Disneyland may be the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but one little boy isn’t feeling the love.
Apparently, a Walt Disney World employee dressed as “Tigger,” the beloved character in Winnie the Pooh, has been accused of striking a child while posing for a picture.
The employee, Michal J. Fedelem was temporarily suspended after the incident so park officials could investigate the situation. Walt Disney World is located in Florida and receives thousands of visitors each day. Accusations like this are not common, and, according to Walt Disney World’s spokesman, any accusation of misconduct within the park is taken very seriously.
Orange County Sheriff’s officials have also gotten involved. They state that the boy’s father videotaped the alleged abuse as it happened, and has turned that video over to authorities. The problem is that the video only shows a very short period of time, and now investigators must determine what happened just before and just after the incident.
The father claims that, during a photo opportunity, seen commonly throughout the park, during which cast characters pose with park visitors and sign autographs, the character playing “Tigger” hit his son “on or about” the head.
This isn’t the first time authorities have gotten involved in cast member disputes. Cast members in Disney parks have been accused of misconduct in the past as well. In 2004, a “Tigger” cast member was accused to touching a 13-year-old’s breast while posing for a picture. He was ultimately found not guilty.
Whether this “Tigger” is guilty or not will be determined in time. Until then, the employee remains suspended.
What are your thoughts on this situation? “Tigger” is known to be a playful character. Without viewing the videotape, it is impossible to know whether or not the character’s actions were simply in jest or meant to cause harm. Either way, I suspect there may be some new rules for “Tigger” cast members in the future.