RANT ALERT Park Manners

[NickyKnack]

Waiting for the parades! I normally will let a child go in front of me to watch a parade no problem that does not include the parents. This happened to me yesterday. We got fast passes for the parade I decided that because I gave up a valuable ride pass for this I was going to take my space up front. I was nearly pushed out of the way by others. I got in line early and got my place. You could have done the same. I ask had my own child with me this time too.
Years ago I was standing waiting for the parade and I had a women literally push her head between my legs!!!! She also pulled the "no english" card not going to fly with me! Really what planet are these people from?

If someone shoved there head between my legs I'd call a Cm and report her for harassment. I don't care what her reason was, that's invading a very (looking for the dis safe word here) sensitive part of my body, and you have no business putting any part of your body there without my permission... and certainly not before you buy me dinner and a movie.

 

[NickyKnack]

Sorry I have caused such an uproar over my leash comment, so I am going to clarify it as I do understand a reason for them and am not a totally uncompassionate person. We travel to WDW during the slow months, when the parks are not so crowded that it is impossible to move. I allow my children to either ride in a stroller , walk freely, hold my hand, even ride on my shoulders if the area we are in allows it. I have seen way too many times, at least 50, areas where kids need to be let free to play, and the parent has them on a tether, and are not paying any attention to the child at all. The poor kid is trying to go play with something, or see something that they can not get to, and are literally crying because they can't, and the parent just yanks on the tether to stop them. I have seen this is many of the play areas, in interactive queues, around characters, etc. I have seen parents knock their child to the ground with tethers because they are not paying attention to their child. So all I am saying, is though I am sure the majority that think I am evil for ranting about leashes most likely use them properly, I am addressing the the ones that use them as a babysitter, and don't let their kids be kids.

But wouldn't this be more about parents who aren't attentive then parents who use leads? And shouldn't that apply to all parents whether they use the leads or not? Don't ignore your kids seems like a pretty good rule across the board.

 

[BeckFam08]

Some of the things that annoy me: 3. Expecting people to give up their seat on the bus, I'm sorry but I'm not going to give up my seat for you.

This seems to be a very be statement. Is there really no one that you would give it up for? Or are you more emphasizing the fact that there is an expectation to do so?

 

[scrappinaway]

I swear, it's like an alarm clock - I can hear kids crying at WDW, so it must be early afternoon. The smart parents are taking breaks and have sleeping kids. The rest have kids who are melting down into the pavement. Poor kids! Poor parents! Poor every-other-person-in-hearing-range!

Lol, we always joke that we can tell its 3pm when all of the kids start crying and screaming and when it's 6pm when all of the parents start crying and screaming!

 

[rosiegmendez]

Pet peeve - people taking pictures of the images rotating on the various screens when you exit a ride (like Splash Mountain). My son was always excited to see the picture and decide if we should get the picture (we didnt pay for the photo pass before hand - wont happen again!)

It never failed that there was always some family on the ride with us sharing the same shot and they would block the image on the screen with their camera or phone trying to take a picture up close so they wouldnt have to buy the picture. We would then have to walk over to the counter to view the image and decide if we wanted to purchase.

Be considerate and let others enjoy the picture on the screen! One guy blocked the picture continuously getting multiple shots. Thanks a lot dude!

At least it provided a good teaching moment for my kids on the ethics of copyrights!

 

[prettylittlelady]

My only pet peeve: don't throw your water bottles (or other trash) on the ground! I don't enjoy being smacked in the ankle by a bottle flying across the walkway or stepping in garbage.

There are garbage cans all around..please use them!

 

[stobaugh6]

I am so laid back about things, especially when i'm at Disney. I don't mind waiting in lines, giving up my seat for someone who looks like they need it more than me, and I enjoy watching children enjoy the magic. I have 7 kids of my own, so I have plenty of patience. That being said, I do have one thing that sends me over the edge...

On our last WDW vacation back in 2010, we were staying at the Polynesian resort. It was in the evening and we were all hanging out in the pool. My hubby and I were enjoying watching our 6 children play and have fun (#7 wasn't born yet). There were a couple of young couples with small children in the pool with us. I could tell they had been drinking quite a bit and none of them were watching their children. None of the little ones had on life jackets or floaties either. I'm all about water safety so it was making me a bit nervous. Sure enough one of the toddlers in their group went under and none of the parents noticed. Thankfully my hubby got to the little one pretty quick and pulled him up. Poor baby was coughing and crying. Parents still didn't notice. My hubby then had to ask around and figure out who he belonged to. Finally found his parents and gave the boy to them. They just laughed and went back to socializing with their friends. Didn't say thank you or anything. Hubby was so mad! At that point we wanted to leave with our kids, but I felt this need to sit there and make sure the baby didn't drown. It was ridiculous! I get that your on vacation, but seriously, watch your kids around water.

