Teens face crackdown at Downtown Disney

[Timbo]

This is bound to be a controversial topic and no doubt the media is making it into a race issue. It will be interesting to follow how this develops.
From the Orlando Sentinel Business section:
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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.
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Full story here: Teens face crackdown at Downtown Disney -- OrlandoSentinel.com

[firemedic]

That's good!! Stop it before it becomes a serious problem. I don't think Disney should put up with any of it.

[JQuatt21]

good! I agree!!!

[SuperStarKerri]

Why must people go to Disney World and create such a ruckus? If I were one of the guests that were being harassed, I would be so angry. If wannabe gangsters go to Disney World to create problems...now that's just sad.

[mini-V]

The Mall of America in Mlps had a similar situation a few years ago.

"While all kids are welcome at Mall of America, a Parental Escort Policy implemented in October 1996 requires that the Mall's youngest guests - those 15 and under - be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on Friday and Saturday evenings after 6pm.
Anyone 21 years or younger should be prepared to show a driver's license, state identification card or passport during the Parental Escort hours. One adult can escort up to 10 kids 15 years of age and younger. The policy was put into effect to ensure the best possible experience for all guests and tenants at Mall of America, Bloomington."

The ages of the teens causing the need for concern at DTD were not given. One 16 yr old was interviewed.
I'm glad WDW is looking at the situation early on so they can not wait for it to escalate to the point that I wouldn't want to spend time there.

[SamIAm717]

Given that Disney is private property and a large corporation, it can and will enforce their rules in order to maintain happy guests. If guests feel uncomfortable or threatened by a large, loitering teen presence, of any race, they may decide to go elsewhere for their next vacation. Many people I know here in the Chicago area refuse to go to Great America/Six Flags because of the large roving bands of teenagers and gangbangers who jump lines, push, shove, fight and generally threaten anyone who tries to do anything about it. It is in Disney's best interest to try to maintain that "safe, family friendly" image.

[aeronautxearth]

When I was in DTD just last week there was already a force on the area. Especially in the parking lots, which I am glad about. The teenagers (and I am on my last year of being a 'teenager') can get really obnoxious at times. I'm happy they're cracking down on bad behavior.

[Chrissy&Tayen]

i think its a awesome idea.. and the only people who will troubled by the new rule is the ones out making troubles..

[hgraber]

Why on earth would they start a movie at 12:30? I can understand if it was some HUGE opening like POTC3 or something, but what huge movie opened last weekend? Is it common for movies to start that late at DTD? How can they not expect people to be there late if they have things starting that late? The latest movies start around here (outside metro Detroit) is around 10:30-11pm!

Also, I had no idea that they stopped charging to get into Pleasure Island! That is such a mistake! I can see how it makes sense from a financial standpoint, since not charging to get in means more people and more alcohol sales, but you're also letting in children! I would never want to go hang out someplace where parents just drop off their children that they don't care enough about to wonder why they want to go to a place called "Pleasure Island." I mean, it is pretty well known what it is.

[aeronautxearth]

This police presence may also have something to do with PI switching to 21-and-up a few months ago. They also may be working to crack down on underage drinking and problems that surround that.

[BeastlyKingdom?]

An other reason why us teenages get a bad rep. im a 17 year old boy and i am getting sick by all these teenages giving ppl the wrong idea about us. but about the whole race idea that the blacks are getting targeted i find that complete B/S!!! yes they where the ones getting kicked out then they go and play the "black Card" that blacks are never going make it or not aloud in places in the USA because of racist out there. I get so tired of that. To just say I AM NOT A RACIST i might sound like one but i am not. my girlfriend for almost 2 years now is black and i dont care about race. I live in memphis which has one of the highest black population in the US. and they do the same thing hear and say i going to prison cause i am black but the really reason is beacuse you started to disrup the peace by pushing yelling curseing and other things. But I say its because of all these famos Sports stars or Rappers. I am not saying rap is bad to listen to i listen it but the black teenages beleave the way to make it in life is by being a Bad*ss and causeing fear or violence. also the sports superstars are the same way if you follow the NFL there is 2 great examples about you got to do bad stuff or hang out with bad people to make it in life Examples Michael Vick and Adam "Pacman" Jones. ok well i am finshed with this

[ohiodisneydad]

An other reason why us teenages get a bad rep. im a 17 year old boy and i am getting sick by all these teenages giving ppl the wrong idea about us. but about the whole race idea that the blacks are getting targeted i find that complete B/S!!! yes they where the ones getting kicked out then they go and play the "black Card" that blacks are never going make it or not aloud in places in the USA because of racist out there. I get so tired of that. To just say I AM NOT A RACIST i might sound like one but i am not. my girlfriend for almost 2 years now is black and i dont care about race. I live in memphis which has one of the highest black population in the US. and they do the same thing hear and say i going to prison cause i am black but the really reason is beacuse you started to disrup the peace by pushing yelling curseing and other things. But I say its because of all these famos Sports stars or Rappers. I am not saying rap is bad to listen to i listen it but the black teenages beleave the way to make it in life is by being a Bad*ss and causeing fear or violence. also the sports superstars are the same way if you follow the NFL there is 2 great examples about you got to do bad stuff or hang out with bad people to make it in life Examples Michael Vick and Adam "Pacman" Jones. ok well i am finshed with this

Wow. Can't agree more, but be prepared to defend those comments against people who don't want to face facts. For example, in my hometown we just opened up our community pool after it was closed for 2 years. There were a lot of volunteers who solicited funds and workd around the clock to get it opened. One of them is an African American teenager who was banned for the summer this weekend. It seems that since the pool reopened, staff members have decided to take a strong stance against out of control teens. Well this young man was getting out of hand and was warned about his rowdy behavior so he began cursing and screaming at the lifeguards who warned him. He was told to leave the pool for the day so he continued screaming and cursing so he got banned for the summer. Now it's become an issue of race. This little goof actually admitted in our local paper to cursing and screaming at the lifeguards because he felt they "disrespected" him but he felt they went overboard in banning him. I've seen a lot of this kind of behavior when we have tried to swim at our hotel pools when we are on vacation. Teens and "tweens" ruined most of our time in the pool because they were out of control, using foul language , etc.

