“Top” 10 Worst Guests at Disney World
Walt Disney once said it takes “people to make the dream a reality.” He’s right. Cast Members are the magic, and even guests are integral to the experience. We all dislike huge crowds, but people breathe life into the parks. (Updated November 27, 2023.)
It’s also fair to say that Walt Disney hadn’t encountered all types of guests. Something tells me eBay pirates loading up on Loungefly and Spirit Jerseys weren’t a thing back in Walt’s day. Although he was a visionary, Walt might also have some trouble wrapping his head around TikTok dance routines. And anyone who only used rotary phones might have a tough time with iPadography and selfie sticks.
Suffice to say, the overwhelming majority of guests add a lot to the experience at Walt Disney World…but not every single guest. Some are the magic, but there are sometimes a few who detract from the magic. To that end, we’ve put a list together identifying the worst types of guests at Walt Disney World. Consider this part venting and part “cautionary tale” so you know what types of behavior to avoid.
With that said, no one is perfect 100% of the time. Not you, and certainly not me. Try as I might, I have been guilty of certain entries on this list. Perhaps it’s something in the Florida air (humidity) or water (swamp stuff).
Or maybe it’s the tremendous weight of planning and executing a “perfect” Walt Disney World vacation that has incredibly high stakes due to the monetary cost and convoluted systems and processes, glitchy apps, chaotic crowds. Even if you’re trying your best to have a great day, from time to time, that stress can overwhelm even absolute angels.
I offer this caveat because I’m not a fan of call-out culture nor do I like the idea of putting people “on blast” even if it’s in a just for fun venting post like this one that uses abstractions rather than specific instances of behavior we’ve seen recently.
So breathe a sigh of relief–you aren’t going to find a hidden-cam ‘mugshot’ from that one time, against your better judgment, you let loose and did the “pee your pants challenge” for clout at EPCOT. And who among us hasn’t climbed the Mexico pyramid?!
In short, while these types of guests do bug me (and others), I can recognize that nobody is perfect–including me–and I certainly don’t have any actual malice towards anyone who does these things. If anything, I think most of the problems lie with Walt Disney World for making a visit to the parks so stressful. But that’s another topic for another day.
Fortunately, 98% of guests on any given day are great–just happy to be at the Most Magical Place on Earth. Unfortunately, the bad often stand out more than the good, so even that 2% of guests can be annoying if you’re unlucky enough to cross paths with them.
With that out of the way, here’s our list of the worst 10 types of guests at Walt Disney World (plus plenty of bonuses)…
The Ones Who Have Never Walked in Public – America is a car culture. Most of our country is suburbia or rural, with few densely-populated and walkable downtown areas. Nowhere is that more apparent than at Walt Disney World, where many visitors encounter their first instance of bona fide urban design, and have trouble navigating it.
Ironically enough, the core problem is that they don’t observe the traditional rules of the road, which actually translate quite well to walking around public spaces. Instead, they seem to observe the Central Florida rules of the road, which (in my experience) are “anything goes!”
Zig-zagging all around, changing multiple ‘lanes’ with zero notice to take an off-ramp, swerving around without paying attention to oncoming traffic, moving exponentially slower than the speed of traffic? In the parks and on Orlando roads, it all goes! My personal “favorite” is the parties who are oblivious to crowds and, presumably, think they’re the only people at Walt Disney World. Why else would a party of 7 walk side-by-side holding hands, taking up the entire walkway so no one could pass?!
This is a great example of innocent behavior. No one walking this way is doing so to be selfish or because they’re entitled. It’s almost always because they don’t live in a city and Walt Disney World is the first quasi-urban environment they’ve visited. This probably does not rise to the level of the “worst” guest, but it does drive me crazy. (It’s mostly a “me problem,” I realize that!)
BONUS: The Mall Walkers – Turnabout is fair play, and if the above type of walkers are one of the worst guests (probably not), then so are their counterparts. And admittedly, this is me.
Not only do I always walk briskly or “with a purpose” (even when I have none), but I’ve been known to “mall walk” around World Showcase. If ever you’ve wondered why this blog sounds like it’s written by a curmudgeonly old man, it’s because I have the spirit (and interests, apparently) of one.
DOUBLE BONUS: The Road Ragers – This is a new-for-2023 addition, but one I’ve wanted to add for a while. I’ve been reluctant to do so because it’s a hot-button issue. But now that we’re parents with a stroller, I feel like I can “go there” without attacking anyone.