Heather

 

[cteddiesgirl]

My only rant is that I get bummed when I see meanness, sometimes between strangers and sometimes within families. All I can say is be good to each other and be good to yourself too.


Holly

Here's some manners guidelines: Don't assume you know everything about everyone. Mind your own business and don't be a jerk. These can apply everywhere in life, not just at Disney!

I understand the phones being with you in the parks incase you need them. I just don't understand the desire to carry an iPad or tablet around. They are so much larger then a phone. I don't like taking anything into the parks though. A water bottle and that's it. We do also being in our camera. We have a really nice camera but it's to large for me to want to carry around so I usually just bring a small point and shoot. That I can fit in my pocket.

I don't have a camera and my cell phone is "dumb", so I have to take my 7" tablet for photos and info. I can't go anywhere without having a bag of some sort. I have allergies and skin issues so I need to carry things like tissues, sunscreen and my own soap. So not a big deal to carry my tablet with me. I'm also not going to spend the money on a camera that would rarely get used or a "smart" phone when I rarely make phone calls or text.

That's supposed to be exactly why they were instituted. And with regards to the second problem, I've often heard it recommended that parties of 1 or 3 book for 2 or 4 because for some reason, the system doesn't always show availability for 1 or 3. And since a party of 1 is going to get seated at a table for 2 and a party of 3 is going to get seated at a table for 4, I don't see what the issue is.

Yep. I am going to be traveling by myself. I so far have one ADR and I booked it for two since the system couldn't find a place for one.

 

[niffer5150]

hey ladies, how about everyone use the butt gaskets in the bathroom or put down tp instead of backing up to the toilet and hover spraying like a feral cat? having to wipe someone elses urine soaked seat for the hundredth time gets old.

 

[maxiesmom]

hey ladies, how about everyone use the butt gaskets in the bathroom or put down tp instead of backing up to the toilet and hover spraying like a feral cat? having to wipe someone elses urine soaked seat for the hundredth time gets old.

OMG, this makes me But you are so right! May I add, that if you put tp on the seat or use a seatcover, flush the darned thing down the toilet! Don't leave it for the next person!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

hey ladies, how about everyone use the butt gaskets in the bathroom or put down tp instead of backing up to the toilet and hover spraying like a feral cat? having to wipe someone elses urine soaked seat for the hundredth time gets old.

Hey...the girls that line the commodes with 1000' of paper are the ones that clog the commode with paper and leave urine soaked or worse TP half in and half out. Anything, I mean ANYTHING Is better than that.

It makes me want to toss my cookies.

 

[leebee]

Since we are ranting… please do not feel that you need to be the entertainment on the ride. I don't want to listen to you scream bloody murder in the dark on ToT (BEFORE the drop), or listen to you make howling ghost sounds while in HM, or make fart noises in Sounds Dangerous. Yes, we ALL scream when the Splash Mountain log takes the big plunge… THAT's not what I am talking about. You know what I mean. Disney is providing the entertainment; your assistance is unnecessary and unappreciated!

 

[plutofan0902]

My biggest pet peeves are when people take pictures on the attractions with a flash and when people pretend as if scooters aren't there and walk right in front of them.
I used to be rather critical of people on scooters until it became necessary for my mom to use on in order to be able to go to the parks. She and I usually travel just the two of us or with my sister. Although we are allowed on the bus first, we always stand if there are not enough seats for those waiting in line. We have had many instances where people just walk in front on her and stop or refuse to move. The hardest times are after the parades. We learned the hard way to stay put until the crowds die down and then try to move because no one would allow her to get through.

 

[pandille]

Was just at MK last night, ended up leaving early because the crowds were just terrible (and I ate too much Dole Whip after a trip to the Plaza and felt sick...lessons learned). A few things to get off my chest...

-I know it's been said but please don't chant if you're in large groups. It really doesn't matter what language it's in, it's really intrusive and irritating when I can't talk to my group because yours is yelling so loudly. Large spring break groups are the worst.

-again, I know it's been said, but LINE CUDDLERS. Mostly overexcited teenagers screaming in my ear and breathing down my neck, or kids with absent minded parents who can't help constantly bumping into me for the duration of a 40+ minute wait. For some reason, they are always the worst on Space Mountain. Seeing excited kids is part of the magic of WDW (especially little girls from the BBB! So adorable!!), but if you're old enough to go to the parks without supervision then you're old enough to have an understanding of personal space and appropriate volume levels. And if you are the supervision, do some supervising of your children instead of just your iphone!

-I don't mind the ipadographers, except for when they're shoving the iPad in my face and obstructing my view. We were at AK before MK and on KS there was a large group in the row in front of us who would pass the iPad around to different people depending on where the animals were. That's fine, but I prefer to see the animals with my eyes instead of on a screen...

