the late 1990s.
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The performer, who claims to have worked as a lifeguard at Disney's Beach Club resort, recalled the time actor Leonardo DiCaprio “urinated on a waterslide.”
This one needs a little background. I'm old school, but does anyone remember the old MTV “Wanna Be A VJ” contest? In the very first contest, Dave Holmes lost to Jesse Camp (but ended up getting the job). Don't ask me how. Leo and Jesse got along and ended up having a drinking party in the pool.
The smell of alcohol was in the air, a large entourage jumped in fully clothed, slid down the slide on spiked belts (scratching themselves), then Leo pulled the belt off, urinated on the top of the slide, and slid down the slide. They wouldn't listen to anyone, and finally security came and took them away, yelling abuse.
Recent Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Titanic (1997), DiCaprio was part of a relatively raucous group of friends known by the press as the “Pussy Posse” in the 1990s, so this story probably isn't the most shocking in the world, but given the story's origins are similar to “Trust Me, Bro,” we'll be safe and call it an urban legend.
Rebel Wilson
As far as celebrities who have broken Disney code, Rebel Wilson's “crime” is pretty minor, and at the same time, it's such a clear violation to Disney's biggest fans (Wilson has given herself the stage name on multiple occasions) that it's surprising she did it in the first place.
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Last year, the actress Hasan Minhaj's Daily ShowThere, she revealed that she had been banned from Disneyland Resort for a month after making a major blunder.
“I've been banned from Disneyland for 30 days for taking pictures in their secret bathroom, which is illegal at Disneyland,” Wilson explained. “I'm officially banned.”
Before you panic over the pile of bathroom selfies you took on your recent trip to the Disney parks, don't worry: These were, literally, secret bathrooms.
At the time, Wilson was at Club 33, Disneyland's private dining club. Located above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and next to Walt Disney's former apartment, the club is open to guests by invitation only, and costs about $35,000 to join, plus another $15,000 in annual dues. Photography is strictly prohibited at Club 33, so Wilson was punished for sneaking a selfie.
Luckily for Wilson, the Walt Disney Company was pretty lenient about the suspension. “They called me and said, 'Rebel, do you want to come to Disneyland for 30 days to film a movie or something?'” she says. “I said, 'Yeah, June is OK.'”
Tori Kelly
In 2021, former cast member Sarah Al-Rifai made waves when she posted a TikTok review of her experiences with various celebrities while working at Walt Disney World Resort. At the bottom of her list was a former American Idol Contestant and singer-songwriter Tori Kelly.
“She was the epitome of a diva,” Al-Rifai explained. Kelly was scheduled to perform in a holiday special filmed at Disney World, and she allegedly wanted to wear sunglasses during her performance. Despite being told it didn't fit the theme, she “threw a tantrum” and “insisted” on wearing them (which she successfully did, according to a YouTube video of the 2015 performance).
According to Al-Rifai, Kelly couldn't decide whether she even needed a chair onstage. “She was freaking out because everyone was trying to get to her,” Al-Rifai says. “And she was ignoring everyone that was talking to her. Fans would say, 'I love you,' or 'Hi,' and she wouldn't say anything back.” That's not the Disney spirit.
Christina Aguilera
“Voice of a Generation” debuted on the Disney Channel alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. The All-New Mickey Mouse ClubUnfortunately, that doesn't mean she's always at her best at Disney.
In 2014, the former Mouseketeer was celebrating her 34th birthday at Disney's California Adventure when she met (or tried to meet) Mickey Mouse. Because Mickey Mouse was off-duty, she was apparently turned down, which left Aguilera furious.
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“Aguilera lost her temper and called Mickey a 'dummy,'” TMZ claimed. “We're told she even uttered the dreaded line, 'Do you know who I am?'”
The suit further alleges that “Xtina's crew began to become threatening” and that “Mickey had to be escorted to a secluded, secure area.” Security was called, but by the time they arrived, Aguilera had already left the Disney park.
Mariah Carey
Tori Kelly isn't the only celebrity to have received this treatment from a former Disney cast member on TikTok: Nicole Smith, who worked at the Disneyland Resort, shared her own experiences with everyone from Will Ferrell (who she described as “a really nice guy”) to Mark Wahlberg (who she described as “handsome” and a “really nice guy”).
One celebrity who didn't impress Smith was the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey. The singer is a frequent visitor to the Disney theme parks and has been spotted there many times, but both she and Nick Cannon, Smith's separate ex-partner, were reportedly difficult guests.
“These people are awful,” she said. “I've had to deal with both of them separately. She's an absolute diva and he's an absolute diva. I hope no cast member ever has to deal with these monsters again.”
Carrie has long held a reputation as a “diva.” Smith declined to share specific details about his encounters with Carrie, but added, “She's a diva. Everybody knows that… I've heard it from a lot of the cast. I'm not the only one. She's just rude. Not very friendly. And I love her, so that made me really sad.”
Ariana Grande
Another singer with a diva-like reputation, last year several Disney cast members accused Ariana Grande of being a difficult theme park guest. According to TikTok user @teresa_jack, VIP tour guides hate the actress and singer “more than anyone else.”
Theresa Jack No one has been worse at ARI than the guest relations cast members 😂😂😂. I am furious at #ethanslater but I know this behavior from #arianagrande is common and I can't continue to defend her. She is disrespectful to people in the service industry and this is evil stepmother ramblings. #disney #castmember #disneycastmember I'm not a CM but everyone who works for me is ex-CM and I've been all over Orlando 😂😂😂
♬ Moonlight/Debussy – Motsu
While Grande was under fire for dating her, Evil Before her divorce from her (2024) co-star Ethan Slater was finalized, the TikTok user claimed, “None of you or I or anyone else would hate her as much as a Disney Guest Relations cast member.”
She further explained that while most celebrities will cut in line with VIP tour guides at Disney parks (and guides will do the same for non-celebrity VIP guests), the majority of people don't expect rides to be closed off to them or to be seated separately from other guests.
But Grande allegedly forced Disney cast members to close the ride for hours so she could ride alone. “Oh no, Ariana Grande doesn't just cut in line, okay? She closes the line,” the TikTok user said. “Ariana Grande comes on here and says, 'No, the whole Rock n' Roller Coaster? Close the whole thing, okay?'”
She added: “They're going to have to close the queue, so it's going to be closed for hours. If there are people in the queue, kick them out. It's a three-hour process… This is not normal celebrity behaviour.”
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Other performers recounted similar experiences, with one claiming that Grande failed to greet audience members while filming a 2015 Christmas special at Magic Kingdom Park, and another alleging that Grande was rude to performers on Expedition Everest.
Have you ever seen a celebrity guest misbehave at a Disney Park? Let me know in the comments!
Please note that the stories presented in this article are based on the personal experiences of Disney Parks Guests and Cast Members. No two experiences are the same, and this article does not necessarily represent the personal views of Inside the Magic regarding Disney Parks operations.
