Tigger won't face charges; But did he get his job back?

February 16, 2007, 12:04 PM · The Disney World cast member who was accused of whapping a kid on the head while performing as Tigger will not be charged with a crime.

You might remember the incident from last month. A Disney World visitor shot a video of Tigger apparently hitting his teenage son. Many viewers saw the scene differently, though, claiming that the kid might have provoked Tigger, potentially endangering the cast member.

The Florida state attorney's office announced this week that it had reviewed the incident and would not file charges. What has not been announced though, is what Disney's done to the employee. Disney had said that he would be suspended without pay during the investigation.

Replies (9)

February 16, 2007 at 1:17 PM · Tigger should be back on the job and compensated for his lost time. Having worked in that type of job before and seeing the footage, he did the best he could do. If he was risking his head being removed, or being choked he had no other option. It was an unfortunate situation, but its time to move on.
February 16, 2007 at 2:17 PM · I work with the public, and I have encountered children that unfortunately their parents NEVER taught them right from wrong. The child might not be so much to blame as the PARENTS!!! I will say that in all my 25 years I have had to DEFEND myself...I think before you pass judgement, BOTH sides of the story MUST be heard!!
February 16, 2007 at 3:33 PM · Both sides of the story have been heard. You see a video where a kid is pulling on the costume and tigger turns around and smacks him playfully. Then you see the two hugging and playing then a few days later the video is all over the place with the dad and kid saying that Tigger beat the crap out of the kid. The guy will lose his job, thats just how disney works. Its caused a lot of talk and frustration for disney, and it will most likely cost them money to keep the family happy. Is it right? No. But, as so many of you disney fans have pointed out to me on other occasions....its a business, and thats how a business gets run.
February 16, 2007 at 5:17 PM · Business or no business, having been in a character suit myself.

Those suits are heavy and the last thing you need is an unruly kid pulling on your head gear or the top of your costume.

As more often than not the wearer of the costume has a head peice that is strapped on similar to a bicycle helmet, with a strap that goes under the chin.

But my question is where was the chaperone? in the first place to prevent such an incident from occuring.

I give a thumps up to the guy in the suit, protecting his personal space and maintaining the illusion, of this larger than life character.

The parents in my opinion are money hungry and just looking for a way to make a quick buck, from a large company such as Disney.

February 16, 2007 at 7:02 PM · If you notice Tigger's first reaction, it was not to hit the kid, but to grab the arm that was behind his back. My inclination is that the kid accidentaly grabbed the tail of the costume and tigger just reacted. He reacted poorly, however in that unless it was a hard tug, it should've been considered more of an anoyannce than anything else. And to call what he did a "punch" is ridiculous.
February 17, 2007 at 9:26 AM · And the Father said he had to take the kid to the hospital, and was in pain a week later? Yeah OK. The family should be ashamed, I support the guy in the costume 100%
February 17, 2007 at 5:34 PM · Personally, I think they should tie the kid's Dad to a tree and let Tigger, Pooh, Kanga, and Roo jump on him.
February 18, 2007 at 6:29 AM · In an ironic twist:

Disney loses round in Pooh case

Bloomberg News |
Posted February 17, 2007
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Walt Disney Co. lost a federal court ruling in its 16-year-old battle over the rights to the Winnie the Pooh characters.

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper of Los Angeles, in an order filed Thursday, granted a request by Stephen Slesinger Inc., ruling that Disney and the granddaughter of the Pooh books' illustrator can't challenge Slesinger's claims to the rights.

The decision means Slesinger and Disney won't go to trial in April over the legitimacy of a 1983 licensing agreement, Andrew Skale, a lawyer for closely held Slesinger, said Friday. The ruling was filed under seal.

Disney, first in conjunction with the granddaughter of Pooh creator A.A. Milne and now with the granddaughter of original Pooh illustrator Ernest Shepard, has been trying to terminate Slesinger's rights to the characters under a 1998 copyright law. Slesinger acquired the rights from Milne in 1930.


So it looks like there might be a chance that Tigger wont even be in the parks in the future.

February 18, 2007 at 8:03 AM · That wasn't a hit it was a muff and many say that the boy that triggered tigger to hit him.Even that was a bad thing thats no reason to place charges bc that wasn't anything bad at all

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