On Christmas Eve, as children were nestled snugly in their beds and visions of sugar plums danced in their heads, one Florida man was frightening the holiday crowds at EPCOT.
“His loud use of profanity, screaming and arguing with employees in the restaurant disrupted the patrons and business from normal operations. … Families had to veer out of his way, and at one point a grandmother had to grab her child and physically pull her away from his direction,” according to an Orange County sheriff’s report that detailed the public spectacle.
The arrest report details the latest incident of a Disney World guest behaving badly and abusing Cast Members.
Dakota Horger, 27, of Lake Worth, was charged with battery and disorderly conduct, although prosecutors decided on January 20 not to pursue criminal charges.
“From the investigation which has been made, it is the opinion of the writer that this case is not suitable for prosecution,” assistant state attorney Aseal Morghem wrote in a court filing, and the court case was closed.
Horger was in the Rose & Crown Pub at the U.K. Pavilion on Christmas Eve when Disney complained he and another woman were causing a scene. When a Disney manager intervened, Horger acted belligerent, loud, and appeared to be intoxicated, then refused to leave when Disney tried to kick him out several times, his arrest report said.
Horger’s misbehavior included screaming at Disney Security, hitting one of the security officers with a cardboard poster container, and taking off some of his clothes to disguise his appearance, the report said.
Pictured above is a typical cardboard poster tube sold at EPCOT.
“What are you going to do about it?” Horger said after he hit the security officer with the cardboard container, according to the report.
An off-duty Orange County sheriff’s detective was called to help around 9:30 p.m.
“We began escorting Horger to the front of the park, the entire time he was cursing, yelling at Deputy Sheriffs and Disney Employees. Guest had to move out his way since he was causing a scene in public disrupting families and Disney World. Horger was told several times by Disney Security he was being trespassed and had to leave and was not welcome back,” the sheriff’s report said.
Horger refused to leave and said he wouldn’t walk or take an Uber or a taxi. He kept arguing, and then law enforcement arrested him, the report said.
His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
A similar incident occurred last fall when a man was arrested after chugging beers and causing a scene at EPCOT.
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