Three female employees at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, have filed police complaints alleging that tourists inappropriately touched them while they were in character costumes, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck. The incidents occurred over two days on 3 and 4 December at Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom theme parks.
According to police reports, on 3 December, a woman in her 60s asked to kiss an employee portraying Donald Duck at a meet-and-greet. After the kiss was consented to, the woman proceeded to touch the employee's chest without permission, placing her hands inside the costume and touching her over her bra. The employee chose not to press charges, stating the woman appeared to be suffering from dementia.
On 4 December, an employee dressed as Mickey Mouse was approached by a family including a grandmother who patted her on the head five times to demonstrate to her grandson that Mickey would not hurt him. The employee suffered neck strain and sought hospital treatment. Police told her the incident was a civil matter, not criminal.
Also on 4 December, an employee portraying Minnie Mouse reported that a 61-year-old male guest groped her three times on the chest after posing for photos with his wife. The man, a Disney Vacation Club member from Minnesota, was identified from park pictures. The employee did not press charges, but Disney banned the man after he had another inappropriate interaction with a cast member the following day.
These incidents follow the arrest of a 51-year-old man in November after an employee performing as a Disney Princess alleged he groped her breast during a photo. A Disney spokesperson told the BBC: 'Everyone should feel safe at work, and we encourage cast members to come forward in any uncomfortable situation. We provide multiple resources to protect our cast members’ well-being.'
