Anyone who’s visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom knows that long waits for Avatar Flight of Passage are pretty common. But for some guests this weekend, an 80 minute queue took an unexpected turn when a fight broke out.
A brawl broke out in the standby queue for Avatar Flight of Passage, with videos of the incident quickly spreading across social media.
Video Shows Fight at Disney Animal Kingdom Avatar Flight of Passage Ride
The first video, which was shared online shortly after the incident, showed several guests pushing, shoving and throwing punches near the end of the attraction’s queue.
Fight at Animal Kingdom
by u/United_Excitement329 in WaltDisneyWorld
This is the quote from the reddit user United_Excitement 329
Fight broke out this morning in line for Avatar:Flight of passage. I’m not sure what started the fight, but I was told the two groups had been arguing the entire wait time.
Edit: It wasn’t like cutting. These two groups had been arguing for the entirety of the 80 minute wait. Still not sure what about.
Now, a second video filmed from farther back in the line has surfaced, giving a different view of the altercation.
The new footage appears to show one guest being restrained while another throws multiple punches before the groups are separated.
It’s unclear exactly what started the confrontation.
According to reports from guests who were there, the two groups had been arguing for much of the wait before the disagreement turned physical near the ride’s loading area.
Sheriff’s Deputies Were Reportedly Called
Reports indicate that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to the attraction following the incident.
At the time of writing, there has been no public information confirming whether anyone was arrested or whether charges will be filed.
Disney has not publicly commented on the incident.
Flight of Passage Remains One of Disney World’s Most Popular Attractions
Avatar Flight of Passage has been one of the headline attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom since it opened in Pandora – The World of Avatar in 2017.
Even years after opening, standby waits of 60 to 120 minutes are still common during busy periods, particularly during weekends, holidays and school vacations.
A lot of the line is inside, which whilst this brings a welcome break from the Florida heat, is enclosed and narrow at times. The video shows that the fight took place very close to the end of the line, shortly before guests are sorted into the final waiting line.
While long waits can test anyone’s patience, incidents like this remain extremely rare considering the millions of guests who visit Walt Disney World each year.
A Reminder to Keep Perspective
Videos of confrontations at Disney parks often attract huge attention online, but they don’t reflect the experience most guests have during their vacation.
Every day, thousands of families enjoy Walt Disney World without incident, and Cast Members work hard to keep attractions operating safely and queues moving as smoothly as possible.
Whilst these incidents are rare it is so sad that they happen at all.
What do you think? Should Disney take stronger action against guests involved in fights at the parks, or are incidents like this simply an unfortunate reflection of wider behaviour outside the Disney bubble?
Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando. In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 60 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 250,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.