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Woman arrested at Disneyland for sneaking children into park for free
Two girls shouted for help as their mother was taken into custody by park police
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A woman has been arrested in front of her distressed children at Disneyland Resort for allegedly sneaking the two girls into the California theme park.
The unidentified woman reportedly brought her children into the Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim on Wednesday (25 September) without paying for tickets, as is required for children over three years old.
Disneyland officials told California-based KTLA5 that the woman had tried to bring the children in without valid tickets by lying about their age, with the Anaheim Police Department staing that the woman was taken into custody for obstructing a peace officer by refusing to show her ID when confronted by staff
Video footage of the Disneyland drama shared on social media shows officers removing the woman from the park with two young girls shouting for help in Spanish as their mother was arrested.
Disneyland ticketing rules allow children under three years old to enter Disneyland Resort theme parks for free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket and park reservation.
Tickets for adults start from $104 (£78), with admission for children aged three to nine from $98 (£73).
According to police, this is not the first time the woman has been suspected of attempting to bypass Disney ticket prices.
The Independent has contacted Disney and the Anaheim Police Department for comment.
Other parents have previously tried to bend the rules to avoid expensive entry fees at Disney parks.
In 2022, a video on TikTok of a woman who disguised her child as a baby to avoid paying the admission price at Disney World sparked a debate about whether it was wrong or a genius idea.
“I fully support this because we went in May and it was literally like taking a second mortgage out on our house,” wrote one social media user.
While another stated: “No way, I even explain to my kids it’s wrong to get fountain drinks with a water cup. It’s the principle of it.”
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