Over the years, Disney theme parks, under the Disney Experiences or more commonly known as Disney Parks, one of the three major divisions of the Walt Disney Company, have faced criticism and controversy on a range of issues, including animal cruelty at Disney's Animal Kingdom, overcrowding problems, and shark fin soup. Separately, Disneyland Resort has faced criticism for a ban on same-sex dancing from 1957 to 1989, Disney PhotoPass professional photography service, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort for fingerprinting visitors and food safety violations, and Walt Disney World Resort for a variety of issues.

Cruelty to animals Animal welfare groups have criticized Disney for their care of, and procedures for, wild animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

In 1989, Disney was charged with sixteen state and federal counts of animal cruelty relating to the abuse of vultures and other birds at its Discovery Island zoological park. According to investigators, employees shot at hawks, clubbed vultures to death with a stick, and destroyed nests and eggs. The park's supervisor supposedly sanctioned the abuses. Most striking was the death of fifteen vultures crammed into a tiny, overheated shed for days with limited food and water. Authorities also discovered 72 vultures confined in a windowless, airless shed, which legally speaking was only big enough for three vultures. Disney made a deal and in exchange for the dismissal of three federal charges, it pleaded guilty to a simple misdemeanor and agreed to pay a total of $95,000 to various institutions.

Disney has been criticized for using purebred dogs in movies such as 101 Dalmatians. Animal rights groups claim movies with purebreds create an artificial demand for purebreds from people who may not be prepared or temperamentally suited for the animals, many of whom end up abandoned or surrendered to animal shelters or rescue groups.

Other controversies Fish around Ma Wan died as a result of land reclamation.

Overcrowding problems Just before the Animal Kingdom theme park grand opening, the park was criticized for overestimating the daily capacity limit. The problem became apparent on the charity preview day on September 4, 2005, when 30,000 locals visited the park. This event turned out to be a disaster, because there were too many guests for the park to accommodate. Wait times at fast food outlets were at least 45 minutes in length, and wait times at rides were two hours in length.

During the Chinese New Year 2006, many visitors arrived at the park in the morning bearing valid tickets but were refused entry, because the park was already at capacity. Disgruntled visitors attempted to force their way into the park or gain access by climbing over the barrier gates. Disneyland management was forced to revise their ticketing policy and designated future periods close to Chinese public holidays as 'special days' during which admission would only be allowed through a date-specific ticket.

Shark fin soup controversy

Disney originally planned to serve shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy, at wedding banquets.Yung, Chester. "End this 'barbaric and cruel waste'" , The Standard, May 31, 2005. Retrieved May 5, 2007. Animal rights groups protested in June 2005, citing the declining shark population in global waters and the cruel methods sometimes used of cutting the fin and discarding live sharks back into the sea.

At first, Disney removed shark fin soup from its menu, but said that it would still offer the soup if their clients insisted on having it served at their wedding. They said they would distribute leaflets about shark conservation in order to discourage the choice.Hui, Sylvia. "Disney takes shark's fin off menu " , The Standard, June 10, 2005. Retrieved May 5, 2007.

However, after constant and continuous pressure from both environmental groups and animal welfare groups,Crets & Hui. New shark slap at Disney , The Standard, June 13, 2005. Retrieved May 5, 2007. as well as shareholders concerned about the company's image, Disney announced on June 24, 2005, that shark fin soup will not be served at all, because, according to their press release, "After careful consideration and a thorough review process, we were not able to identify an environmentally sustainable fishing source, leaving us no alternative except to remove shark fin soup from our wedding banquet menu".Under-fire Disney takes shark's fin off menu at Hong Kong park , Monster and Critics, June 24, 2005. Retrieved May 5, 2007.

Disneyland Resort Al Lutz's Disneyland reports

Al Lutz, who has written about Disney since the 1990s, often writes about a perceived decline in value and quality at Disney's theme parks, including Disneyland and its neighboring park Disney California Adventure that opened in 2001.Dickerson, Marla: "Self-Styled Keepers of the Magic Kingdom", Los Angeles Times, September 12, 1996 Much of his criticism was directed at Paul Pressler, the one-time president of Disneyland who later was named chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and Cynthia Harriss, Pressler's successor as Disneyland's president. From 1996 to 2002, Lutz maintained a set of sarcastic Web pages called Promote Paul Pressler!, with the stated goal of "getting current Disneyland Resort President Paul Pressler promoted to a new job somewhere else within The Walt Disney Company!"

