Move over Mickey and Minnie Mouse — there’s new vermin in the house, claims a skin-crawling lawsuit accusing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts of two counts of negligence.
David Besse is seeking damages exceeding $50,000 after he “was bitten numerous times by cimicidae (‘bed bugs’)” during his stay at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort on May 15, 2022, according to a complaint filed late last month with Florida’s Orange County Circuit Court, per People.
The All-Star Sports Resort is a budget-friendly “value” hotel located near Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, just outside Orlando, Fla.
Decked out in a competitive sports motif — with larger-than-life basketball hoops, football helmets and tennis rackets adorning its grounds — the property is part of Disney World’s more affordably priced All-Star Resorts, including the All-Star Music and All-Star Movies Resorts.
Representatives for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for a comment regarding Besse’s bedbug infestation allegations.
But it’s an imputation that really bites.
Besse purportedly suffered “scarring, bodily injury, pain and suffering, disability, mental anguish,” in addition to “a loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life, medical expenses, loss of earning, loss of the ability to earn money, financial loss and property damage,” as a “direct and proximate result of [Disney’s] negligence,” per reports citing the suit.
“The losses are either permanent or continuing, and [Besse] will suffer the losses in the future.”
The court docs, however, do not detail the extent of Besse’s alleged financial loss.
He further accuses the hotel of failing to train maintenance and housekeeping staff to perform frequent room inspections.
Besse claims the property also failed to use insecticidal dust in the hallways and rooms, failed to use an active mattress liner and failed to use “mattress encasements” to protect against fluids and stains.
Exposure to icky furnishings and itchy irritations would be enough to bug even the most unfussy lodger.
And bedbugs are no exception to the rule.
The petite, parasitic insects dwell in the cracks and crevices of mattresses, bed frames and box spring, feasting on human and animal blood — oft while people and pets are fast asleep at night — warns MayoClinic. Bites from the little vampires typical leave victims covered in itchy, red, inflamed spots for up to 14 days of unsightly, uncomfortable hell.
New York City ranked as the second-worst metropolis for the creepy-crawlies, based on the number of infestations treated in homes and hotels, according a 2024 roundup of the Worst US Cities for bedbugs via Orkin, a pest control company. Thankfully, the concrete jungle has since redeemed itself, moving from the No. 2 spot to the No. 15 position on the unflattering list in 2025.
The Big Apple’s neighbors to the south, however, do not have much to celebrate.
Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Texas all ranked scarily high in a recent report from Terminix, a global pest control authority, as the states with the most bedbug service requests.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers bedbugs a “public health risk” — although the nuisances don’t transmit disease — and advises vacationers to vigilantly beware.
Here are the EPA’s best tips for avoiding bedbugs while traveling.
- Inspect any room where you will be staying for the presence of bed bugs. You generally can do this without any extra tools but a flashlight can be useful.
- Check the mattress and headboard before sleeping.
- Inspect luggage racks.
- In hotel rooms, use luggage racks to hold your luggage when packing or unpacking rather than setting your luggage on the bed or floor. Try to keep luggage away from bed.
- Upon returning home, unpack directly into a washing machine and inspect your luggage carefully. Remember that time in a dryer at high temperatures kills the bed bugs (just washing will generally not kill bed bugs).
- Store suitcases away from your bedroom, such as in the basement or garage. Never store suitcases under your bed.
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