I’ve locked eyes with parents pushing double-wide strollers during the Magic Kingdom evening exodus. The horror and pain on their faces was way worse than anything they could ever inflict on anyone else. Same goes for guests in ECVs. Thankfully, we have never been in that position, but I cannot fathom having to navigate a scooter or stroller through the chaos, crowds and congestion. Even as a mobile adult, it’s uncomfortable. It’s gotta feel downright unsafe and scary at times with those devices.
Even in normal navigational scenarios, scooters and strollers can have a tough time because some people are not good at walking in public. See above. Random starting and stopping, blocking sidewalk access points, cutting off strollers or scooters and forcing them to stop abruptly, etc. etc. So I do have a lot of empathy for guests in these positions.
With all of that said, there are some guests with verifiable cases of road rage. If they drove on the interstate like they operate their scooters or strollers, they’d have their licenses revoked. But anything goes on the mean street of Main Street and Frontierland truly is the wild west when it comes to the rules of the road.
Some strollers are used as makeshift battering rams and certain ECVs might as well have cowcatchers or snow plows attached to deflect the guests they mow down. These ECVs can be downright dangerous–especially the third party ones that have seemingly had their speed regulators removed and could likely beat the Test Track SimCars in a street race.
It doesn’t help that it’s a vicious cycle. Parents and ECV operators get cut off or confined in crowds, putting them on the precipice of an adult meltdown, and giving them no reason to obey the rules of the road. Like a cornered cat, they go on the attack. So while I don’t love my heels being hit by these devices…I also kinda get it!
The Line Jumpers – Few things grind my gears like this, especially watching it unfold in slow motion. The first parent and child politely pass me to catch up to the rest of their family. No big deal, nature calls and kids need to use the toilet at unpredictable times. Then person 2 passes. Then 3, 4, 5, and 6. Just how large is this multigenerational party and were any of them in line in the first place?!
Cutting in line isn’t cool. It’s one thing when it’s the aforementioned bathroom break situation. That I can understand. But sending a “runner” from your party of 12 to hold a spot for the other 11 in line? Absolutely unacceptable and reflects the entitled attitude that your time (and the saving thereof) is more important than everyone else.
It defies common courtesy and fairness. Congress should pass a law that requires 51% of your party or more to be present before getting into line. Isn’t that why Walt Disney World has a Hall of Presidents in the first place? To sign stuff like that into law?!
BONUS: The DAS Abusers – There’s been an increase in abuse of Disability Access Service in the last few years, and as of Late 2023, Walt Disney World is starting to crack down on improper DAS use as a result. This is, without a doubt, one of the worst types of guest at Walt Disney World. I cannot fathom how able-bodied people justify abusing a service meant for the disabled. I am pretty far from perfect, but at least I can sleep at night.
This is also a category that only exists in the abstract. Even though we know abuse exists–Walt Disney World has said so!–we don’t see it happening on an individual level. That’s because there are myriad invisible disabilities from which other guests could suffer, and the rude words or judgmental gaze of guests ‘scanning’ a person using DAS to ‘make sure’ they really have a disability is also awful…and could itself land on this list!
Anyone using DAS out of necessity would trade places with able-bodied individuals in a second and stand in long lines if it meant not being disabled. Suffice to say, this is a bad situation with a couple types of worst guests involved, and actual disabled guests as the resulting collateral damage.
The Ones Whose “Vacation Cost A Lot” – Did you know that a trip to Walt Disney World costs a lot of money?! Some angry guests feel the need to remind others of this when their bad behavior is met with resistance, seemingly oblivious to the fact that everyone’s vacation cost a lot of money. (I guess it’s possible that they’re right, and Walt Disney World’s top demographic is lottery or giveaway winners.)
This type of guest is an interesting case study, of sorts, as they’re one of the few that actually vocalizes the sense of entitlement that is an animating feature of all the worst types of guests. This guest is vocally oblivious to other tourists also spending a lot of money to be there, whereas most of the other types act in a manner that reflects that they don’t know or care that their behavior negatively impacts others.
The Flashers – No, we’re not talking about the infamous incidents that occurred that gave Splash Mountain its R-rated nickname and made it controversial back in the day. Get your mind out of the gutter!
