Worst Trip ever?

[goofydad621]

Seems like a odd topic but has anybody besides us ever have a truely horrible trip to WDW? Maybe because of the weather (Hurricanes) maybe health, difficult travelers etc? Did you find a way to rescue the trip? Help to save the magic?
Just wondering

 

[WeLoveThePoly]

Maybe I shouldn't say anything 'cause I might jinx things but .....

In all our trips to WDW we've always been very lucky .... health-wise, weather-wise, crowd-wise, travel-wise, etc etc etc.

But before every trip I always do worry if this time we won't be so lucky but I just hope for the best!

Debbie

 

[LindaR]

Actually, our May 2003 trip was a disappointment to us (dd15 and Me). We stayed at AKL. Our service was way below standard in the hotel (I did call, it was researched, and we were apologized to), same with Jiko. I was actually denied handicapped parking (had the placquard on the mirror) because I did not have a wheelchair in the car. Many more examples.............BUT this was not our first trip.......and we did return again in May 2004 and had our usual wonderful time. It was just below standard. I am not the type of person to complain about everything, however I certainly speak up when the situation calls for it (as these did) and I don't hold WDW to a different standard than I do any other place that we go to. Now, if we'd had several trips that were below standard, then we would probably makes some changes, but this was our "one time".

 

[graygables]

My 3rd trip was w/ my ex and I was pg w/ my 1st. He didn't want to be there and made it clear. He made us sleep in the car at a rest stop on the way down from GA, then we stayed off site at a Roach Motel. He was constantly griping and sniping (and ogling) and I really don't remember much about the trip other than that.

Then, this Jan, I went w/ my mother and 18yo DD who both whined and complained incessantly about how far everything was. My mother was griping *loudly* on the bus about how she isn't young anymore and I (and everyone else) wanted to smack her, esp the two 70-somethings who were wearing their marathon medals! 18yo wouldn't get up for anything and we wasted a lot of valuable park time waiting on her. BUT, I just forged ahead and decided to not let them wreck my vacation for me. I learned that it's MY attitude towards the problems that makes the difference in MY perception, so try to maintain a sense of humor and it'll be OK.

 

[goofydad621]

I meant to be the first one to reply but got called away for a few

Our last trip was very hard. We had just got custody of my kids from first marraige because they wanted to live with us.

Wife was pregnant at time The morning of our second full day we thought she had a miscarriage, We got a fairy God mother for the two older kids (10,12 at the time) and sent to the parks and we spent the day at Sand Lakes regional hospital. Thank god they said that mom and baby was okay but she should not walk to much so she went into a wheel chair for the next 7 days. That was leading into Thanksgiving week. After about 2 days she was fed up with seeing everybodys butts but like she said it did give her a new perspective at what some people have to live with a on a daily basis. The Older 2 kids were not the best behaved to put it nicely. The times that she would stand up people accussed her of faking to get special seating or quicker into attractions, finally at Illuminations she got up to go to the bathroom and somebody said something very unkind about her within my ear shot (I'm 6' and about 240lbs at the time with not allot of extra fat) And I had a little talk with them, they apologized to me, and my wife even thought she did not know why and then they found another place to view the fire works. ( I know it was wrong of me but I had had it)

But on the flip side Disney was at it;s best for us. I stopped at town hall in WDW and told them that our trip had not been very magical (not because of them) and asked what could be done to restore the magic. They brought us a special roped off place to view the parade from, by the bridge were the parade crosses over from Frontier land. Next bench down a bunch of important looking suits and the parade stopped in front of us every other float, the CM's came and played with my wife and grabbed the kids and had them dancing in the parade. I couldn't have asked for more. We all left happy that day.

PS The little one my wife was carrying at the time was born 10 weeks premie at 3lbs 1oz is fine and normal and looking forward to her first trip to WDW this Januaury.

 

[goofydad621]

I meant to be the first one to reply but got called away for a few

Our last trip was very hard. We had just got custody of my kids from first marraige because they wanted to live with us.

Wife was pregnant at time The morning of our second full day we thought she had a miscarriage, We got a fairy God mother for the two older kids (10,12 at the time) and sent to the parks and we spent the day at Sand Lakes regional hospital. Thank god they said that mom and baby was okay but she should not walk to much so she went into a wheel chair for the next 7 days. That was leading into Thanksgiving week. Started to get very crowded, people pushing in front of us or hitting my wifes feet etc. After about 2 days she was fed up with seeing everybodys butts but like she said it did give her a new perspective at what some people have to live with a on a daily basis. The Older 2 kids were out of sorts. The times that she would stand up people accussed her of faking to get special seating or quicker into attractions, finally at Illuminations she got up to go to the bathroom and somebody said something very unkind about her within my ear shot not a wise move (I'm 6' and about 240lbs at the time with not allot of extra fat) And I had a little talk with them, they apologized to me, and my wife even though she did not know why and then they found another place to view the fire works. ( I know it was wrong of me but I had had it)

But on the flip side Disney was at it's best for us. I stopped at town hall in MK and told them that our trip had not been very magical (not because of them) and asked what could be done to restore the magic. They brought us a special roped off place to view the parade from, by the bridge were the parade crosses over from Frontier land. Next bench down a bunch of important looking suits and the parade stopped in front of us every other float, the CM's came and played with my wife and grabbed the kids and had them dancing in the parade. I couldn't have asked for more. We all left happy that day.

