A guest was arrested following an incident at Magic Kingdom that involved him running to the bathroom, reportedly knocking another guest into a railing and causing them to be hospitalized.
Space Mountain Bathroom Incident
Authorities arrested Faraz Syed, 38, of Oakland, Michigan, following a September 27 incident at Walt Disney World. He is facing a misdemeanor battery charge. Syed’s attorney did not respond to a request for WDWNT for comment.
The incident took place by the exit hallway of Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom. Faraz Syed said he was hurrying out of Space Mountain because he had to go to the bathroom. However, Syed reportedly ran into another guest, also exiting Space Mountain.
The unnamed victim said he was waiting in line to exit the ride when Syed tried to walk past him. The victim was walking toward the exit, which seemingly had a line of guests all leaving at the same time. When Syed tried to get past the victim, they had a conversation. “You can wait in line like everybody else,” said the victim, “You don’t want to do this.”
That’s when the victim claimed Syed “became extremely aggressive, wanting to fight” and ran into him full speed, the arrest report said.
The victim accused Syed of running into him at full force, knocking him into the railing and the wall of the Space Mountain exit path. The victim, who previously had back surgery, went to the hospital because of the pain, according to newly released records from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Following the victim’s fall, Syed reportedly hurried away.
The victim’s fiancé told authorities she heard Syed say he needed to use the bathroom, and then the victim told Syed to wait. She reported that following the exchange, Syed charged at the victim with his left shoulder.
Other witnesses confirmed what happened, although Disney did not have any video surveillance of the incident.
When law enforcement interviewed Syed, he said he was running to the bathroom when a couple ahead of him blocked his path.
“Faraz initially stated that he had no physical or verbal contact with [the victim],” the arrest report said. “Faraz later said that his left shoulder may have brushed against [the victim] as he was trying to get by him… It should be noted that Faraz contradicted himself about the physical contact made between him and [the victim].”
Law enforcement said they had probable cause to arrest Syed for battery and transport him to jail since the victim wanted to press criminal charges.
It’s one of a handful of arrests this year when Disney World guests’ tempers rise, leading to fights and tense moments at what’s supposed to be The Most Magical Place on Earth. Earlier this year, several guests got into a violent argument while shopping at Disney Springs, while a viral video showed a brawl breaking out at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
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