Rather, we’re talking about guests who use flash to take photos on dark rides or their flashlights to record videos of fireworks. Not only is this rude to other guests because your flash destroys the illusion that the Imagineers created with carefully considered show lighting, but it makes your photos look like garbage for the exact same reason. When it comes to videos of fireworks, it accomplishes absolutely nothing–the subjects are too far away (and light themselves). All it does is illuminate heads in the crowd, which probably wasn’t the goal.
This is a good example of giving other guests the benefit of the doubt. In today’s era of ubiquitous smartphones, it’s so easy for a setting to be enabled and the user not know why–or understand how to turn it off. This one is usually less about selfishness, and more about user error or confusion. (Confession time: I still remember accidentally firing my flash on Pirates of the Caribbean in 2009. It was in a boat of my photography buds, making it even more mortifying. I have since accidentally turned on my phone flashlight twice during fireworks, but immediately turned it off both times.)
The Ones Who Don’t Want To Be There, And Want Everyone To Know – Walt Disney World is not for everyone. We get it. If that wasn’t clear before, the non-stop parade of not-so-thoughtful “think pieces” about Disney Adults and Childless Millennials have made that much very clear.
For whatever reason, this has spilled over into the parks themselves, with countless badly-designed Etsy shirts that proudly proclaim the wearer does not want to be there. I will never understand this. I do things that I don’t want to do from time to time, but at least I go in with an open mind…because why not? If I’m going to be there anyway, why not make the most of it and try to expand my horizons?
I wish people would realize that vocally hating something other people enjoy, especially in that venue, is not cool, edgy, or provocative. It’s dull, dumb, and pedestrian. (This applies to places beyond Walt Disney World, with the only exception being Minute Maid Park. 😉) You spent money on a shirt advertising something you don’t like? Congratulations on the announcement that you’re bad with money, I guess.
BONUS: Other Shirts with a ‘Message’ – Fun fact about me: I have never changed my vote or views based on a bumper sticker, yard sign, or t-shirt. Come to think of it, I don’t know anyone who has. Whenever I see a political or social opinion broadcast on a t-shirt, I am annoyed and also left wondering: what’s the point?! As society has become increasingly polarized, these shirts have gotten worse–with some being hostile or implying the threat of violence towards anyone who disagrees.
It doesn’t even matter if I “agree” with the shirt. This type of attire doesn’t belong at a place that’s about fun, fantasy, and bringing people together. (Some might even say this is a good philosophy to keep in mind when discussing Disney in the comments sections of your favorite blogs!)
The Passholes – Hello, sense of self-loathing! Despite being one at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond (in typical AP fashion, had to squeeze in that humblebrag before some self-deprecation!), I am aware of the fact that my people are not beloved by other guests, some Cast Members, and perhaps even the company itself.
In fairness, APs are not nearly as much of a pain in the neck at Walt Disney World as we are at Disneyland. There, we camp out for hours waiting for nighttime entertainment, snatch up all the limited edition merchandise, flaunt our knowledge, and just generally loiter about like Disneyland is an old-timey version of the Grove or Galleria. At Walt Disney World, we’re mostly harmless, just getting in long lines for Figment and Orange Bird stuff.
Perhaps our biggest offense is premature spieling, which is loudly reciting lines ever-so-slightly before the attraction narrator (so everyone knows that WE know the script!) and sharing our encyclopedic knowledge just a little to loudly while chatting with friends (so random strangers can also benefit from our expertise). We also tend to think that Walt Disney World and Disneyland would be nothing without us, and have a meltdown when the company or other guests even suggest that might not be the case.
BONUS: The Ones Who Pillage & Plunder– Even on a normal day, attempting to navigate Walt Disney World’s gift shops is an uncomfortable proposition. It’s exponentially worse when new items are released or restocked, as eBay pirates dock their ships and storm the stores. There is no merchandise–not even limited edition Figment or Country Bear collectibles–that I want badly enough to deal with this category of worst guests at Walt Disney World.
If you’ve never experienced the eBay pirates pillaging and plundering, how unpleasant it is cannot be overstated. I’d rather watch back to back showings of Beauty and the Beast: Sing-Along than visit the Emporium on those mornings. These eBay pirates are rude, aggressive, act entitled, and seemingly love to embrace their role as villains. They’re probably deserving of their own category, but this list is already at 10 entries and I assume most of these “guests” are Annual Passholders, so we’ll include them as a bonus entry here.
Bloggers, vloggers, and social media influencers also deserve our own dishonorable mention here. (Sadly.) To my fellow blogging brethren: You know what you did.
