Disney Parks Pet Peeves
In the immortal words of Frank Costanza, I’ve got a lot of problems with you people, and now you’re going to hear about it! This blog is normally sunshine and rainbows, but it’s time for you to hear what I really think. It’s time for my annual “Airing of Disney Parks Guest Grievances” in honor of Festivus. (Updated December 23, 2023.)
This is a companion piece, of sorts, to our new Top 10 Guest Complaints About Walt Disney World. Those are all of the grievances that you have about the parks. Here, it’s time for all of the issues the parks have with you. Well, not “you” as an individual, and theme parks are inanimate objects so they don’t really have grievances to air. I think you get the idea, though. That list was grievances of guests; this one is grievances about guests. Â
In our Essence of the Disney Magic post that discusses what makes the parks so special, we share a Walt Disney quote about it taking “people to make the dream a reality.” Clearly, he was referring to the exceptional Cast Members, as all other guests do at Walt Disney World is clog up walkways, obstruct views, make noise during attractions, and lead to longer wait times. 😉
Fair warning: this post is in no way helpful to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or other park trip planning. Actually, it’s not really helpful to anyone, anywhere at all. Think of it as a junk food blog post that you shouldn’t waste your time reading. That is, unless you don’t really care about wasting your time on the internet, in which case, read away!
I want to underscore that this is meant in good fun and with a lighthearted sense to it. No one is perfect. While these things do bug me, I’m sure I do plenty of things that bug others, and I certainly don’t have any malice towards anyone who does these things. We’ve both been guilty of some of the “offenses” here!
Most of the time, I don’t think people are doing any of these things intentionally, or at least with the express purpose of inconveniencing others. While this could be a helpful heads up to let you know what behavior might be unintentionally obnoxious, it’s mostly just some lighthearted venting.
With those caveats out of the way, I’ll let my inner Frank Costanza (I’d like to think he’d be proud of this list…but at the same time would be its biggest offender) take over and share a few of my Disney theme park pet peeves…
Screens Up! – I don’t know who needs to hear this, but YouTube exists. Joking aside, it’s such an odd phenomenon to see the fireworks start and hundreds of screens go up over heads. Wanting to capture a small snippet to share on social media is one thing, but some people are out there recording the full show with shaky hands from an off-center angle behind a shoulder kid (see below) on a phone with a busted screen. There’s a 100% chance that video will be worse than 100,000+ videos already on YouTube, freely accessible to all.
Don’t get me wrong: having your own photos and videos–even subpar ones–is important. Documenting experiences and having tangible reminders of lasting memories is far better than any souvenir you can buy. What’s key is making them your own. Don’t take photos or video of JUST the fireworks or JUST the stage show or JUST the food.
After recording a few seconds of pyro, pan back to capture the wide-eyed wonder of your child as the glow of the fireworks washes over their face. Take a snapshot of your significant other about to devour a dessert the size of their head. Obtain photographic evidence of grandpa falling asleep during MuppetVision as a future reminder of their distinctly unpatriotic gaffe.
Flaunting Disney Knowledge – Let’s level with one another: I write a Disney blog and you read at least one. We both clearly have too much free time on our hands and probably know much more about Disney than John Q Public.
This is neither a Scarlet Letter, nor is it a badge of honor. Some Disney fans don’t seem to understand this. They share their Mad Park Smartz with their friends in the parks. There’s nothing wrong with this by itself, but when it’s done in painfully loud voices that are clearly for the benefit of those around them in a queue, that’s where I draw the line. You know what I’m talking about.
I’ll be honest with you: it’s possible I’ve become part of the problem. As a frequent photographer of construction walls on both coasts, I very frequently overhear other guests wonder whether Splash Mountain is being converted into a restaurant. If they seem the friendly type, I’ll respond: “I don’t know if you were kidding or not, but it’s actually going to be a similar ride based on The Princess and the Frog. Kinda funny and confusing that they have signs that say ‘Tiana’s Foods’ and nothing about a ride, but that’s what it’ll be.”
That is the script I have “perfected” in my head that is, in my opinion, a good mixture of disarming and not too know-it-all-y. At least, that’s my hope. I’ll let you be the judge as to whether I’m being helpful or have become part of the problem!
Rudeness to Cast Members – Don’t like the quality of the beef patty in your burger at Cosmic Ray’s? Having yet another issue trying to book Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations? Think lines for everything are too long? Yelling at the nearest Cast Member seems like a totally reasonable solution that will absolutely fix the problem.
