Disneyland Magic Gifted To SoCal Family Sold Counterfeit Tickets

LONG BEACH, CA — Tickets to Disneyland for a family of five are not cheap. For many, the cost of entry far outweighs the reward of walking through the main gates of the happiest place on earth.

When a Long Beach woman decided to gift a southern California family with tickets purchased from a private party online, she learned that the tickets were counterfeit.

Out $600 from the sale, she turned to the Long Beach Police Department and got a little Disney magic of her own.

The victim, whom police would identify only as "Joyce," is a 19-year-old Long Beach woman. She decided to do something nice for a single mother and her four children, all under the age of 7.

"Joyce made friends with a 10-year-old at the elementary school where she works, and later his mother. She wanted to give him a magical birthday with those tickets," Long Beach Police Department spokesperson said.

But things went woefully wrong when those Disneyland tickets turned out to be fake.

"Joyce purchased tickets to Disneyland through an online 'app'," Long Beach Police Department Sgt. Bradley Johnson said. "She made contact with the seller who agreed to meet with her. Joyce cashed her entire paycheck in order to purchase the tickets, meeting the seller at a gas station in the area of Magnolia Avenue and Anaheim Street in Long Beach."

Thinking twice after she purchased the tickets, Joyce decided to make sure that they were valid before presenting them to Eddie and his family.

A drive to Disneyland showed that the tickets were in fact counterfeit.

"Joyce's only recourse was to report the fake Disneyland ticket sale to the Long Beach Police Department," Johnson said.

At that point, Long Beach Police officers decided to step up and make some magic of their own.

Touched By An Act of Kindness

Officer Matt Mills, a recruit training officer for the police department, responded to the call with one of his recruits.

"Touched by her intended act of kindness, Officer Mills felt compelled to do something to turn the unfortunate situation around," Johnson said.

After a few phone calls, Mills was able to secure replacement tickets through undisclosed donors.

With social media, Craigslist and other online avenues to purchase tickets from strangers, chances are if you find a price that's too good to be true, it probably is.

How To Avoid Buying Counterfeit Disneyland Tickets

Disneyland Resort is far too aware of fake Disneyland tickets changing hands between guests and offered suggestions on how to avoid such a tragic loss of funds and fun for future guests.

"To ensure that our guests are not taken advantage of, we ask that visitors to Disneyland purchase their tickets either from the Disneyland resort or an authorized retailer," a Disneyland spokesperson said.

Disney Magic Is Alive And Well

Guests of Disneyland Resort are used to magical experiences when they walk through the main gates.

Thanks to people like Officer Matt Mills of the Long Beach Police Department, the magic that Walt Disney created and that Disneyland Resort still stands for is contagious.

Photo, courtesy Long Beach Police Departmet