Man accused of smuggling child into Disney park as venue's ticket prices explode

As Disney ticket prices skyrocket, families are apparently trying creative and — in some cases — highly questionable ways to try to save a buck.

Recently, a father was caught on video at Disneyland in California seemingly trying to smuggle an older child into the park in the back of a stroller. 

In a viral video that circulated on TikTok last week, a child can be seen sitting squeezed in the back of a stroller, barely visibile, as the father waits in line to pay the entry fee.

"Disney [is] so expensive they['re] smuggling kids in," the TikTok video is captioned.

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The video was taken by a blogger who posted it on his account. 

A little girl was seen sitting in front of the stroller, the blogger said — while the older child was pushed up against the stroller's mesh in the back, munching on crackers, according to the post.

Fox News Digital reached out to Disneyland and Disney World for comment. Disney was unable to confirm the incident.

Commenters online quickly erupted — weighing in with a surprising amount of support for the illegal cost-cutting hack.

"Disney doesn't realize how much money they could make by lowering prices," one person wrote. 

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"Sad. Disney [should] do better and lower the prices so kids can enjoy the park!" another said. 

This is not the first time a Mickey enthusiast has tried to smuggle a child into the park with the stroller method.

Over the past few years, several viral incidents have circulated of families apparently trying to smuggle older children into Disney parks by hiding them in strollers, according to the "Inside the Magic" blog. 

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One incident garnered a lot of attention in 2022 when a TikTok video showed a child being wheeled in a car seat. The child was lifted out once inside the park — and walked on her own once inside the park, numerous outlets reported. 

Some travelers believe these incidents may be attempts to bypass ticket costs.

Despite the attention, these incidents appear to be rare in practice, yet they continue to spark strong reactions online.

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Disney fans on Reddit strongly disagreed with the praise as voiced on TikTok.

"I understand that prices for gas, parking, hotels are crazy, but if you don't have the money, don't go. The entitlement is astounding!" one Reddit user said after a different incident.

"Agree. If you can’t afford it, then you don’t belong," another said.

In October 2025, Disney raised the prices at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. For the first time, single-day tickets crossed the $200 mark during peak times.

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At the time, Disneyland topped out at $224 for a one-day, one-park ticket on its busiest days. At Walt Disney World, that same ticket now runs as high as $209 during peak demand in the 2026 season.

Not long ago, FastPass let park visitors skip the lines for free. 

Today, that perk comes at a premium. Disney now offers three tiers of paid Lightning Lane passes, with the priciest option climbing to $449 per person, per day, according to the company's website.

"I have attempted to plan a Disney trip on three occasions. … I truly can’t understand how families afford it without going into massive [credit card] debt," a Reddit user wrote on April 12.

Another traveler retorted, "Most people I know decide to go and then spend over a year saving toward it."