Fake screaming?

[Markolodeon]

Circling back to the original post this was about a group of approximately six teenagers who thought it would be funny to scream at the top of their lungs (and then some, like they had lost their minds) from beginning to end of ToT. My ears were still ringing an hour later. It was so way beyond what I would call fun fake screaming for a brief moment in HM.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

We had season passes to Hershey Park and went (almost) every day. This kind of behavior never even crossed my mind. But, then, I was raised to be respectful of others and would never been allowed to go back to the park had I behaved so poorly.

Just to be clear, is the poor behavior that you are referring to the car hopping, or the screaming? Honestly, I view screaming as par for the course at an amusement park, especially on thrill rides or dark rides. When I hear people screaming I usually assume that they are having a good time, instead of letting it bother me to the point where they are ruining my good time. I teach my kids to laugh it off if the screaming scares them. Now, I'd be a bit annoyed at teenagers screaming themselves silly on IASW or Dumbo, but a coaster? Some of the responses here are mind-boggling; sometimes, the people on this board who are complaining about other people's behavior are being just as self-centered and entitled as the guests they are complaining about.

 

[chartle]

Just to be clear, is the poor behavior that you are referring to the car hopping, or the screaming? Honestly, I view screaming as par for the course at an amusement park, especially on thrill rides or dark rides. When I hear people screaming I usually assume that they are having a good time, instead of letting it bother me to the point where they are ruining my good time. I teach my kids to laugh it off if the screaming scares them. Now, I'd be a bit annoyed at teenagers screaming themselves silly on IASW or Dumbo, but a coaster? Some of the responses here are mind-boggling; sometimes, the people on this board who are complaining about other people's behavior are being just as self-centered and entitled as the guests they are complaining about.

I'm assuming you have never experienced what posters are talking about. Its not "I'm happy" screaming, its screaming as loud as you can and then your friend trying to top you and so on and so on. Also this starts to happens as soon as the ride starts to move.

 

[smiths02]

I have been kind of guilty of this as a teen. It was just a way to have fun, 15 year olds don't think about PTSD and kids with Anxiety disorders. (I mean is ToT the best ride for PTSD and Anxiety disorders anyhow, what about "real" screaming?)

I will say it would only be a friend or two and we NEVER did it the entire ride only on the actually "thrilling" parts and NOT on a ride that wasn't a scary ride (except HM, but only when it was the scream part, not continuously, just a little scream), but I am sure we were very shrilly and annoying when we did scream.

Anyhow, that was literally the most inconsiderate thing I ever did as a teenager. But it is not just "kids these days" because that was 20 years ago.

ETA: I really am a wimp on coasters and the screaming was cathartic, even though, admittedly, it was screaming louder than necessary.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I'm assuming you have never experienced what posters are talking about. Its not "I'm happy" screaming, its screaming as loud as you can and then your friend trying to top you and so on and so on. Also this starts to happens as soon as the ride starts to move.

I find the behavior of others annoying all the time. And other people's actions or behavior frequently inconvenience me. That's life, we have to live in this very densely populated world and my opinion is that we need to make the most of it. Instead of blaming others for my own feelings I'd rather work on changing myself so that my life will be easier--I can change my own behavior, but I long ago realized that I'm not in control of the actions of others.

PTSD was mentioned in this thread, I want to mention that I do have PTSD and I am sympathetic to others who have it, screaming and loud noises don't trigger me because my PTSD was not caused by combat trauma. I'm not going to go into my trauma, I do have triggers though, and I don't expect the world to change so that it doesn't trigger me. I am in therapy working on my issues, I don't know if they will ever go away but expecting the world to behave so that I'm not triggered? Entitled. Common courtesy works both ways. I think it's important for people to realize that the world doesn't revolve around them, and I still think that screaming at an amusement park is within the realm of socially acceptable behavior. Sure, it can be annoying, but sometimes that's what people do when they are having fun at the amusement park. The teenagers having the screaming contest? That's their way of having fun. It doesn't mesh with your idea of "fun", but in their perception it is fun. If it bothered me that badly, I'd plan my trips for a time of the year when school was in session, the crowds are lower then and you're less likely to come upon groups of teenagers screaming their heads off. Yes, I realize there's no guarantee that you won't encounter an obnoxious teenager, but at least your chances are lower, and if something does happen during your ride you're more likely to be able to get back on the ride and get another chance to have the experience you were hoping for.

 

[grnflash]

Common courtesy works both ways.