Oh wait, no it doesn’t. At all. Frontline Cast Members are about as much to blame for those problems and decisions as the McDonald’s burger flipper is for Hamburglar’s many crimes. The Cast Members you see in parks don’t create the unpopular policies, even if they are tasked with enforcing them. Yelling at any of these people is wholly unreasonable. What exactly are guests expecting to accomplish?
Spending a lot of money on a Walt Disney World vacation does not entitle guests to be jerks to anyone who gets in their way or prevents them from having a “perfect” trip. Cast Members go out of their way to put a smile on kids’ faces and make magic for guests, and should be treated accordingly.
This is especially true now. Cast Members are under increased stress, having had to play babysitter and rule enforcers to adults for the last year, while also seeing thousands of their colleagues lost during mass layoffs. On top of that, they also bear the brunt of ever-increasing guest complaints about reduced entertainment, Genie+, and other policy changes and cuts made by people at a way higher pay grade. None of this is their fault–being rude to Cast Members only exacerbates problems and degrades the guest experience for those who visit later, as Cast Member burn-out worsens.
A good rule in life is to follow Wheaton’s Law. If that’s too tough to follow, a lower standard is: “don’t be rude to people regarding situations that are out of their control, especially when they are doing their best to be nice and help you.”
Walking Etiquette – I walk at an extremely brisk pace. I have no time for shenanigans such as meandering aimlessly. However, I understand not everyone desires or can maintain my pace, and I certainly don’t expect it.
What I also don’t expect is a convoy of 4 double-wide strollers walking side by side taking up the entire walkway so no one can pass. Instead, observe the rules of the road. Allow sufficient room for oncoming traffic. Leave open space next to you for a “passing lane.”
On a highway, you wouldn’t aimlessly zigzag from lane to lane without regard for traffic behind you, so don’t do the same in walkways. Likewise, just as you wouldn’t come to a dead stop in the middle of your lane when driving 70 MPH, don’t stop in your tracks to look at a map in the middle of a walkway. Navigate the parks like it’s not your first time walking in public.
Filling In All Available Space – I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re at the end of the extended queue in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and the wait time is 180 minutes, standing as close as possible to the person in front of you won’t make the line move any faster. Spacing way back in line has no bearing on efficiency at load, which is the only thing that really matters. You can leave a little breathing room for comfort farther back in the line.
To be sure, there are times when filling in all available space is necessary. If a Cast Member makes the request, do it–there’s likely an operational reason for it (like getting enough people into the Haunted Mansion Stretching Room to ensure a steady flow in the queue afterwards). Moreover, no one should expect 6′ in all directions at this point. But most of the time, there’s no reason to invade the personal space of the strangers around you. There’s a happy medium.
Disproportionate Line Jumping – I’m a reasonable guy. If you’re a large family with a herd of small children, I get that a trip to the parks is a veritable Detrol commercial. Bathroom breaks are a frequent, time-consuming part of the theme park experience. One parent taking a child to the bathroom while the other jumps in line with the rest of the pack is absolutely reasonable.
What I don’t appreciate is when one member of a multi-generational party of 27 jumps in line, and then slowly the other 26 members trickle ahead of me. That’s not meeting the “rest” of your party, it’s thinly-veiled line-jumping. I never say anything to these people, but you better believe the back of their heads receive a contemptuous glare.
A fair rule: unless 51% of your party is farther forward, the rest of the party moves back. Fair enough?
Talking on Attractions – Again, I’m reasonable. I understand that parks are a social environment. They aren’t a library or a movie theater. Some small, quiet comments here and there are totally fine.
Now it’s everyone else’s turn to be reasonable and understand that the rest of us waited 45 minutes in line so we could enjoy an immersive attraction, not so we could hear you talk about that epic party from last night in excruciating detail as if it has all the drama of the Iran-Contra Affair.
Quoting Attractions – Continuing on the ‘talking’ subject, here’s my biggest pet peeve: quoting lines from attractions in the attraction right before the line is said in the attraction. This is a variation of Flaunting Disney Knowledge, but it’s so annoying that it deserves its own spot.
I don’t mind people quoting attractions in general. I’d like to think the wisdom gleaned from Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree can be applied to all facets of life. What I mind is people beating the attraction to the punch, showing off their own knowledge as if this gives them some sort of ill-gotten street cred. It doesn’t.
