Guests behaving badly [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

disneysteve

11-12-2003, 06:40 PM

We just returned from our latest visit. The biggest thing that really stood out to me this trip much more than in the past was guests behaving badly, or allowing their children to behave badly. I've come to expect this at home, but it always seemed to be less prevalent at Disney - Not this time!

I saw kids climbing the rock wall in the preshow area of Dinosaur at AK. I saw a tot, no more than 2 years old, allowed to stand on the seat and walk back and forth freely throughout the entire safari ride - we kept waiting for her to get bounced out of the car. Her mom was apparently too busy videotaping the animals to care about her daughter's safety. I saw 3 kids from one family sitting on the little shelf behind the last row of seats on the monorail and dangling their feet onto the actually seat. They were flanking their parents who didn't seem to mind at all. I saw another 2 year old standing on a table at the train station to watch SpectroMagic. She was standing until she tipped the table over. Fortunately, she didn't get hurt and the falling table didn't hit anyone. Then her father stood the table back up and put her right back on it.

I saw several guests arguing with CM's after being informed of rules they were violating. For example, the father right in front of us at Space Mountain spent 5 minutes trying to convince the CM to let his son ride even though he wasn't tall enough no matter how straight up he stood. In the meantime, the CM's weren't letting the rest of us get through to board.

At Universe of Energy, I clearly heard a CM outside tell a guest to finish his drink before entering the building. The guy went in anyway with the drink. Inside, another CM told him he needed to go back out or throw it away. Well, the guy and his female companion loudly complained about how rude it was for the CM to tell them that.

At MuppetVision, the CM in the lobby and in the theater both said to enter and move all the way down the row (you know the spiel). Well, one guy goes in and stops dead center. Even after the CM repeated the instructions and a few people managed to squeeze past the guy, he said to nobody in particular, "I got stuck at the end in the last show, I'm not doing that again here." No problem mister, just make up your own rules. Things go so much smoother when everyone does that - NOT!

There just seemed to be an abundance of folks who felt all the rules didn't apply to them. I guess this is a trend everywhere, but it seemed worse than usual last week at Disney.

Steve

Chim Chiminy

11-12-2003, 09:26 PM

I don't know why, but it always surprises me how ignorant and self-important some people can be.
We witnessed our fair share of shocking and rude behavior on our trips, but thankfully not to the extent you experienced.
I hope these buffoons didn't put a damper on your vacation.

Robinette

11-13-2003, 09:47 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve
At MuppetVision, the CM in the lobby and in the theater both said to enter and move all the way down the row (you know the spiel). Well, one guy goes in and stops dead center. Even after the CM repeated the instructions and a few people managed to squeeze past the guy, he said to nobody in particular, "I got stuck at the end in the last show, I'm not doing that again here." No problem mister, just make up your own rules. Things go so much smoother when everyone does that - NOT!

We saw this happen the last time we were there. The man refused to move down and was very loud and rude about it. Security was waiting for him when the show was over and people started clapping when they escorted him out.

LT Hambone

11-13-2003, 11:11 AM

Are you sure you didn't have a run-in with Delswife and her crew? :p

Seriously, I've noticed that when certain people go to WDW, they feel that the magic of WDW will protect them should they choose not to use common sense. Like the person who decided to exit Splash Mountain while in the middle of the ride.

One of the ones that annoys me the most are the teens who get hold of a wheelchair and go from ride to ride pretending to be handicap so they can get head-of-line privileges. The worst part is that you'll see them in between rides fighting over who's going to get the chair next!

Hope you had a great trip despite the rude people!

DMS_cruisers04

11-13-2003, 11:52 AM

I think Disney needs to take one month and just start ejecting people that break the rules, just like the guy in MuppetVision. Tell CM's it's okay to call security and give these unDisneylike folks the boot. :mad:
Of course I guess I'd be in that group. Cause every chance I get to step on, bump into or have the bag I happen to be carrying bang into some idiot like that, I take. :teeth:

disneysteve

11-13-2003, 12:19 PM

Of course, I didn't even mention all the geniuses who stop smack in the doorway of a shop or restaurant to pull out their guidemaps and discuss what they should do next. Amazing how many people remember to pack everything but their brains when they travel.

