Astonishing video shows new way parents are smuggling kids into Disneyland
Parents appear to be using an unusual method to try to avoid the high cost of admission at Disneyland, according to a video posted online this week.
Footage recorded Tuesday morning by a Las Vegas blogger shows a child tucked into the rear storage pocket of a stroller while the family waits in line at the park. The boy’s face can be seen pressed against the mesh window at the back of the stroller. The TikTok video was captioned, “Disney so expensive they smuggling kids in.”
The person who filmed the video said he was not sure whether the attempt actually succeeded. The blogger, who goes by Nef and runs the SinCity Born and Raised social media accounts, told the California Post he suspected the parents were hiding the child because the boy never came out of the stroller pocket.
“At first I thought it was a pet because of the mesh,” Nef said. “Then I realized it was a kid eating crackers and staying as quiet as possible.”
According to Nef, a young girl was sitting normally in the stroller while the other child remained hidden in the rear compartment. He said he was visiting Disneyland with his family during spring break when he noticed the situation.
Seeing the child squeezed into the stroller caught his attention.
“In all the years I’ve been going to Disney, I’ve never seen a kid stay that calm in such a small space,” he said. “It made me think it probably wasn’t the first time.”
Nef said he thought the child might have done this before and could possibly make it into the park that way. Because of that, he decided to record the moment and post it to TikTok, though he said he did not expect the clip to spread widely online.
The incident comes as the cost of visiting Disneyland continues to rise. A one-day, one-park ticket next Tuesday for a family of two adults and two children between the ages of three and nine costs nearly $500. For the same family on April 18, the total climbs to more than $700.
Prices have increased dramatically over the decades. A 2019 study found that when off-peak tickets cost $104, the price represented a 4,060 percent increase compared with opening-day admission in 1955.
When Disneyland first opened, a ticket cost $2.50, which is less than the price of a gallon of regular gasoline in California today.
Online commenters reacted strongly to the video and joked about the apparent attempt to hide the child.
“Let’s normalize minding our business,” one person wrote.
Another commented, “I can’t say I’m mad about it… but it’s also not right. What kind of stroller is that?”
A third wrote, “I saw nothing, heard nothing. Hope they have an amazing time at Disney.”
The California Post said it contacted Disney and Disneyland seeking comment about the video.
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