PDA

View Full Version : Disney ousting "wannabe gangbusters" from Downtown



joelkfla
06-22-2007, 07:23 AM
From today's Sentinel:

Teens face crackdown at Downtown Disney
Henry Pierson Curtis and Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writers
June 22, 2007

Walt Disney World is stepping up efforts to roust unwanted teens and young adults from its Downtown Disney complex.

The company's security guards and off-duty Orange County deputy sheriffs boosted their presence last weekend at the popular shopping and entertainment area, issuing as many trespass warnings in two days as they had the previous 51/2 months.

Fifty teens and young adults were banned from Disney property forever. If they return, they can be arrested.

Those barred included a 15-year-old boy from Osceola County who was arrested with marijuana and a loaded .380-caliber pistol, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The operation, which adds 11 off-duty deputy sheriffs to the normal four-member team at Downtown Disney for four weekends, started a week after two Connecticut tourists reported they were abducted from the parking lot and later robbed.

Disney and sheriff's officials said the crackdown stemmed from broader concerns, not one incident.

"A ganglike presence was unfortunately identified at Downtown Disney. And that is not going to be tolerated," Disney World spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said Thursday. "So additional deputies were proactively assigned to patrol the area and that's going to go on as long as is needed."

Sheriff's Capt. Ted Brown, who supervises patrols at Disney, said the heightened enforcement had been planned weeks ago in response to increasing numbers of problem teens Disney and deputies had noticed starting late last year.

"A lot of them were described as 'wannabe gangbangers.' " he said. "And some of them were flat-out harassing and bothering other guests."

Under the current push, Disney security officers survey the crowds and question guests they suspect of being a problem. Deputies are asked to issue warnings if the guests refuse to answer, argue and refuse to leave, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Targeting minorities?

Out of the 50 warnings issued last weekend, the Sheriff's Office was able to find only 40 of the reports. Warnings were issued to 20 young Hispanic males, 19 young black males and one young black female.

None came from Orange County, the location of Downtown Disney. Eleven were from Osceola County, 11 from Lake County, 11 from Polk County, five from Georgia and one each from Arizona, Texas and an unreported location.

One of the teens told never to come back asked why no whites were among those warned about trespassing.

"A whole bunch of white boys walked by yelling and stuff, and they didn't do nothing to them," said Michael Washington, 16, of Polk City.

Washington said that he, his brother and three cousins drove to Downtown Disney on Friday night to go to the movies. They met two young black men and a woman in the parking lot who said "they were arresting all black folks."

He said Disney security officers followed them after they visited a store. One of his cousins cursed the guards after being stopped, Washington said.

Asked whether he thought race played a role in why they were ejected, the teen said, "I don't know. I don't know, sir. They came straight at the black crowd."

Polak would not comment on the racial breakdown of those teens and young men who were rousted. She also would not comment on what guidelines Disney security follows in deciding who should get a trespass warning.

"Our priority, and that of law enforcement, is to maintain a safe experience," Polak said.

A review of trespass warnings issued last year at Disney showed more diversity. Out of 296 total trespass warnings at Downtown Disney in 2006, 29 went to blacks and 42 went to Hispanics, according to sheriff's records.

The rest -- 225 -- went to whites, Asians and others.

'Like it was the mall'

Teens loitering in the Downtown Disney area first became a problem in early 2005 after Disney stopped charging an entry fee to the Pleasure Island nightclub complex, Brown said.

Once the turnstiles were removed, teens began congregating at two outdoor plazas between the nightclubs. Large screens that displayed rap, hip-hop and other music videos provided free entertainment.

"It quickly became an area for these kids to go, and for whatever reasons undesirable elements started congregating there, too," Brown said.

In January 2006, Disney removed the projection screens and outdoor music to "get rid of the street-party atmosphere," he said.

An additional concern involved even younger guests.

"And there was an even younger group of kids who were getting dropped off by their parents like it was the mall or someplace to hang out," Brown said. "You know, Disney does not want to be a baby-sitting service."

No one has been arrested in the June 10 abduction and robbery reported by Justin Stetzer and Jessica DellaCamera of North Branford, Conn. But even before the first beefed-up detail began, sheriff's detectives were raising doubts about parts of their story.

Inconsistencies included their claim to have been abducted at gunpoint in a lighted parking lot just six rows from an observation tower staffed by a Disney security guard, according to a report released this week.

"Both victims then became even more irate and began cussing and stating that they never would cooperate any more," a detective wrote about asking Stetzer and DellaCamera to take a lie-detector test.