Steve

missypie

11-13-2003, 03:34 PM

Disneysteve, regarding the folks that stop in the middle of everything to pull out maps, etc. If I can get a bit cerebral, I always wonder if that is being inconsiderate (or stupid) or if it is neurological. I mean, I can "feel" when folks are behind me; I can "feel" when my kids are spread out too far on a sidewalk and others want past. Do you think that maybe some people are lacking spatial awareness and just don't grasp their affect on people?

kasar

11-13-2003, 03:42 PM

disneysteve

11-13-2003, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by missypie
Disneysteve, regarding the folks that stop in the middle of everything to pull out maps, etc. If I can get a bit cerebral, I always wonder if that is being inconsiderate (or stupid) or if it is neurological. I mean, I can "feel" when folks are behind me; I can "feel" when my kids are spread out too far on a sidewalk and others want past. Do you think that maybe some people are lacking spatial awareness and just don't grasp their affect on people?

You raise an interesting question. My wife and I are both like you, just naturally aware of our surroundings and our position. When my daughter stops in the middle of something, one of us always grabs her right away and moves her to the side. But I'd like to think we do it out of courtesy to others because we know how annoying it is when someone does it to us.

Are there any folk here who fit the other type - blind to your surroundings? If so, do you make a special effort to look around and make sure you're not in the way?

I don't want to sound too cynical, but it just seems that more and more people seem to only be concerned with themselves and just go through life as if they were the only ones around. If they get in someone's way, oh well. I see it when I'm driving, I see it in the supermarket when someone blocks the aisle with their cart. I saw it when we stopped overnite in Virginia on our way home. Sunday morning, someone left a fully loaded luggage cart standing in the lobby positioned so that it almost completely blocked the path between the front desk and the rest of the hotel. All it would have taken to be considerate of others would have been to turn the cart sideways. Sorry, but I just can't believe that is a spatial relationship issue.

And regarding some earlier responses to my OP, we certainly didn't let these incidents detract from enjoying our trip. Certainly, the huge majority of people we encountered were wonderful and friendly. We struck up conversations with a lot of other guests while we were in the parks. At first, these things are annoying, but at some point they become almost comical. We always like to focus on that side of things.

Steve

HappyMommy2

11-13-2003, 10:55 PM

I agree, people do just seem to be more self-absorbed in general than they used to, even at WDW. DH and I talk about how hard it's going to be to raise our kids to be unselfish in a very selfish world.

Disneysteve, I'm glad you didn't let these things detract too much from your fun. When we went in July, we witnessed a lot of this sort of thing and by about day 5 of our vacation DH had just about had it with people's bad behavior--it really started to boil his blood! Fortunately he managed to behave well himself in spite of his indignation but I think if we'd stayed at WDW any longer we'd have had to take a couple days "off," away from the crazed crowds, for DH's sake!

mommie2angels

11-14-2003, 01:25 AM

Originally posted by LT Hambone
One of the ones that annoys me the most are the teens who get hold of a wheelchair and go from ride to ride pretending to be handicap so they can get head-of-line privileges. The worst part is that you'll see them in between rides fighting over who's going to get the chair next!

LT Hambone, this actually made me cry! I hate to see this! We have two wonderful daughters who are completely dependent on us who are both in wheelchairs. We do get the special privileges but would gladly give them up if our daughters could walk. I know that the teens that do pretend to be handicapped think nothing of it. I wish they could view it through someone who is actually handicapped and maybe they would look at it different and be thankful the are not bond to that wheelchair.

DisneySteve thanks so much for this post. I wasn't sure what was going on with our last trip. We had never experienced so much of the careless people before. I have to say though that for everyone one rude person we met or ran into 10-20 good ones. Maybe more! We even had 4 rude CMs on this trip. Again for those 4 rude ones we had probably 20-40 that were exceptional. They went above and beyond. Like you we didn't let this ruin or affect our trip in anyway. We are glad to know it just wasn't us losing that Disney magic or not being sprinkled with enough Pixie dust.

mommie2angels

11-14-2003, 01:28 AM

It's late and I know better than to try to post when it's this late. I meant to say bound to the wheelchair. I also meant to comment about the people that tried to sit in the wheelchair sections for the parades without being in a wheelchair or having a pass. It was obvious there was nothing wrong. When the CM asked them about it they had no answer other than that section wasn't crowded and they didn't see why they couldn't sit there. Again we would give up that privilege if our daughters could walk.

MaryKatesMom

11-14-2003, 05:24 AM

I know there have been many posts about stroller's hitting ankles, but if you cut off one of those double stroller's with nearly a hundred pounds of toddler's in them, what do you expect?