-if you need to speak to a CM or see if your child is tall enough for a ride and you have a large party, it would be really nice if you tried to leave enough space for other people to get by in line. It's not a huge deal but it does get uncomfortable when parents are arguing with a CM over the height restrictions forever and we just have to wait and listen to that painful conversation...

On that note, I do want to say that just being a patient, kind, and polite person goes a long way. I always smile and thank CMs, apologize when I bump into someone, happily let people catch up with their parties in line, etc and more often than not, it makes what could have been an unpleasant situation into a pleasant one. You never know what someone else's story is, and that smile could make all the difference in their day

 

[20yBWDW]

I agree with the line cuddles. Lack of personal space is my definite pet peeve.

Reading many of these, though, made me feel a little weary. We do our best as parents, but our children are a little unpredictable when we take them to new places. Our first time in Disney World, we had to learn the hard way that the kids who had given up naps three years earlier would, in fact, need one. We also had to learn the hard way that the excitement would greatly increase their general energy level. And we had to learn the hard way that we would have to wait until our children are much older before we see a nighttime parade. When we waited until the parade was ready to start to find a spot, they could not see, and obviously, we did not allow them in front of someone else, where we could not properly correct them, nor did we put them on our shoulders, where we would block someone else's view. When we lined up when the front row seats started to fill, the kids' Disney excitement got the better of them and they twirled and danced and bounced and started to annoy the people squeezing in around them. We left without seeing the parade. Fortunately, they really enjoyed the daytime parade and stage show, and we accepted that they can enjoy the nighttime parades when they are old enough to sit for an hour even at Disney World or tall enough to see over a row or two of other people.

The funny thing is that my DH and I had some tension because he felt it was Disney World, people expect kids, and they expect kids to be excited, so they will be understanding of the unpredictable behaviors. I wanted to believe him, and tried to tell myself that, but reading this thread has made me realize he was completely wrong.

 

[DisDream09]

that really doesn't sound anything different to the american cheer squads in december, except you can understand every crude and annoying thing they say in english.....teen girls the world over are annoying...regardless of where they come from.

I guess you were never a Teenage girl.

 

[plutoloversmom]

I agree with the line cuddles. Lack of personal space is my definite pet peeve. Reading many of these, though, made me feel a little weary. We do our best as parents, but our children are a little unpredictable when we take them to new places. Our first time in Disney World, we had to learn the hard way that the kids who had given up naps three years earlier would, in fact, need one. We also had to learn the hard way that the excitement would greatly increase their general energy level. And we had to learn the hard way that we would have to wait until our children are much older before we see a nighttime parade. When we waited until the parade was ready to start to find a spot, they could not see, and obviously, we did not allow them in front of someone else, where we could not properly correct them, nor did we put them on our shoulders, where we would block someone else's view. When we lined up when the front row seats started to fill, the kids' Disney excitement got the better of them and they twirled and danced and bounced and started to annoy the people squeezing in around them. We left without seeing the parade. Fortunately, they really enjoyed the daytime parade and stage show, and we accepted that they can enjoy the nighttime parades when they are old enough to sit for an hour even at Disney World or tall enough to see over a row or two of other people. The funny thing is that my DH and I had some tension because he felt it was Disney World, people expect kids, and they expect kids to be excited, so they will be understanding of the unpredictable behaviors. I wanted to believe him, and tried to tell myself that, but reading this thread has made me realize he was completely wrong.

I hope that you really don't believe all of these rants! When a post is labelled as rant alert it means that the people posting on it are all thinking in the negatives. When I am in Disney World and I see little kids twirling and dancing while waiting for a parade it makes me smile. It helps me get the feeling of being a little kid again and experiencing the magic as if it was my first trip. I always look at the little ones (mine and others) and it whisks me back in time. Don't ever feel that your little ones shouldn't be little. These years are precious and go by so fast. Treasure the excitement and the spontaneity that the have. I'm sorry that some people made you feel this way.

 

[imabeimabe]

No. No, I'm not. What I am is a parent who understands both my own limitations and my child's needs. I've used a harness for each of my three at different times throughout their toddler years and considered one for my four year old this year for our trip. It is more important, to me, to insure my child's safety than it is for me to impress judgmental people I'll never meet again.

This!!!

 

[DisFanAmI]

Why oh whyyyyyyy do people think they will get to the front of a line faster if they are hot-breathing down my neck? I get that there are going to be crowds, but there is no reason why in a line queue you can't leave a few inches between you and the people in front of you. When I take a step, you can take a breath, THEN take a step.

The others are definitely annoying, but I can deal. The line cuddlers put me over the edge.

LOL! "line cuddlers" LOL!

 

[DisFanAmI]

My only rule: Don't sweat the small stuff.

No reason to have your day ruined by worrying about how someone else behaves. At the end of the day, their rudeness may cost you a few of minutes. Those minutes are not worth the extended aggravation that people sometimes carry with them for hours during their vacation.

Amen!