Former Disney Worker Sentenced to Prison for Hacking into Park Menus

A disgruntled former employee of Walt Disney World has been sentenced to three years in prison for hacking into the park's menu-creating system, falsely stating that certain foods were safe from allergies when they were not. Michael Scheuer, a 40-year-old resident of Winter Garden, Florida, pleaded guilty earlier this year to several computer-related crimes.

Scheuer was a former menu production manager at Disney World, but his employment with the company came to an end in June 2024 due to what prosecutors described as a "contentious termination." However, it appears that Scheuer's anger and frustration did not cease upon leaving his job. Instead, he turned to computer hacking, using his skills to access the company's internal menu-building system.

"These intrusions included manipulating allergen information in restaurant menus to indicate that food items were safe for customers with certain allergies, when they were not," federal prosecutors said in a statement released on Thursday. "Scheuer also altered menu information related to wine regions to reflect locations of recent mass shootings." Fortunately, the alterations were detected before they reached customers' hands.

The government argued that Scheuer should be sentenced to 70 months for his crimes, but the court ultimately handed down a sentence of three years. However, Scheuer will receive credit for the six months he has already spent in jail, bringing his effective sentence down to 36 months.

"He is very remorseful and apologized to the victims during the hearing," said defense attorney David Haas in a statement to NBC News. "He is eager to get back home to his wife and three young daughters. He was the sole earner in the family as his wife has a number of medical issues and homeschools their children so he will look for work upon his release." Scheuer's story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of unchecked anger and frustration.

The case highlights the importance of protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access, particularly in industries where public safety is paramount. It also underscores the need for companies to have robust cybersecurity measures in place to prevent such breaches.