Just try and go on the Jungle Cruise without someone saying the words ‘backside of water’ before the skipper, or to the Haunted Mansion without someone saying ‘there’s always my way’ before the Ghost Host. A few words is mildly annoying but relatively harmless–let’s just avoid trying to quote entire paragraphs of the attraction script.
Stroller Etiquette – This has become less of an issue in the last couple of years due to a rule change last year. There was a brief period when Walt Disney World turned into the wild west for strollers, with huge wagons, royal carriages, and Star Wars spaceships. No joke–there were businesses renting out “themed” strollers!
If you operate a stroller, please be mindful of the heels in front of you. Let’s again use the roadway analogy: strollers are like cars–yield to pedestrians. Don’t use your stroller as a battering ram to help you plow through crowds when Walt Disney World walkways are a bit congested with traffic!
Shoulder-Children – Are you 6′ tall and want to put your kids on your shoulders for the fireworks? No problem! It’s not as if there are hundreds of people behind you who also want to see the show or anything. I really am curious as to what line of thought can justify this?
Kids have a tough time seeing a show from the ground and parents have a difficult time holding them at normal eye level. This leaves parents with a conundrum: put them on shoulders or don’t. If you put them on your shoulders, they can see but you’re blocking the view of countless people behind you. This effectively says, “my children seeing the show is more important than anyone behind me seeing it.”
Fair rule: if you want to put your kids on your shoulders, do it from a location where there are not people behind you. Alternatively, choose a viewing location where there are not obstructions in front of you. Both exist, particularly when it comes to Happily Ever After in Magic Kingdom or Luminous: The Symphony of Us in Epcot.
Shoulder kids could really fall under a general penumbra of “Selfish Guests” that would encompass everything from sitting in the middle seats of what clearly will be a packed theater (despite directions from Cast Members to move all the way down), throwing trash on the ground or not cleaning up the trash at your table for counter service meals, smoking wherever you feel like, waving around your selfie stick without regard for others, and a myriad of other things. Again, that $100+ per day ticket is not a license to do whatever the heck you want because, “YOU PAID A TON OF MONEY FOR THIS VACATION.”
Have you steered clear of my airing of Disney theme park grievances thus far? Well, I have a lot more that you are doing! You couldn’t smooth a silk sheet if you had a hot date with a babe…ah, I lost my train of thought. 😉 (I’m sorry, a lot of the references in this blog probably don’t make sense if you’re not a Seinfeld fan. Then again, I’m not so sure I want people reading this blog who aren’t Seinfeld fans.)
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Your Thoughts
What are your Disney theme park pet peeves? Are you so high on the magic of pixie dust when you visit the parks that nothing annoys you? What do I do that annoys you (this is the airing of theme park grievances, after all)? Feel free to vent in the comments. You won’t change anything about how other guests behave at Walt Disney World, but at least it’s therapeutic!
I have a large family. It is my pet peeve when they mill around. I love them to death but I always have a plan of action. I have to split my family up so there won’t be milling around. I also schedule them out. I have 9 nieces and newphews from the ages of 3-21. Basically, my family buddies up anyways. So, we base out day out by what each group wants to do. It sounds all strict and cut but we do mill around other wise.
I cannot say I have any real Disney pet peeves other than single riders. I mean you can’t fix that. I mean if there is a group of odd numbers. However, line waits are a tad awful at times. 90 minutes for certain rides. Of course you have to be understanding but you’re wasting time and money this way. I think you’re blog is helpful in time management at a Disney park.
That was awesome! I can relate to some of the points and have probably been guilty of others…like quoting lines! Hahaha!
One time when my oldest son, who is now 16, was barely 2 years old we visited the park with some friends and, of course, our stroller (which wasn’t too big). The park was so crowded that day because the local public utilities company decided to have a whole company (plus their family) park day! I think they invited their whole extended families!!!!
People were cutting right in front of me walking over the front end of the stroller. I was getting more angry by the minute. Finally, I had had it! I told my friend that if one more person bumps into me, I was going to give them the lecture of their life!
Sure enough, we were in a Fantasyland store when a teenager bumped into my stroller. Just as I was at my boiling point about to say some smart remark, she turned around and said, “Oh, I’m so sorry” to which I responded, “Oh, that’s okay!”
I laugh every time I think about that ‘Disney’ moment!
