Nobody likes standing in line at theme parks but this summer a Florida man apparently went to a somewhat extreme length to avoid them, by using a stolen Disney-owned iPad to skip the lines while giving an unauthorized tour. While it isn't exactly clear what happened and how this device made it out into the open, the guest who tried to use it won't be doing so again, as he's now been issued a trespassing warning from the parks though he avoided criminal charges.
The incident apparently took place last June. Cast Members working in Disney World's Tickets and Resort Fraud department noticed unauthorized overrides inside an app that was for cast member use only. The investigator believed there was somebody with unauthorized access to a Disney device who was making the overrides. Eventually, the investigator discovered a man, latter identified as Rennan Carletto according to WESH, who was leading an authorized tour inside Disney's Hollywood Studios, and he was able to use this access to get the group to the front of the line.
The investigator told staff members to cancel the reservations, in order to watch and see what Carletto did, wanting to see if he would try to make new reservations with the stolen device. Carletto was followed out to the parking lot where he was approached by the investigators. He admitted to having the Disney-owned device in his possession, though denied knowing it had been stolen. He claimed to work for a company called A Class, and said his boss "Tony" gave him the device.
While no details are being given regarding who "Tony" is, the person in question has apparently been dealt with previously regarding similar issues, so we can assume that he'll be getting a call from Disney if not the police.
At this point, it's still unclear how the iPad made it out of the resort, especially because it was apparently never reported stolen. Because it wasn't technically considered stolen property, Rennan Carletto avoided being charged with a crime. However, he has been given a trespassing warning from Walt Disney World.
It's unclear exactly what employee system this iPad had access to that allows people to skip lines. It's possible that the app had access to the system used by guests with disabilities, which gives them the ability to book specific return times for rides, similar to the old FastPass system.
It's unclear how much use Carletto got from this app, or how many other people might have had access to it prior to him. Considering this iPad hadn't even been reported stolen, one can bet that somebody is doing an inventory of the devices now to make sure there aren't more of them floating out there in the ether.