PS The little one my wife was carrying at the time was born 10 weeks premie at 3lbs 1oz is fine and normal and looking forward to her first trip to WDW this Januaury.

 

[goofydad621]

Sorry for the double post not sure how that happened

 

[tnkrbell]

Ive had two trips that were not so hot because of health reasons!!
One trip I had the flu!! and anothrer I had a stomache bug.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I had a so-so trip that turned out fabulous because of a hurricane!

When I was 12, we were vacationing at a beach condo in MA and got struck with a hurricane while we were there, so we decided to do a really nice trip the following year and went to Ft. Lauderdale. It was beautiful, but I'm not a big beach person. Well...you guessed it...we got evacuated because of Hurricane Andrew. We had to go inland to Orlando! Even though we had to stay at a sleazy Econo Lodge, since all other hotels were booked up, I got to go to WDW! For awhile after that, we all assumed we were jinxed and that hurricanes followed us around. lol.

 

[disneylovr1]

On one of our many trips the weather didn't cooperate. Every day would start bright, sunny and beautiful. Then, sometime between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM clouds would gather in the distance, and you had about 20-30 monutes to get under cover. These weren't little FLorida afternoon showers, but it would downright pour for the remainder of the day. We still had fun, but not as much as usual. For over a week it was an all out downpour every single day. (By the way, I do not in any way ean to belittle the hrrricane problems of this year. I'm sure that would be MUCH WORSE than our experience).

 

[laceemouse]

We have had many great WDW trips, but barfy kids on two occasions. My second DD Chloe, about 8 at the time, got off the monorail and threw up in the Contemporary lobby one trip. CMs rushed out to clean it up. On another trip my youngest DD Chandler, about 2 at the time, threw up one morning all over the bed at the Polly. Mousekeeping imediately came to clean it up. Neither was Disney's fault, and both kids got over their ailments fairly quickly, thank goodness!

 

[TWOOD]

The first trip my mom went with us (our second trip - DD & me) - it rained from the minute we got off the plane until we got back on it to go home! It was Dec. 1997 & El Nino was in full force - Florida experienced record rainfall. However, we donned our yellow ponchos just like everyone else & hit the parks. It was our 1st stay @ WL & we're returning this Dec., so I'm crossing my fingers that this time will be different, as I've heard it's El Nino time again...

 

[twinmomplus2new]

May of 2002. EEEEK not to revist this again but.... Had fire ants in my resort room. My 2 yr old got his head stuck in a bench. Thankfully not to hurt just some scrapes and a big scare! We changed hotels after that went to coronado springs. Had alot of insect issues. yuck! Called CRO to move us to AKL. Which they agreed to do the next am. In the middle of that night The same little one that got his head stuck started vomiting. which was very scary as he had got his head stuck earlier that day.
But a high fever soon followed so it was a flu. He proceeded to throw up and other nasty things for the next 72 hours. I never left the Room at AKL. Unless it was one of my 3 trips to Celebration ER. Where he had a near 105 temp. It was ugly!
We almost didn't make it home!

 

[dawgfan]

My first trip to WDW with my kids was in 2002. The week we were to leave I got ill with some strange stomach virus. I just could not shake it. All my sisters had the illness but my wife and kids were okay. It lingered for several days. I did not feel horrible but just not well. A little naseous and some feeling of diarhea were the symtoms but they were low key. I finally go so mad and distraught about the situation that I decided to get this thing over with once and for all. I went to a greasy fish place and ordered a large order of greasy fish. I ate like a pig and waited to get the eventual result. I had hoped that whatever was in my stomach would, over the course of many trips to the bathroom, would "get out". At first nothing seemed to happen. I felt fine and then believed that I was cured. That was premature. I became very ill on the morning we were to leave. We were supposed to leave at 7am but did not get out of town untl close to 11am as I was in....you guessed it....the bathroom. I finally eas able to get on the road and felt fine. I declared that I was well. Again premature! I went steadily down hill and had to stop many times on the trip. On these stops I felt that I would be sick and immediately rush to a bathroom where nothing would happen. I finally made it to the off site hotel we were to stay at over the first night in Orlando and immediately passed out. My wife was at her wits end. I awakened the next day and felt great. Off to WDW thinking things would be great. Later in the trip my father in law had an episode with his heart that resulted in a heart attack just after our return and a quad by pass surgery. He is fine. I did not even want to go on tis trip. I argued with my wife that we should wait due to the kids ages. I thought they were too young. She won. We went. I loved the trip!

