The Disney Parks attract so many Guests because they are a place where you can go to have a great time while experiencing the magic of Disney. However, even though they are filled with happiness and fun experiences, that doesn’t mean that rules don’t exist. There are a variety of rules in place that are meant to keep everyone who is on Disney Property safe and happy.
While some may scoff, it’s not taken lightly when rules aren’t followed. The Cast Members and Security Team of Disney are all trained to know the rules, spot when they’re not being followed, and know how to handle the situation when rules are broken.
The severity of the punishment depends on the actions of the Guest (or Guests) involved. The situation may simply call for a warning. The next step, if a warning isn’t followed or a situation warrants immediate action, is park removal. This may be removal from the parks for the day, a certain amount of time, or for life.
Stories of Guests getting kicked out of or banned from the parks are unfortunately not uncommon. Sometimes it seems like there’s simply a lack of common sense. Other times, Guests purposely break the rules for fun to see what they can get away with. No matter what the reasoning is, rules are rules. If you break them, you’ll have to face the consequences.
This goes for everyone who visits Disney! Your class, status, and career won’t buy you any special privileges when it comes to following the rules at Disney. A few celebrities learned this the hard way.
Keep reading to find out which celebrities were banned from Disney and what they did to receive their not-so-magical punishment.
Former President Barack Obama was once removed from Disneyland. This incident took place during his time as a student at Occidental College. His crime? Smoking cigarettes on an attraction.
In Disneyland’s early years, smoking was allowed throughout the park. There even used to be a tobacco shop on Main Street! However, even back then, smoking was never allowed on rides, attractions, or in the queues.
Obama briefly discussed his experience during a speech that he gave in Anaheim in 2018. The Orange County Register quotes Obama saying this about the time he got kicked out of Disneyland.
“I’m ashamed to say this, so close your ears young people, but a few of us were smoking on the gondolas,” he said recalling his moment on the Skyway attraction.
“These were cigarettes, people,” he continued. “There’s these two, very large, Disneyland police officers, and they say, ‘Sir, can you come with us?’ They escort us out of Disneyland.”
“This is a true story, everybody. I was booted from the Magic Kingdom.”
The Orange County Register also quoted Disney CEO Bob Iger’s response to Obama’s story. Iger took to Twitter and said this.
“Obama just opened his speech in Anaheim with a story from his college years about getting kicked out of Disneyland for smoking cigarettes on a ride. He can always come back, as long as he doesn’t smoke.”
Luckily, Obama was simply removed from the park and wasn’t banned. He has since been to the Disney theme parks and has even made a speech at Walt Disney World!
Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt weren’t allowed to be in Disneyland due to a dress code violation. Yep. Disney’s rules also cover apparel! At Disney, clothes are expected to be appropriate and not take away from the experience of other Guests. If your attire doesn’t follow the set guidelines, you will either be asked to leave the park or your entrance into the park may be denied all together.
READ MORE – Disney Didn't Hire This Celebrity to Work in Their Theme Park, He Became One of Their Biggest Stars
Today, items such as these are considered dress code violations:
Some Guests are simply asked to leave the parks when they break the rules. Others get banned. The amount of time you are banned from the parks depends on the severity of the offense. For Rebel Wilson, her ban lasted 3o days.
The actress shared her story with host Hasan Minhaj when she was on The Daily Show in March of 2023. Getting banned for an entire month seems like a pretty big deal. What did Rebel do to warrant such a punishment? As it turns out, she took a selfie.
The fact that she took a selfie wasn’t the issue. The real problem was the location in which she took it. Rebel’s photo incident took place in Disneyland’s extremely exclusive dining club, Club 33.
Cell phones are allowed at Club 33. You’re even allowed to take pictures there! However, you are not permitted to take pictures of other Guests or take pictures in the restroom. Rebel, unfortunately, took a bathroom selfie in the Club 33 restroom where photos are not permitted.
Business Insider quoted the story that Rebel shared during her interview on The Daily Show. Here’s what she had to say.
“I took a photo in a secret bathroom inside Disneyland, which is illegal at Disneyland, and I got officially banned for 30 days.”
“They called me up and said ‘Rebel, what 30 days do you not want to come to Disneyland because you’re away filming a movie or something?’ And I said, ‘Oh, June would be fine’.”
Even though it’s never a good thing to get banned from a Disney Park, at least Disney was considerate of Rebel and her time.
Prior to the selfie incident, Rebel and Ramona Agruma got engaged at Disneyland. However, Rebel won’t be having a Disney wedding. Luckily, that decision had nothing to do with the ban. Rebel seems to be content with the amount of Disney in their relationship, as she’s quoted sharing this statement with TODAY.
“We got engaged there – that’s probably enough Disney.”
Blake Lively’s Disneyland crime landed her (and her brother) in Disneyland jail. It also left them with the sentencing of a 1 year ban from the parks. What’s even more surprising is that she was only 6 years old when this happened!
As a child, Blake would visit Disneyland almost weekly. Her mother would even take her out of school to go spend time there! However, on this particular day, Blake and her older brother tried to sneak into the park for free.
