A Former Disney World Employee Is Going To Prison Following Hacking Attempt

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Often seen as a haven of joy and amusement, Disney World is famed for its magic. However, beneath the surface lies a less enchanting reality, with Disney World being linked to some serious criminal incidents. These range from property thefts, to more recent attempts at cyber-crime, such as hacking attempts that could have caused severe consequences. Fortunately, these actions have led to the imprisonment of the culprit for three years.

Previously, Michael Scheuer faced criminal charges due to his actions involving hacking into servers and manipulating menu information bound for Disney World eateries. As CNN reports, in January, he admitted his guilt to one charge of computer fraud and one charge of severe identity theft. However, his three-year sentence was only half the length that prosecutors had initially requested.

Disgruntled Ex-Disney World Employee Modified Menus

As per reports, Scheuer, a former Disney World restaurant menu creator, was dismissed last summer due to misconduct. In response, he allegedly hacked into the menu creation system and made several modifications, including switching font styles and adjusting prices (which were relatively minor changes). However, he also made more substantial alterations such as inserting profanity into the menus.

As a cinephile, I’ve been known to dabble in the digital world, and on one occasion, I allegedly employed automated tools to repeatedly try logging into at least 14 other people’s accounts, thus locking them out of their own spaces.

A significant modification, as stated in the complaint, posed a risk to public health and wellbeing, primarily due to a revision concerning allergen details on the menus. Specifically, certain menu items that actually included peanuts were labeled as being peanut-free.

The Altered Menu Never Reached Disney World

It goes without saying that updated allergen details are crucial to prevent individuals with severe allergies from accidentally consuming harmful foods. For example, peanut allergies can be life-threatening, potentially causing death in certain cases. This is a significant concern for many people. Presently, a restaurant at Disney Springs faces a lawsuit due to an alleged fatality caused by an allergic reaction. It’s essential to clarify that the restaurant is not directly owned by Disney, but it is involved in the legal action.

As a dad of a child with non-life-threatening allergies and someone who enjoys theme park cuisine, I’ve become accustomed to navigating Disney Parks’ menus. Generally speaking, Disney does an excellent job at keeping guests informed about allergen situations, enabling us to make educated decisions. The menu information is crucial as it’s relied upon by many, ensuring its accuracy is vital.

Fortunately, certain adjustments made by Michael Scheuer to the font resulted in glitches within the system, turning text into symbols instead. Consequently, these altered menus became unusable, exposing the attempt at hacking.

It seems that Scheuer’s regret for his actions, combined with the fact that things didn’t turn out as badly as they could have, might have significantly reduced his sentence to just three years. However, it’s important to note that there was still a considerable risk of catastrophe.

Apart from receiving a three-year prison term, Michael Scheuer was also instructed to repay approximately $700,000 as restitution.

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2025-04-29 21:07