The Sheriff's Office has stopped pursuing the case.

joelkfla
06-22-2007, 07:38 AM
Oops - that thread title should say "gangbangers", not "gang:busters".:blush:

Dsnygirl
06-22-2007, 08:40 AM
:thumbsup: My DH and I were only there briefly during our last stay, and didn't notice any of this - but I'm glad that Disney has cracked down on this if it was going on. Certainly, no one visiting Disney wants to put up with this kind of behavior, or have to worry about being harassed or robbed. And maybe they should put those turnstiles back up at PL - that would probably solve quite a few of the problems! If parents had to shell our $$ to drop their kids off, I bet they'd stop... ;)

ibrowse17
06-22-2007, 10:14 AM
I wish them luck in their efforts to keep the trouble makers away from our Happy Place:thumbsup:

Stu29573
06-22-2007, 10:20 AM
I'm usually one who complains about how high Disney costs have become, but I agree that the turnstiles need to go back up.....

cgriff
06-22-2007, 10:23 AM
Hmmm, so that abduction/robbery from a few weeks ago may have been a hoax? I wonder if that will get as wide media coverage as the original story did?

Tinkermom
06-22-2007, 10:29 AM
I'm usually one who complains about how high Disney costs have become, but I agree that the turnstiles need to go back up.....

I agree. I have no problem paying a bit more in order to have the experience that I expect from Disney. DH and I have only been to Pleasure Island once, that was when the turnstiles were still there. We are not people who ever go to clubs just because it is not our thing (and we are now too old:blush:) However, we wanted to try Pleasure Island since it seemed like a fun and safe place. We both really enjoyed "club hopping" Disney-style. We felt safe and it was lots of fun.

We were at Downtown Disney in March and I also did not see any of the problems listed in the report. I sure hope they can find a way to continue keep the area as safe as possible.

Ian
06-22-2007, 11:41 AM
Based on what I've seen lately at PI, not only do I think they should bring back the turnstiles, but I think they should double the admission price.

The class of people I saw there are NOT the kind of people I want to be around on my Disney vacation.

Or ever!

Christine
06-22-2007, 11:59 AM
I am very glad to hear this!

I wouldn't mind if they put turnstiles up at DTD period, Marketplace and all. Mainly because they could establish when it has reached capacity. The Market Place is not that big and has been WAY too crowded lately.

Also, with this kind of undesirable crowd hanging around, there should at the very least be the same bag search that there is in the parks. It may not be the most productive search (some of the time they barely eye-ball your bags), but it would still be a deterrant.

Just my opinion...

GrumpyFan
06-22-2007, 12:24 PM
Glad to hear they're dong something about the problems. We haven't been to PI in a few years, but we do go to DTD every trip, and it's very important to feel safe while visiting there. Hopefully, their efforts will drive the bad crowd away.

DizneyRox
06-22-2007, 01:30 PM
I never understood why they removed the turnstyles. PI has never been my cup of tea, but once I heard about the changes in admission policy I knew I would not be back.

I can't remember the last time I was even at the West Side. Now that there really isn't any localized merchandise anymore, DTD has dropped to the very bottom of the list of things to do.

JPL
06-22-2007, 01:43 PM
On my last Visit to PI in 2004 this problem was really bad lots of kids and underage drinking going on that I saw. Very little noticeable security. It seemed to have the feel of a gang hangout back then. I didn't even see the underage teens questioned about having drinks in their hands when the security passed by. I have heard from a few local friends that it has gotten progressively worse over the years so I basically haven't been back since. I wonder what took Disney so long to crack down. I really wish at times they would be more proactive rather than wait for a incident to occur.

angedeaile
06-22-2007, 02:30 PM
I am glad Disney is doing something about it. I just hope they aren't going purely based on race. I have seen drug users/dealers and gang members of all races. Not only that, but Disney doesn't need to get a bad rap trying to protect guests by going about it all wrong. I always get so sad when I hear the mouse is being sued:(

All of that aside, perhaps they will give further thought into having security checkpoints at all enterances like other Resort property. Might help keep the riff raff out...

Jasper
06-22-2007, 02:52 PM
I wish them luck in getting and keeping these problems under control. I especially wish them luck in avoiding the charges of racial bias. Gangs are, of course, normally made up of individuals of the same ethnic, social, financial, etc. backgrounds. Thus if you happen to only have one gang working a particular area and that gang happens to be minority, it is normal that you will arrest more minorities. But facts like that doesn't stop others from playing the race card and stirring up the community!

mttafire
06-22-2007, 05:27 PM
Based on what I've seen lately at PI, not only do I think they should bring back the turnstiles, but I think they should double the admission price.