I had a family send me off the curb on Main Street by simultaneously cutting me off and stopping dead. Then of course they stared at me like I was an idiot that couldn't control a stroller. Do you step in front of busses to test their brakes too?

No More!! The herky-jerky, arm straining, stop - start ended. I'm putting everyone's ankles on notice!!;)

Degli

11-14-2003, 07:34 AM

I hear ya'
Although I still think the worst behavior is when "men" or other able bodied young people do not give up their seats on the buses for elderly or pregnant women. This never ceases to amaze me. Maybe that's a little old fashioned but I guess I was raised differently.

missypie

11-14-2003, 08:25 AM

Degli, it totally depends on how you were raised. I should have noticed before I married my DH that my DH's father would never dream of carrying a woman's luggage, bringing in the groceries, opening a door, etc. So of course, it never occurs to my DH either (unless he gets a sharp nudge in the side with my elbow!)

WDWisTheBest

11-14-2003, 01:13 PM

When we went to Pecos Bill's last Friday afternoon, it was totally crowded. Seats were at a premium.

Standing in a long line behind me, waiting for food, was a "gentleman" who was trying to tell his wife just how badly the staff was doing at getting the food out to the customers on his time frame. He had at least 10 complaints about how the servers were just not getting things done to his liking.

At the same time, I looked at the number of people in line, and thought to myself that the servers were doing a good job at sorting out all the drink orders, matching the food orders with the drinks, and getting this done with the minimum of time. We were very hungry and had small kids who were even more hungry. I was thankful to get the orders fulfilled and to the table in what I thought was the minimum possible time.

At the same time, the gentleman was quite vocal and rude to the server staff, telling them how they were doing everything wrong.

Oh well!

BTW, we also saw some of the apparently very able-bodied teenagers using wheelchairs to get into the handicapped special areas. That, to me, is disgusting.

7thdwarf/dopey

11-14-2003, 03:43 PM

From the original post it looks like you were there during the first week in November..........correct? :headache:

disneysteve

11-14-2003, 04:02 PM

Originally posted by 7thdwarf/dopey
From the original post it looks like you were there during the first week in November..........correct? :headache:

Yes, but why should that matter? And don't try and blame it on Jersey Week since I'm one of those Jersey folks.:jester:

Steve

7thdwarf/dopey

11-14-2003, 04:24 PM

:confused: :confused: steve........why would you say that??:listen:

jann1033

11-14-2003, 04:52 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve
[
Are there any folk here who fit the other type - blind to your surroundings? If so, do you make a special effort to look around and make sure you're not in the way?

.

Steve [/B]

to a degree that would be me... at least my husband thinks so to the point that some day I may just have to deck him for pulling me out of someones"way"..(I mean I am allowed to share the sidewalk and they can actually step around me if they want to walk faster than I do...)I don't mean I stop in front of people ( I can't stand that so if I stop I step off to the side) but really we should all be allowed to proceed at our own pace with out getting clobbered or yanked off our feet...now as to why... i am blind in my left eye and so do not see people well that are off to my left side until they are right on top of me. so I guess I truly AM BLind to my surroundings:teeth: !

jann1033

11-14-2003, 05:05 PM

Originally posted by LT Hambone
[One of the ones that annoys me the most are the teens who get hold of a wheelchair and go from ride to ride pretending to be handicap so they can get head-of-line privileges. The worst part is that you'll see them in between rides fighting over who's going to get the chair next!

[/B] while this would be bad (obviously)if they were using it like that which is dumb anyway since there is fast pass, ect ... but... there are a lot of what are termed "invisible " illnesses( meaning you may not see an outward sign at all times or may only notice it at close observation) and so you could very well not know if someone *needs* a wheel chair or not..being in a wheel chair is not fun, it's very difficult so i doubt the majority of people with one do not *need* it

SueM in MN

11-14-2003, 06:11 PM

quote: Originally posted by LT Hambone
One of the ones that annoys me the most are the teens who get hold of a wheelchair and go from ride to ride pretending to be handicap so they can get head-of-line privileges. The worst part is that you'll see them in between rides fighting over who's going to get the chair next!