Thanks for venting!
The group line jumpers drive my aunt & I nuts, and we don’t let them past us. Biggest place we ran into that on our trip to WDW 3 years ago was in the Toy Story queue. Guy ahead of us had 2 people with him and we’d been waiting probably 30min and suddenly there’s like 8 more people trying to come from behind us. My aunt won’t let them through and isn’t afraid to speak up about it (she’s 6ft and a retired Army colonel). Don’t have an issue with someone having to take a small child out to the bathroom and coming back to their group, but a big group jumping in isn’t getting past us. We also seem to have bad luck with the big tour groups of teenagers from South America.
We don’t watch the parades and don’t usually stake out spots for the MK fireworks but on our last trip the projections on the castle were new (for us). We’d found a great spot to see the fireworks from the bridge to Frontierland but we could only see the very top of the castle so we decided that we’d stake out a spot early on our last day because I really wanted to see the projections on the castle. We found a great spot at the little umbrella tables in front of the Plaza Restaurant and it was great because the area in front of us was dropped down to the canal level so nothing to block the view. We snagged a table at 4pm for the 7pm show and there were still several empty. They each had 4 chairs and we pulled my scooter up behind us to prevent crowding (plus we had filled the basket with stuff. We let the family at the table next to us have the chair closest to the fence (which turned out to be a good thing as she had quick reflexes and grabbed our cinnamon roll box when it jumped off the table) and someone took the 4th chair. We took turns going off to get supper & snacks while the other held our spot and it was darn hard to hang onto the chair. I ate first so by the time my aunt went she had to wait for awhile at Casey’s and I had to wrap my arm through her chair to keep people from just taking it!
We are looking forward to our first trip in November…but not to all the above which are all issues I know will drive me mad.
The key issue is the new concept in society of children being more important than adults. Children are NOT more important than adults. At Disney World or anywhere else. They are equally important. Teaching them this would go a long way toward fixing the sense of selfish entitlement that pervades Western culture.
I have a question about where to stand to watch the parades/fireworks. I don’t plan to stake out my spot for an hour in advance, but equally don’t want to inconvenience someone who has shown the patience to be there by standing in front of them. Where should I go?
I 100% agree with everything you said! Especially people’s strollers which are now more like ATV’s. My parents took me to Disney in the early 80’s. I was 4 years old and walked most of the time. When I wasn’t walking they had a small collapsible stroller. The strollers now are used for the parents to hoard all of their belongings all day long. They are completely unnecessary, as are infants that should not be in the park at such a young age and then I’m supposed to feel bad that you have to carry your infant?? Nope, not at all. They push these strollers into my feet and have knocked me out of the way with them. I’m only 5’1 so I understand what its like to be short in the parks, but when tall men put their kids up on their shoulders its the worst. I stood along side my parents all the times we went, or my parents got a curb spot early. Last October my husband and I went to the Halloween party, we found a great curb spot and held it for an hour. Right before the parade started a lady and her teenage kids tried to push me out of the way. At first I thought it was an accident, but then they kept trying to move us further over, I’m sorry, but I may have allowed a small child to stand in front of my but not a rude woman and her teenage kids, they can stand behind my short 5’1 frame.
My last complaint about rude people, is the parents that give their kids a million snacks each time we sit down for a show so the sounds of wrappers is right in my ear. We sat down at Fantasmic and a Dad was giving his small toddler all kinds of spill-able liquids and messy foods that were going to end up on my husband and I had we not gotten up and moved, of course we gave them our best Cruella look first, but that goes without saying.
ALl that being said, I’m still a huge fan of Disney and the parks and will continue as a vacation club member to go often. I wish people had the same respect that my parents had when we traveled and would teach their kids that its not nice to push, run or shove people just because you are in line for a character. Guess what, I want to meet Tinkerbell just as much as you do so I will not be knocked over!
End rant. =) Have a magical day!