The class of people I saw there are NOT the kind of people I want to be around on my Disney vacation.

Or ever!

Ian, I agree with that 100%. If the prices go up..so does the class of patrons. As a whole i think DTD is VERY safe and nice...BUT, P.I. especially on the weekends brings out VERY "seedy" folks. It aint about race.White, Black or anything in between...Bad people is bad people. Raise the prices alot and you'll see and end to the riff raff. I applaud Disney for hopefully ending this situation.

playdead88
06-23-2007, 08:18 AM
on our visit back in april of this year i noticed a difference in the crowds - they were teens without parents, not buying anything, just hanging out....what you would see at any mall in america. i love downtown disney and would certainly be willing to pay a price to get in if it meant a nicer visit than what you would expect at your neighborhood mall. hopefully it won't come to that. :(

TheRustyScupper
06-23-2007, 03:17 PM
1) Glorioski!

2) I have written SEVERAL posts about the teens since the admission change.
3) My emails to WDW "brass" never got a response.
4) Mrs Rusty said the only place in WDW she felt unsafe was at PI.
5) We said we WOULD NOT go back until it was changed.
6) Recent crimes, plus the build-up of teens has borne this out.

7) It is so nice to see WDW taking action.
8) Thanks! (finally)

snifflesmcg
06-23-2007, 05:10 PM
:thumbsup: My DH and I were only there briefly during our last stay, and didn't notice any of this - but I'm glad that Disney has cracked down on this if it was going on. Certainly, no one visiting Disney wants to put up with this kind of behavior, or have to worry about being harassed or robbed. And maybe they should put those turnstiles back up at PL - that would probably solve quite a few of the problems! If parents had to shell our $$ to drop their kids off, I bet they'd stop... ;)

:ditto: The first time I was ever to PI was 2001 and it was fantasic! BEST part of my trip by far! By the time 2005 rolled around the atmosphere had changed. I saw many kids really young with absolutely no supervision. Not only do I think the turnstiles should be put up, with all the smoking, drinking and colorful language, it should be 18 to enter, 21 to drink.

Crow
06-23-2007, 06:01 PM
i havent been into any of the clubs since the change. i liked the idea of a small area for adults like that. hopefully it will b less of a mall.
i worked in stores in malls for yrs and saw problems.......

WDWfanatic742
06-23-2007, 07:04 PM
Honestly, not all teens are like this. A couple friends and I (who are 16 and 17) went up to WDW for a couple days which included a visit to DTD and we were very civilized and all the kids that we saw were civilized. It's always the few bad apples that ruin it for everyone else. Only saying that not all teens are carrying drug's and weapons on them all the time.

snifflesmcg
06-23-2007, 07:27 PM
Honestly, not all teens are like this. A couple friends and I (who are 16 and 17) went up to WDW for a couple days which included a visit to DTD and we were very civilized and all the kids that we saw were civilized. It's always the few bad apples that ruin it for everyone else. Only saying that not all teens are carrying drug's and weapons on them all the time.

I agree that some bad apples ruin it for everybody and it's simply not fair. My sister, when we had gone in '05, was 17 and she caused no problems. While I still stick to my idea of 18 to enter- 21 to drink, I belive there should be some sort of teen center as well. While there is a TON of stuff for kids to do and quite a bit geared to adults as well, WDW does lack in the teen area a bit.

Aurora
06-23-2007, 07:58 PM
I'm guessing that all the problems are in the Pleasure Island/West Side areas -- not the Marketplace.

Why did Disney feel the need to add bars and low-end shops to the area? To take business away from Church Street Station. They took the turnstiles down because PI was losing money. Now they're reaping the rewards of enticing the people they were looking to attract in the first place -- non-vacationers. Why would I want to take time out of my vacation to go to a cigar store, a pick-up club or trinket shop?

These days, I stick to the Marketplace. There's nothing I want to see over the bridge.

lindique
06-23-2007, 09:02 PM
How about this as a compromise? Free admission with an on-site Disney room key, and charge admission to outside guests. Do you think that would solve the problem? :beer:

r4kids
06-23-2007, 09:20 PM
How about this as a compromise? Free admission with an on-site Disney room key, and charge admission to outside guests. Do you think that would solve the problem? :beer:

I think this is a great idea and possibly for those not on Disney property who are over 21, get in free. I am all for keeping undesirables out. I don't believe there was anything racial involved. 90 days!!!!!!

