Obama recalls time he was kicked out of Disneyland

As a former US president, Barack Obama probably has doors opening for him even without his asking. But before he entered politics, things were not always on his side. He has recalled a time when he got kicked out of Disneyland for violating a rule.

On Saturday, Obama spoke at a rally in Anaheim, California, to campaign for Democratic candidates. Being in Anaheim reminded him of an incident when he was younger, though. He told the crowd the time he got kicked out of Disneyland for smoking cigarettes.

According to the former president, he was attending Occidental College in Los Angeles at that time when he and his friends went to the theme park to see the ‘70s disco band Kool and the Gang. After the concert, they hung out in the park and smoked. That’s where they were caught by security.

“I’m ashamed to say this, so close your ears, young people. But a few of us were smoking on the gondolas,” he said. “These were cigarettes, people,” he clarified perhaps in case the crowd thought he was smoking then-illegal substances. “Terrible thing, but I’m a teenager. I’m rebellious.”

Then there were “two very large Disneyland police officers” who met then upon reaching the end of the gondola route. They escorted them out of Disneyland.

“This is a true story, everybody. I was booted from the Magic Kingdom,” Obama said.

Fortunately, he and his friends weren’t banned permanently from the premises.

“They said, ‘You’re going to have to leave, sir, for breaking the rules of the Magic Kingdom, but you are welcome to come back anytime,’ which I thought, ‘That was nice of them,’” he said.

Obama was at the rally to help seven Democratic candidates running in the midterm elections get elected. He also urged the crowd to vote.

“If we don’t step up, things can get worse,” he warned, asking them to “flip the House of Representatives” by electing Democrats.