Lutz's July 2006 report on the alleged antics of Lindsay Lohan during a private party held at Disneyland for her 20th birthday drew a rebuke from a representative for the actress, who said that reports of bad behavior were "complete bull"."Lohan Slams Bad Birthday Behavior Reports ", World Entertainment News Network, July 24, 2006 This report brought Lutz's website, MiceAge, briefly into the spotlight, and established Lutz as a Disney watchdog in the mainstream media.

Ban on same-sex dancing Between 1957, when the park first allowed dancing, and 1985, Disneyland only allowed pairs of men and women to dance on stage, barring single, group (with the exception of children), and same sex couples. Disney claimed the policy had been put in place for crowd control and to avoid harassment of women, but also stated that it was "because some patrons might have found dance partners of the same sex offensive." Teenage gay rights activist Andrew Ross Exler (now having the legal mononame Crusader) decided to dance with his friend Shawn Elliott on "Date Night," September 13, 1980, to protest the policy after his lesbian roommate was told she couldn't dance with other girls. The security guards responded to their "homosexual fast-dancing" by ejecting them from the park after telling Exler and Elliott, "This is a family park," and "There is no room for alternative lifestyles here."

Exler, who had notified the media before Date Night, sued Disney in court for discrimination under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act and won the suit in 1984; however, Disney later claimed that the ruling only applied to Exler and Elliott and continued to enforce the ban, particularly for same-sex "slow" or "touch" dancing, resulting in another lawsuit later in the decade that forced Disney to rescind the unwritten slow-dancing policy in 1989.

Disney California Adventure

Disney California Adventure, originally named Disney's California Adventure Park until a name change in June 2010, was expected to draw large crowds when it opened in 2001. A January 14, 2001 article in the Los Angeles Times, "The most Jam-Packed Theme Park on Earth?" reported that, "Senior Disney officials acknowledge that there will be days when California Adventure will have to turn patrons away, particularly in the first weeks after the park opens, during spring break and again in the summer." The actual attendance was not close to the size that Disney expected for the park back in 2001. The reasons for this have been speculated. They may include bad word-of-mouth from early visitors discouraged future visitors, stating the park was lacking in Disney-quality attractions, and an estimated price tag of $600 million, with the park criticized for being built "on the cheap", with a small number of attractions and minimal theming. Otherwise, many guests complained that a single day admission ticket to Disney's California Adventure cost the same as a single day admission ticket to Disneyland, yet contained fewer attractions, shows, and entertainment.

Disney's chief executive officer, Bob Iger, went on record during the company's annual stockholder meeting on March 10, 2006, when someone asked about a potential third park being built in Anaheim. "We're still working to assure the second gate is successful", Iger said, referring to California Adventure. "In the spirit of candor, we have been challenged."

On October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park. Plans for the renovation and expansion were put on display for park visitors inside the Blue Sky Cellar at the Golden Vine Winery. Disney listened to the public and several of the attractions which drew criticism from the public were removed in the multi-year, multibillion-dollar redesign and expansion of Disney's California Adventure. Other rides were redesigned or replaced with a larger focus on Disney characters and stories.

On May 28, 2010, it was announced through the Disney Parks Blog that the park would also be receiving a name change, to Disney California Adventure, as well as a new logo. The new name took effect on June 11, 2010, appearing on park maps and banners, but it was first used in a commercial promoting Disney's World of Color a few days prior. World of Color premiered on June 11, 2010, as part of Disney's Summer Nighttastic.

Disney's PhotoPass

Disney's PhotoPass is a professional photography service offered at Disney theme parks, water parks, and resorts. Photographers positioned at locations in the theme parks, dining events at the resorts, and at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Downtown Disney are linked to a free card containing a unique serial number. Guests can view or purchase PhotoPass pictures at locations in the parks (generally near the park entrance) or online by registering the card's number.

Customers have complained about the difference in advertised prices, particularly of Photo CD products, and the actual cost. Disney has responded that advertised specials apply only to products purchased at the parks and do not apply to the website.

Walt Disney World Resort Disney's Animal Kingdom

Even in the planning stages, various Florida based animal rights groups and PETA did not like the idea of Disney creating a theme park where animals were held in captivity. The groups protested, and PETA tried to convince travel agents not to book trips to the park. A few weeks before the park opened, a number of animals died due to accidents. The United States Department of Agriculture viewed most of the cases and found no violations of animal-welfare regulations. On opening day, the Orange County Sheriff's office sent about 150 deputies in fear that there might be a large protest, but only 24 protesters showed up. The protest lasted two hours, and there were no arrests.

One year after the park opened and before the Disney World Millennium Celebration, The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida complained that a New Millennium's Eve fireworks show could upset the animals. A USDA inspector came to the park to find no problems with launching low-noise fireworks half a mile away.

Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex