Are "heelies" allowed in the parks?

[verticalchaos]

Actually, Heelys is NOT a sponsor of the marathon or half marathon. They are a sponsor of the Heelys Kids Race & Roll and will be presenting a demonstation on Friday and Saturday at WWoS.

How much you want to bet that the Heelys team will be wearing helmets and other safety gear and will require kids to wear safety gear for the Race & Roll?

They are part of the official footwear for The Little Mermaid or Broadway...it's what the fish wear on stage from all reports.

I'm definitely always on the lookout for kids on them simply because it seems like whenever a kid DOES run into me on the sidewalks and streets of NYC, the parents seem to want to blame ME for their little darling falling down, even if I'm hit from behind. (Keep in mind it's INSANE in the touristy areas right now and they're still wheeling around!).

My all time favorite Heely story though... I teach. My classroom is on the fourth floor. Last spring one of my kids showed up with her Heelys on and the wheels sticking out. (None of us knew how to put them back in or remove them.) When Mom was called, she said she "didn't know (the child) had them on until she was getting on the bus." I've seen probably every pair of shoes this child has, and NONE of them look remotely like Heelys. It was a LONG day going up and down the stairs numerous times.

 

[CanadianGuy]

We just returned from our trip to WDW and the heelies were out in full force. Every day I saw someone wearing them and the majority of the time they were traveling waaaaaay too fast (IMO). Even my daughter (who originally wanted to take them) commented on the nuisance they created!
Never did see them at the park entrances though, only inside the parks...

Thanks for coming back to the thread and sharing your experiences. It's nice when the original poster can do that -- so thanks so much for doing so!

Hopefully your trip was great in all other ways!

Knox

 

[CanadianGuy]

Where is the rule "posted"? I've never seen a sign. It's going to be hard for Disney to get around their liability when they don't have the rule clearly posted and don't have a history of enforcing the rule. I work for an insurance company and when there is a lawsuit, the court decides, not the insurance company. Disney would probably settle out of court because it's one that they would not win. Also, if the parents would be sued, their homeowners would have to defend them and pay because there is no exclusion for breaking rules, especially when the rule was not clearly posted.

It's on the published list of prohibited items. There's no 'sign'.

There's also not a sign about bringing a gun or weapon into the park - or alcoholic beverages - but rest assured if they catch you with those items .. you're not getting in.

Knox

 

[DebbieB]

It's on the published list of prohibited items. There's no 'sign'.

There's also not a sign about bringing a gun or weapon into the park - or alcoholic beverages - but rest assured if they catch you with those items .. you're not getting in.

Knox

When it comes to lawsuits and insurance claims, the fact that it's not clearly posted is going to be held against them. Believe me, I've seen hundreds of insurance claims and having a rule buried in fine print does not get you out of liability when it goes to court. They would have to prove that the parents were notified of the rule and ignored it. If for example, they passed out a printout of the rules when someone purchased a ticket, that would help their case. Also, if someone got into the park with a gun and hurt someone, they would also be liable for that since they have a checkpoint and didn't catch it.

 

[Chuck65]

It's on the published list of prohibited items. There's no 'sign'.

There's also not a sign about bringing a gun or weapon into the park - or alcoholic beverages - but rest assured if they catch you with those items .. you're not getting in.

Knox

Knox, I think someone posted a pic of a sign at the entrance to one of the parks that said something about skates or shoes with wheels in them. I may be wrong, but it seems like I remember seeing that pic while looking at another heely thread.

 

[CanadianGuy]

When it comes to lawsuits and insurance claims, the fact that it's not clearly posted is going to be held against them. Believe me, I've seen hundreds of insurance claims and having a rule buried in fine print does not get you out of liability when it goes to court. They would have to prove that the parents were notified of the rule and ignored it. If for example, they passed out a printout of the rules when someone purchased a ticket, that would help their case. Also, if someone got into the park with a gun and hurt someone, they would also be liable for that since they have a checkpoint and didn't catch it.

Deb:

Oh I completely agree. And I think if someone were SERIOUSLY injured due to a Heely's incident - Disney would share some liability for not 'catching it' at the gate.

Which is WHY, I wish they would simply say "Show up in Heelies, and be turned away." If you dont' wish to return to your resort, then you have the option of checking your Heelies and choosing to purchase from a selection of pink Disney crocs to wear for the day.

That'd slow down the boys on Heelies.

Knox

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Knox, I think someone posted a pic of a sign at the entrance to one of the parks that said something about skates or shoes with wheels in them. I may be wrong, but it seems like I remember seeing that pic while looking at another heely thread.

IIRC, it's posted at DTD.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Where is the rule "posted"? I've never seen a sign. It's going to be hard for Disney to get around their liability when they don't have the rule clearly posted and don't have a history of enforcing the rule.

As previously mentioned, signs stating roller skates are prohibited are clearly posted at Downtown Disney.

Additionally, I remind every child I see wearing Heelies that skating is prohibited in the parks, and I ask them to remove the wheels. However, beyond that, there's not a whole lot I can do except call Security -- and they're not going to want to be bothered with something so pedestrian (no pun intended).