Tigger Accused Of Hitting Teen
Disney World Officials Suspend Actor Who Plays Character
(CBS) When the Monaco family traveled from New Hampshire to Florida all they wanted was a nice time at Disney World. Instead, they say, one of their sons got a punch on the head from the loveable Winnie the Pooh character, Tigger.
Home video footage shows Jerry Monaco Jr. standing next to Tigger, played by Michael J. Fedelem, as the family posed with the character Saturday. Then the character appears to smack the teen in the face.
"I attempted to get in a shot with Tigger when he stuck his arm out and I figured the photographer could get a shot with two little guys," father Jerry Monaco told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "At that point he started bumping into me and I apologized and I figured it was hot out and give him some space. At that point I backed off and went to take some home video of the rest of the family and, out of nowhere, he sucker-punched my son."
Now an investigation is underway. A spokeswoman says park officials have temporarily suspended the employee while they investigate the accusations. In a statement, Disney World said: "We received the complaint alleging that a character struck a guest; guest and character altercation is not tolerated. The Orange County sheriff is launching an investigation and we are conducting our own investigation and we have suspended the cast member pending the outcome."
Monaco said that before he tried to take a photo Tigger appeared irritated when a little girl attempted to get an autograph.
"So at that point he's waving and got his pen," Monaco said. "I didn't know what was going on. I figured out that it wasn't on a clear sheet of paper, he couldn't sign it. So I thought, 'No big deal.' Then my family came up, they were two or three people behind them. That's when this whole thing took place."
Monaco took his son to the hospital that night after he woke up with a pain in his neck.
"I'm a little sore and most of the pain is gone because I have medicine," Jerry Monaco Jr. said.
The family's attorney, Mark Morsch, said the family wants an apology from the park and from the actor who played Tigger.
"It was their dream to come to Disney," Morsch said. "They were looking forward to it and had no idea they would be in a situation where Tigger was going to hit their son."
I wonder what made the guy lash out he must get hundreds of people wanting thier picture taken with him every day I don't know if something was said even if it was it is no excuse.
Maybe he was irritatd but if you get irritated don't work at Disney world one of the most irritating places on earth
IMO there is no excuse no matter what business you are in you don't lash out at customers. Also the guy is a coward do you thik he would have lashed out if the kid was actually a man who was 6ft+ and weighed 300lbs no danger cos he would have got his ass kicked.
lodgebo said this in post #9 : IMO there is no excuse no matter what business you are in you don't lash out at customers. Also the guy is a coward do you thik he would have lashed out if the kid was actually a man who was 6ft+ and weighed 300lbs no danger cos he would have got his ass kicked.
Huh? Here is the photo...I mean what was this kid doing to poor Tigger??
Of course thats just my opinion....I could be wrong. (Dennis Miller)
"You might be the toughest little whacker. . .but in my world, you're about as worrisome as a cloudy day." (Dutch Dooley)
No I have not seen the video but from what I have read the kid was hit on the back of the head by this guy.
I don't care what you do and waht country you do it in but it is NEVER justifiable to lay your ahnds on a child, if he was being attacked by an adult then of course diffrent story but that does not seem to be the case.
Sometimes jerky kids need their head slapped. Now I wouldn't want my kids to be head slapped by a stranger, but it wouldn't come to that point because I would do it myself. Dumb ass parents let their kids run around like fools, don't discipline them, give up and put them on meds. Meanwhile a good head slap would set them strait.
I read the headline and thought that this was a joke. Surprising that it is real. Then again, I can understand where the guy is coming from. Those suits are hot and uncomfortable and the people aren't paid very much to wear them, and then you get little punk kids like Heck who hit you and run away, or like me when I was at Disneyland (very young here) who look through the eye part and see the person's face and start yelling, "You're not Mickey! You're just a person in a suit! Where's Mickey?!" The guy should have taken a break before he got to the point where he hit a guest, though.
"Man is a marvelous curiosity ... he thinks he is the Creator's pet ... he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to him and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea." Mark Twain
01-08-2007 11:23 PM