Speedy1998
06-23-2007, 09:40 PM
Hmmm, so that abduction/robbery from a few weeks ago may have been a hoax? I wonder if that will get as wide media coverage as the original story did?


I saw on another web site (see Intercot Policy as to why I am not saying where). That the sheriff from the home town that these people are from told the Orlando Police that they were know drug additcts. Also they are refusing to press charges if the police do catch the guys who "abducted" them.

DNS
06-24-2007, 12:07 PM
I was shocked reading this because we were just there last month and noticed nothing like this, but I have thought many times that this would be a good target for gangs considering all the tourists carrying large amounts of money and people not wanting to return to testify against people in court since they are from all over the world. I would be willing to pay more for added security also. Cheers to Disney for handling this before it got too out of hand.

AnnetteFan
06-24-2007, 05:54 PM
Based on what I've seen lately at PI, not only do I think they should bring back the turnstiles, but I think they should double the admission price.

The class of people I saw there are NOT the kind of people I want to be around on my Disney vacation.

Or ever!


Because money always equals class. :ack:

Why not just double all Disney admission prices so you don't have to worry about mingleing with the riff raff? Heaven forbid we should all be asked to spend our vacations around anyone below upper-middle class.

glenpreece
06-24-2007, 05:58 PM
Having been to WDW solo twice and being a single gay guy I have felt nervous at DTD a couple times. More specifically the West Side and PI more recently. I hate the walk from the Virgin Megastore to the buses if you walk by the parking lot behind the AMC. I would feel alot safer if there were mores cops around that area. Now the marketplace is totally different I love that area and spend all sorts of time looking and shoppping there worry free.

emmatink
06-24-2007, 06:00 PM
when did it become "gangster" to hang out at disney....easy robbery victims is the only thing I can figure out. I am glad they are clearing these scum up and out of PI...it's not a babysitting service either...it's a vacation spot for locals to enjoy with their family and of course us out of towners!!:mickey:

TheRustyScupper
06-24-2007, 07:16 PM
I'm guessing that all the problems are in the Pleasure Island/West Side areas -- not the Marketplace.

Why did Disney feel the need to add bars and low-end shops to the area? To take business away from Church Street Station. They took the turnstiles down because PI was losing money. Now they're reaping the rewards of enticing the people they were looking to attract in the first place -- non-vacationers. Why would I want to take time out of my vacation to go to a cigar store, a pick-up club or trinket shop?

These days, I stick to the Marketplace. There's nothing I want to see over the bridge.

Sound and well-stated.

disneyfan369
06-24-2007, 08:47 PM
It aint about race.White, Black or anything in between...Bad people is bad people. Raise the prices alot and you'll see and end to the riff raff. I applaud Disney for hopefully ending this situation.

Agreed! It shouldn't matter if you're black, white, green, or whatever color: If you're making PI a place where others are uncomfortable, then you don't belong there.

sagitarius
06-24-2007, 09:56 PM
THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF WITH THE UTMOST SERIOUSNESS. :mad:

I can't tell you how many times I've walked in, out, or around DTD (specifically PI) only to be asked if I wanted to buy some form of illegal drugs. I've been offered things that I don't even feel comfortable typing on this forum.

I can't say for sure if this is the kind of thing that Walt had in mind when this was only a dream of his, but we can all pretty much assume that it wasn't.

I say keep on banning as many people as it takes. And it's time for people to stop hiding behind the race card.

kristnjohn
06-24-2007, 11:43 PM
The extra security and crack down is a great thing, I hope they continue the extra forces downtown and extend the measures into the parks also. A crackdown on some of the teens with their language and actions the other parks would be very welcome also, I'd gladly pay an extra dollar on my admission ticket to help secure the extra security!

Ian
06-25-2007, 07:09 AM
Because money always equals class. :ack:

Why not just double all Disney admission prices so you don't have to worry about mingleing with the riff raff? Heaven forbid we should all be asked to spend our vacations around anyone below upper-middle class.I'm not saying money equals class, but I think it's pretty much common sense that young, punk kids with no money will be kept out if you charge 50 bucks to get in. When they charged admission before they had no problems.

