A former Disneyland Cast Member who performed as part of the Dapper Dans is suing Disney, claiming he was forced out of work due to his age and an unproven comment about another employee’s sexual orientation.
Disneyland Performer Forced Out of Work
According to the New York Post, Bill Lewis worked at Disneyland for 33 years, beginning in 1992 with the Goofy Tunes Up show. He then joined the Dapper Dans on Main Street, U.S.A. and the Bootstrappers pirate band in New Orleans Square.
After Disneyland closed for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis learned through a group text in 2021 that the Bootstrappers had resumed performances without him.
Lewis turned 65 that year and claims in his lawsuit that Disney replaced him and other older performers with younger singers.
Management told him that full-time Cast Members were being prioritized over “casual regular” employees like Lewis. However, he learned that one of the younger singers who was performing was also allegedly a “casual regular.”
Lewis also said he was “blackballed” after a fellow Cast Member was “bad mouthing” him. He claims the Cast Member spread rumors that he made remarks about a park director’s sexual orientation. According to the lawsuit, this allegation was never substantiated and no witness who heard Lewis make the comment came forward.
Lewis believes it was due to the rumor as well as his age that Disney began reducing his hours, preventing him from earning benefits. He worked 287 hours in 2023, 74 hours in 2024, and only 14 hours in 2025.
The lawsuit states Lewis was “forced from the position he had devoted his adult life to under a cloud of false accusations and professional isolation causing lasting damage to his reputation, dignity, and legacy within the Disneyland entertainment community.”
Lewis ultimately quit, “constructively terminating his position” via email on March 2, 2026, feeling he had “no reasonable alternative except to retire.”
The Walt Disney Company did not return the New York Post’s request for comment.
Lewis is seeking special and exemplary damages, as well as attorney fees.
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The post Disneyland Dapper Dan Suing Disney, Claims He Was Forced Out of Work Due to Age appeared first on WDW News Today.
