Dad says a Disney cruise cast member traded his son’s $4,000 Lorcana card for $1,000 worth of cards

A family’s Disney Cruise vacation took an unexpected turn after a father claimed a cast member traded his young son several lower-value cards for a rare collectible worth around $4,000. The father, identified as Anthony, said his son pulled the rare Buzz Lightyear Lorcana card while opening booster packs onboard.

He alleged that a Disney employee then offered five promotional cards in exchange for it, according to Bored Panda. Anthony later discovered the huge difference in value and spent six weeks trying to get Disney to address the trade.

His complaint gained attention online, but the reaction quickly shifted toward his parenting. Some defended Anthony’s decision to speak out, while others questioned how he’d handled the situation.

The internet turning on the dad for ‘bad parenting’ instead of calling out the employee is wild

Anthony said the cast member knew how rare the card was. He claimed the employee told them he had not planned to trade his promotional cards until seeing what his son had pulled.

Anthony estimated the promotional cards were worth about $1,000 combined. The Buzz Lightyear card was reportedly worth roughly $4,000. He also said the family did not purchase Wi-Fi on the cruise so they could not check the card’s market value at the time. This comes after another father raised questions about Disney World’s expensive ticket quote

Disney reportedly told Anthony that cast members are contractually prohibited from trading with guests. The company also said anything received from a guest should be handed to a manager.

Anthony questioned whether that process was followed. He said the employee had personal card binders behind the shop counter and claimed he regularly played cards with strangers in airports.

After escalating the complaint through Guest Communications, Anthony said a Disney representative agreed the situation appeared unfair. He claimed she encouraged management to make things right.

Anthony asked for a replacement booster pack worth about $140. Disney ultimately declined his request.

“I’m not trying to get anyone fired,” Anthony wrote. He said he wanted Disney to support a child when an employee allegedly took advantage of him.

The story then sparked a second controversy. Many people online argued that Anthony should have been present when his son made the trade.

One commenter wrote, “Maybe you shouldn’t let your kid roam around the ship unattended.” Another argued that minors should not be persuaded by adults to trade valuable collectibles.

Anthony explained that he had been organizing cards and cleaning up the packs they purchased. Critics still questioned why he had not bought Wi-Fi or checked on the transaction sooner. One commenter asked, “Why didn’t you confront the employee as soon as you found out?”

Another questioned why the young boy was alone in the store during the trade. Some even suggested Anthony might have been more upset about the card’s value than his son was.

The backlash surprised Anthony. He later said he had not expected such scrutiny over his parenting or his son. 

Disney has not issued a public statement on the incident, and Anthony said he still hopes the company will reconsider its decision.