Former Universal & Disney Park Employees Reveal Why Ariana Grande Was The 'Most Disrespectful' Celebrity To Visit The Parks
Grande is every employee's worst nightmare.
@tombreadison / @teresa_jack / TikTok / lev radin / Shutterstock Ariana Grande has been linked to some rather problematic behavior over the last few weeks, and theme park employees are chiming in on why they're not surprised. Some of them are sharing their unfavorable views of the pop star and why she is one of their least favorite celebrity guests to enter the parks.
Both Disney cast members and Universal theme park employees consider Grande one of the most ‘disrespectful’ celebrities they have encountered.
According to Disney and Universal employees, Ariana Grande allegedly forced other park guests off of the attractions so that she could experience them herself.
TikTok users who previously worked at the theme parks or know of someone who did took to the platform to share their own personal horror stories dealing with Grande when she visited the parks.
“I know we’re all livid with Ariana Grande because of this Ethan Slater nonsense, but just know that you and I or anyone else will never dislike her as much as the Disney Guest Relations cast members,” says Teresa Jack, an entrepreneur living in Orlando, Florida.
These specific Disney cast members, called "plaids" because of the plaid vests they wear, assist guests with making park reservations, recommend dining options and even escort some guests onto rides and attractions.
Guests who wish to do VIP tours around the parks will be escorted by a Disney Guest Relations cast member who will escort them to the front of the line and wait for them outside until they get off and are ready to move on to the next attraction. These tours are usually taken advantage of by wealthy families, but occasionally, celebrities will use them to get around the parks.
“If you happen to know any plaids, they will tell you that Ariana Grande is the rudest person that has ever graced the parks,” Teresa shares. “I can’t tell you how many of them I’ve met that will not guide her around the parks anymore.”
While celebrities who are guided by Disney Guest Relations cast members are usually able to bypass the long lines, they are otherwise treated like any other guest, and share ride vehicles with their fellow parkgoers.
“I had a friend who was working on the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ ride and Tina Fey came through with a plaid, and they just had her cut the line, put her in on a boat with everybody else… and then she met her plaid at the end of the ride,” Teresa reports. “That’s normal unless you’re Ariana Grande.”
According to Teresa, Grande not only cuts the line but also “shuts down the entire ride” so that she could have the building and the ride vehicle all to herself. These shutdowns can take up to hours, and guests who were already waiting in line are kicked off.
“That is not normal celebrity behavior,” Teresa says, noting in the caption of her video that Grande is often “rude to service industry people.”
It is not only Disney cast members who reportedly cannot stand Grande. Universal Park employees have also had unpleasant experiences with her.
Reilly (@tombreadison), previously worked at Universal as a scare actor during the “Halloween Horror Nights.” One year while she was waiting for guests to scare in one of the haunted house attractions, she says that the crowds suddenly stopped coming through and the house was empty. She thought it was strange since the line was over an hour long and it was a sold-out event.
“All of a sudden, a group of bodyguards, Ariana Grande and her dog came through,” Reilly revealed in a video. While she initially thought it was cool that she had the opportunity to scare Ariana Grande herself, her fellow co-workers could not wait for her to leave the park.
“Ariana was being super rude to the team members,” Reilly says. “She was demanding free food, she was pissed off because they would have to clear the house, then let her walk through and she was being impatient because there had to be time to clear the guests out of the park so she could have her own experience going to the houses.”
Reilly adds that Grande was being “completely disrespectful” to employees who were going out of their way to ensure she had a good experience.
Other employees who worked at “Halloween Horror Night” shared similar experiences with Grande.
“My friend worked horror nights and she [Grande] came through touching stuff and my friend told her to stop and she told her, ‘Do you know who I am?’” one TikTok user commented.
“I heard that one house refused her because of how long the line was and she got so angry,” another user shared.
While she may be one of the most outspokenly-rude celebrities, Grande is not the first to expect special treatment from theme park employees due to her status.
In April 2022 while visiting Disneyland Park in California, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, along with their children, had other guests cleared from the “Mad Tea Party” ride so that they could have the attraction to themselves. Park-goers were left standing watching them as 15 empty ride vehicles circled them.
TMZ reported that the famous family “paid $2,975 for a VIP tour that granted them priority access to rides, a guided tour, and space away from other guests.” The same tour is offered to all Disney guests who wish to take advantage of it.
Celebrities and wealthy families undoubtedly have the privilege of paying for special treatment wherever they please, including theme parks.
However, it is fair to question their moralities if their treatment interferes with other guests’ visits.
There are those who have waited their entire lives, working round the clock so that they can take a vacation to Disney or Universal. When they finally have the opportunity, should they really be forced to wait hours to ride an attraction or be booted after waiting in line so a celebrity can experience the attraction all to themselves?
Not to mention the added stress it puts on theme park employees, who go above and beyond to ensure all of their guests are well taken care of and get to enjoy the park.
Theme parks are public spaces and ones where all guests deserve the right to enjoy their favorite attractions, even if a celebrity is in their presence.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.