Disney's Hidden Handguns

Walt Disney World in Orlando is relaxing its restrictions on employees who bring guns to work. 

The Orlando resort has decided that it’s okay if some Disney employees carry guns to work in their car. But Disney says it will uphold its prohibition on guns-at-work for employees at the resort’s main property. 

The revision to Walt Disney World’s blanket ban on most of its 30,000 acres of resort was worked out Friday with the blessing from Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum. 

This summer, Walt Disney World announced that despite a new state law that went into effect allowing employees with a concealed weapons permit to keep a firearm locked in their car at work, that Disney would be exempt.

60,000 Disney employees were told to leave their guns at home. Disney cited a special exemption to the law - a loophole for companies that have federal fireworks permits.

The Orlando Sentinel obtained a memo from the Vice President of Public Affairs for Disney World saying that Disney “continues to maintain a zero tolerance policy” for guns.  Bringing one to work could be grounds for termination.

A Disney security guard tested the policy by filing a court challenge to the policy after he was fired in July for bringing a gun to work. That challenge is still unresolved.

Disney’s revision to its gun ban applies only to a half dozen off-site locations away from where explosives are kept. That includes the town of Celebration and Little Lake Bryan. Approximately 5,700 employees are affected.

"Until further clarification is received, Cast Members at those facilities . . . will be allowed to keep a gun locked in their personal vehicle as long as they have a concealed-weapons permit, the gun is not visible, and the gun is not removed from the vehicle or exhibited for any reason other than lawful defensive purposes," Disney said in a written statement.

The exemption still covers Walt Disney World Resort. As it stands now, employees and guests cannot bring guns onto the parking lot property.  

Those areas where guns will be allowed, the gun owner must have a concealed-weapons permit, the gun must not be visible and it must remain in the car.

The policy only applies to employees of Disney, not to the guests who visit the parks.

Disney had claimed that the exemption affected all of the theme parks, resorts, cast member parking lots, administrative offices, sports complex, hotels, Celebration and Disney Reservation centers in Orlando and Tampa are exempt. 

Not exempt are Disney Cruise Line’s crew parking lots and some other Disney properties in Florida which now join Celebration and Little Lake Bryan.

And Universal is joining Disney in claiming an exemption. Not so at Sea World. The company believes in the rights of employees or visitors to transport legal firearms in their car, according to a spokeswoman.

Last spring, the National Rifle Association and the legislature approved the “Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008”.

Many readers to this Disney web site also agree with the decision, including comments from gun owners.

Disney and McCollum had been in discussions about the revised policy before Disney decided to narrow the focus of its exemption. 

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Disney was a backer of McCollum’s 2006 campaign for attorney general. #