My pet hate is Rucksacks. I am on crutches and many times I have been almost knocked over by people who walk in front of me and and then swing round to see where the rest of their group is. The worst instance of the this was last year at the halloween Headless Horseman parade. We had waited at the kerbside for over an hour (extremely painful and tiring but we wanted to get a good view).just before the parade started a young girl, early twenties pushed her way through the people behind so she could get to the front. She was not very tall about the same as me 5’2″ but she had the largest rucksack I had ever seen so every time she moved it hit everyone around her including me. As if this wasn,t bad enough she then decided to get her camera out of the pack to take photos. She then proceed to take photos right in front of me by leaning across me. I did state rather loudly that most of us had waited a long time to be where we were but it fell on deaf ears. On the upside while we were waiting for another parade we were standing next to a man in a wheelchair and after chatting to him for some time he offered to let me use his wheelchair to give me a rest. I refused but felt very humbled by his kind offer.Not long after his wife and daughter returned after a bathroom break and his daughter noticed I had some glow shoelaces on my crutches and was fascinated by them so I gave her a couple to wear as bracelets and she was thrilled. So I always say one kind act can always be returned by another.
I’ve experienced each item with the exception of the Disney knowledge/quoting attractions. They are all minor inconveniences. It’s the happiest place on earth.
I’ve also been an offender on the shoulder-children. My son is 42 inches and 55 pounds. It’s impossible for me to heft him by arm for the duration of the parade, but it is reasonable on the shoulders.
I’m sure for those who see this behavior every day, it irritates them greatly, but I visit the parks for about 12 days out of the year and these minor instances do not affect my enjoyment of the parks.
I respectfully disagree. It wouldn’t only be irritating to the people who go regularly – at least they have more of a change to see an unobstructed view of whatever it is your child on your shoulders would be blocking from their vision…because of their repeated visits. They would hopefully get behind someone who doesn’t do this every single time. What about the people who can only go once in a lifetime and are there the same time as you? It certainly would affect their enjoyment of the park.
I agree with everything except strollers. I have children ages 8,6, & 4. They are all tiny, active and not obese whatsoever. My first reason for using a double stroller is safety. I go to the zoo once a week, even in the winter, and we are active in other public places, and I’m usually alone as my husband works. My 4 yr old son, who looks normal, is language impaired among other things, and training my 2 younger children to come back to the stroller and sit when it gets crowded/congested has allowed me to do these things with them by myself, even in big crowds.
Second, we live in Michigan where it was snowing last week at the end of April. Being in Orlando’s intense humidity and 90 degree or hotter weather is incredibly draining when a child is not used to it. My 8 year old will walk plenty on our upcoming trip, but if she needs to be pushed in our double stroller for a while while my husband carries a child, or a child swaps out to walk, it literally is not hurting anyone else’s vacation.
But it sure does suck to know how many ‘dicks’ will be judging our family should they happen to see my 8 year old in the double stroller. We don’t run into people’s ankles or stop in the middle of paths. I get why those things bother people as it directly affects them. But I would say a horrible pet peeve of mine is the amount of obvious judging that goes on when people have no understanding of why parents or people have to do what they do, especially when it doesnt impact the criticizer. If my 8 year old wants to sit for 10 minutes, why do you care? In fact, if I want to push my 8 year old around all day long and even pick her up and carry her to pee so her feet never hit the ground, mind your own friggin business, dick.
Dick.
Rosalie, I completely agree with your post. Great point about the weather too! We are from the Boston area, and had snow in our back yard when we left for WDW a few weeks back. The high heat and humidity was very difficult for my kids.
I love your blog and this is my first post.
One of my pet peeves is when people who are clearly able to stand without issue refuse to stand for women, children and the elderly on packed monorails and buses. I saw an elderly man, a few women and a child holding on for dear life on a monorail while males aged 15-45 filled the seats. Seeing this really made me think lesser of our society.
As a woman, I have to say that I would not want a man to stand up for me to sit. I am perfectly capable of standing. However, I completely agree that people should give up seats for elderly or disabled folks, regardless of gender.
Sometimes things aren’t what they appear either. My husband had people on buses giving him dirty looks for not standing & giving his seat to others. What they didn’t know was that he was a recent double transplant patient & had difficulty standing himself after a long day at the parks.
I’ve found it best to piggyback kids that can’t see. It’s much easier than holding them up in your arms and it shouldn’t block people’s views.
People need to realize that WDW is for adults as well as for children. Many people go there as adults, without any children with them. Parents must remember that their children are not any more important than anyone else in the Parks.
