PSA: Common Courtesy

[redwing]

I think a lot of it has to do with perspective and how the person's day has gone. I read this thread thinking of my own opinions and who I agreed with and who I didn't but the more I thought about it the more I realized I think a lot of it is circumstantial. Most of us start off our DL morning all excitement and glee. You need to join your wife and son who's way up front? Sure, no problem, we all know how bathrooms, etc happen. I don't even have an issue with the FP runner joining back up. I'm usually a "as long as it's only a couple people" regardless of age kind of line person, but then it's 3pm and I've been in line for Space for an hour and 15 minutes and 30 something people have gone in front of me and then I start to get aggravated. I think the same applies to stroller people and I will be the first to say that I wish they did exist but they do and I deal. I think stroller people get to the same point at some point in the day like I do with line cutting/joining. They start off the morning with people running ahead of them but it's no big, they've got all day, but then it's 2pm and another group of teenagers has just cut them off jumping in front of them in line for the Matterhorn. I too have a "space issue" in lines though. It drives me nuts when people keep bumping into me. A couple times okay, accident, but it gets to a point where I want to turn around and bump back. I understand that there are little ones all around, but if your child has bumped into me over and over and over and I keep looking at you, it's your responsibility to make sure it doesn't happen again. Pick them up, put them in the stroller, engage their attention. The gal who mentioned that she holds her son is right, if people are standing close enough to her that he kicks them, it is their fault. Toddlers legs are not that long, you should not be so close that they reach you. I also think some parents need to be more aware of their child's needs. Too many parents these days do not want to be inconvenienced by their own children. If your child is hungry or tired then it's your responsibility to see to that now, not after the Story Book Canal boats when your child has kicked me three times. My niece threw a fit while in line for Dumbo so we left the line. It was no one else's responsibility to see to her, it was mine. I understand you want to get the value of your vacation but if you take a little time to respond to your child it'll go a lot more smoothly for everyone. Obviously this does not apply to everyone but our world in general is becoming more and more about entitlement and less and less about responsibility and that has got to change.

And I believe this is the best post of the lot....thank you!

 

[redwing]

I remember before having children how annoyed I would feel about strollers hitting me. Now I am the one pushing a stroller, so I try to keep that in mind. In the many, many visits I have taken with my kids, I only ever remember hitting someone twice. Both times I apologized profusely (even though both times the people walked out right in front of me and suddenly stopped). I take great care in pushing my stroller and do my best to navigate so I don't hit anyone (just like I do when driving my car). I think it's unfortunate that others don't try as hard to do the same, but as anything in life there will be people who are oblivious or don't think about others. It's very hard to navigate sometimes, especially after fireworks or Fantasmic. We learned early on to let the masses go ahead of us while we linger back. It's easier for us. For sure looking forward to the no stroller days in the future =) I try not to let others bother me on my vacation. Why be angry at the Happiest Place on Earth?

Thumbs up

 

[Cheshirecatty]

I remember before having children how annoyed I would feel about strollers hitting me. Now I am the one pushing a stroller, so I try to keep that in mind. In the many, many visits I have taken with my kids, I only ever remember hitting someone twice. Both times I apologized profusely (even though both times the people walked out right in front of me and suddenly stopped). I take great care in pushing my stroller and do my best to navigate so I don't hit anyone (just like I do when driving my car). I think it's unfortunate that others don't try as hard to do the same, but as anything in life there will be people who are oblivious or don't think about others. It's very hard to navigate sometimes, especially after fireworks or Fantasmic. We learned early on to let the masses go ahead of us while we linger back. It's easier for us. For sure looking forward to the no stroller days in the future =)

I try not to let others bother me on my vacation. Why be angry at the Happiest Place on Earth?

I really like this as well!

We have found those with strollers to mostly be really respectful, and the one or two times we've been bumped, were apologized to profusely.

We also like to stay put after fireworks, Fantasmic!, etc., until the masses move out, and so avoid putting ourselves in the position to be bumped/run over, etc.

This strategy has worked really well, so far!

 

[nannyz]

We watch the fireworks from the end of Main Street, near the entrance.
That way we do not have to struggle through the crowds to get out with our two strollers.

 

[daisy_77]

My overall opinion is we ALL need a little more patience and also we ALL need to be more aware of others. It's Disney. It can get crowded. It can get busy. Emotions can get elevated. I think focusing less on what other people are doing that is annoying, maybe focus on having more courtesy and understanding. It is SUPER annoying when people cut lines, hang on your backs in line, bang ankles with a stroller, stop in middle of walkways...but you know, people are people and no one is perfect. I notice when I let things roll off my back, I have a much better time instead of feeling like this ----->


I am sure we all have irked someone in some way without realizing it. Be happy, you get to go to Disney. There are loads of people who can only dream of going. Enjoy it, have fun, and focus less on what people are doing.

