Woman Who Wore Sports Bra to Disney World Says She Was Denied Entry to Ride and Told to Buy T-Shirt (Exclusive)

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Nicole Arena says she was reprimanded for her attire — a sports bra with leggings — during a visit to Disney World on Sunday, June 1
She exclusively tells PEOPLE that a ride attendant 'suddenly' said to her that she was 'improperly dressed' in her workout attire and denied her entry
Nicole explains that she was told to purchase a T-shirt to cover up, and that the experience made her feel "put on the spot and embarrassed"One woman is speaking out about her experience at Disney World after she was allegedly reprimanded and denied entry to a ride for being "improperly dressed" in a sports bra and leggings.
Nicole Arena exclusively tells PEOPLE that after she and her husband decided to 'spontaneously' visit Epcot on Sunday, June 1, she was left to feel "embarrassed" and "put on the spot" by a Disney employee. She explains that it was her husband's first time at Disney and her first visit since she 'was very young.'
Upon their arrival, 'they were both let into the park without any issues and were genuinely excited to spend the day exploring," Arena says. The pair had day passes and 'were rushing around trying to make the most of it and get on as many rides as possible.'
During their hectic day, they accidentally waited on the wrong line in anticipation of going on the Frozen ride. But upon realizing they were waiting for a meet-and-greet, the couple then promptly headed to the ride's correct line and then proceeded to wait for about an hour.
'Along the way, we passed several employees who smiled and welcomed us without issue,' she recalls for PEOPLE. 'Everything was still going smoothly until we finally reached the front of the line.'
She explains that's when a ride attendant 'suddenly' told her that she was 'improperly dressed' and 'would not be allowed to board the ride' in her current ensemble of black leggings and a white padded sports bra — which she notes is 'similar to a crop top.'
'I was genuinely shocked,' she says, noting that her husband 'immediately defended' her. She says it was 'certainly not anything more revealing than what many other guests were wearing.'
'The employee suggested I leave the line to quickly purchase a T-shirt from a nearby merch store and return to ride afterward,' she explains.
PEOPLE reached out to Disney Parks for comment, but did not receive a reply.
'We felt put on the spot and embarrassed,' she notes. Adding that she complied with the park employee's request, and bought a $45 plain sleeveless tank top, because 'there weren't many options.'
Once the couple returned to the line, they spoke with a manager "who agreed that we should never have been stopped at the front of the line.'
Nicole adds that the manager also told them that any concerns about her attire should 'have been addressed either at security or when [they] first approached the ride.'
'But they didn't compensate us or do anything for us,' she says. 'I felt brushed off, even though it was pretty unfair.'
'The original employee seemed visibly upset after we complained and disappeared,' she explains. 'We never saw her again after that.'
'The whole situation felt unfair, like I was being singled out based on someone's personal judgment rather than a clear policy,' Nicole says. 'It disrupted our day, cost us extra time and money, and just left a sour taste after what had started as a fun and spontaneous visit.'
She also says that the park has 'no indication of a dress code issue upon entering.' Nicole explains that if she had 'known there was a problem,' she would have 'easily grabbed something from [her] car.' By the time she was aware of the situation, that 'wasn't even an option.'
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Disney World does have a dress code outlined on its website, which notes that Disney "reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests."
The list of "inappropriate attire" that "may result in refusal or admittance" to the parks includes "Clothing which, by nature, exposes excessive portions of the skin that may be viewed as inappropriate for a family environment."
Read the original article on People