Barack Obama kicked out of Disneyland as a teen for smoking: ‘I was booted from the Magic Kingdom’
Former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of California congressional candidates, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. Image: AP/Ringo H.W. Chiu
Former President Barack Obama revealed he was kicked out of Disneyland when he was a teenager after he was caught smoking by the theme park’s security personnel.
Obama campaigned for fellow Democrats to take back control of the United States House of Representatives at the Anaheim Convention Center in California last Saturday, Sept. 8. He opened his 20-minute speech with the story of how he was “booted out” from the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
Apparently, he and his friends went to Anaheim to see the band Kool & The Gang. Since they were already in the area, they decided to give the adventure park a visit.
“So we came down, me and a bunch of friends. After the concert, because we were teenagers you could still kinda hang out in the park, and so we went into the gondolas,” he recounted. “And I’m ashamed to say this, so close your ears, young people. But a few of us were… smoking on the gondolas.”
When the crowd whooped at the mention of the word “smoking,” Obama was quick to clarify what he meant. “No, no, these were cigarettes, people. Terrible thing they do, they kill you so I stopped.”
Article continues after this advertisement“As we were coming in, there were these two very large Disneyland police officers and they said, ‘Sir can you come with us?’” he went on with his tale, amusing the audience. “They escorted us out of Disneyland.”
Article continues after this advertisement“This is a true story, everybody,” he noted. “I was booted from the Magic Kingdom.”
Fortunately for Obama, he was not banned from the theme park: “But you know what I remembered about it was at the end they said, ‘You’re gonna have to leave Sir for breaking the rules of the Magic Kingdom but you are welcome to come back anytime.'”
Robert Iger, the chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company heard about Obama’s tale and remarked that the former President is free to come back to the theme park as long as he doesn’t smoke.
@BarackObama just opened his speech in Anaheim with a story from his college years about getting kicked out of Disneyland for smoking cigarettes on a ride. "This is a true story everybody, I was booted from the Magic Kingdom!" He can always come back, as long as he doesn't smoke!
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) September 8, 2018
His anecdote was a hit among netizens as it was with his Anaheim audience.
“Obama getting kicked out of Disneyland for smoking a cigarette is my spirit animal,” wrote one Twitter user, diva (@deevsss).
https://twitter.com/deevsss/status/1039010909409107968
“Obama getting kicked out of Disneyland is the most I’ve ever related to a politician,” said another netizen, ellocust (@ellocust).
Obama getting kicked out of Disneyland is the most I've ever related to a politician.
— ellocust (@ellocust) September 8, 2018
“Obama recounting a memory of getting kicked out of Disneyland is a level of cool that I am fully aware I probably will never achieve,” commented one Twitter user, Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen), who also shared the video of Obama’s anecdote.
Incidentally, the netizen also took a swipe at the current President of the United States, Donald Trump: “Meanwhile, Trump’s still trying to figure out how to pronounce ‘anonymous.'” JB
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