Disney World guest who was handcuffed for refusing a COVID-19 temperature check
Orange County FL April 5 2021 A Walt Disney World guest was arrested and charged with trespassing after refusing to get his temperature screened, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
While handcuffed, the Louisiana tourist tried to convince law enforcement officers that he had paid too much to be arrested.
“I paid $15,000. You can’t trespass me for paying $15,000,” Kelly Sills, who was staying at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, said in a video seen by the Tampa Bay Times.
The troublesome guest also claimed to be a stockholder while pleading with sheriffs, Orlando Weekly reported.
The Baton Rouge resident was apprehended by sheriffs and Disney staff after skipping a mandatory temperature check outside The Boathouse restaurant at Disney Springs, according to a police report.
Temperature screening and mask-wearing are required for all guests and employees at Disney World, Insider previously reported.
Sills initially refused a temperature check but, upon being handcuffed and escorted out of the park, asked to go ahead with the COVID-19 protocol. “Will you take my temperature before you kick me out, please?” Sills said, according to video footage seen by the Tampa Bay Times.
“They’ll do that in jail, sir,” a deputy replied.
A deputy then told Sills that he was on a “private property” and was trespassing.
“I spent $15,000,” Sills said in the video multiple times.
At one point, as part of his pleading, he claimed to be a stockholder in Disney. “Do you know how much stock I own in Disney?” Sills said, according to a video seen by Orlando Weekly.
He eventually cooperated with law enforcement, reported the Orlando Sentinel.
Sills has since pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge, according to court records seen by The Washington Post.
Disney World employees have detailed experiencing harassment from guests when trying to enforce COVID-19 safety protocols.
An unnamed security guard at a hotel in the Florida resort said that he was spat on when reminding a guest to wear a mask, Insider reported in March.