Any kids who try this will find out pretty quickly that there is very little advantage to having a wheelchair, other than having a place to sit. Most of the regular lines are wheelchair accessible and they will be waiting in line with everyone else.
And, just because someone looks able bodies does not mean they are. We have heard people comment that our DD is a "faker" because they saw her sitting on a bench with her legs crossed, swinging her top leg with her wheelchair parked next to her. She looks pretty able bodied when she's sitting there, but she can't walk or stand up by herself (she can't even cross her leg by herself). When she was really little, sometimes we would carry her and let her older sister ride in the wheelchair (Older DD was tired and no one was in it - she also served as a good weight to keep the wheelchair from moving too fast when her sister walked behind it). Someone who saw us might have concluded that we had 2 healthy kids abusing a wheelchair when we actually have one healthy kid and one severely disabled child.

disneysteve

11-14-2003, 06:29 PM

Originally posted by jann1033
i am blind in my left eye and so do not see people well that are off to my left side until they are right on top of me. so I guess I truly AM BLind to my surroundings:teeth: !

What a coincidence jann, I live with that every day. My dear wife is a childhood cancer survivor and lost her left eye when she was about 20. Maybe that's what makes her pay extra attention to her surrroundings.

She especially hates when waiters serve her from the left side because she can't see them coming and suddenly something just appears in front of her.

Steve

disneysteve

11-14-2003, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by SueM in MN
Any kids who try this will find out pretty quickly that there is very little [i]advantage to having a wheelchair, other than having a place to sit.[/B]

Its also no joy for the person pushing the wheelchair trying to maneuver through the crowds. WDW isn't too bad because the parks are relatively flat, but a few years ago we went to HersheyPark 2 weeks after my wife had knee surgery. We rented a wheelchair because there was no way she could have managed without it. Well, HersheyPark is VERY hilly. It was tough to push up the hills, and tough to counterbalance and control speed going down the hills. She was constantly in fear of either falling out or crashing into something.

Steve

faithinkarma

11-14-2003, 09:05 PM

using an ECV most of the time ( I am unable to walk any distance ). I spent a good deal of time observing behavior. In general, most people are unaware of other people. They stop short in front of you whether they are coming or going. I wanted to wear a huge sign stating that I had NO lateral movement. If someone stops abruptly, I cannot sidestep them, but have to jerk to a stop to avoid hitting them. My silent prayer is that I personally was never that insensitive when I was healthier.

One night while boarding the boat one man actually said aloud " what do I have to do to get to ride one of those?" I told him I would trade him for one healthy kidney, and rolled away.

We did the Keys to the Kingdom tour, which also included one person in a wheelchair. At no time did it ever occur to any of the other guests that by standing in front of a " seated " person, they blocked that person's view and their ability to hear the guide.

On the other hand, during the World Showcase tour, every guest was painstakingly careful to be sure they never stood in front of me. Perhaps it only takes one to be gracious for the others to catch on?

But I have to admit the worst behavior I witnessed was not by someone insensitive to the DISabled, or by a child. One evening on the Boardwalk I saw a man get angry with his son ( who appeared to be about 3-4 years old ) and grab his teddy bear and toss it into the water. He then stomped off and left the mother to deal with the howling child.

michygoomy

11-14-2003, 10:24 PM

Seriously, I've noticed that when certain people go to WDW, they feel that the magic of WDW will protect them should they choose not to use common sense. Like the person who decided to exit Splash Mountain while in the middle of the ride.

Ouch. I resemble that remark. ;)

I admit, some of the extreme incidents mentioned in this thread are egregious, but about the other minor offenses, I say

Let he who had not had a moment of weakness cast the first stone.

Admit, haven't you ever found yourself doing something under stress where you just say DOH!, what was I thinking? While having a bad day, under stress, etc?

Really--OK, so about 6 out of 10 people you run into are polite. 4 exhibit some rude behaviour. I assume you are not following them around the park all day--so, one could assume that 3 of the 4 "rude" people are just having one of those DOH! moments, you know, related to stress or just one of those brain f*arts that we ALL have once in a blue moon. I mean, really, think of how many people you encounter in a day at a place like WDW..........

Just something to think about as you witness these random acts of rudeness--once and while, just give them the benefit of the doubt, believe it was a once-a-year transgression, and move along. Compassion, patience, all that, 'ya know? :sunny:

one_cat

11-14-2003, 11:28 PM

So frustrating - I hope we don't see much of that when we go in December. How about the rude um person who takes flash pictures in the shows. Duh - they don't turn out. I haven't seen much of that lately but years ago at DL I almost threw some rude um person's camera into the drink at IASW after having flashes in the dark shows all day long.

