Shanghai Disney Smoking Attacker Apologizes, Pays Up Under Police Mediation

The man who slapped and kicked another visitor for asking him to stop smoking at Shanghai Disney has apologized and paid compensation under a police-mediated settlement, authorities said Monday.

Officers were called at around 5:45pm on April 26 to a restaurant on Shendi Road W. in Disneytown, where two visitors had come to blows, according to a notice from the Pudong police.

A man surnamed Zhang, 24, had approached another visitor, surnamed Xu, 34, who was smoking in the restaurant's outdoor area, and asked him to stop. Xu, taking exception to what he considered Zhang's aggressive tone, struck him. Zhang was taken to hospital and diagnosed with soft-tissue contusions; his injuries were not serious.

Both parties asked for the case to be settled through mediation, the police notice said. Officers mediated the dispute under Chinese public-security regulations, and Xu apologized to Zhang and paid compensation. The two signed a formal mediation agreement.

A video of the altercation circulated widely online earlier in the day, showing Xu repeatedly slapping and kicking Zhang while uniformed Disney staff attempted unsuccessfully to intervene. The clip drew heavy online discussion.

A check of the resort's official map confirmed that the location where the smoker had been lighting up was not among the resort's designated smoking zones.

Shanghai Disney Resort issued its own public notice today reaffirming its smoking rules and what it called "zero tolerance" for egregious behavior. Guests whose conduct threatens the safety of other visitors or staff, or who otherwise violate park rules, may be required to leave immediately, reported to public security authorities, and potentially banned from future entry, the resort said.

Shanghai Disney has tightened its tobacco controls in recent years. Starting from May 29, 2025, the resort eliminated 24 smoking stations across its grounds, cutting the number of designated smoking areas by roughly half. Within Shanghai Disneyland Park itself, only 11 designated smoking zones remain. The resort has also installed more than 2,800 no-smoking signs across the park, Disneytown, Wishing Star Park, and its two on-site hotels, covering main entrances, dining areas, queueing zones, and rest areas.

Under the resort's official guest guidelines, smoking – including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and any other smoke-producing products – is prohibited everywhere within the park and Disneytown except in clearly marked designated zones.