There isn’t much I can say that hasn’t already been said. However, as my family is just finishing up a trip to Tokyo (with four of our days spent at the parks), I will say that I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. As far as I can tell, the Tokyo parks are far more crowded than WDW. However, they don’t feel as crowded because most everyone is extremely polite and pleasant to be around. We used a stroller for our youngest only just 3 years old) and took mid-day breaks as needed (our other girls are 6 and 7). I won’t say it was flawless, but we just understood that going with small children carries certain implications. Knowing that, we’ve had a pretty painless and very memorable trip. And, it seems like most of those with whom we’ve interacted enjoyed our being there. To be fair, that last point may have had something to do with the fact that we had three small blond-haired girls. We got a lot of photo requests… 🙂
Thanks for the post. I empathize with some of your concerns. I used to get annoyed with the child on the shoulders blocking my view. However now I just move over until I can see. Most of the people that do it are living vicariously through their kids and are blissfully unaware that they are blocking someone else’s view. Same thing with the slow walking stroller crowd.
The big picture is that if you are able to visit Disney on a reasonably frequent basis then life is probably pretty sweet and these sort of minor irritations are probably not worth worrying about.
It’s been over a year since I commented, but I’m still an avid reader and this post was great “junk” reading.
I can be a bit curmudgeonly when it comes to how I view our current society and its seeming sense of entitlement, so this post was most welcome. I wish it could be required pre-reading for all Disney vacationers.
I am a parent and I wholeheartedly agree with every point. We still use a stroller, but bring the smallest of umbrella strollers. When I go to the park without my children I am a bring nothing kind of person. I try to keep our stuff to a minimum with the kids, but at this point we still need the one stroller. However, I hate having to deal with it, so my husband and I generally park it in whatever land we’re going to be in and have the kids walk around the land until we’re done there. We mainly use the stroller to get from one section of the park to another, but stash it as soon as we can. I will admit my almost 7 year old does still occasionally sit in it for the long treks, but he has sensory issues and a gross motor delay that causes him to tire quickly. My kids are lucky in that we live close enough to school that they are accustomed to walking back and forth each day, and have that in their favor.
I have a huge pet peeve with people who stop in the walkways, which is one reason we do use the stroller to make the trek to different sections of the park. Kids can be dawdlers on those long walks and I want to keep mine out of people’s ways. I’m a speedwalker in the parks and honestly don’t have the patience for the slow speeds at which my children’s little legs carry them. The umbrella stroller helps us accomplish a bit more speed and doesn’t seem to block too may paths or so I hope 🙂
My biggest pet peeve is kids on shoulders. I am short and as soon as a child goes up on the shoulders I can no longer see. This is always an issue at the fireworks and the castle displays (even though the fireworks are in the sky). We position ourselves at the front of the park, so my son can be as far away from fireworks noise as possible. You’d think from the front you’d have a good sky view, but I don’t think I ever have. My husband and I refuse to put our kids on our shoulders because we know how much it blocks our views and want other guests to be able to enjoy the show.
The cast members are truly amazing. I have seen a guest treat a cast member rudely for refusing to let his child go on a ride with a height requirement that child didn’t meet. I was impressed with how well the cast member handled it because the dad wouldn’t let it go. The cast members are doing their jobs so the rudeness is inexcusable. My family has been treated above and beyond what is expected of a cast member on every trip either for our patience or when something out of our control happened. And we didn’t have to complain to receive this kindness!!
Last Jan, when we were still out of state, we made our yearly Disney trek. We had some things occur that at the time seemed like vacation destroyers, but now we look back on that trip fondly and really that is due to the kindness we were shown by cast members. My son ended up busting his face on the concrete waiting for a meet and greet on our first day. The cast member who took us aside to help us was so sweet. He talked to me and my daughter while my husband took care of my son. He wanted us to go to their medical services, but my husband is a pediatrician and reassured the cast member that he could take care of it. He checked on us constantly and while I’m sure he had to be for liability reasons, he was genuinely concerned.
My son lost his autograph book in the midst of the face incident and was very upset. I knew the book had his name and address in it so I politely checked at guest services every day of our trip to see if it turned up. I ended up buying him him a new book and when I told a cast member what happened he helped me get a bunch of signatures to surprise my son with. My son was so appreciative when the cast member returned with his book and lots of signatures.
That next day my kids developed norovirus and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I started crying in front of Cinderella’s castle. I can be a cryer when emotional. A wonderful cast member saw me and hugged me and told me it would be ok. We were able to go to my parents house (they thankfully had just moved to Orlando) to recuperate for a couple of days, but still were able to get in 2 great last days at Disney before having to return home.