When getting on a bus at wdw DW and I always try to score seats. When the bus is completely full we find a parent with a child or a senior person to give our seats to. It's a good feeling to do a last good deed at the end of a long day.

momof3disneyholics

11-15-2003, 08:50 PM

Just got back a few hours ago and even though I am very tired I missed these boards so much I had to come take a look.
I saw alot of rudeness that everyone is talking about this week. I am pregnant and have small children but noone ever gave up their seat to me on the monorail or bus, but my husband says I shouldn't expect it because everyone doesn't think like me. I also saw those same people running past me to get in line for (fill in the blank, ride, monorail, show) before me and my kids. I hope they got in to see what they wanted.
But on the same note of faking disabilities, I will tell you something that really scares me. I have a son that is autistic. Standing in a line for a long time can set him off and really upset him. I heard about the blue card you can get at WDW and Universal (although not blue at Univ.). For those that don't know, you can use it to get to the front of the line quicker by always using the fast pass line. It helped us out so much, because the time my son can handle in the park at one time is not long maybe a couple of hours then we have to go back to the hotel so he can take a break. Well, this is the part that scares me. I went to guest services and asked for it and told them why and got it with no questions. Now, I was thinking to myself, that was easy, maybe a little too easy. Anyone could do what I just did whether or not they had a disability. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

momof3disneyholics

11-15-2003, 08:51 PM

Originally posted by one_cat
So frustrating - I hope we don't see much of that when we go in December. How about the rude um person who takes flash pictures in the shows. Duh - they don't turn out. I haven't seen much of that lately but years ago at DL I almost threw some rude um person's camera into the drink at IASW after having flashes in the dark shows all day long.

People were flashing their cameras all over those shows that had no flash photography this week.

jann1033

11-15-2003, 09:55 PM

Originally posted by momof3disneyholics
, I was thinking to myself, that was easy, maybe a little too easy. Anyone could do what I just did whether or not they had a disability. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

the way I see it is if someone is that determined to try to "out manuever" the system, they have no conscience anyway so nothing anyone says is going to make them feel a twinge of guilt. imo they are just stupid idiots.( I do not swear but lot stronger words could be used here) oh course they are also usually the first to scream bloody murder if they think their "rights" are infringed on. I do not know what disney does but it would be nice to see it call for expulsion without refund.

Timon

11-16-2003, 03:22 AM

There are a lot of things people have mentioned already that has happened on our last trip a few weeks ago. One of the things that I made a point of doing was telling smokers who were smoking on the general concourse to butt out and go to the smoking areas. I am alergic to cigarette smoke and find it extremely unsettling that they do not consider other people or the effects of second hand smoke.

Rude people galore on this last trip, in WDW and on our cruise (you can Timon's trip reports here: www.cassworld.ca)
A lot of UK people this last trip and you wouldn't believe what this 9 year old girl called my sister-in-law after she told the girl to stop yelling in the lineup for food at the Studios.

Seems courtesy and respect is becoming a lost value in today's society. These people just don't understand what the finer things of the 'magic' is all about.

(didn't realise until I posted that I am logged in as my wife, whoops. Message by Darkrobe.)

poohbear1029

11-16-2003, 08:31 AM

In October the above phrase was DH and my catch phrase! It seemed that the world was full of line cutters, smokers in prohibited areas, people not respecting others etc. So, whenever we would encounter this, after the incident passed we would mutter to eachother "He/She is the only one at Disney!" We especially love when you are walking and someone stops abruptly in the path to have a discussion etc. Disney is a busy place, much like traffic, you need to pull over to a quiet spot to have a conversation, etc. Not in the oncoming path of 200 vacationers!

At Storm Along Bay one day, in the lounge chairs in front of me was a family of 4. He had an unlit cigar in his mouth, which he thankfully never lit and she had a cigarette at all times. I should have said something, but even the waitress who was taking drink orders didnt say anything. There are smoking areas for a reason! Some of us chose not be exposed to your filthy habits and some of us who have asthma cant be exposed to it as it is a matter of health.

