A family's birthday celebration at a major Orlando theme park turned into a distressing ordeal after their non-verbal autistic daughter was involved in a shoplifting misunderstanding, leading to their ejection from the premises.
A Birthday Outing Turns Sour
Parents Nikki and Alain Daou visited Universal Epic Universe in Orlando last month to mark their daughter Everly's seventh birthday. In preparation, they had registered Everly, who is autistic and non-verbal, with the park's official disability access programme. After a few hours, the family entered a Mario-themed gift shop within Super Nintendo World, where Everly became attached to a $16 keychain.
"I handed her the key chain, and she clung to it," Nikki Daou explained. The store soon grew crowded, causing Everly to become overstimulated. To calm her, Nikki decided to take her daughter outside to a quieter area. Before they left, Alain Daou tore the price tag off the keychain so Everly could continue holding it, while he remained inside to pay for that item and others.
Confrontation and Ejection
As soon as Nikki and Everly exited the shop, security personnel approached and accused the mother of shoplifting. Nikki immediately explained that her husband was still inside intending to pay, but she was taken to a security office for questioning. She described feeling "very scared" and "immediately started crying."
Following the interrogation, park officials informed Nikki Daou that she was being trespassed from the property for one year. They stated that Orange County Sheriff's deputies were on their way to escort her off the premises and that she would receive a fine by post.
Legal Demands and Family's Response
Three days after the incident, the family received a demand letter from a Universal attorney. The letter requested $200, citing civil damages and accusing the family of "intentional deprivation of merchandise." In response, the Daous hired attorney Eric Block of Morgan & Morgan, who sent a counter-letter to Universal.
The family's legal representative criticised the park's response, questioning whether they had offered an apology or acknowledged the father's attempt to pay. "No, they actually sent her a demand letter for money, accusing her of retail theft," Block stated. Nikki Daou expressed her belief that Universal staff displayed no awareness of the park's own disability programme or policies.
The Daou family emphasises they are not seeking financial compensation. Instead, they hope their story raises awareness and leads to better training for theme park employees regarding disability policies, including those under the Americans with Disabilities Act. They wish to prevent similar stressful situations for other families with disabled members visiting theme parks.