The Party Animals – We are far from teetotalers, but the drinking teams, bachelor/ette parties, and other groups in World Showcase at EPCOT sometimes can be a tad too much for a family-friendly theme park. For those of you who want to relive your glory days by attending an open air frat party, this might sound appealing. However, those days are long behind us, and we suspect many families don’t want their kids in that environment.
For what it’s worth, I don’t see party animals being an issue anywhere except EPCOT. Someone having a bit too much might happen from time to time at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, but it’s uncommon. By contrast, it feels like there’s a “drinking culture” represented in World Showcase, in addition to all of the global ones.
The Parents of Shoulder Kids – Rule #1 of the WDW Complaint Club™️ – It is never the child’s fault. Just as kids aren’t the ones that gave themselves participation trophies, they are not the ones that raised themselves. That applies both figuratively and, in this case, literally, over the heads of their parents.
Kids have a tough time seeing a show from the ground and parents have a difficult time holding them at normal eye level, which creates a conundrum. If you put them on your shoulders, they can see but you’re blocking the view of countless people behind you. The alternatives are them having a difficult time seeing from ground level or you struggling to hold them at eye level, but putting them on shoulders effectively says, “my child seeing the show is more important than anyone behind me seeing it.” It’s basically the non-verbal version of proclaiming, “my vacation cost a lot of money (but yours didn’t, somehow).”
The good news is that this is actually a false choice. If a parent cannot hold their kids at eye level, it’s not a matter of either them not seeing or blocking the view of people behind them. The everyone wins alternative is choosing a viewing location that is less crowded (e.g. Fantasyland or Japan) and or where there are not obstructions in front of you (e.g. on a bridge or against a railing). Both exist for the fireworks in Magic Kingdom or Harmonious in EPCOT.
The Meltdown Parents – It’s presumed that many childless adults can’t stand kids or are overly sensitive to their bad behavior. That couldn’t be further from the truth for us. (Taps sign on Rule #1.) Both of us are pretty good at filtering out crying kids, and view rambunctious behavior as a sign of excess energy that just needs to be burned off by playing. (It’s better than kids being glued to a screen!)
It’s the parental meltdowns that are the real problem. Ostensibly fully-developed adults who should be able to “use their words” to communicate and verbalize their emotions. However, adult meltdowns are all too common, with grownups becoming irrationally upset when things don’t go perfectly as planned or their efforts are under-appreciated. Often this begets the meltdown of a child who cannot do what they want, or has been forced to tour at a whirlwind pace, when really, they’d be perfectly happy to just play in a splash pad for an hour.
Lashing out at a child–especially on a trip for the kid–is never okay, and we’re not defending those who do it. BUT (you knew this was coming, right?) we have noticed a visible increase in these adult meltdowns as Walt Disney World vacations have increased in price, planning has become more convoluted and confusing, and sharing images of the ‘flawless family vacation’ on social media has become commonplace. The amount of pressure to have the perfect Walt Disney World trip is absolutely immense, and it’s easy to see how even the most level-headed parent can crack under that from time to time.
As we’ve said many times before, there is no such thing as a perfect Walt Disney World vacation. It bears repeating that you will make mistakes. Itineraries will get derailed. Dining and Genie+ plans won’t all work out. This also means that the pressure to plan a perfect trip is entirely optional, because there’s no such thing. Paradoxically, every imperfect trip can be perfect in its own way if you let it. You’ll be much better off with the memories of having a laugh at things not going smoothly than you will with the scars of screaming at your kids.
The Ones Who Never Worked a Day in Customer Service – I have seen enough and heard enough horror stories to consider Cast Members true saints and the stewards of Walt Disney’s legacy. Even with the increasingly common complaints about poor guest service, my reflexive reaction is that it’s because Cast Members have been beaten down and had their spirits crushed over the last few years. That the dynamic would improve if guests were better-behaved (part of the reason why this post exists in the first place).
I’m also very aware that I could not last a day dealing with guests. I worked in “low stakes” fast food, retail, and other customer service jobs in high school and college. The way I was treated over submarine sandwiches and supermarket stuff suggests to me that things must be much worse for Cast Members working at multi-thousand dollar vacation destinations. I was also younger, more patient, and had no good alternatives to taking the abuse. I wouldn’t stand for that same treatment today.