The funniest thing is that after all that I am totally Disney obsessed. I came away from that trip with great memories and my kids had a wonderful time. I cannot get my in laws to go back obviously (scared) but my family had a fantastic time and we have returned two times since. I do not believe (who am I kidding, I know) my wife does not understand my obsession with WDW.

 

[JESW]

Well, we have had a lot of great trips, but then quite a few where we ended up needing medical help.

When DD was 15 months she had a double ear infection (was throwing up everywhere) and we had to take her to Celebration Hospital...

Another trip she had a stomach bug and I spent one and a half days in the room with her while DH took DS to the parks.

One trip DH got some strange virus where we had to get an in-room dr. to come in to give him a prescription. That was about 2 days of me and the kids alone in the parks while I worried about DH.

DS has been stung by bees a couple of times at the park - and just by standing still - he seems to attract them. Off to the in-park first aid station.

Almost every trip to the water parks results in a visit to the first aid station. Last trip DS fell and scraped his leg. DD also had a scrape but not sure how she got it. While in the first aid station they (and the other couple of injured kids - one with a bloody nose- were being entertained by Chip & Dale)

I had a stomach bug one trip and spent the return flight in the bathroom....

One trip I found a tic in DD's hair that we must have brought from home. It was huge and gross! That was a trip to the walk-in clinic near DTD.

Not so fun moments, but I have to say that all the medical help we have received has been great. Just hope we don't need them anymore!

Jill

 

[soccer mom]

Never had a whole trip spoiled, but the last time we drove with our four kids (1994) (nothing but planes now!) we had to leave two days early because someone started running a high fever. I thought we could beat it home but no such luck. It snowballed through the family and I had four puking kids all the way back to Michigan!

 

[newholiday]

Nov/Dec 02
found out 22hrs before we were to leave our house that our Disney Magic cruise was cancelled due to Norwalk
the only place we could get at Disney for 8 consecutive nights beginning day after Thanksgiving was PO/FQ
I had been very much looking forward to the cruise so was not in the WDW frame of mind

In 3.5wks we have our 1st trip home to VWL!

 

[lindsey]

2 different trips have "bad" memories. In 1988 we went to Disney in August. DH started feeling bad 2 days before we left. We spent more time resting in camper than Disney. His headache was so bad on the way home I had drive. Once we got home and went to dr, then hospital, he was diagnosed with viral menegatis(sp?).

This year, we had car trouble on the way on Saturday, which caused us to have to wait until Monday to get fixed. Finally made it Monday night. Tuesday noon DH started feeling bad. He was sick all the rest of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning which is really rough in a camper - lots of long walks to comfort station. Long story short - outpatient clinic, then Celebration Hospital to decide he had gastro intestinal(sp?) virus. Fortunately, he was much better on Thursday (we still made him take it slow) and Friday.

But this is only 2 out of 11 trips.

 

[SplashMom]

March of 2003 was our first ever Disney trip. We had saved for a long time because the trip was quite costly and the exchange on the dollar (Cdn) made it even more costly. We were very excited. On our third day (of 10), we went to Typhoon Lagoon. My husband had an incident on a slide and broke his lower leg. After some time getting medical attention, we returned to the resort for some rest. He went on like a trooper--we used a wheelchair and rented ECVs at the parks each day. It slowed us down a little but we still had lots of fun! Hopefully, we will have better luck this time--we are hooked on Disney now. Even bad luck didn't dampen our trip!

 

[eeyore25]

We just got back from our first WDW trip. Both my DH and I were very dissappointed. We were booked for an 8 night stay, but ended up leaving early because of the Hurricane.

We go to Disneyland every year (since 1989) and have found that we like DL better than WDW. DL rides seem to be more themed (meaning the beginning of the ride sets the mood for the rest of the ride.) The "lands" at DL seem to be a lot better too. They seem to be better organized. We were told that we needed at least 7 days to experience all the theme parks, and we actually did everything that we wanted to in four days. In fact, we didn't even spend a full day in any theme park. We would arrive at opening, do what we wanted, then we would leave around 1 pm. We would go to MK in the evening (5:30 or so) and stay until closing at 8:30pm.

We also encountered very rude CM's thoughout the hotel, POR, and the parks. There were only a handful of people that were helpful and friendly.

The food choices for us were terrible. Unless we wanted a hot dog or a hamburger every day. In DL the food choices are so much better.