Bubble machines in the parks

[BayouMickey]

My daughter is one of those people who are allergic to "bubbles". Actually she is allergic to the surfactants that make bubbles. She is 18 now and is just getting this issue under control. She would get red, raw rashes - especially around the inner elbow and the back of the knee. Regular rash cream, etc. don't work. She has been in misery most of her life due to this. One time she even got a bad infection from scratching the area with dirty fingernails (kids!!). Anyway, we have been able to find detergents, soaps, lotions, etc. that she can tolerate (with help from creams and medicine). Although we still need to take precautions like putting a towel (washed in her soap) down when she sits on airplane seats, train seats, car seats, anything with upholstery. All of our furniture and car interiors are leather because of her.

In regards to the bubbles. I don't want to restrict other children from having fun. If someone was blowing bubbles in our vicinity we would either move, or my DD would put her arms/legs in her shirt/pants, etc. as much as possible or we would stand surrounding her to try to protect her as much as possible.

However, I am also in the camp that I don't do things that might impact other people and their enjoyment of the parks. I have taught my kids to walk quietly in hotel hallways (even during day). Don't run and jump and bump other people while walking or in line (unless an area to do this type of thing). etc. Don't play music so loudly that others can hear. (Not really a Disney Park problem). Don't scream and yell. Don't get up from table and run around the restaurant while others are eating.

When my kids were little I brought little coloring books/activity books and crayons to keep the kids occupied while waiting for shows, etc. (Actually my kids still love to color and they are older!!) We generally used touring strategies that minimized waits in lines. So most of the time they could just be patient enough to get through the line. Or we would talk quietly about what we have done so far or what we were going to do. Or look at the park map and pick out what to do next. Etc.

Maggie

Maggie, I totally respect this. You and your daughter are a prime example of the point I'm trying to make. I'm not trying to be insensitive to people with allergies/handicaps etc. I KNOW what they are going through. All I'm saying is people shouldn't expect others to cater to their problems, It's up to the person/parent to take the necessary precautions. I stand by my comment of " consideration can only go so far until it becomes inconsiderate to everyone else". My children don't do the whole bubble thing, they rather play their ds'es lol. But I do see little kids blowing bubbles in line every once in a blue moon. And I don't see them dirtying someone's glasses or trying to send someone to the hospital.. I see a small child beaming and smiling ear to ear over something so simple as a bubble..And in true DIS fashion, many have to demonize that.

 

[BayouMickey]

Because people did die. And they died young.

My mother remembers in the 50's she'd read in the paper every week that some kid had died of "asthma". It was what they used to call anaphylactic reactions back then. You had your first attack, you died, and after that you weren't an inconvenience to anyone in the school system.

I don't think it's asking very much to engage other parents in making the school a safe place for all children. Peanuts are a particularly big problem because, unlike milk and other allergy-triggering foods, their oils can cling to clothes and fingers and cause allergic reactions long after the actual sandwich has been eaten.

Ok So magpie, I pose this question to you..
there are times my daughter cannot have what's being served for lunch in the cafeteria, her only other option is a sunflower butter sandwich (yes sunflower butter) that they offer.. She is disgusted by sunflower butter..but her dr says to give her a peanut butter (minus jelly) sandwich to keep her carb count up. So what should she do? not eat because ONE child out of 300 or so can't eat peanuts? Let's go a step further.. Now my diabetic child hasn't eaten lunch, she goes into a dangerously low blood sugar. Now for not endangering one child they now endanger mine. Now, you can say it's not the school's fault the child won't eat sunflower butter, well it's not my child's fault, little peter can't be around peanuts. why should she suffer for that?

 

[denneg]

I live with several cats, and at the best of times I'm usually covered with their hair and dander. Could your DH sit next to someone like me, or would I set his allergies off?

No, he would have a reaction and need to move immediately. I always carry medicine for him, but we are aware of the signs and ask for reassigned seats as soon as he starts showing them. He doesn't necessarily need to leave the plane, because the chances of it becoming airborne are a lot less then when an animal scratches or shakes, but he would need to move as far away as possible.

