An Inclusive Litany

1/15/96

Billie Jean Matay, 52, a longtime fan of Mickey Mouse and a former mousketeer in her younger years, took her daughter and three grandchildren out for a day at the theme park, but they were robbed in the parking lot. She sued Walt Disney Co. because, she claims, park security officers were rude and inefficient. But apparently the most traumatizing part of the incident had little to do with the crime; Matay also claims emotional distress because when taken to the security office following the crime, she and her grandchildren saw Disney characters out of costume and had to face "the reality that the Disney characters were, in fact, make-believe."

The Associated Press reports that in 1990 Disney had to settle out of court with an Idaho couple who claimed to have been traumatized after seeing Disney characters carrying their heads around.