A former Disneyland performer who portrayed Peter Pan has described his experiences with a theme park regular, content creator Toni Kulusich, stating that while her interactions were occasionally awkward, they never escalated to harassment. Dylan Gadeke, who played Peter Pan at Disneyland between 2014 and 2021, detailed several encounters with Kulusich, 27, in a TikTok video.
Kulusich has been observed interacting with multiple Peter Pan performers at the park over several years. Gadeke characterized Kulusich's actions as "a little extra" but asserted that she had "done nothing wrong." He acknowledged that her behavior sometimes made him feel "a little awkward and uncomfortable," but emphasized that it "never crossed the boundary of what a character interaction should look like at Disneyland." Gadeke added that Kulusich was "very enthusiastic about meeting the character" and that her interactions did not involve attempts to learn personal information about the performer.
Gadeke encouraged an end to online attention directed at Kulusich, stating, "We need to end the discourse and harassment in the online toxicity that’s being aimed at her, she’s doing nothing wrong." He contrasted Kulusich's interactions with those of another individual he described as an adult "stalker" at Disneyland who "did cross the boundary."
According to Gadeke, his concerns about this other individual began when she described his dog in "very specific detail" without any public information available. He later found her waiting for him at the cast member parking lot "every shift for about a month." Gadeke reported that this individual never spoke to him but would "just watch and stare," which he found unsettling. The situation escalated when this individual reportedly identified and followed Gadeke's family around the park during their visit. Gadeke identified this as "an example of harassment" because the guest was attempting to engage with the performer, not the character.
Following these experiences, Gadeke stated that he altered his performance style, shifting from traditional meet-and-greets to engaging in games with children.
Kulusich, for her part, has defended her actions, stating that her visits to Disneyland bring her joy and allow her to express her "inner child," which she associates with Peter Pan. She indicated she has no intention of stopping her interactions. "Seeing him makes me happy; dressing up makes me happy; going to Disneyland once a week makes me happy," Kulusich told WIRED. "If people are going to hate on me, I’m not going to let it stop me. Because I know I’m not doing anything wrong." She acknowledged a "special friendship" with the Peter Pan character, adding, "I do think people know that Peter Pan and I have a special friendship."