Just my two cents.

 

[Georgieut]

great now im scared to death to even go to disneyland for the first time - I find out today if I have to have knee surgery which would be a month before leaving to disneyland. So that means wheel chair or something along those lines and I also have a 5 year old who will need a stroller. I feel like I am darned if I do and darned if I dont. Oh well...I will do my best to not run anyone over and if accident happneds I will aplogize and call it good.

 

[bakerudall]

So from what I gather, expect others to be at your standards of common courtesy. Otherwise, its ok to take revenge when they break that common courtesy. EXCELLENT, can't wait to enjoy the park with everyone here.

No, I think most of us brush it off at the parks and later complain/joke about it online. But if you see my lime-green Mickey head, you may still want to keep your distance. Just Kidding. Maybe. No, seriously, that was a joke. Sort of.

 

[tiffjoy]

great now im scared to death to even go to disneyland for the first time - I find out today if I have to have knee surgery which would be a month before leaving to disneyland. So that means wheel chair or something along those lines and I also have a 5 year old who will need a stroller. I feel like I am darned if I do and darned if I dont. Oh well...I will do my best to not run anyone over and if accident happneds I will aplogize and call it good.

I wouldn't give it a second thought. You have an equal right to be there as anyone else, and your need for a wheelchair does not preclude you from being welcome to go to DLR, nor does your child's need for a stroller. Those who have issues with such things really do need to get a grip as there is no rule, either written or implied, that these things are not welcome at DLR. Quite the opposite, in fact, as you can rent both wheelchairs and strollers.

I have found that by and large, people are pleasant at DLR, and even the rude people don't overshadow our experience because we don't let them. Do I sometimes do rude things? I'm sure I do, although I try to be cognizant of others, and I apologize if I bump with the stroller or step in front of someone. But honestly, stuff happens sometimes in a very crowded area, and anyone who thinks that they have never inadvertently been rude really isn't being honest with themselves. No one is perfect, and there is no one universal standard of courtesy.

Best wishes to you, and I do hope you won't need that surgery. But if you do, you come to DLR with your wheelchair and you enjoy your trip!!!

 

[jetskigrl]

I think the majority of DLR visitors--the locals--deal with this stuff easily. It's just part of DLR's (and SoCal's) laid back attitude. The locals always seem to be able to determine when it's okay (i.e. a mom coming back from an unexpected potty break with her child) vs. when it's not (line cutting teens, etc.), and self-police accordingly. It's easier for this to happen at DLR because guests, being locals, tend to follow the rules in the parks, anyway.

I tend to think it's probably out-of-town visitors who get more bent out of shape at DLR about these things. Unlike locals, who have done everything at DLR over and over throughout their lives, out-of-town visitors have more at stake in terms of maximizing their time, so perceived issues that affect their waiting time and passage through the park are magnified for them.

Although I will add, unlike WDW, SoCal locals know their way around DLR like the back of their hands, so they tend to *fly* through the parks, along walkways and sidewalks, hurtling along at light-speed--even with strollers and kids in tow--without taking prisoners, so to speak. Those people flinging you out of the way along crowded paths are locals. This will never change--it's just one of the quirks of DLR. (For OP, who like me is from Chicago, this behavior is similar to the way we treat each other politely face-to-face here in Chicago, but drive like maniacs when we get behind the wheel. SoCal DLR vets are polite in queues, but all business when walking across the parks.)

My two cents.

OK, I usually don't post on these threads because a lot of them end up bashing the locals but this is so true...all of it

We are totally laid back in the park. We help out people from out of town, we share secrets to help save them time or see things they might not otherwise see, etc. We chat with everyone in line. But when it comes to getting from point A to point B, we a quick. LOL - although I have never thrown anyone out of the way , we do make a single file line and weave our way though the crowds of people stopping to look at maps, changing directions, pointing out sights to their whole group, walking really slow, etc. But that is because we (my family) walk pretty fast by nature anyway and we know where we are going. If we see a child drop a toy, someone asks us a question or it gets too crowded to weave though comfortably, we will slow down or stop as needed. But nope...we have never flung anyone out of the way

So I did have to LOL at your assessment.

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

I have mixed feelings on what to do. When we go, my daughter will not yet be three, but will be newly potty trained. I can't expect her to "hold it" for very long.

I'm afraid of getting burned at the stake if I need to step out of line with my young child to honestly take her to the restroom.

 

[jetskigrl]

I have mixed feelings on what to do. When we go, my daughter will not yet be three, but will be newly potty trained. I can't expect her to "hold it" for very long.

I'm afraid of getting burned at the stake if I need to step out of line with my young child to honestly take her to the restroom.

I have been to DLR way too many times to count and I promise, no one has ever been burned at the stake for taking a child to the bathroom

I agree with what most others have said here, people can tell you have a young child that cannot hold it and the vast majority will give you a quick smile and move aside so you can get by.