Well it should. But in this case it doesn't. This discussion isn't about screaming on rides. It's about SCREAMING as loud as you can, for as long as you can, as high as you can for the sole purpose of SCREAMING. It has nothing to do with exuberance or excitement on the ride. It has everything to do with being youthfully obnoxious, in this case obnoxious to the point of lacking any common courtesy.

I actually agree with a lot of what you say. Teenagers in general get a bad rap sometimes, just for being teens. Yeah, they're a little rowdy sometimes. So what. We've all been there. And I travel with people with disabilities. Yup, it's up to us to manage our situation. Especially if we are putting ourselves in a park with 40,000 other people. And people do get annoyed at small things sometimes. Chanting along with the HM spiel, it's cool, no harm no foul. Yeah, ya really shouldn't be the Human Chain Family, marching 5-wide through Tomorowland holding hands. Then dead stopping in the middle to discuss. But it's ok. I can go around or wait to get through, they haven't really changed my experience or detracted from anything.

But the SCREAMERS are different. They aren't blissfully unaware of their obnoxiousness. They are blissfully aware of what they are doing and how it is impacting others. No common courtesy there.

 

[lorijohnhill]

Just to be clear, is the poor behavior that you are referring to the car hopping, or the screaming? Honestly, I view screaming as par for the course at an amusement park, especially on thrill rides or dark rides. When I hear people screaming I usually assume that they are having a good time, instead of letting it bother me to the point where they are ruining my good time. I teach my kids to laugh it off if the screaming scares them. Now, I'd be a bit annoyed at teenagers screaming themselves silly on IASW or Dumbo, but a coaster? Some of the responses here are mind-boggling; sometimes, the people on this board who are complaining about other people's behavior are being just as self-centered and entitled as the guests they are complaining about.

I'm referring to both, really. Purposely ruining an experience for the others around you is poor behavior. Car hopping is just plain dangerous. I think we can all see the harm in that. I don't think I'm acting "entitled" by believing that everyone has an equal right to enjoy these rides. When a group of people, no matter their ages, decide to shriek at ear piercing volumes throughout the entire attraction, I find that disrespectful and disruptive. When that is happening, others cannot hear what they are supposed to be able to hear on the ride. Take HM for example, if someone is shrieking through the entire stretching room, a first time rider would have no idea what was going on.

I also don't think of "entitlement " when I say that I don't think my daughter should be terrified by others on a ride. There is a huge difference between screaming from excitement and/or ride thrills and screaming to be obnoxious.

 

[chartle]

Entitled. Common courtesy works both ways. I think it's important for people to realize that the world doesn't revolve around them, and I still think that screaming at an amusement park is within the realm of socially acceptable behavior.

Again not this kind of behaviour. Its kind of like if your idea of fun is swinging your arms around that fun ends at my nose.

 

[niffer5150]

Common courtesy works both ways.

this is why people think you have never experienced the behavior we are discussing. there's NOTHING, NOTHING courteous in the slightest about standing 6 inches from someones ear and shrieking for 5 minutes straight with the intent of hurting and annoying. if hurting people is "fun" there's a serious issue there. it shouldn't be excused, EVER.

 

[mom2rtk]

this is why people think you have never experienced the behavior we are discussing. there's NOTHING, NOTHING courteous in the slightest about standing 6 inches from someones ear and shrieking for 5 minutes straight with the intent of hurting and annoying. if hurting people is "fun" there's a serious issue there. it shouldn't be excused, EVER.

She has experienced it. Earlier in the thread she said she used to do it as a teen.

 

[Xenorye]

For those of you reading this thread that are worried that this is the norm for rides, don't worry. I was reading this thread before my trip and over the last week of being in the park, the fake screaming thing didn't happen to us. Granted, Haunted Mansion was closed, but it didn't happen on Tower of Terror or other rides. Also, we rode Pirates about 7-8 times during the trip, and a couple of those had some people singing along and such. No big deal.

Flash pictures, though... yeah. My wife and I got onto a few teenagers who were being SO HORRENDOUSLY LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS in line... but not for that. We were afraid they'd be that way on the boat, and they weren't, really, but one did take pictures and video with her flashlight on. After a few "Please turn off your flash" requests from me, finally my wife and I both turned around and like the old curmudgeons we are, yelled "TURN OFF THE FLASH ON YOUR PHONE. YOU ARE RUINING THE RIDE FOR EVERYONE ELSE." They were mortified. It was like no one had ever told them to stop being idiots before.

