Disney World Guests Jump Into the Water on EPCOT Boat Ride, Resulting in Being Banned
A man climbed out of a boat ride at EPCOT and dove headfirst into the water while other riders cheered him on. Disney World later confirmed that he and the people with him were banned from the property.
The incident happened on Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, a boat ride inside EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion. Orlando chef Michael Collantes shared a video of the incident on Instagram.
The man can be seen standing on a ledge beside the water near the end of the attraction. He then jumps headfirst as someone in the boat stands up and claps.
Collantes said this was actually the second person he had seen jump into the water, although his video only shows one dive. He also said the attraction was stopped for about 15 minutes during the incident.
The Group Walked Off the Ride Without Being Stopped
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Collantes and his wife were riding in the boat behind the group when it happened. He told USA TODAY that they were visiting EPCOT for a date night and decided to go on the ride. The video shows the man standing near a flower display before going into the water. Another clip shows two men back in the boat with their clothes soaking wet.
A recorded announcement can also be heard telling guests that the ride has been temporarily delayed. Collantes said he expected Disney security to be waiting when the group reached the exit. Instead, he watched them get off the ride without being stopped.
The Gran Fiesta Tour is normally a pretty calm attraction. According to Disney’s official description, the indoor boat ride takes guests through scenes featuring Donald Duck, José Carioca and Panchito, with no height requirement.
Disney Confirmed the Entire Party Was Trespassed
Disney later confirmed that the group did face consequences for what happened on the ride. “This behavior was unsafe and a clear violation of our park rules. The guest and his party were trespassed,” a Walt Disney World representative told PEOPLE.
A representative for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office also told Entertainment Weekly that nobody was arrested. USA TODAY separately reported that the sheriff’s office had no criminal case or report filed in connection with the incident.
Disney has rules against unsafe behavior that interferes with its attractions or other park operations. The company also reserves the right to remove guests or deny entry when those rules are broken. That can happen without a refund, according to Disney’s published policies.