As soon as I got home I made sure to fill out the surveys waiting for me in my email detailing how these cast members went above and beyond what they needed to do. I so wish I remembered their names to give them all the credit. And that night I got a call that my son’s autograph book had been found and was on its way.
I am a person who is uncomfortable receiving special attention, but these people were so genuine in wanting to help make what could have been a terrible trip “magical”, that I could be nothing but appreciative. OK I’ll get off my soapbox now, but thanks for a great post. As I’m sure I have been or will eventually be guilty of one of these offenses it’s great to have this pet peeve reminder handy.
Below is a rant I had on a DLP group a few weeks ago…you read my mind with this blog post! The stopping suddenly in your path is the worst in my opinion!
‘Having a lovely time at DLP 🙂 Bit of a rant though…1.people smoking everywhere 2.people stopping randomly for no reason and blocking the path and 3.people taking flash photos on dark rides! I told a lady off this morning! I need to get my Disney zen on!’
I’m 5’3″ and always go to WDW in June. I believe the fireworks have been high enough to see at MK. I can miss a little for a child to be able to experience something magical.
I love Disney and just got home from my 15th visit last Friday. All those pet peeves you all mentioned don’t bother me. I just keep going and having a magical time. People aren’t rude because they like to be rude. They don’t realize how really rude they are. I used to be a high school special Ed teacher, so not too much bothers me.
My visit to WDW was in memory of my son. He died last September ( while my husband and I were at Disney) of a heart attack. He was 35, not ill and had no history, so this was totally unexpected. WDW was his favorite vacation place. So, don’t focus on the peeves. Focus on your family and how you treat each other. You never know how long you will have each other. So, love each other and demonstrate your love.
Frannie- what a beautiful post! I’m so sorry for your loss. We are going to Disney with our family this June and I’m going to take your words with me and remember them whenever I start to get annoyed with people around me- love each other and demonstrate your love. Sounds simple enough, right!? <3
Although I don’t have kids and consider myself an Olympic-level stroller-dodger at Disney parks, what really resonates with about this post is talking during attractions. It’s my #1 pet peeve on both coasts. For years now, I have hardly been able to enjoy the pre-show stretching room at the Haunted Mansion due to people dramatically parroting the narration, culminating in piercing shrieks as the thunder and lightning sounds. Lately, I’ve had the “pleasure” of standing next to people who loudly and blissfully sing and speak along to the Wishes fireworks narration. I think they are completely oblivious to the fact that their loud talking might diminish other guests experiences. It frustrates me because I think about the potential first-time riders or viewers who can’t hear or understand. It’s a terrible combination of flaunting Disney knowledge and not treating other guests and the park experience with respect.
During a recent trip, I also was standing next to a couple of young ladies (maybe college-aged) singing loudly along with all of the Wishes song/narration. It truly irritated me. I understand being the excitment of knowing every word, but it really does diminish the experience of those around you.
Take a deep breath and repeat after me:
“Serenity Now”
I completely agree… sort of on the same page what really irks me is having so many wheelchairs. Now I’m NOT saying that people need them shouldn’t be allowed in. Everyone, no matter what your ambulatory needs are deserve to have the same fun as everyone. What gets to me is the people you see in wheelchairs that dont need them. I am a physical therapist so you could say I have a very good eye when it comes to assessing gait patterns and physical needs of people (also I know what a struggle something like walking can be for people with disabilities) but more and more I feel like I see people in wheelchairs… just because they are lazy. I see them get up and walk and I see no limp, no evidence of decrease in strength, just the fact that they dont feel like walking (especially when I see the same family taking turns in the wheelchair). Or the scooter! So especially when it comes to the buses, the wheelchair/scooter takes up 3 spaces then you take up a space on yourself. To reiterate… this is not for the people who actually need the wheelchairs. I went last year and noticed an unnaturally high amount of people on scooter who did not need them. Then I came across a young boy and his grandfather. The young boy had bilateral prosthetic legs from above his knees down, his grandfather had one prosthetic also from the knee down. I watched as both of them walked around the park, having the best time. then saw the little boy almost get pushed aside by someone in a scooter. Then the scooter person had the gall to tell the boy to watch where he was going. I guess overall my biggest pet peeve is laziness. Don’t rent a scooter or wheelchair because you “dont feel like walking that whole way”. If you want a vacation where you are barley on your feet, Disney is not a place for you. End rant.