This is why I’ve written repeatedly that all Americans should be “required” to work for a year in a service industry so they “learn” how to treat others. For me, this doesn’t seem like something that actually requires learning–you should just know to treat others with respect because they’re your fellow humans and it’s the right thing to do. But I think a lot of people don’t realize this for whatever reason. Perhaps they consider those in customer service roles to be “beneath” them or the jobs to be “easy” because the pay is lower than their wages.
Of course, this is not true. I could never be an accountant or neurosurgeon, but I also doubt that I could be a housekeeper, janitor, or crowd control Cast Member. Not because those jobs are beneath me–all work is deserving of dignity and none of it is beneath anyone–but because it all involves incredibly grueling manual labor. I simply don’t think I could keep up day after day.
I’m know I’m rambling here, but the core point is that the worst guests who are those who are mean or rude to Cast Members. Those guests really suck. Many Americans feel that high prices buy them a certain level of entitlement or that “the customer is always right” includes the ‘right’ to be rude. Those notions are utter hogwash. Courtesy is a two-way street, and if you don’t give it, you should not expect to receive it. Rant over.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts…
Which types of Walt Disney World guests do you think are the worst ones? Think that line cutters, rude guests, inefficient walkers, parental meltdowns, passholes, or entitled vacationers are the worst? Agree or disagree with the entries on our list? 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! Hearing your feedback–even if you think that bloggers are the worst guests–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Can I add girls who wear as little clothing as possible? I do not understand the idea of wearing shorts that show your butt cheeks. Don’t they stick to the seats?
Wearing little to no clothes ranks up there with the “ she wanted the D” shirts. Trashy is the only word that comes to mind.
Keep it classy, people.
This sounds very bitter and angry for something that doesn’t affect you whatsoever. It’s hardly shocking to wear short shorts and a tank top for walking around a place where it’s 80-100 degrees outside for most of the year. Guests aren’t wearing “little to no clothing” because last I checked Disney doesn’t let you in wearing a bikini or nothing at all. Sorry that girls dressing for comfort in hot weather offends you so much.
Another vote for butt cheeks.
The people who take pictures and videos not with a phone but with an IPAD drive me absolutely, completely insane!!!
A large contribution in the people who don’t know how to walk category is those guests who try to read their phones while walking. I get really tired of having to stop or veer because of someone who isn’t watching where they’re going. If you need to play with your phone find a bench or an out of the way spot.
Genie + has added to this problem.
This has been a week of nearly everything you mentioned and me. The walking thing is not a you problem, it’s one of my biggest gripes because no matter how cautious I am, my children are nearly mowed over on a regular basis by people like this. Two nights ago I even had a woman in an ecv cut in front of us in line… then a family cut in front of her and in retaliation she deliberately rammed her vehicle at the two 5 year olds in the party. The woman’s adult kids screamed and she stopped. The children weren’t hurt but they were terrified and yelling… the woman’s adult daughter then proceeded to spend the rest of the line duration trying to garner my sympathy for her mom as she was livid the kids yelled… for. real. I can’t believe how terrible the average level of behavior seems to have gotten over the years.
Can not argue with your view on Disneyland Passholes …… for years they have been calling us that ……….. except minus the P
The “holding a place in line” is sad, but what really irks me are the parents that let their “little darlings” play all around while in line. My wife took our first trip by ourselves without our children or grandchildren after 34 years of marriage and some younger kids nearly knocked us over as we were standing in the queue for Buzz Lightyear. The parents weren’t even paying attention. That is my biggest pet peeve.
I have been to Epcot 3 times, the rest of Orlando Disney World once,,and Tokyo Disneyland 4times (in Japan for 7years). I found most kids added to the magic and I am childless by choice Only 1 meltdown in Japan, and that kid was merican and around 4 and was in need of a break. There was an unpleasant incident with teenage boys on a class trip where one boy was bullying g and beating up a,smaller boy. My husband waded in and stopped the fight; only them did the teacher get involved. (in Japan, bullying is frequent and teachers don’t do.much because the culture teaches that you have to.learn to deal with it since it happens on the job a,s well and everyone must get along).
I don’t have issues with someone needing A bathroom and another holding their place in.line; when your body requires it, you do not have a choicest but a large party doing it is wrong, so take turns. As for slogans,I have a couple: “Not every witch lives,in Salem” and “Sometimes you just have to.put on the hat and remind them whom they’re dealing witj.” I do not see those as threatening or political,but they might offend exactly the kind of Christian who wears “Jesus saves ” shirts which , to me, ARE political.
