To appear in today's Orlando Sentinel:
Trespassers In Hot Water At Disney
Lake Buena Vista - Orange County sherrifs arrested nine people yesterday afternoon at three different Walt Disney World hotels. Each of the nine were charged with trespassing. A practice known as "pool hopping", where a person uses the pool facilities of a hotel when they are not a registered guest of that hotel, has reportedly become rampant at Disney's most expensive hotels, particularly those served by the monorail.
With the help of attentive lifeguards and cooperative guests at the Grand Floridian, Polynesian Resort and Wilderness Lodge, officials were able to identify non-guests at each pool. Disney posts clear advisories that the pools are for the exclusive use of guest of that hotel.
"It was sad to see children crying for their parents who were being led away in handcuffs," said Mary Rodonski of Saginaw, MI, a guest at the Grand Floridian. "I never thought I'd see this at Disney World."
A Disney spokesperson explained that the unprecedented crackdown on unauthorized pool use was "An effort to ensure that our pool facilities remain available for the enjoyment of our paying guests. Some people forget that while Disney is a public company, this is private property. What we are faced with is a theft of services that others pay a premium for."
Each of the nine arrested was released on $500 bond. Court dates have not been set.
Trespassers In Hot Water At Disney
Lake Buena Vista - Orange County sherrifs arrested nine people yesterday afternoon at three different Walt Disney World hotels. Each of the nine were charged with trespassing. A practice known as "pool hopping", where a person uses the pool facilities of a hotel when they are not a registered guest of that hotel, has reportedly become rampant at Disney's most expensive hotels, particularly those served by the monorail.
With the help of attentive lifeguards and cooperative guests at the Grand Floridian, Polynesian Resort and Wilderness Lodge, officials were able to identify non-guests at each pool. Disney posts clear advisories that the pools are for the exclusive use of guest of that hotel.
"It was sad to see children crying for their parents who were being led away in handcuffs," said Mary Rodonski of Saginaw, MI, a guest at the Grand Floridian. "I never thought I'd see this at Disney World."
A Disney spokesperson explained that the unprecedented crackdown on unauthorized pool use was "An effort to ensure that our pool facilities remain available for the enjoyment of our paying guests. Some people forget that while Disney is a public company, this is private property. What we are faced with is a theft of services that others pay a premium for."
Each of the nine arrested was released on $500 bond. Court dates have not been set.
I was almost taken in by it. LOL! This was great!!!
