Walt Disney World guest arrested after refusing temperature check, claiming he spent $15K on trip
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A Louisiana man who said he spent $15,000 on a Disney World vacation learned to his misfortune that "the most magical place on Earth" has very real rules to maintain public health during the coronavirus pandemic.
Kelly Sills, 47, of Baton Rouge, was arrested on Feb. 13 after he refused to get his temperature checked at a Disney Springs restaurant, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told news outlets. He later pleaded not guilty to trespassing.
An arrest report said Sills skipped the restaurant's temperature screening tent, refused to go back to be tested and wouldn't leave the property once asked to by Disney and the deputies.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office provided FOX 35 with body camera video of the incident. Stills could be heard saying "I spent $15,000 to come here" several times throughout the video. "I paid $15,000. You can’t trespass me for paying $15,000."
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"All you had to do was get temperature checked. That’s it!" another person in the video is heard telling Stills.
Eventually, the deputy reportedly told him he would count to three and if he did not start walking, he would be subject to arrest.
The report said that Sills did not listen and refused to leave, so he was arrested. In addition, a written trespass from all of Disney property was issued.
He allegedly told police officers he was willing to have his temperature checked after he was already being escorted out of the park. One of the police officers reportedly told Sills that his temperature would be checked at jail.
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Sills told The Washington Post on Saturday that he would have "happily" consented to a screening but walked into the restaurant through an exit and didn't realize his mistake. He criticized a manager for escalating the conflict and compared Disney security to Nazis and the mafia, the newspaper reported.
"COVID is a very serious thing, but so is my vacation with my family," Sills said.
Sills’ attorney declined to comment, the Orlando Sentinel reported on Thursday.
Sills is only the latest person arrested for refusing to follow Disney's health rules. Also in February, a man spat on a security guard after being asked to wear a mask and was charged with battery.
Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said most guests have followed the rules, which enabled Disney World to reopen in the pandemic.
"Millions of guests visit our theme parks each year, and in rare instances when things of this nature occur, we hold them accountable," Finger said in the statement.
FOX 35 and the Associated Press contributed to this report.