And yes ... I feel absolutely justified in saying that I don't want to be associating with drug dealers and gun carrying gangsters on my vacation. Or ever. That's all I was trying to say ... why turn it into some class warfare thing?

big blue and hairy
06-25-2007, 07:56 AM
Young, old, black, white, purple blue, green (you're on notice Kermit...), if you cause trouble, out....period.

:sulley:

Remzlightyear
06-25-2007, 09:16 AM
The wannabe's crack me up. They try to emulate what they see on tv and come off as looking like the geeks they are. On a more personal note, I'm Cuban and the fact that Hispanic teens were rounded up embarrasses me. Maybe they should start charging admittance again.:haha: :gangster:

Remzlightyear
06-25-2007, 09:26 AM
Ian, I think the way you say "I feel absolutely justified in saying that I don't want to be associating with drug dealers and gun carrying gangsters on my vacation. makes it seem like anyone who can't afford to stay on property is a drug-dealer or gun carrying gangster. Look, Miami had a crime problem against tourists some 15-20 years ago. After the police cracked down on it, crimes against tourists went away. Charging admission price, though I am for it, is not really necessary if you have stepped up security.Let's be cool about this, people. The Mouse accepts everyone's money.:D

DizneeRX
06-25-2007, 02:37 PM
I'm not saying money equals class,


That's a curious comment, since your original post was a suggestion to double the admission price because of the class of people you saw there, presumabley to keep them out.

[/QUOTE] And yes ... I feel absolutely justified in saying that I don't want to be associating with drug dealers and gun carrying gangsters on my vacation. Or ever. [/QUOTE]

I completely agree - you (and anyone) should feel absoIutely justified in saying that you don't want to associate with drug dealers and gun carrying gangsters on your vacation. Perhaps if you actually did say that in your post, some of the "confusion" about what you meant could have been avoided. FYI - drug dealers and gun carrying gangsters are not a "class". So backpedal if you must, but trying to convince anyone that when you said , "the class of people I saw..." you really meant "drug dealers and gun carrying gangsters" is disingenuous.

Anyway, we should use common sense. The people you really want to keep out (aside from those that don't make enough money to associate with you) are the drug dealers and gun carrying gangsters? I'm just guessing (like I said before, I try not to associate with this "class" of people), but it would seem to me that, based on their jobs, they would have more than enough disposable income to afford the increased admission. Increasing the police patrols to help make sure that everyone (rich and not so rich) can have a safe, enjoyable experience is a great start to solving this problem.

Right now, I'm picturing an unfunny version of Ted Knight from Caddyshack...

(Sorry for the formatting - I'm kinda new to this and wasn't sure how to get multiple quotes.)

happydisneygirl
06-25-2007, 07:21 PM
I do think they need to do something to filter out the bad teens like the room key presenting instead of buying admission is a good idea. The only problem is that alot of people who Disney would want to visit there don't necessarily stay on disney property. Instead it should be free admisson with ANY valid park pass . If they want even more people they could keep the disney park passes valid to visit PI for up to a week after it expires. That way even if people are adding on a day of doing non disney they might add Disney on in the night time. I think they should bring back the free concerts :party: and get rid of the gangs then more people will want to spend there vacation time there. I miss the old PI its attraction for me was a fun safe place to have some evening fun, I liked safe club hopping and street parties and concerts. (Didn't Nsync play there when they were first starting out, I mean Florida has alot of talent they can give a chance to showcase). They need to give PI some special Disney treatment :mickey: and make it great again.

mttafire
06-25-2007, 08:55 PM
Bottom line is this, Disney is going to do something about this. These folks are NOT Disney vacationeers..Thier punks and riff raff. They go where they can go "free" and just hang out and cause trouble. Anyone who goes to P.I. knows EXACTLY what im talking about. Like i said in an earlier post.."Black, White and any color in between bad people are just bad people" They DO NOT belong at Disney. Im hoping the turnstiles go up at P.I. and the charge for admission is substantial. We actually dont goto P.I. much at all anymore "we now have children" The rest of DTD is imho very safe and quite frankly VERY NICE. Kudos for Disney for fixing the problem. As far as Ians comments...."Dittos!":thumbsup:

SurferStitch
06-26-2007, 05:07 PM
I totally agree with Ian and mttafire. It IS common sense that a higher admission cost WILL reduce the losers going to PI because it is free now. I would love to see a higher admission cost and the turnstiles returned. PI has gone downhill the past few years, and I would love to see it the way it was 5-8 years ago.