As for "unseen" disabilities, we typically have been sensitive that someone may not be walking slower than us because they want to, but more because of other reasons, and have always tried to politely sidestep when necessary. We became even more cautious this trip. My brother suffered severe injuries this summer from a hit and run and had to learn to walk all over again. At points, his balance was very off and although currently not visible to strangers, he still is quite fragile and shouldnt be bumped, etc. So I think subconsciously it made us more aware of our surroundings, etc and make sure we dont sideswipe or startle someone as we scoot pass them in pedestrian traffic.

faithinkarma

11-16-2003, 01:30 PM

I have given a lot of thought to the behavior now common at Disney. One of the reasons I first fell in love with Disney is that everyone seemed to be happy there. But that was years, even decades ago. You now see so many unsmiling people.

I am sure there are many reasons for the change. But one thing that occurred to me was how different the bus rides are now.

I am not faulting the busdrivers in any way. They are curteous and efficient and do an excellent job.

But I remember the drivers in the 70s and 80s who were literally cast members, performers if you will. ( Does anyone else remember Frank at Fort Wilderness?) Some of my most memorable Disney experiences happened on a bus. They teased passengers, told jokes and could get an entire bus full of people singing along to some Disney song. Then they arrived at their destination and unloaded a bunch of happy smiling guests. It set the tone for the day. And put you in a great mood at the end of the day no matter how much your feet hurt.

disneysteve

11-16-2003, 01:38 PM

faithinkarma - Yes, I remember those days too. Can't say I remember any one driver specifically, but definitely recall the overall mood and experience. We've stayed offsite for years now so I haven't been on a Disney bus for a very long time. I didn't realize that it had changed. What a shame.

Steve

michygoomy

11-16-2003, 02:05 PM

They teased passengers, told jokes and could get an entire bus full of people singing along to some Disney song.

We made a lot of our own "bus" fun. My favorite Disney moment was the bus ride home where we made up our own bus names based on attractions. "Mission:Bus", "Bus Tours", "Test Bus", "Pirates of the Bus", etc.

This lead to our new favorite song, "It's a small bus after all" which we sang just about every night following. I will admit, we were surrounded by a lot of stone-faced people while we made our own darn fun. ;)

Kaycee

11-16-2003, 03:17 PM

Entertaining Bus Drivers

We had a bus driver like you described on our trip in June. He was fantastic - it was like having a stand-up comedian driving the bus. He kept everyone on the bus in stitches the whole trip from MK (or was it MGM?) to CSR. Unfortunately, I didn't think to get his name until it was too late. He was really something and I wish I could publicly recognize him.

madhouserobey

11-16-2003, 06:51 PM

just got back from wdw wacthing wishes fri night nov14 had double stroller against the curb of main street leaving . amazing how many people can't walk straight or don't pay attention to what is around them . part 2 was disney cm's trying to bring up a special group of people toward castle as wishes ended an everyone trying to go down main street. part 3 rude people on ferry leaving .would not go to second deck to free up space for people with wheelchairs and strollers. just so they can get to their cars a couple of seconds ahead of everyone else.

sters

11-16-2003, 07:14 PM

I was there last week, too, and there were only three incidents to report during my 8-day stay, so I'd say overall behavior was excellent and very Disney.

The first was at the Animal Kingdom during the Lion King Show. We were among the first to arrive so our jaws dropped at this one..... these people RACED to get in and sit in the first row, the row reserved for handicapped people. I mean, they had their PICK OF SEATS throughout the entire place and they had to pick THOSE?

The second was at the Country Bear Jamboree. No matter how many times the CM's admonished people NOT to use flash photography, there were dozens and dozens of flashes going off.

The final one was from a CM at the MK train station. SHe openned the gate but stuck her leg out to stop people from going in. Not sure why she didn't wait to open the gate until it was all clear, but she didn't. I was holding my very tired, very heavy, and very cranky 5 year old in my arms and my view of her leg was blocked. When I started to go through the gate, very anxious to plop this lug down, I got a big attitude from her about "What??!!! You were just going to go through my leg?" Whatever. I didn't say anything, but it bugged me for most of the day.

sters

11-16-2003, 07:52 PM

OK, I just remembered a 4th, and this bugged me a lot... that was the many drunk, cursing and rude people at the Food and Wine Festival who were cutting off strollers, wheelchairs and ECV's. My husband thought that maybe because he is tall, people didn't realize he was pushing a stoller and assumed there was space in front of him? We're only guessing, but after having the front wheel of our lightweight stroller stomped on a few times, we made a hasty retreat to Future World, which by the way is an EXCELLENT time to tour... that is, during the late afternoon/evenning. Many attractions were open until 9.