The only time I have ever seen people get angry in line was when a group sends one person to wait and then the rest jump in the line at the last minute (or those that just flat out line jump without having been in the line at all).

 

[Canadiantinkerfairy]

We are tourist visitors-So we go once a year. Every year we go for a week. And I can honestly say that we never come home thinking about the negative moments.
I couldn't even tell you weather there have been line cutters, or strollers hitting the backs of our legs.
To us its a minor irritation, and not worth the time it takes to feel the frustration or anger.

 

[jrtoastyman]

Looking able bodied and being able bodied are two different things....just because an adult looks able bodied on the outside doesn't mean they are on the inside...perhaps they have bladder issues as well and just because they aren't a child means they have to suffer. You can usually tell when people are cutting the line because they didn't want to have to wait the whole time and are now meeting up with their family since they are at the start of the ride, there are usually a bunch of them (those people do not get passed me) and those that have taken themselves or a child to use the rest room due to the wait.

I'm not sure why you think I would disagree with this, particularly given the examples I gave of insufficient reasons to cut in line to join your party. Here's my general rule of thumb:

1. If you are cutting in line because you have a legitimate reason to get out of line after you're already in it, fine. Sure, the reason may not be apparent so people are essentially on their honor here, and I agree that you can generally tell when this is the case.

2. On the other hand, someone cutting in line because they wanted to do something else prior to getting in line, not OK. We'd all love to do something other than stand in line -- shop, eat, sit on a bench, ride something else with a shorter wait -- and then join the line at our leisure, but that's not how this process is supposed to work. If you're able to stand in line you should stand in line like everyone else.

In practice, I don't actually take a very hard line on this, but I do think that common courtesy dictates that one not assume that their time is more valuable than everyone else's that's also standing in line.

 

[tylersmith]

I'm not sure why you think I would disagree with this, particularly given the examples I gave of insufficient reasons to cut in line to join your party. Here's my general rule of thumb:

1. If you are cutting in line because you have a legitimate reason to get out of line after you're already in it, fine. Sure, the reason may not be apparent so people are essentially on their honor here, and I agree that you can generally tell when this is the case.

2. On the other hand, someone cutting in line because they wanted to do something else prior to getting in line, not OK. We'd all love to do something other than stand in line -- shop, eat, sit on a bench, ride something else with a shorter wait -- and then join the line at our leisure, but that's not how this process is supposed to work. If you're able to stand in line you should stand in line like everyone else.

In practice, I don't actually take a very hard line on this, but I do think that common courtesy dictates that one not assume that their time is more valuable than everyone else's that's also standing in line.

Perfectly worded

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Moving to our community board.

 

[Georgieut]

I wouldn't give it a second thought. You have an equal right to be there as anyone else, and your need for a wheelchair does not preclude you from being welcome to go to DLR, nor does your child's need for a stroller. Those who have issues with such things really do need to get a grip as there is no rule, either written or implied, that these things are not welcome at DLR. Quite the opposite, in fact, as you can rent both wheelchairs and strollers.

I have found that by and large, people are pleasant at DLR, and even the rude people don't overshadow our experience because we don't let them. Do I sometimes do rude things? I'm sure I do, although I try to be cognizant of others, and I apologize if I bump with the stroller or step in front of someone. But honestly, stuff happens sometimes in a very crowded area, and anyone who thinks that they have never inadvertently been rude really isn't being honest with themselves. No one is perfect, and there is no one universal standard of courtesy.

Best wishes to you, and I do hope you won't need that surgery. But if you do, you come to DLR with your wheelchair and you enjoy your trip!!!

Got back from dr and found out I have a torn meniscus and will need surgery. Have to have it within the week.

 

[tiffjoy]

Got back from dr and found out I have a torn meniscus and will need surgery. Have to have it within the week.

I am soooo sorry! I do hope that the surgery is smooth. i know it will put a damper on your vacation, but please don't feel awkward using a wheelchair at DLR. Honestly, I think the majority of people are pretty happy to be there and are in generally good moods, not looking to complain about others.

 

[pixiewings71]

Pixiewing me too- i hate how often i sometimes have to go yet my doc says nothings wrong with me. Ya i don't think this thread will go over to well seeing that we do have a long post all about line holding and cutting.
OP- maybe you should take the line holding part out of the first post and try again. I do think some of this thread will be ok, others will not.

Oh yes, my Dr says there is nothing "wrong" with me either, just a frequent urge to go at times. lOL Frustrating but I deal with it all the time and I'm used to it. I know it isn't just me but it sure is nice to see it for sure. lol

If you need to leave the queue because of a [bathroom reason] then if you rejoin the queue you should go back to the EXACT same spot you left, not fifty spots ahead where your family is. If a queue is 30 minutes, then you should queue for 30 minutes, not 23 minutes plus a seven minute bathroom trip to make up the difference.