 

[ZehnJahren]

When I was a kid, we waited in line.

That's it.

My parents didn't carry around books or pads of paper or video games or bubble machines or pipe cleaners or anything of the sort.

You want to ride the ride? You wait in line.

And there was no FP. No quicker way to get on the ride. I remember standing in a 3 hour line at SM once when I was 5.

What did we do?

We talked. We played word games, we played I Spy, we people-watched.

I went to WDW for the first time the year Epcot opened. I was 4.

Nope, no special line fun.

 

[BayouMickey]

When I was a kid, we waited in line.

That's it.

My parents didn't carry around books or pads of paper or video games or bubble machines or pipe cleaners or anything of the sort.

You want to ride the ride? You wait in line.

And there was no FP. No quicker way to get on the ride. I remember standing in a 3 hour line at SM once when I was 5.

What did we do?

We talked. We played word games, we played I Spy, we people-watched.

I went to WDW for the first time the year Epcot opened. I was 4.

Nope, no special line fun.

You are absolutely right Zen, we didn't.. But lines were not nearly as bad back then either. I can see the need for some entertainment while waiting.. Heck even Disney sees the need now, hence the new interactive queues popping up. But I agree, we were a tougher lot back then..

 

[smallblackstars]

I am one of those people who are allergic to soaps and detergents (be gone Pantene you elixir of doom!!!). Bubbles make me all rashy and itchy but I still let my DD use them and will happily tolerate kids blowing bubbles. I carry wet wipes that do not bring me out in a rash, I use them mostly because I am allergic to most perfumes, they make my eyes sting and weep so the wipes help soothe my eyes and face. I would use those to wash the residue from bubbles off when walking about but I really don't think I could handle being in a line and unable to move away with someone blowing bubbles next to me. By all means get your little one a bubble gun but I wouldn't say a ride line is a good place for it. Last year I got my DD (she was 2) a lollipop that had an aeroplane on top with Minnie mouse in it, the front of the plane is a fan and when you switch the fan on it lights up, my DD LOVED it, it kept her occupied for ages (and the fan kept her nice and cool!) and she didn't even realise it was a lollipop too as we didn't want her having candy. I got it in the Tower of Terror shop but I think you can get them all over. Perhaps something like this would be better for queues?

 

[sharonped]

I cried with joy when my DS's were playing with bubbles - absolute magic. We chose not to let them play with them in line. Please just gently nudge the parent and with a smile say: "I'm sorry, I love watching your child totally enjoy his/her bubbles, but my daughter/son/self is highly allergic to them - could you please make sure they don't hit us?" or "Excuse me (again, with a smile) - I have a very expensive camera lens that will be ruined if a bubble lands on it - could you please make sure the bubbles are away from me?" or "Excuse me, I have unwashable glasses, could you please not let your child blow them towards my face?" Most parents in this position (I'd like to think all, but we know this is not the case) are so caught up in enjoying their child's joy that they aren't even aware they're causing a serious problem for others. MOST parents are NOT deliberately trying to cause harm to anyone, and most will apologize and gladly comply. Please just try being nice first instead of fuming and not saying anything or shouting down a 2-year old. Thank-you.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I cried with joy when my DS's were playing with bubbles - absolute magic. We chose not to let them play with them in line. Please just gently nudge the parent and with a smile say: "I'm sorry, I love watching your child totally enjoy his/her bubbles, but my daughter/son/self is highly allergic to them - could you please make sure they don't hit us?" or "Excuse me (again, with a smile) - I have a very expensive camera lens that will be ruined if a bubble lands on it - could you please make sure the bubbles are away from me?" or "Excuse me, I have unwashable glasses, could you please not let your child blow them towards my face?" Most parents in this position (I'd like to think all, but we know this is not the case) are so caught up in enjoying their child's joy that they aren't even aware they're causing a serious problem for others. MOST parents are NOT deliberately trying to cause harm to anyone, and most will apologize and gladly comply. Please just try being nice first instead of fuming and not saying anything or shouting down a 2-year old. Thank-you.

Lol. Unwashable glasses.

