A woman was arrested at Steakhouse 71 in the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World after she threw her glasses of ice water on a cast member while having a tantrum for not getting her own way.
According to reports, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Steakhouse 71 at Disney’s Contemporary resort on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, for a “disturbance.”
What happened?
Leslie Helen Varley, 57, reportedly had a meltdown and became “irate” after she was told that the restaurant could not push tables together to accommodate her larger party. This led her to physically grab that manager by her shoulders and move her six steps.
She also allegedly threw three cups full of water and ice at another Disney Duty Manager, hitting his body, then forcibly removed his name tag from his jacket and walked off with it to the front desk. Several employees witnessed the events and gave statements to the police.
The tantrum resulted in four broken glasses valued at about $20. No one was taken to the hospital as neither manager required medical treatment.
Varley’s statement
The events summary states that Varley told police she became upset after hearing alleged comments regarding an interaction between a cast member and her disabled daughter. She said that she took the name tag to file a complaint, but you don’t need the name tag to do so. Varley could have filed a complaint by just remembering his name.
As a result, Varley was charged with two counts of battery, robbery by sudden snatching, and criminal mischief under $200.
She was also trespassed from the Walt Disney World property.
The entitlement at parks and the resorts has always been something that annoyed me. Deluxe resorts like the Contemporary have had many instances of cast member abuse, including someone spitting on an employee. But hey, these are the people Disney seems to want.
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