I think a lot of it has to do with perspective and how the person's day has gone. I read this thread thinking of my own opinions and who I agreed with and who I didn't but the more I thought about it the more I realized I think a lot of it is circumstantial. Most of us start off our DL morning all excitement and glee. You need to join your wife and son who's way up front? Sure, no problem, we all know how bathrooms, etc happen. I don't even have an issue with the FP runner joining back up. I'm usually a "as long as it's only a couple people" regardless of age kind of line person, but then it's 3pm and I've been in line for Space for an hour and 15 minutes and 30 something people have gone in front of me and then I start to get aggravated. I think the same applies to stroller people and I will be the first to say that I wish they did exist but they do and I deal. I think stroller people get to the same point at some point in the day like I do with line cutting/joining. They start off the morning with people running ahead of them but it's no big, they've got all day, but then it's 2pm and another group of teenagers has just cut them off jumping in front of them in line for the Matterhorn.

I too have a "space issue" in lines though. It drives me nuts when people keep bumping into me. A couple times okay, accident, but it gets to a point where I want to turn around and bump back. I understand that there are little ones all around, but if your child has bumped into me over and over and over and I keep looking at you, it's your responsibility to make sure it doesn't happen again. Pick them up, put them in the stroller, engage their attention. The gal who mentioned that she holds her son is right, if people are standing close enough to her that he kicks them, it is their fault. Toddlers legs are not that long, you should not be so close that they reach you.
I also think some parents need to be more aware of their child's needs. Too many parents these days do not want to be inconvenienced by their own children. If your child is hungry or tired then it's your responsibility to see to that now, not after the Story Book Canal boats when your child has kicked me three times. My niece threw a fit while in line for Dumbo so we left the line. It was no one else's responsibility to see to her, it was mine. I understand you want to get the value of your vacation but if you take a little time to respond to your child it'll go a lot more smoothly for everyone. Obviously this does not apply to everyone but our world in general is becoming more and more about entitlement and less and less about responsibility and that has got to change.

I agree with this, but are there lines that allow strollers? lol My kids never used strollers, they were older when we started going to the parks.

OK, I usually don't post on these threads because a lot of them end up bashing the locals but this is so true...all of it

We are totally laid back in the park. We help out people from out of town, we share secrets to help save them time or see things they might not otherwise see, etc. We chat with everyone in line. But when it comes to getting from point A to point B, we a quick. LOL - although I have never thrown anyone out of the way , we do make a single file line and weave our way though the crowds of people stopping to look at maps, changing directions, pointing out sights to their whole group, walking really slow, etc. But that is because we (my family) walk pretty fast by nature anyway and we know where we are going. If we see a child drop a toy, someone asks us a question or it gets too crowded to weave though comfortably, we will slow down or stop as needed. But nope...we have never flung anyone out of the way

So I did have to LOL at your assessment.

That's exactly how we travel from point a to point b, me in front, girls in the middle, DBF takes the rear, it's a really easy and effective way to travel. LOL

Got back from dr and found out I have a torn meniscus and will need surgery. Have to have it within the week.

 

[Briarrose1306]

I agree with this, but are there lines that allow strollers? lol My kids never used strollers, they were older when we started going to the parks.

You are probably one of my favorite people then! lol Some do, some don't but that's why I gave the other options such as picking them up or engaging their attention. I know children are not always the easiest to deal with so I try to have patience as well, which was kind of my overall point of my original post. We do need to all have a little bit of patience with others. And I think it goes both ways. If you are the one rejoining your family after running for FPs or churros and are getting a look, try to think about what that person may have gone through already in their day. My point about people rejoining later on was more about families with older kids who went to ride something else and then joined up with the rest of their family in a longer line. That's when I start to get agitated.

I think we'd all be a lot better off in general not just DL if we have a little more thought to others and stopped feeling so entitled and pushing that on to future generations. I really have no idea what happened with a lot of parents towards the end of the 80s and into the 90s, but many of those kids are turning into horrible teenagers and adults who have little to no care for anyone but themselves and their own desires.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

I think we'd all be a lot better off in general not just DL if we have a little more thought to others and stopped feeling so entitled and pushing that on to future generations. I really have no idea what happened with a lot of parents towards the end of the 80s and into the 90s, but many of those kids are turning into horrible teenagers and adults who have little to no care for anyone but themselves and their own desires.

A thousand times yes!!
I lean towards disliking people that hop into line to meet up with people, however I understand having to leave a line in an emergency (although when one person in my group has to leave we all leave but that's just me). What bothers me the most about all of that is the line jumpers that have a sense of entitlement. I'd be way less likely to be upset at someone who is genuinely apologetic for having to cut through a line than someone who thinks they are entitled to push and shove to meet back up with their group. Its all in your attitude!