Blake told Dave Letterman the story when she was on The Late Show With Dave Letterman. Quotes taken from The Orange County Register give us insight on what was said.
“You get a stamp when you leave the park. If you spray hairspray on it, you can transfer them to someone else’s hand.”
Blake continues to recall the incident and what happened after her brother and herself were caught by security. “We go downstairs in Disneyland. It’s all white rooms. Everyone is dressed in all white. The furniture is all white. They just interrogated us.”
“It was really scary and traumatizing.”
After the children were caught, they were banned from Disneyland for an entire year. Fortunately, the experience didn’t keep Blake from returning to the Disney Parks. She frequently visits Disneyland and Disneyland Paris with her family and friends!
Grace Jones received the worst punishment out of all the celebrities on our list. Her actions led to a ban for life.
As reported by The Orlando Sentinel in a 1998 article, Grace Jones pulled her top off during a performance at House of Blues. This particular House of Blues was located at Downtown Disney (now known as Disney Springs).
This type of behavior led to Jones getting banned from all Disney properties for life.
The consequences of breaking the rules aren’t worth it. Even if it seems like a “fun idea” to test Disney’s Security or like a fun challenge to see if you can get away with something. Chances are, you won’t.
In today’s world, it’s very common to do things for clicks, views, and likes. Before doing something at Disney that you may regret later, think about the risks. As someone who loves the Disney Theme Parks, I would never want to put my ability to go there in jeopardy.
Disney takes their rules very seriously. They have them in place for a reason and will do what it takes to enforce them. In order to have a fun, happy, magical vacation, make sure you follow the rules and don’t get in trouble!
There are several little luxuries and conveniences you can opt to spend money on that can elevate your Disney vacation, but if you find that you'll settle for nothing less than these things, you may be a “Disney snob.” See the 9 red flags to spot that may indicate you're a Disney snob!
Disneyland has changed and evolved quite a lot since its opening in 1955. With the park's history comes an interesting past, including some things that we look back on today and find really weird…from real alligators in the Jungle Cruise to live mermaids in the lagoon of Submarine Voyage. See the 11 weird things we can't believe were once at Disneyland!
Did you know that you can enjoy this favorite Disneyland dessert in the form of a cocktail? This drink is a dream come true, and it's a secret menu item from one of our favorite Disneyland restaurants. See details about this boozy Dole Whip drink and where you can find it!
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No Exceptions Are Made For Celebrities!
Stories of Guests getting kicked out of or banned from the parks are unfortunately not uncommon. Sometimes it seems like there’s simply a lack of common sense. Other times, Guests purposely break the rules for fun to see what they can get away with. No matter what the reasoning is, rules are rules. If you break them, you’ll have to face the consequences.
This goes for everyone who visits Disney! Your class, status, and career won’t buy you any special privileges when it comes to following the rules at Disney. A few celebrities learned this the hard way.
Keep reading to find out which celebrities were banned from Disney and what they did to receive their not-so-magical punishment.
Barack Obama
Former President Barack Obama was once removed from Disneyland. This incident took place during his time as a student at Occidental College. His crime? Smoking cigarettes on an attraction.
In Disneyland’s early years, smoking was allowed throughout the park. There even used to be a tobacco shop on Main Street! However, even back then, smoking was never allowed on rides, attractions, or in the queues.
Obama briefly discussed his experience during a speech that he gave in Anaheim in 2018. The Orange County Register quotes Obama saying this about the time he got kicked out of Disneyland.
“I’m ashamed to say this, so close your ears young people, but a few of us were smoking on the gondolas,” he said recalling his moment on the Skyway attraction.
“These were cigarettes, people,” he continued. “There’s these two, very large, Disneyland police officers, and they say, ‘Sir, can you come with us?’ They escort us out of Disneyland.”
“This is a true story, everybody. I was booted from the Magic Kingdom.”
The Orange County Register also quoted Disney CEO Bob Iger’s response to Obama’s story. Iger took to Twitter and said this.
“Obama just opened his speech in Anaheim with a story from his college years about getting kicked out of Disneyland for smoking cigarettes on a ride. He can always come back, as long as he doesn’t smoke.”
Luckily, Obama was simply removed from the park and wasn’t banned. He has since been to the Disney theme parks and has even made a speech at Walt Disney World!
Bruce Springsteen & Steven Van Zandt
Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt weren’t allowed to be in Disneyland due to a dress code violation. Yep. Disney’s rules also cover apparel! At Disney, clothes are expected to be appropriate and not take away from the experience of other Guests. If your attire doesn’t follow the set guidelines, you will either be asked to leave the park or your entrance into the park may be denied all together.
