EDITOR’S NOTE:
Given the frigid temps and raging winds outside my window, I thought it might be nice to get away from the frozen tundra that currently is New Jersey by heading back to Florida via a repost of one of this site’s most popular pieces ever.
If you’ve got people who love The Happiest Place On Earth hot under the collar, it might be time to evaluate your social skills or lack thereof. Because let’s face it… Walt Disney World is where millions of people go to escape their problems and be enveloped in the magic, and most of those folks are willing to do everything from shell out a small fortune to suspend their disbelief in order to have the best vacation possible.
All together now: Ohhhhhh, pretty!But one fact even the most happy-go-lucky Disney lover eventually has to face is that no amoung of pixie dust can keep others from not only raining on their parade as it comes down Main Street USA, but then trying to poke their eyes out with an umbrella. In fact, when asked to cite examples of bad behavior at the Disney theme parks, posters at Disboards.com – a site where fans gather to discuss anything and everything related to the House of Mouse — responded with nearly 500 messages. (It’s worth noting the discussion might have gone on indefinitely had not a few irony-challenged bad apples allowed their own bad behavior to get the thread shut down by moderators.)
It quickly became apparant that this topic was going to require more than one posting. So after touching on the rude, the crude and the socially unacceptable in this piece, there will be follow-ups to come on two the of hottest topics among Disney visitors: visitors with children vs. those without, and the never-ending battle between those who use wheelchairs or other assistive technology vs. their non-disabled brethren.
The Rude
One Line, No waiting: You know those long lines of people you see waiting to ride Space Mountain or Mission: Space? Fools! Every last one of them! Just ask any of those who figure “Why stand in line when I can just cut?” As one poster said, “My favorites are the people who have one member of their group stand in line and then, after the rest have gone off to get something to eat or ride another ride, come back and push their way up to where their place-holder is. And all along I thought everyone who wanted to get on the ride had to stand in line!”
Mary, Go ‘Round Me: Another oft-mentioned group are those who push and shove their way into a theater (such as the ones used for It’s Tough To Be A Bug in the Animal Kingdom or The Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studio) only to then completely disregard instructions. Despite Cast Members (as Disney employees are called) specifically asking that all guests pick a row and move to the opposite end in order to accomodate as many guests as possible, these folks inevitably plop themselves down in the middle of a row… and then grouse about those forced to climb over them to get to seats on the other side.
(Personal) Space Invaders: True Disney fans know that when the parks are crowded, the one and only way to get a great view of the parades is by picking a spot early… or just pushing yourself in front of those who waited and just pretend that they aren’t there. After all, your kids wanna see Mickey, right? As one poster said, “My children are just as important to me as yours are to you. If my kids are willing to find a good spot and wait an hour for the parade, then they are entitled to it.”
Even Mickey needs a little breathing room!Telling Tales: Instead of sending postcards saying “wish you were here”, more and more people simply pick up their cell phones and describe everything they’re seeing… as they’re seeing it, and with complete disregard to those around them. Sure, the Hall Of Presidents is impressive, but it’s not going to keep Dad from calling the office to find out if he won the Superbowl pool!
The Children’s Hour: Yes, keeping kids in line can be a daunting task when they are in sensory overload thanks to everything Disney has to offer. But as one Disboarder so perfectly summed up, “You brought ‘em, you control ‘em.” Seeing a child have a complete meltdown as the parents ignore the situation is bad. Hearing a parent tell an unhappy child “Mickey told me that he hates you and never wants to see you again!” — as one poster did — is worse.
“Our son is a real (Lego) block head.”Lighten Up: You know why they call attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean or The Haunted Mansion dark rides? Because they’re supposed to be dark. And those announcements that say “no flash photography?” Crazy as it sounds, they’re directed at you, mister “I Gotta Get A Shot Of The Dancing Ghosts!”
The Crude
I Swear: Nobody wants to spend their end-of-day monorail ride back to the hotel exlaining to Little Susie the meaning of the new words she heard today or why they really shouldn’t be used in polite society. Or why that very mean man was screaming them at Minnie Mouse.
Hammer(ed) Time: Drinking your way around EPCOT’s World Showcase always sounds like a good idea… in theory. And it’s all fun and games… until someone throws up on Test Track or decides it’d be a kick to try and climb the pyramid-like Mexican pavillion.
“Yo, ho and a bottle of… hey, that man stole my rum!”Where There’s Smoke, There’s Ire: It’s a toss-up as to which is worse: People who willingly ignore the designated smoking areas set up by Disney and puff to their hearts content wherever they see fit… or the non-puffers who, for whatever reason, plop themselves down in said smoking areas and then proceed to complain loudly about the fumes they’re being “forced” to inhale. “One woman,” shared poster CM, “pushed her stroller with a tot in it into the smoking area and, after a few minutes, started coughing and fanning herself. She proceeded to lecutres us all about smoking around her toddler!”
Even Cruella knows better than to light up on Main Street!Socially Unacceptable
Anytime, Anywhere: This one, my friends, is a stunner, but apparently, some people believe that the world is their toilet. More than a few Disney visitors have encouraged their children to pee in bushes or pools, and one shocked Disboarder even watched as a parent instructed their child to take a poo of the non-Winnie variety in the middle of a sidewalk in EPCOT!
Where rude Disney guests should wind up.In the end, however, it’s worth noting that while the generous folks over at the Disboards were happy to share their tales, most agreed that the secret to a successful Disney trip is to avoid letting the little stuff get you down. And in a spirit that Walt Disney himself would have no doubt admired, a poster named Jennifer — aka TheTXTaylors5 — suggested that perhaps the best way to combat heinous behavior was by setting a good example. “Why not pay it forward?” she wrote. “If one person sees someone doing something kind, like giving up a seat [on the bus] to a Mom holding a sleeping child… it would be such a better ‘civilized’ world. Being a parent, I don’t expect or feel entitled to anything, but being kind and selfless are very rewarding character traits.” And if there were more people with that attitude on the face of this earth, it would be not just a small world after all, but a better one as well.
