Beware of "Fungrabbers"

[yensiD naF]

Occasions like the "actual" 50th anniversary of Disneyland often bring out the worst of the Disney "fans". The element that I am speaking of are those who act like they have the right to infringe on everyone's fun for their own selfish motives.

If you have not encountered them before and you are heading to Disneyland this weekend, here are some useful tips for you to consider;

Fungrabbers are like those people who go to tailgate parties and take up ten parking spaces with their RV's, tents, tables, bbq's, etc.

They are the people who bring a cart full of groceries to the "9 item, cash only" express lane and then write a check.

They are the people who every day of their lives encounter the "rudest person" they have ever met.

At Disneyland this weekend they will be the people who...

...stake out a spot for the parade, fantasmic and the fireworks hours before the shows begin. If there are restaurants with outdoor seating, the fungrabbers will have tables "reserved" when they aren't even eating there.

...complain about the 45 minute wait for a train when they could have just walked ten minutes to get to where they want to go.

...interrupt a conversation you are having in line with someone abut Disney and correct you with their "facts".

...loiter around the cashier and other CM's at the Disney Gallery and Disneyana shop carrying on meaningless conversations when you want to make a purchase or ask a question.

(and then when the CM's excuse themselves to help the other guests, they call them the rudest people they have ever met.)

...ask CM's what time the 4:00 parade starts.

...jump on to the parking lot tram and save three rows for the other four people that are still at the top of the 5th floor escalator.

How to Re-grab the fun back from them;

Grab a wheel chair and save the best possible spot for the parade, fireworks or Fantasmic! Then at the last minute, give the spot to somebody else. Especially a group of tourists who speak a different language.

Wear a lanyard with the best possible pins and refuse to trade them with any adults. But then give a "valuable" pin to small child.

Yell out the word "losers" after they scream at the end of the elevator part of the Haunted Mansion.

Anybody else have any suggestions?

 

[stemikger]

I think you pretty much covered all the bases.

Here in New York we have another word for them though. LOL.

 

[boosmom96]

Grab a wheel chair and save the best possible spot for the parade, fireworks or Fantasmic! Then at the last minute, give the spot to somebody else. Especially a group of tourists who speak a different language.

The rest of your post is RIGHT ON!!, but PLEASE don't use a wheelchair if you don't need one. My DD has cerebral palsy and is very physically disabled. I would give anything for her to be able to stand in line for rides, or to see a parade. When the park is crowded it is quite often impossible for her to see fireworks or parades in spite of the rather limited area Disney has roped off for wheelchairs.
yensiD naF has some great suggestions for ways to combat those horrible fungrabbers, but please don't grab the fun from those guests that may really need just a little extra help to make their vacation dreams a reality!!
Elisabeth's mom
p.s. please forgive me if this sounds preachy. We would not be able to experience the magic of Disneyland without the extra support that Disney offers. I am well aware that the original post was made completely in the spirit of fun!!!

 

[stemikger]

boosmom 96.

I thought the same thing.

But I think it was all suppsed to be tongue in cheek and that he would really not do that. At least I hope not.

 

[boosmom96]

boosmom 96.

I thought the same thing.

But I think it was all suppsed to be tongue in cheek and that he would really not do that. At least I hope not.

I figured this also, which is why I really tried to make my post as unaggressive as possible. My point is, all of his(her?) other ideas are great and really may help other readers get through what has the potential to be a less then perfect visit to DL!
We will be going to DL a week after the celebration and I'm trying to remind myself - "I will not stress over rude people, I will not stress over rude people . . ." (And also, "I will not teach my DD new swear words, I will not teach my DD new swear words . . .")!!!
p.s. I'm pretty sure we use the same word out here as you do!!!

 

[stemikger]

Right On Boosmom96.

Have a great trip!!!

I usually don't curse, but every now and then. . . It feels kind of good.

LOL.

 

[starwood]

You forgot the ones that want to get a spot in front of you 5 minutes before the parade/fireworks start when you have been waiting for 1 hour.

 

[BriarRosie]

...loiter around the cashier and other CM's at the Disney Gallery and Disneyana shop carrying on meaningless conversations when you want to make a purchase or ask a question.

(and then when the CM's excuse themselves to help the other guests, they call them the rudest people they have ever met.)

Yell out the word "losers" after they scream at the end of the elevator part of the Haunted Mansion.

Anybody else have any suggestions?

I take exception to those, as that would make me a fungrabber.

When I went to DL solo a couple of years ago, I had some great CM
interaction in the Disney Gallery while I was looking at the POTC exhibit.
The CM approached me, and we chatted. I didn't feel like I was monopolizing
her time, and I didn't prevent her from leaving me to help others.

Can I be the exception to that fungrabber definition?

And I would glare at you if you called me a "loser" for enjoying myself in
the Haunted Mansion. Grrr.

But I know what you mean about fungrabbers. I just shrug it off mostly,
but you seem to let them bother you.

 

[iceskatejen]

I take some major exception to this also as I know my friends and I will be getting our Fantasmic spot very early on Sunday (but we also invite people on and it's a party). Yeah, we'll have a couple of wheelchairs with us, but those using them do indeed need them, and they'll be going in the back by the ropes.

 

[yensiD naF]

First, To Boosmom96;

Thank you for your reply and I never would have intended to offend you or your daughter. I appreciated it that you "got it" and understood.

Wow! Some of you really got it. These boards are not full of "fungrabbers" like I thought. I guess those who took "exception" to my post probably think of me as a "fungrabber".

Consider those who generally take "exception", expecially "major exception". If you have been reading some of these posts as long as I have, then you learn exactly who tend to be these people and you expect to hear them complaining about a tongue-in-cheek, yet realistic point-of-view.

Another piece of advice to those who got it;

Don't let them "bother you". I never do. And when you're at Disneyland these next few days like me, picture yourself at a zoo and look at these people like animals. Only don't feed them. Have fun, push their buttons, don't let them ruin your day or those of others.

Judging by my comments earlier, I'd say I hit this one out of the park.

 

[Tink33]

I will do my best to be a "fungiver" when I go.

 

[phyllis1966]

Here's my 2 cents, although nobody asked... ...if you're saving a spot hours before something and you sit there the whole time, it's fine by me. If, though, you lay down a sheet, blanket or tarp 3 hours before a parade and go off to have fun, I feel that's unfair. We saw that at DL 2 weeks ago and were very surprised that people felt OK about doing this.

 

[iceskatejen]

We never leave anything unattended. Not only do we think it's wrong, security will take it away. We've been told by security many times, so long as at least one person is there, it's fine. Personally, I generally only leave to get food or use the bathroom, and that's only if there are others there.

 

[Alice's Mom]

Yell out the word "losers" after they scream at the end of the elevator part of the Haunted Mansion.

Anybody else have any suggestions?

Are you not suppose to scream???

 

[iheartdisney]

Anybody else have any suggestions?

They will also be the group that takes the first two rows on POTC, and takes a flash photo of the whole boat on each plunge (blinding everyone else NOT in their group)

The children that push themselves ahead of you in line to rejoin their party because one person got in line while the other 8 watched the parade.

The ones complaining they haven't been on any ANYTHING all day long...(thats because they walk from line to line saying 30 minutes- eckh. 20 minutes eckh. This is ridiculous *hair toss*) The easiest way to combat these ones is to go on, in detail exactly what you have ridden, and how it only took a fraction of the time expected. Then throw out when you get to use your next Fastpass.

 

[tinafromidaho]

Say you are looking for a spot to watch fireworks and you see a blanket/tarp laying on the ground, wouldn't it be responsible to fold it up then have your party sit down and wait for the fireworks while you responsibly take it to the lost and found so the poor person that lost it could find it.

 

[TDC Nala]

they scream at the end of the elevator part of the Haunted Mansion.

