When you go to Disney World, there are rules you have to follow to ensure everyone stays safe.
Animal Kingdom
Most of these rules are self-explanatory and familiar rules you’ll find at other theme parks — no running, no horseplay, no fighting with other guests or workers. Disney, however, does have some additional rules. For example, anyone over the age of 14 is banned from wearing a Disney costume to the parks, and no masks are allowed to be part of any costume. But is it possible that another interesting rule could make it to the parks due to shoe safety, effectively BANNING a popular shoe?
According to Today, an anti-Croc movement is beginning around the country, but not because of the controversial style (which has honestly been a debate since they were released in 2002 — you either love them or hate them, for the most part). No, the concern for Crocs here stems from a potential safety hazard.
No Crocs allowed on Disney World escalators
Specifically, dozens of schools in 20 different states have banned Crocs in their dress codes, citing them as unsafe. Some students at Bessemer City High School in Alabama have worn Crocs in protest, stating that their shoes are just as safe as any other shoe, though districts are holding firm with their new rules.
Crocs in Disney World
Some podiatrists like Dr. Priya Parthasarathy told Today that Crocs easily get caught in equipment around schools, causing the student to trip and fall, twist their ankle, or rip a toenail off, which she stated are things she sees every day in the office. She went on to say that there’s a time and place for Crocs, and while school isn’t one of them, they can be worn in moderation or in recovery after a workout.
Winnie the Pooh Crocs
A Crocs spokesperson told Today that while the bans are unfortunate, they haven’t affected sales. They went on to say, “Classic Clog is a comfortable, casual shoe that is appropriate for everyday wear. We are not, nor do we market ourselves as, a specialty or performance brand.”
Mickey and Friends Crocs
We’re interested to see if this ban will be implemented elsewhere. Honestly, we can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen accidents happen with Crocs in Disney World. Most notably, this photo below still haunts us.
Crocs…stuck in the escalator
Can you imagine the fear? What if the Crocs had gone any further and actually gotten to the person’s foot! We shiver just thinking about it.
STUCK
Seriously — it happens more than you might think!
This Hilarious Problem Keeps Happening in Disney World — And It Will Make You Think Twice Before Wearing CROCS!
We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any possible footwear allowance changes in Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news!
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Do you wear Crocs? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
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I think if WDW bans Crocs, they should also stop selling them. What’s the point of buying Disney Crocs if you can’t wear them at a Disney Park?
That can happen to saddles , flops or thin flats also. So where does that leave use ,with running shoe and hiking boots .it is to hot in Florida to wear closed In shoes. Also i have a son autism and he has warn nothing but crocks for more then ten years.
Crocs are super comfortable, but they can get caught on things in ways that other shoe styles don’t. My main cautionary tale is that the slip-proof features on the soles are often the first, if not the only, parts to wear out. I wiped out in a rainy parking lot in crocs I thought were fine. I wasn’t hurt, but I learned my lesson about checking the tread, and understanding that crocs aren’t ideal for everything. For me, crocs are too hot for WDW, even the ones with holes. And, again just for me, the ones with the holes are a no go when it rains or for wet rides anyway. I don’t have an opinion about whether Disney should ban them, but I do think that people should take responsibility for the results of their own shoe choices and heed any warning signs.
I could never wear any shoe in the park other than tennis shoes. I see people wearing flip flops slide and fall, or complain how much their feet hurt. My family were cross and slide their feet rather than walking and are always loosing a croc. I would completely understand if they were banned from a Disney park. Isn’t one of the new rides going to have our feet dangling? A croc won’t stay on.
As if this couldn’t happen to anyone wearing flip flops or thong sandals. They going to ban them as well?
Crocs are an absolute menace!!
My husband bought some Crocs for our trip to Maui. On our first day of vacation, we were on a guided bus trip on the Road to Hana, and we had stopped somewhere to shop, eat, etc., when he slipped on a wet spot on some rocks/concrete. He put his hand down to stop himself from falling, and he wound up breaking his hand (hours from a hospital, too), so the bus continued on its tour, and we ultimately rode back to civilization and the hospital, where he got his broken hand set. A rather inauspicious start to our vacation.
Neither of us has even considered buying any Crocs since then.
Sounds like a bunch of fear mongering to me. Granted I personally don’t like crocs, but they’re hardly any worse than other products. Getting eaten by an escalator? That’s a risk for any kind of shoe and sandal except maybe like steel toed boots, pay attention and you’ll be fine like most common sense things. More prone to slipping? No more than literally every other sandal out there or worn out shoe (and even then new shoes can still slip if a surface is slick enough). Just a load of crock really.
I hurt my ankle the first day of a Disney trip and the only shoes I could wear during the rest of the trip was my Crocs. If they were banned I would have lost out on 4 days at the parks. (And I had brought multiple shoes, so it wasn’t as thought they were the only option. They were literally the only shoe I could wear and walk in)