A recent incident at Disneyland has sparked outrage after a guest reported being treated with hostility by employees at Flo’s Café, leading the guest to file a formal complaint regarding what they believe may have been racially motivated behavior.
The incident occurred during a family visit to the park, where the guest and their two children—one of whom was visiting Disneyland for the first time—were having lunch at the popular dining spot. According to the complaint, the server at Flo’s Café displayed “rude” and “unprofessional” behavior when processing a payment with a dining credits gift card.
The Payment Dispute and Alleged Rudeness
The guest shared that when their 7-year-old son attempted to pay with the gift card, the server allegedly “snatched the card” from him and began swiping it repeatedly in front of the child. The guest further claimed the server looked at the family “as if to say, ‘Your card won’t work. You don’t belong here.’”
After several unsuccessful attempts, the guest noticed that the server was swiping the card upside down and politely pointed this out. The server reportedly “glared” at the guest, denied the mistake, and insisted that the card was “bad.” It was only after the guest pointed out that the strip should face down that the transaction went through successfully.
In a troubling twist, the guest mentioned that after the payment went through, the server “tossed the card back to my son—he missed it, and it fell to the floor. No apology.”
The Name Controversy
The most alarming part of the experience, however, occurred when the guest’s son was given a receipt with a name that appeared to be altered. According to the complaint, the name on the order ticket did not match the son’s name but instead displayed the phrase “nig31.” The guest, whose son is biracial, expressed concerns that this was a deliberate act of racism, stating: “I can’t help but feel the cashier did this intentionally—and possibly out of racism.”
Despite repeated attempts to have the name corrected, the guest claims there was no apology from the staff, and continued tension with the employees during the exchange.
Ongoing Hostility and Further Complaints
The situation escalated when, while picking up their food, the guest’s son politely asked the workers if they could omit the carrots from his order, as he didn’t like them. The guest mentioned that the request was met with “snapping” from the workers. The final straw came when the guest’s eldest son overheard the workers at the pickup counter openly discussing how “nasty and rude” the family had been, expressing how “happy they were to be rude” to the guest and their children—this conversation taking place in front of another paying customer, who was later revealed to be the guest’s son.
Filing a Complaint with Disneyland’s City Hall
Frustrated by the treatment, the guest filed a formal complaint at Disneyland’s City Hall, providing the receipt as evidence of the incident. The guest shared that they were told someone would reach out to them “ASAP,” as such behavior was deemed unacceptable. However, as of now, they have yet to receive a response from Disneyland regarding the complaint.
The guest, still waiting for a reply, has reached out to other park visitors asking if they have had similar experiences or if there was any follow-up from Disneyland. The guest is now questioning how long it should take for Disney to address this serious issue, especially if racial bias was involved. The full report reads:
“Long post about potentially racist worker- Flo’s cafe
My kids and I went to Disneyland (it was their first time), and one day we had lunch at Flo’s Café. The server was so rude when my 7-year-old son tried to pay with his dining credits gift card. She snatched the card from him and started swiping it at the machine right in front of him—over and over again. Then she looked at us as if to say, “Your card won’t work. You don’t belong here.”
She swiped it about seven times before I realized she was swiping it upside down. I politely said, “It looks like the card is upside down. It should work once you turn it over.” She glared at me, insisted she was doing it correctly, and said it must be a “bad card” while continuing to swipe it. At that point I got irritated and said, “Since when does the strip face up when swiping? Typically it’s down so the machine can read it.”
She finally turned it over, and of course it worked immediately. She tossed the card back to my son—he missed it, and it fell to the floor. No apology. Then she asked for a name for the order, and I gave her my son’s name.
When our food was ready, the woman at the pickup window asked for his name. I repeated it, but when she looked at her receipt, she said, “That’s weird.” She compared it with our copy, and although the order matched, the name on the ticket did not say my son’s name. Instead, the cashier had written “nig31.” My son is biracial, so I can’t help but feel the cashier did this intentionally—and possibly out of racism.
At the pickup window, the workers were also rude when my son politely asked if they could just keep the carrots since he doesn’t like them. He wasn’t asking for a substitution, just to leave them off. I repeated his request, but they snapped at me. At that point I got irritated, grabbed the tray, and walked away.
Meanwhile, my oldest son was still waiting for his food. When he joined us at the table, he told me that while he was waiting, the two women at the pickup counter were openly talking about how “nasty and rude” I was, and how happy they were to be rude to my son and me. They said all this in front of another paying customer—without realizing that customer was my son.
I saved the receipt and went straight to City Hall to file a complaint. I was told someone would reach out to me ASAP since this behavior is completely unacceptable. Even if the “nig31” wasn’t intended as a racial slur, the attitude and disrespect were uncalled for.
I still haven’t heard back. Has anyone else filed a complaint and not received a response? How long did it take before you heard back?”
Long post about potentially racist worker- Flo’s cafe
byu/Ok-Cheesecake109 inDisneyland
Disney Responds to the Allegations
Disney has yet to comment on the specifics of this case or address the guest’s allegations. As of the time of this report, it remains unclear how long it will take for Disneyland to respond to the formal complaint and whether any actions will be taken regarding the employees involved.
The guest’s experience highlights growing concerns over how marginalized groups are treated in theme park settings, especially in light of recent calls for more accountability and inclusivity in the hospitality industry.
For now, the guest remains hopeful that their complaint will be addressed in a timely manner and that Disney will take the necessary steps to ensure all visitors are treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their background.
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