There is NO racial issue here. One previous poster brought up a good point. If there is a certain gang hanging there, then it's a VERY good chance they are of the same racial group. Therefore, you WILL find the racial breakdown heavily leaning to one race. Again, common sense here.

And please, all those who are trying to start a class war...just stop. That's not what Ian was saying at all. Don't give the low class gangbangers any credit or compassion. They don't belong at WDW. Again, more common sense coming your way.

Return the turnstiles, hike the admission, and get back to some good PI fun again.

AnnetteFan
06-26-2007, 06:33 PM
Pleasure Island and Disney World itself aren't just their for tourists you know, locals happen to enjoy it as well and it's pretty unfair to charge them more than Disney guests when they'd actually be coming more often than tourists.
I think basically what needs to be done is keeping it 21 and up as soon as you cross the bridge, not just for club entrance, for even being on the island. I don't really think high admission is the answer, most bars in downtown Orlando charge a high cover and that doesn't keep drug dealers and that type of people out of that area. If PI raised their admission price to something extravagant it might keep teenyboppers and drug dealers out but it would also keep almost everyone else out to and would pretty much be pointless.

DizneeRX
06-26-2007, 09:27 PM
I don’t think anyone who posted on this topic is “for” the gang-bangers and drug dealers. They don’t belong on the face of the earth, let alone at Disney. They are an obvious “BAD” no matter who they are. I also don’t think anyone is saying they want Disney to provide a place for these “BAD” people to hang out. So, the obvious righteousness everyone should feel against these miscreants gives no automatic credibility to those professing to condemn them.

I believe there were definite classist remarks made within this topic. “CLASSIST” is defined as discrimination against someone based on their class, i.e. their socio-economic status… the amount of money/wealth one has. Raising prices to keep those with less money out is classist "period". People with more money are not better or “good”, those with less money are not an unwanted element. Someone who believes that having money makes you “good” is classist, and honestly, just plain snobby.

I just want to point out that I’m just responding to those classist statements made earlier, I am not inciting anything, merely defending.

pdrlkr
06-26-2007, 09:43 PM
I would gladly pay to go to DTD if it meant keeping the trouble away!

mttafire
06-26-2007, 11:32 PM
Some things in life are NOT affordable to everyone. GOOD! Thats what a freemarket society and Capitalism are all about. To say that the opinions of MOST are classist is simply absurd. We can afford to goto Disney once every 2-3 years. We too save our butts off and quite franky i like it that way. It should be (and is) a priviledge to goto Disney World. Its NOT a right or benifeit. For the punks and riff raff causing problems at Disney..a higher cost at the gate will solve most if not all of the issues this thread is concerned with. If Disney charged say the same to goto P.I. as it did a theme park you could bet the ranch it would be a much different place...For the better. It seems that the few of you that think this is "classist" have an intitlement attitude. No, You're NOT intitled to goto P.I. or anywhere else. If you want to play..you pay.:thumbsup:

big blue and hairy
06-27-2007, 07:14 AM
Ok, everybody take a breath. We're all here because we love Disney. We all want it to be nicer. I understand the folks who are saying to raise the price, but I don't agree. If the problem is mostly locals who are loitering. You impose a no loitering rule. If you are not going to the clubs or shopping in the stores, there really isn't any reason to be there. Especially now that most of the outside entertainment is going away.

I would think that security around Pleasure Island and the knowledge by people who are there a lot that you will be escorted off property and possibly arrested would help a lot.

As I said earlier, I don't care what color age or gender someone is, if they're causing trouble, goodbye.

:sulley:

larandtra
06-27-2007, 08:14 AM
Disney is about to have a huge issue on their hands. Had all of these kids been some random gang bangers causing trouble then it would not be an issue. But, they obviously used profiling and invariably netted some kids who are NOT part of that scene. 5 young men who were approached and then cited and escorted off the property were 5 young men who had gotten together to celebrate the fact they were all going to be headed to Florida State to play football. They all are excellent students, never in any trouble, and very good young men who we are proud to have coming to Florida State. But, they are 5 very big young black men and it is obvious that Disney used particular profiles to determine who they wanted to get rid of. I know one of these young mens parents and Disney heavily overreacted. One of the young mens father is a prominent attorney and they are being supported by FSU. Get ready for a firestorm because yes, it is a necessity to keep trouble makers out of family parks, but, to ASSUME that because these are 5 rather large young black men they are troublemakers is wrong.

John
06-27-2007, 08:53 AM
I think we have taken this thread as far as it needs to go. Thanks for your comments everyone. Thread closed.