READ MORE – Disney Didn't Hire This Celebrity to Work in Their Theme Park, He Became One of Their Biggest Stars
Today, items such as these are considered dress code violations:
- Costumes and Costume Masks (Worn by Guests ages 14 and up)
- Clothing with objectionable material, including obscene language or graphics
- Excessively torn clothing
- Clothing, which by nature, exposes excessive portions of skin that may be viewed at inappropriate for a family environment
- Clothing that touches or drags on the ground
- Clothing with multiple layers is subject to search upon entry
- Objectionable tattoos
Rebel Wilson
Some Guests are simply asked to leave the parks when they break the rules. Others get banned. The amount of time you are banned from the parks depends on the severity of the offense. For Rebel Wilson, her ban lasted 3o days.
The actress shared her story with host Hasan Minhaj when she was on The Daily Show in March of 2023. Getting banned for an entire month seems like a pretty big deal. What did Rebel do to warrant such a punishment? As it turns out, she took a selfie.
The fact that she took a selfie wasn’t the issue. The real problem was the location in which she took it. Rebel’s photo incident took place in Disneyland’s extremely exclusive dining club, Club 33.
Cell phones are allowed at Club 33. You’re even allowed to take pictures there! However, you are not permitted to take pictures of other Guests or take pictures in the restroom. Rebel, unfortunately, took a bathroom selfie in the Club 33 restroom where photos are not permitted.
Business Insider quoted the story that Rebel shared during her interview on The Daily Show. Here’s what she had to say.
“I took a photo in a secret bathroom inside Disneyland, which is illegal at Disneyland, and I got officially banned for 30 days.”
“They called me up and said ‘Rebel, what 30 days do you not want to come to Disneyland because you’re away filming a movie or something?’ And I said, ‘Oh, June would be fine’.”
Even though it’s never a good thing to get banned from a Disney Park, at least Disney was considerate of Rebel and her time.
Prior to the selfie incident, Rebel and Ramona Agruma got engaged at Disneyland. However, Rebel won’t be having a Disney wedding. Luckily, that decision had nothing to do with the ban. Rebel seems to be content with the amount of Disney in their relationship, as she’s quoted sharing this statement with TODAY.
“We got engaged there – that’s probably enough Disney.”
Blake Lively
Blake Lively’s Disneyland crime landed her (and her brother) in Disneyland jail. It also left them with the sentencing of a 1 year ban from the parks. What’s even more surprising is that she was only 6 years old when this happened!
As a child, Blake would visit Disneyland almost weekly. Her mother would even take her out of school to go spend time there! However, on this particular day, Blake and her older brother tried to sneak into the park for free.
Blake told Dave Letterman the story when she was on The Late Show With Dave Letterman. Quotes taken from The Orange County Register give us insight on what was said.
“You get a stamp when you leave the park. If you spray hairspray on it, you can transfer them to someone else’s hand.”
Blake continues to recall the incident and what happened after her brother and herself were caught by security. “We go downstairs in Disneyland. It’s all white rooms. Everyone is dressed in all white. The furniture is all white. They just interrogated us.”
“It was really scary and traumatizing.”
After the children were caught, they were banned from Disneyland for an entire year. Fortunately, the experience didn’t keep Blake from returning to the Disney Parks. She frequently visits Disneyland and Disneyland Paris with her family and friends!
Grace Jones
Grace Jones received the worst punishment out of all the celebrities on our list. Her actions led to a ban for life.
As reported by The Orlando Sentinel in a 1998 article, Grace Jones pulled her top off during a performance at House of Blues. This particular House of Blues was located at Downtown Disney (now known as Disney Springs).
This type of behavior led to Jones getting banned from all Disney properties for life.
D0n't Get Banned – Follow Disney Rules!
The consequences of breaking the rules aren’t worth it. Even if it seems like a “fun idea” to test Disney’s Security or like a fun challenge to see if you can get away with something. Chances are, you won’t.
In today’s world, it’s very common to do things for clicks, views, and likes. Before doing something at Disney that you may regret later, think about the risks. As someone who loves the Disney Theme Parks, I would never want to put my ability to go there in jeopardy.
Disney takes their rules very seriously. They have them in place for a reason and will do what it takes to enforce them. In order to have a fun, happy, magical vacation, make sure you follow the rules and don’t get in trouble!
READ MORE – Are You a Disney Snob? 9 Red Flags to Spot
There are several little luxuries and conveniences you can opt to spend money on that can elevate your Disney vacation, but if you find that you'll settle for nothing less than these things, you may be a “Disney snob.” See the 9 red flags to spot that may indicate you're a Disney snob!
READ MORE – 11 Weird Things We Can’t Believe Were Once at Disneyland
Disneyland has changed and evolved quite a lot since its opening in 1955. With the park's history comes an interesting past, including some things that we look back on today and find really weird…from real alligators in the Jungle Cruise to live mermaids in the lagoon of Submarine Voyage. See the 11 weird things we can't believe were once at Disneyland!
READ MORE – You Have to See This Boozy Dole Whip On the Secret Menu at One of Disneyland’s Best Restaurants
Did you know that you can enjoy this favorite Disneyland dessert in the form of a cocktail? This drink is a dream come true, and it's a secret menu item from one of our favorite Disneyland restaurants. See details about this boozy Dole Whip drink and where you can find it!
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