At Disney my wife and I only wear Disney clothing. Sometimes MATCHING Disney clothing. I know this does not sit well with some because I’ve read the tee shirts about this. Elsewhere in life I never wear political tee shirts. Sometimes a button like support Ukraine. Not sure why people wear political items but it never bothers me and as Tom says it never changes my mind. And religion is not political it’s religious/spiritual. Those I’m glad to see because no matter what religion I believe all beliefs including the belief of non-belief are good. If everyone lived / followed their religion’s tenets this world would be a much better place and Tom would not have had the material for this blog.
I am Wiccan. A lot of evangelical types regard a tee like “Not every witch lives in Salem” offensive. When I lived in GA,,I learned to tuck.my pentacle under my shirt after one “Christian” got in my face about it and tried to start a shoving match with my spouse.
I am Wiccan. A lot of evangelical types regard a tee like “Not every witch lives in Salem” offensive. When I lived in GA,,I learned to tuck.my pentacle under my shirt after one “Christian” got in my face about it and tried to start a shoving match with my spouse. Unless you belong to.a minority religion, you haven’t experienced it. I have,,and it was awful.
“Lashing out at a child–especially on a trip for the kid–is never okay, and we’re not defending those who do it. BUT (you knew this was coming, right?) we have noticed a visible increase in these adult meltdowns as Walt Disney World vacations have increased in price, planning has become more convoluted and confusing, and sharing images of the ‘flawless family vacation’ on social media has become commonplace. The amount of pressure to have the perfect Walt Disney World trip is absolutely immense, and it’s easy to see how even the most level-headed parent can crack under that from time to time.”
My wife and I visited the parks approximately 1 million times before we had kids – trips had become decidedly low stakes. I’ll tell you though, once we had kids, Disney pushing me to book FP+ and ADRs *months out* layered unspoken (and unnecessary) pressure over me once we actually got to the parks. Suddenly, I’m losing it on my 3-year-old because they’re more engaged with ducks than squeezing in one more attraction before our scheduled Be Our Guest reservation. A shameful moment.
I know I’ve said it in the comments before but the more Disney restructures things to allow for more spontaneity, the better. The “I got up early to book this and then spent every day for two months after that to try to book it when it was already sold out on my first day of allowed booking” thing leads to so many emotions, such a feeling of “You don’t know how hard I worked for this moment” that completely betrays the whimsy and fun that should be happening in the parks. Good riddance to booking rides months in advance and praise the heavens for the tighter dining reservation windows.
I’m a Travel Agent and When guests are coming from afar some have paid in excess of £40000. for a family 2 week stay at Disneyworld so I can totally understand their frustration at not being able to get on rides or into restaurants and if they mention that they have spent a lot of money on their trip it’s because most have saved for a number of years to pay for their once in a lifetime trip but rather than a holiday a trip to Disneyworld has turned into a military operation. For someone who visits regularly you may not understand as you can always go back another day but for many it’s just not possible.
These are all great and I totally agree with them. I could also relate to the Florida drivers (having lived there for 6 years, they are some of the most insane drivers I have ever seen). The one that I hate is the people that have no clue about personal space. I know at Disney they often encourage you to pack it in, but there is a limit to closeness. We were in line for Rise of the Resistance (March of 2021 so still Covid protocols) and we were mostly just walking through the queue. There was this family of parents and adult children that were basically stepping on us behind us. I finally just let them go in front of us because it was so incredibly uncomfortable. We have experienced things like this several times though.
As someone in a mobility device, I wish people knew that I can’t I can stop as quickly as a walker can. Please don’t dash out in front of me, I really don’t want to hit you. I’m an AP, so at the parks fairly often, and I fear it’s only a matter of time before someone cuts it too close, and their ankles or shins pay the price. On a related note, is it still considered vehicular homicide if you’re in an ECV?
ALL of these points should be on signs held around the park by CMs. If that behavior is observed, you get a calm down session with Grumpy. Seriously, your picks are dead on. I wish it was a required sit down show with Mickey and the gang before anyone enters a park. They should act out the behaviors to show everyone how not to act. I did this on the first day of school with my third graders and I know adults could use the reminders, too.
At the top of my list are those who have no respect for the cast members and treat them as if they are servants or worse. As someone who has many years of retail and the dad of a former DCP cast member I fully understand their frustration when dealing with obnoxious and rude guests. I also deplore the groups that send one member of their group to hold a space in line for them. I ran into one of those groups during a recent band competition weekend. They had a person holding a space in line and then a large group shows up and pushes their way in to their friend. We all knew that they were band kids due to the matching shirts.