It sounds like we had a terrible time, but really it was just these 4 things over 8 1/2 days. I didn't experience the smoking, line-cutting, or other bad behavior mentioned above. Overall, people were happy and cooperative. One lady let my 3 year old sit on her lap for Spectromagic! She was a nice grandmotherly type of person and my daughter took a shine to her.

By the way, the father tossing the teddy bear in the lake was really un-Disney! :eek:

Taurus

11-17-2003, 07:17 AM

The rudest thing I saw at WDW was a woman who rinsed her baby's poopy bottom in the sink! This was at Epcot, and the restroom was a small one with 2-3 stalls and only one sink! Yuck!

Most people were nice but there were several who would stop and check maps/talk/etc right in the middle of traffic.

Paperina

11-18-2003, 12:30 PM

We saw a man and a woman fighting at Epcot. Knocked down a girl with them and kept right on walking and yelling at each other. Sad..

PixieMagic

11-18-2003, 02:28 PM

Rudest?!? The woman who answered her ringing cell phone in the opening "elevator" in Haunted Mansion last week. She proceeded to conduct business on the phone while the rest of us were trying desperately to hear the opening spiel.

Doug123

11-18-2003, 03:30 PM

I agree with those who say that society is heading south when it comes to manners (whoa, I'm sounding old).

Unfortunately, everyone thinks of themselves, and that's it; there is no one else in the world around them. Take driving, for example: "I don't have to pay attention, others will move out of my way."

The biggest problem is that sometimes these people are rewarded with their bad behavior. There is usually no consequences for those that stop in the middle of an auditorium when told to move to the end (I think I see this EVERY time I go to one of these attractions). Teenagers who do not need a wheelchair using it to get ahead are doing so because it gets them ahead. Those that drive in the highway lane that's about to close do so because it saves THEM time.

If you reward a toddler for throwing a temper-tantrum, they're going to use the tactic again. Same thing with people of any age.

Bottomline: I'm not advocating locking these people up or even throwing them out of the park, but there has to be some negative consequences for their rude actions that'll make them have second thoughts before they act that way again. It's the only way things will improve.

Mommo

11-19-2003, 11:19 PM

I want to share a response that still makes me smile. While writing a check at the grocery store, my toddler took everything out of my billfold and threw it on the floor. I tried to get it all picked up as fast as I could and then glanced behind me. An elderly man was patiently waiting. Poor guy should be able to get groceries w/out a kid caused hold up at his time of life, I thought. I said, "I am so sorry." He smiled and said ,"Don't worry. If I'd been in a hurry, I would have left home yesterday." That phrase has gone thru my head at least a thousand times when I'm behind people who don't move quickly and it has turned MANY frustrations into a joke.

RESINDUDE

11-20-2003, 02:19 AM

Here's a couple from 3 weeks ago....
While watching the parade at Animal Kingdom a guy walks right up behind my wife and is right against her. She turns around and they just looks at her. I then tap the guy on the shoulder and tell him to back away from my wife. He mumbles something and then I repeat it while pushing him away. He left.

Another was a group of Euros who got on the bus with a dog that had a coat that said "service dog". I was feeling sorry for the lady for a second, thinking she was blind. Obviously she wasn't. She could see just fine as she was pointing to empty seats. Also she was kissing the dog on her lap and the dog was a small terrier. I believe the terrier is not a seeing eye dog AND a seeing eye dog would never let the person walk in front of him. The dog was lagging behind.

jann1033

11-20-2003, 09:00 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RESINDUDE
[B]was a group of Euros who got on the bus with a dog that had a coat that said "service dog". I was feeling sorry for the lady for a second, thinking she was blind. Obviously she wasn't. She could see just fine as she was pointing to empty seats. Also she was kissing the dog on her lap and the dog was a small terrier. I

they do have service dogs for hearing impaired also ( at least around here ) that somehow get the owner's attention when the door bell rings , whatever...don't know why you would need to take it with you but ...

chico

11-20-2003, 01:05 PM

I think its become more common place everywhere unfortunately, and for those of us who believe in and live "the magic" we sense it more while at WDW.

We'd all like to have a 'perfect' vacation, especially at WDW, but alot of people really feel the stress of trying too hard to make things perfect or memorable for them selves. A little common sense and some respect for others would seem to make a big difference.

We can only control our own actions, and our own reactions to others behaviors. So let's try to set the example for others to follow, allow others to be fallable, but remember to have FUN!

If you run over my ankles I'll understand...