The Happiest Place on Earth was anything but this week, as guests at Disneyland found themselves swept into unexpected delays, protests, and ride shutdowns during what should have been a magical summer trip. The culprit? A surprise visit from Vice President JD Vance that sent shockwaves through the resort—complete with armed escorts, K9 sweeps, protest clashes, and disrupted itineraries.
Big Thunder and Big Disruption: What Happened at the Park
Reports of Vice President Vance’s arrival started circulating on July 11, after aviation monitors flagged a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over Anaheim—something only filed when high-ranking government officials are nearby. Sure enough, by midday, rumors were confirmed: Vance had checked into the exclusive Grand Californian Hotel & Spa with his family, triggering high-level Secret Service operations across Disneyland Resort.
That’s when the ride disruptions began. A Reddit post from a guest inside the park shared real-time details:
“BTMRR was cycled out. Holding queue at merge. Station is covered in security. K9 sniffing down load area. Couch man must be close….”
Reactions From the Crowd: Not Exactly Magical
The post quickly gathered steam, with other guests chiming in with confusion and frustration. One user asked:
“So how does this work him and his family get to ride rides while everyone else have to wait?”
Another replied:
“Pretty much. Same thing happened with Beyoncé and other higher noted celebrities.”
Some guests began speculating about the layers of disruption a Vice Presidential visit requires:
“Does it happen exactly the same? I imagine for celebrities like Beyoncé, they have an escorts’ and just skip lines. I imagine that for VD, he has an armed security detail and they’re clearing paths through out the park for him and essentially are shutting down rides in advance of his arrival.
Now, I don’t know this. This is just how I imagine how this happens.”
Another agreed, adding:
“yes but regular celebrities are kind of more discreet about it. kind of like how they swap ADA seats sometimes, they will just hold the row or rows for the celebrity and escort them on or off. I imagine they need to stop a lot more things for the presidential escort and extra security.”
A longtime parkgoer shared their perspective:
“Security sweeps for celebs, no, but cycling the rides so they are the only ones on and stopping the queue at the merge, absolutely. This is probably on a per celebrity basis for logistics and crowd control reasons along with security. Last time Beyoncé was at Disneyland, guests were upset because she was “shutting down” the rides so her and her family could ride it by themselves.”
And one guest connected it to a similar Universal Studios experience:
“This happened at Halloween Horror nights. The Weeknd was there and every maze we went to was “closed down”. We talked to an associate and said they aren’t at liberty to say why it’s closed down but the other associate straight up just said “yeah the weekend is in the mazes when they’re closed down””
Protests Heat Up Outside the Resort
Meanwhile, outside Disneyland’s gates, political protesters gathered to denounce Vance’s arrival and his administration’s immigration policies. Videos and photos posted to social media show crowds waving Mexican flags and shouting as the Vice President’s motorcade approached. Law enforcement and Secret Service officers quickly swarmed the perimeter to hold the line.
This tension coincided with real-time security disruptions within the parks. Guests on their first or only Disneyland trip suddenly found themselves rerouted, detoured, and delayed by metal detectors, extra screenings, and station holds. Some were furious.
“It honestly must suck to be there today – and the amount of wasteful government spending going on for a vacation…”
“Are guests allowed to boo him?”
One guest summed it up with this:
“So many once a year, once every 5 years, once in a lifetime trips being ruined by this.”
Another posted a lengthy, passionate response:
“That was my thought. This guy can go anytime he wants. Yearly, monthly, weekly. Yet some family saved for months or years to do a once in a life time trip with their kids. Lines are already long and they are hoping to get the most they can for their kids’ sake. Then after all the planning and anticipation they show up only to find out rides are being closed off seemingly at random because another human requires an army to blockade the rides.
I get celebrities are at higher risk of being bothered, attacked even. That’s just part of the risk you assume by getting into that level of public eye. If you want to risk Disneyland then you assume that risk. I would rather seem them go with with multiple security guards forced to ride with them. Sure skip the line, but instead of getting the ride to yourself and closing it down for an extended time, your security goes with you and rides in front and behind you allowing other guests to still ride two cars away as well or what ever.
We as a public whole didn’t make the decision for you to seek public notoriety. We shouldn’t have to bow down to your celebrity, you should have to navigate this risks with little to no consequences on the public. A full shutdown and sweep of every ride is asinine, I would say the same for any celebrity or politician.”
What Disneyland Guests Should Know
If you’re visiting Disneyland Resort this weekend, reports suggest that increased bag checks, Secret Service presence, and potential ride holds could remain in place through July 13.
Expect:
- Security sweeps
- Long lines at park entrances
- Potential ride closures
- Law enforcement visibility throughout the parks
- Delays in Downtown Disney and Grand Californian pathways
Disneyland Magic Meets Real-World Politics
The broader question looming over all of this is whether a family-focused destination like Disneyland should be used for political visibility. On one hand, Vice President Vance’s presence could be seen as an effort to humanize his image and spend time with his family. On the other, guests who have saved for years are being caught in the crossfire of political security planning.
Disney has not released a statement on the visit or confirmed any specifics, but for many guests inside the parks, the day was unforgettable—for all the wrong reasons.
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