How about people who don’t follow ride rules like they are special. They don’t keep their hands out of the water, they try to stand up, some even jump right out of the rides! Obviously a minority. Maybe that is why they don’t make the list.
would love to know people’s thoughts on this.
i dont do most of the rides. is it bad/wrong if i wait in a long line to hold a place for my partner while he’s in line on another ride? the thought behind this is he finishes his first ride, then he finds me in the queue of the second ride. he jumps in line and i jump out – its a net zero effect since we arent adding a person/seat rather just swapping out.
Honestly, this seems pretty harmless to me. If I was in line behind you, I wouldn’t have any issue with it. If anything, I think it’s sweet of you to wait in line for a ride you don’t even plan to ride, just to help your sweetheart maximize their fun.
I think this is ok. As you said, you aren’t adding any extra people to the wait time but the perception could be taken that way.
There is definitely a perception of rule breaking whether that’s the case or not. No one is gonna take you to court but without knowing what’s going on they will judge you. Maybe if you’re in the park together spend that time together?
Good rant. We are headed down to Orlando tomorrow. Maybe I’ll make a bingo card with these behaviors on it for our trip…
“The Ones Who Have Never Walked in Public”. This extends beyond the Parks for me. Usage of our local trail system increased dramatically since 2020. The number of times people either pull over to the left to make room for a pass (this isn’t the UK!) or act like a deer in the headlights when you call out, “passing on your left”, boggles my mind. These rules are so simple yet seem to perplex so many.
As a confession, I’ve been a shoulder parent before. It was part of a rotation of holding them at eye level, and then the shoulders for a break. Nevertheless, guilty.
As always, great article Tom. I can’t tell you how many times my wife and I have told others that we believe everyone should be required to work in retail and/or customer service for one year to know what is is like and learn how not to talk to and treat fellow humans.
My wife and I are both in ecv’s. I have a bad knee and can’t stand or walk for more than three or four minutes. My wife has a bad back. What we have a problem with is groups of people who walk five to
seven across and block most of a walkway or path. Taking most of the street there is some room to pass
but that space is filled with people going in the opposite direction. There are times when these groups
are slow or even stop becoming a blockade.
Another problem we face is one you mentioned. People in front of us walking diagonally or change direction unexpectedly. They then glare at us as if we were the problem. I forgive people who walk on
the wrong side because road conditions are different in other countries.
With respect to cast members , I think they are an intrinsic part of the Disney Experience. We always
try to talk to long timers (check out their year pins) to gain insight into the history and backstories.
We also acknowledge those who are Legacies (blue name tags) and are honored by their fellow cast
members. Some were also the predecessors to Legacies (Partners In Excellence).
Linda
Hodor
Comfort
Strangely enough, I’ve rarely encountered guests who were as annoying as you recount. By far, the experiences with other guests have been positive, helping to create good memories of our visits over the years. It’s annoying when people just stop in the middle of the path, causing a big blockage, but you can just walk around them.
The only thing that did raise our hackles in November was the number of adults and children who were obviously sick. Several times we were stuck in line or in a vehicle right next to someone who couldn’t stop coughing. And I’m pretty sure there was one child who had RSV. It must be devastating to wait for months for a park visit only to have a family member get sick, but there has to be a better way to encourage people to stay home or keep their sick children at home to keep from spreading disease.
AGREED !!! After two and half years and numerous vaccinations, isolating ourselves, masking and taking every precaution we could think of visited early November just to encounter the same unaware people. Doing the best we could and being responsible I contracted COVID at the near end of our stay. Unfortunately, we have learned that several others visited at about the same time and they too got COVID. Luckily all the precautions that we took my case was rather mild, but still it is amazing how so many can be ignorant to their own health and those around them, I just don’t understand.
I think this is just as much a societal thing as it is the fault of the individuals. Disney doesn’t refund park tickets if you’re sick. Airlines don’t give refunds for being sick. Coordinating time off from work/school is not an easy feat for most families. All of those add up to making people feel like they “have to” take their trip even if they are sick. It wouldn’t solve the problem, but if you could get full refunds (not just vouchers/credit) for already purchased travel and park tickets, I don’t think as many people would force themselves to go out to the parks when they are obviously sick.