Bad incident on our trip

[butternut]

I'm not sure if this is where to ask this info or not . Sorry if it's not. On Sunday October 9th my son and I went to GF for dinner from S/D. Upon finishing around 9 pm we called for a car to take us back to our report. About one minute into our drive we were approached by a man on a golf cart and made the car pull over. He began ranting that we ran a gate ,which there was no gate or I'm sure we would have felt it hit the car. This man said he was a sheriff and had a gun with his hand on it and began interrogating us as if we were criminals. Told us we were going to jail and began calling for back ups to come assist him . This went on for 10 minutes and I can't even begin to tell you how scared and upset we were. We told him where we were and where we were going and he told us we were lying. His back ups came and made us pull over to another area and began questioning more, took our identification(our license) and told us we committed a federal offense. Now we know nothing about the roads in Disney or how to drive anywhere around there so we rely on cabs users or the Disney bus. After quite some time they let us leave and told us never to come back . The driver and my family were all at this time crying hysterically as we left. Has anyone ever come across anything like this. I went to Guest Relations but don't know if that was the right thing to do or not. Any help with this?

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

What did Guest Relations tell you?

 

[wilkeliza]

I have never heard of anything like that happening at Disney. I'm not even sure Disney security carries weapons. What did Guest Relations say when you brought it up to them? I would send a detailed email to guest relations as a follow up and if you don't have it perhaps contact the cab company for the drivers name and information as well. I can't imagine driving from the Grand Floridian back to your resort even if you did run a gate (there is not gate to run on the way out) that they would have stopped you with a gun and threaten federal violations on you.

 

[smiths02]

What did Guest Relations say?
I would have called the sheriff's office since you seem unconvinced it was a sheriff??

 

[Lehuaann]

Is it possible that the cab rushed/ran the gate coming in to get you? There are indeed local sheriffs on property with guns and the resort may have had them patrolling via golf cart.

 

[ELSA711]

The driver was crying to? why would they take everyone's license?
Did the 'back ups' come on golf carts to? LOL
Sorry, not trying to make light of it but WTH?

 

[saskdw]

The driver was crying to? why would they take everyone's license?
Did the 'back ups' come on golf carts to? LOL
Sorry, not trying to make light of it but WTH?

I'm with you. Something is just not adding up with this story.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm having a hard time understanding why they would ask for anyone's driver's license other than the drivers? I've been in cars with other people driving that have been stopped and the officer never even glanced at me much less asked me for my license. Also not sure if running a gate would be a Federal offense. I'm not doubting the OP but scratching my head.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

This was a scam, almost certainly. Running a gate on Disney property is not a federal offense.

 

[LadyRayado]

This is so weird! Why did he tell you he had a gun? And why would he randomly announce you were going to jail?! Did he need backup? What a bizarre event! I ended up on a private road behind MK once, and security just laughed it off and pointed me in the right direction. Makes me think it was someone trying to get money out of you, just claiming to be security/sheriff. What did Guest Relations say?

 

[SkiTeton]

Was the "sheriff" accusing you or the driver? Perhaps the driver of the cab hit/ran a gate and drove away before he/she picked you up.

 

[AngiTN]

I'd think telling everyone what Guest Relations did is an important part of the story. It's hard to know if you did the right thing if no one knows what they did once you reported it.

The entire thing is quite bizarre and something seems quite off about it all. I can say that unless they've got some sort of supped up golf carts a sheriff in golf cart is going to have a heck of a time catching a car in a car chase (if someone really did run a gate and try to get away).

 

[freediverdude]

I'm wondering if this was maybe an Uber driver who had trouble getting in the gate to pick these people up and kind of whizzed past the guard or rammed the gate a little bit frustrated trying to get in. I can see the guard shacks wanting verification that the car is an Uber and not just a random person coming in to park with no reservation or anything. I would like the op to clarify a little more though.

 

[butternut]

I am honestly telling the truth. Our driver went out a road from the GF and we were stopped and everything I have said happened. He didn't just say he had a gun, the gun was in his holster and his hand was on it. He also had a badge tha did say Sheriff but that's all he provided. His back ups also came on a golf cart for what that's worth. We provided him with our drivers license because with everything going on in the outside world we were not about to refuse under the circumstances. Went to guest relations at Epcot and reported the incident and they were quite concerned. They were going to investigate it and get back to me. The took all my information there so I am waiting on a response. Just didn't know if guest relations was the place. The driver was a lady and she was crying from fear and embarrassment. Needless to say the rest of our evening was done.

 

[maryj11]

Was your driver an Uber driver?

 

[wilkeliza]

I am honestly telling the truth. Our driver went out a road from the GF and we were stopped and everything I have said happened. He didn't just say he had a gun, the gun was in his holster and his hand was on it. He also had a badge tha did say Sheriff but that's all he provided. His back ups also came on a golf cart for what that's worth. We provided him with our drivers license because with everything going on in the outside world we were not about to refuse under the circumstances. Went to guest relations at Epcot and reported the incident and they were quite concerned. They were going to investigate it and get back to me. The took all my information there so I am waiting on a response. Just didn't know if guest relations was the place. The driver was a lady and she was crying from fear and embarrassment. Needless to say the rest of our evening was done.

I would also let the Taxi dispatch know. It wasn't clear if you used Uber or somewhere else but if it was Uber let them know for sure.

On top of that you can still call Orange County and ask if they had an sheriff's patrolling that area that night and let them know what you experience. I believe that is who would be the actually police department for the Grand Floridan area.

 

[tobikaye]

I would probably have contacted the Orange County Sheriff's Office as soon as I was leaving the area to verify that the people that stopped you were with their department.

 

[AngiTN]

I believe I would also report it to the management at GF, since if there was any gate involved it was a gate at their resort.

 

[2manypets]

Why did you go to the Guest Relations at Epcot (which closed at 9pm, the same time your were getting out of dinner) instead of your resort that you posted you were headed to anyway?

Not trying to be confrontational, but really want to know...inquiring minds and all that.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

If it was an Uber, the sheriffs dept may not know he's "a cab driver", thus lumping you all together as a deviant family. That would assume he ran a gate on the way in of course.
Did anyone tell them it was an Uber driver and you had no knowledge?

Was there damage on the car from the gate? They should have at least looked for scraped up paint when they stopped you.

The biggest thing I find odd is the backup coming in on golf carts.

MG