They say Walt Disney World is the place “where dreams come true.” Well, one Trump supporter’s dream of going viral certainly came true after he decided to visit the theme park with his “Trump 2020” and “Keep America Great” signs in hand.
Dion Cini, a 49-year-old (now former) Disney Annual Passholder from New York, was recently banned from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida after holding up pro-Trump signs on two different attractions, Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom and Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom.
Cini posted a picture of himself on one of the attractions along with a note from the Orange County Sheriff’s office saying he would no longer be allowed on any Walt Disney World properties, including “theme parks, water parks, resorts and Disney Springs.”
A spokesperson for Disney World made it clear that Cini’s ban “has nothing to do with politics or content of the banner.”
According to its website, Walt Disney World prohibits all “unauthorized events, demonstrations or speeches, or the usage of any flag, banner or sign for commercial purposes, or to incite a crowd.”
In other words, no political signs, pro-Republican or pro-Democrat. Even a giant “Walt 2020” sign would probably result in a guest’s removal from the park.
“Walt Disney World welcomes all guests to enjoy our parks; however, demonstrations and the display of signs and banners is not permitted on the premises,” the spokesperson added. “We have previously reminded this guest about our rules.”
That’s right—this isn’t the first time Cini has gotten into trouble with Disney for displaying banners in the parks.
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Back in September, Cini was “banned” from the park (Disney said his ticket was merely “paused” while staffers spoke with him about park policy) after waving a massive “Re-Elect Trump. Keep America Great. 2020” banner from the Main Street Railroad Station platform near the entrance to Magic Kingdom.
Disney apparently decided to give Cini another chance and said they would allow him back into the parks if he promised to not incite a crowd again. He agreed.
Less than three months later, he got another idea.
“I wanted to actually abide by their rules, and not hold up a flag to incite a crowd, but I kind of wanted to test them,” Cini told WFTV. “I just really wanted to find out whether or not it had to do with unfurling a flag, or what was written on the flag.”
Hence why he held up the sign on an attraction rather than in an open area.
“I did not break the rules,” Cini told The Washington Post. “I was on a ride. I was not inciting a crowd. There was no crowd.”
Many Facebook commentators noted that holding a sign on a fast moving attraction could be a potential hazard, and, therefore, the reason Dinsey revoked his pass. However, Cini said Disney never mentioned safety as the issue.
“They never mentioned the fact that there was some kind of safety issue on the ride. That I was holding up a sign and I shouldn't be doing that,” he added when speaking with WFTV.
Regardless of why Cini was banned, it seems he got what he wanted out of the situation: to go viral and alert people to the Trump campaign.
“I do things differently,” he explained to The Washington Post. “I do things that will go viral to support the president. I’m trying to let other Trump supporters know that you don’t have to go to rallies. You can do this on your own.”
And he does. If you check out his Facebook page, you’ll see Cini has displayed pro-Trump signs and banners all over the country as a part of his “Operation Flag Drop” project.
“One person can have a bigger voice than a thousand people,” he told to The Washington Post.
In another interview, Cini hinted at his next “Operation Flag Drop” mission, a 50-foot wide flag will appear somewhere in the United States next week. So, be on the look out.
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