Most of our local big malls now ban all unaccompanied teens after 6 or 7 pm because they have become roving gangs. One mall closed and has now been torn down because these thugs forced out all of the customers after an increase in violent crimes. The problem is most of the kids have parents who don't care what they do or they just don't have parents at all. Of course the juvenile justice system is a joke that doesn't deal with these kids until they commit crimes that reach "adult" status like murder or maybe rape. Time to get off of my soapbox.

[BellHopper]

An other reason why us teenages get a bad rep. im a 17 year old boy and i am getting sick by all these teenages giving ppl the wrong idea about us. but about the whole race idea that the blacks are getting targeted i find that complete B/S!!! yes they where the ones getting kicked out then they go and play the "black Card" that blacks are never going make it or not aloud in places in the USA because of racist out there. I get so tired of that. To just say I AM NOT A RACIST i might sound like one but i am not. my girlfriend for almost 2 years now is black and i dont care about race. I live in memphis which has one of the highest black population in the US. and they do the same thing hear and say i going to prison cause i am black but the really reason is beacuse you started to disrup the peace by pushing yelling curseing and other things. But I say its because of all these famos Sports stars or Rappers. I am not saying rap is bad to listen to i listen it but the black teenages beleave the way to make it in life is by being a Bad*ss and causeing fear or violence. also the sports superstars are the same way if you follow the NFL there is 2 great examples about you got to do bad stuff or hang out with bad people to make it in life Examples Michael Vick and Adam "Pacman" Jones. ok well i am finshed with this

i completely agree. being a 16 year old, and seeing all these other people, giving bad reps to everyone else, makes me mad beyond belief. im glad thier cracking down. they need to. its Disney World. thier cracking down on who needs to be cracked down, what ever their race happens to be. im sick of the darn race card so people have an excuse to sue, or become famous. uggggh!

[MainStreet, USA]

Every time I've been by DtD in the past few months I've seen at least one car stopped by police just across the street from DtD, usually within a block or two of that Hes station. It's such a common thing to see now that I find myself looking for it before I even get there. And it's not just at DtD, it's everywhere in Disney. I recall a time when it was rare to see any officer other than WDW security anywhere on property. Now I'm seeing at least one if not multiple Orange County Sheriff's Deputies at each park, often just inside the parks as well, and I have seen multiple traffic stops all up and down World Drive and over by DtD. The increased police presence is VERY noticeable I think, and I'm glad for it.

Regarding the loiterers, I do think that people loitering should be given warnings. I don't like that the article seems to focus on "teens" as being the primary cause of problems, because I don't believe that teens should be automatically stereotyped as trouble makers. Adults are just as likely to be causing trouble as teens, and when it comes right down to it, what's so different between a teen and an adult anyway? If you're 18, you're both, aren't you? I also don't like the race card being played in this whole thing as well, as it shouldn't have anything at all to do with it. Yes, the numbers stated in the article are a bit discomforting, but that doesn't prove anything either. I don't want to start criticizing how these warnings and such are being distributed, because I'm sure it's one of those "you had to be there to see it" kind of things, but if you're out there causing trouble or looking shifty for some reason, regardless of your age, color, or whatever, then why shouldn't security watch you more closely. And if you continue to give them a hard time or run your mouth, then yes, you should be ejected from the property.

And did any of you watch that video with the article, with that guy talking about how he and his friends were given a hard time by security and then told not to come back? He said that one of his friends had a "brass knuckles belt buckle" which was uncovered when officers searched them. I've seen those things before in a news story a few years ago when police confiscated a large shipment of them... they are nothing more than a pair of brass knuckles that are worn on the belt. They are still a weapon, and why they are still out and about so openly on the streets is beyond me. I personally thought they were illegal, especially after seeing that news report on them some time back. But regardless of whether or not it was legal to have them, what do you need a pair of brass knuckles for if you're just going to catch a movie and buy a CD? Why would you need any sort of weapon for that matter? Without actually having been there to see how these young men behaved, I can't really say whether or not they deserved to be pulled aside and searched. But after finding that, among who knows what else, I would say that there was good enough reason to make them leave for good.

[Timbo]

Does anyone smell a lawsuit brewing? Or at least a protest at DtD?
From the Orlando Sentinel:
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Disney accused of profiling black teens
4 FSU prospects ejected for loitering, refusing to leave, parks spokeswoman counters

Henry Pierson Curtis and Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writers
June 27, 2007

Walt Disney World ejected four of Florida State University's top football prospects from Downtown Disney last weekend under its anti-gang, no-loitering policy.

The four, including the son of a Disney manager and the son of a Philadelphia civil-rights lawyer, were banned for life from Disney World property late Friday.
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Full story here: Disney accused of profiling black teens -- OrlandoSentinel.com