Anyways, to be clear, I'm not saying the fake screaming doesn't ever happen or won't happen on your trip, but it's not like it happens every time.

 

[chickapin parterre]

......now is not that strange, a Thanksgiving visitor, a early December or days before Christmas visitor, previous March visitor I am, never had any problem with flash photography, but the screaming, all the time in NBC /HM stretch, I wear ear plugs on BTMRR because they are right there on your neck screaming full force behind you, and pirates, but that is a slow moving ride and if enough adults confront the screamers, they settle down. But you know, after this thread, I may very well start selecting who sits behind me and tell the CM of my concerns before loading.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I'm referring to both, really. Purposely ruining an experience for the others around you is poor behavior. Car hopping is just plain dangerous. I think we can all see the harm in that. I don't think I'm acting "entitled" by believing that everyone has an equal right to enjoy these rides. When a group of people, no matter their ages, decide to shriek at ear piercing volumes throughout the entire attraction, I find that disrespectful and disruptive. When that is happening, others cannot hear what they are supposed to be able to hear on the ride. Take HM for example, if someone is shrieking through the entire stretching room, a first time rider would have no idea what was going on.

I also don't think of "entitlement " when I say that I don't think my daughter should be terrified by others on a ride. There is a huge difference between screaming from excitement and/or ride thrills and screaming to be obnoxious.

I guess we'll just disagree. I just don't feel like it's my job to police how others are spending their time in the park. If someone is doing something that will hurt my kids, or someone else, I'll certainly put a stop to it, but i really don't feel like I should define how others use or enjoy something that doesn't belong to me. Someone screaming through a ride is at most a few minutes of misery, then I can part ways from them and go about my day. So if you want to say it's wrong and not how you would personally behave, fine. I agree. I can also agree that I would be embarrassed to find out that my kids were behaving like that. But when you take it a step further and start trying to say that others can't do this, or they have no right to do it, well then I can't agree with you. I don't think any of us has the right to shape the world to personally suit us, I think it's our job to adapt to the world at large.

I understand where you're coming from with your daughter. My oldest has autism, and he's a worrier. We're talking crippling anxiety here. So when he was younger and he heard people screaming on a ride he would get scared as well, because he thought that people were only supposed to scream when they were truly scared, so this ride must be absolutely terrifying if people were screaming so loudly. I used it as a teachable moment. The therapies that he receives are all about teaching him to live in a world that won't cater to his differences, and there are plenty of these teachable moments at a place like Disney, where you are interacting with so many different people. He's special to me and I would do anything for him, but I don't expect others to feel the same. And through the years he learned that sometimes people scream on rides, even when it doesn't seem appropriate, and that doesn't necessitate a correction or response from him. Live and let live.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

this is why people think you have never experienced the behavior we are discussing. there's NOTHING, NOTHING courteous in the slightest about standing 6 inches from someones ear and shrieking for 5 minutes straight with the intent of hurting and annoying. if hurting people is "fun" there's a serious issue there. it shouldn't be excused, EVER.

Meh. Teenagers tend to be incredibly self-centered and egotistical. I tend not to think that I am an intentional target for their stupidity, merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most teenagers--and I have worked with teens for years--don't spend one second considering how their actions will affect others. So their thinking in the scenario probably goes like this:

"I'm bored."

"Screaming is fun".

"Still bored, let's see who can scream the loudest."

Still don't see why anyone would allow a few minutes of screaming to ruin their entire day. If the screaming is hurting you, by all means turn around and tell them to stop. If it's merely annoying you, well, people annoy me every day. I've probably unintentionally annoyed or inconvenienced a few people today--besides you : ) Hopefully I didn't completely ruin their day.

 

[Priory]

Next time, flip off the camera during the drop so they can't see their precious photo at the end. You know it will break their selfie-loving hearts.

 

[coffeequeen]

I work at HM in WDW and there is a big difference between fake screaming and real screaming. Yes, we experience LOTS of fake (and sometimes real) screaming in the stretch rooms. Drives me crazy, but, you know, what can you do? Also, WDW experiences a lot of group chanting...mostly from international tour groups. It's not so bad outside, but, when I work at POTC, it is a big issue in the indoor queue.

 

[SeattleSuz]

I have never heard the fake screaming for no particular reason in the parks. Thank goodness, cuz my hubby at 6'4 would probably tell them to knock it the F off.