 

[crasher11]

On our trip in June , we ran into alot of Fun grabbers...

After we had waited over an hour for good parade seats, 10 mins before the start we had over 20 people try to move us over so they could "scoot" in....

After fireworks I was pushing our 3 yr old (asleep) in his stroller and a nice young gentleman(20ish) decided he wanted to occupy the same space as my DS and his stroller, he actually kicked the stroller and i am not talking "oops Sorry bout that", i mean he kicked it. I asked him nicely" Hey careful got a little one in there", he didnt even pay attention to me , well after another try to shove his way thru the stroller, I lost my Happy place attitude and told him were going to have a problem if it happened again, He turned around and gave me a real nice attitude complete with a.. a., i guess i was #1 and some language that i am sure all the parents around us enjoyed their children hearing.. My DW reminded me where i was and to let it go....happy happy joy joy...

Waiting in line to see Jesse and Woody, Another nice gentleman decided he was tired of waiting behind the other 10 families in front of him and sent his wife and kids to the front of the line, with my 2 DS's being next. The CM told him that there was a line to wait in and he told her he had been waiting and wasnt going to wait anymore. Well didnt have to say a word because the 9 other families in front of him took it from there LOL.....

And this one is my opinion and mine only: Having to listen to someone tell their friends how much they hate DL, how terrible it is and how it doesnt compare to WDW. (Actully heard this 2 different times while standing in line)

 

[exDS vet]

I once saw a fungrabber, probably in his thirties, and about 300lbs, race past a family and knock down a little girl as he tried to get the last tea cup on the Mad Tea Party. The cm's did nothing to the person, and the family left the ride.

On another occasion, I was waiting to pay for a book or something at the Disneyana shop and a lady was standing at the register after she paid for her items, just talking to the cm. I politely asked the cashier if she could ring me up, and the "guest" said to me. "I'm sorry, but I was talking. Would you mind waiting a until I am done." To which I replied "Oh, well I see your bags and judging by your conversation, I believe you ARE done." She then said "I just spent $500 here. I will be done when I say I am done." So I made her walk away when I told the cast member, "I would like to buy this book, and I'll also have one of each item she just purchased." Then I turned to the fungrabber and said "Since I am now spending more than you, I win!" To which she grabbed her bags and stormed out of the store. The cm and I had a great laugh over that, and I only purchased the book.

I guess in this case, I was able to re-grab the fun.

 

[boosmom96]

Say you are looking for a spot to watch fireworks and you see a blanket/tarp laying on the ground, wouldn't it be responsible to fold it up then have your party sit down and wait for the fireworks while you responsibly take it to the lost and found so the poor person that lost it could find it.

Oh Tina, you are SOOOOOOO BAD!!!! I would love to have the nerve to do this!! Honestly though, I can't say I've ever seen this, but our upcoming trip will be the first time I've been to DL during the summer rush since I was about 7!! (And that was a long time ago, so I'm sure the crowds do not compare!!!) I'm really surprised to hear the the CM's would let stuff like this happen. In my experience, even off season, they are pretty good at not letting groups have just 1 person save a spot. I've seen them many times tell guests this is not allowed.
I am not worthy to post on the same board as exDS vet !!!! Your response was really perfect!!!
iheartdisney, don't you just want to scream at idiots taking flash pics on POTC??!!! (Or any other "dark" ride!!)
iceskatejen, as long as the majority of your party's camped, then I say, "You Go Girl!!!" It's the really large groups (like over 8-10) that have one person at a time holding the spot for the rest. This is annoying!!!
BriarRosie, the only time this is really annoying is if there is a big line, and the guest just won't let the CM do his/her job! I can totally drive my DH crazy with the amount of time I can while away yakking with the CM's if they are not busy! (I'm also really bad about starting up spontaneous conversations with other guests in line!!)
And finally, yensiD naF, I'm really glad you weren't offend by my comment. Your post has generated a really fun and entertaining discussion!!!