FACT CHECK: Did A Recent Protest At Disney World Prevent Visitors From Entering The Park?
An image shared on Facebook claims a recent protest at Disney World prevented visitors from entering the park.
Verdict: Misleading
While there was an April 16 protest against Disney held near the park, it did not blockade the entrance to the park. Local authorities have confirmed the protest did not prevent any visitors from entering.
Fact Check:
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1557, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, into law March 28. The bill prohibits “classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through 3rd grade,” according to DeSantis’ office. Shortly after the bill was signed, the Walt Disney Company released a statement announcing its opposition to the bill, according to Variety.
An image shared on Facebook claims a recent protest at Disney World prevented visitors from entering the park. The image, shared over 1,000 times, shows a man wearing a “DeSantis 2022” hat in front of a group of parked cars. “Patriot Convoy just did a BLOCKADE @ the Entrance of Disney,” reads text included in the post. “Car Trouble. No one visiting Disney can get in.”
The image appears to be from an April 16 protest against Disney that was led by the advocacy group Moms For America, according to the Washington Examiner. (RELATED: Did Disney’s CEO Say ‘Going Woke’ Was A ‘Huge Mistake’?)
However, the purported convoy did not block the entrance of Disney World and did not prevent visitors from entering the park. The protest was held at “the front entrance of Disney Springs at Hotel Plaza Boulevard and SR 535,” according to a release from Moms For America. A street sign reading, “SR 535,” can be seen in the background of the Facebook picture.
Disney Springs, located on the outskirts of the park, is located about 3 minutes from Hotel Plaza Boulevard and SR 535, where the protest was held, according to Google Maps. The Magic Kingdom, Disney World’s main theme park, is located about 10 minutes away from this location.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office told PolitiFact there were no roads blocked during the protest and “no one was prevented from entering the Disney property.”
Check Your Fact has reached out to the Walt Disney Company and the Orlando Police Department for comment and will update this piece if a response is given.