 

[henry72]

Ok So magpie, I pose this question to you..
there are times my daughter cannot have what's being served for lunch in the cafeteria, her only other option is a sunflower butter sandwich (yes sunflower butter) that they offer.. She is disgusted by sunflower butter..but her dr says to give her a peanut butter (minus jelly) sandwich to keep her carb count up. So what should she do? not eat because ONE child out of 300 or so can't eat peanuts? Let's go a step further.. Now my diabetic child hasn't eaten lunch, she goes into a dangerously low blood sugar. Now for not endangering one child they now endanger mine. Now, you can say it's not the school's fault the child won't eat sunflower butter, well it's not my child's fault, little peter can't be around peanuts. why should she suffer for that?

Can she not bring her lunch? Is she required to eat what the cafeteria provides? (Just curious.)

My daughter is allergic to most food including peanuts. She has an epi-pen for an UNKNOWN food allergy. Yes, we don't know what could cause her problems. She still eats in the cafeteria or brings something from home. I have told the school that she can sit next to someone who eats peanuts as so far her reaction to them has not been that severe. I would never want to tell a kid he can't have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but certainly would if it meant my kid might die because of it. (If she was severely allergic to peanuts, they would move her to a peanut-free area for lunch. Peanuts have not been banned and I am fine with that.)

As for the bubble issue - we would never blow them in line. Elsewhere, I expect others can avoid the bubbles or politely ask us to stop blowing them. (Of course this isn't an issue for us as we don't take bubbles to WDW but have blown them at the park at home.)

 

[bumbershoot]

It's kind of funny when you step back and think..... this discussion..... is about BUBBLES

Naw. It's about where one persons space ends and anther begins and learning to respect that. It is simply disguised as bubbles so some people can tease those who don't like them.

I don't mind a cm in an open space using the bubble gun. I mind toddlers doing it though. And I don't know why people buy them. Toddler uses it 5 minutes and the solution is gone. Or like my cousin, uses it for 30 seconds, the gun malfunctions, solution spills everywhere, fun never even started.

Lol. Unwashable glasses.

Where can you wash glasses while in a line? I can still enjoy a ride without glasses so I don't have to leave the line to get the goop off. But my cousin and her children are legally blind without them. The bubbles have now made them leave the line to go spend many minutes cleaning this off and altered their day.

Just stay in the vast amounts of people free land you may or may not find in the park if you must buy one. Or let the kidlets enjoy the bubbles they come across when a cm is using one.

 

[BayouMickey]

Can she not bring her lunch? Is she required to eat what the cafeteria provides? (Just curious.)

My daughter is allergic to most food including peanuts. She has an epi-pen for an UNKNOWN food allergy. Yes, we don't know what could cause her problems. She still eats in the cafeteria or brings something from home. I have told the school that she can sit next to someone who eats peanuts as so far her reaction to them has not been that severe. I would never want to tell a kid he can't have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but certainly would if it meant my kid might die because of it. (If she was severely allergic to peanuts, they would move her to a peanut-free area for lunch. Peanuts have not been banned and I am fine with that.)

As for the bubble issue - we would never blow them in line. Elsewhere, I expect others can avoid the bubbles or politely ask us to stop blowing them. (Of course this isn't an issue for us as we don't take bubbles to WDW but have blown them at the park at home.)

yes, and she does on days she has to. I was just posing the question on the fact that what if she couldn't. but god help her if she bought a peanut butter sandwich lol. And your thought process is very similar to mine, which is my whole point in a round about way. I would never expect or tell someone that they can't have this or that for the sake of MY child. as a parent it's my responsibility to remove her from a situation that puts her in a dangerous one for her. It's not my job to police everyone around her.

 

[BayouMickey]

Naw. It's about where one persons space ends and anther begins and learning to respect that. It is simply disguised as bubbles so some people can tease those who don't like them.

I don't mind a cm in an open space using the bubble gun. I mind toddlers doing it though. And I don't know why people buy them. Toddler uses it 5 minutes and the solution is gone. Or like my cousin, uses it for 30 seconds, the gun malfunctions, solution spills everywhere, fun never even started.



Where can you wash glasses while in a line? I can still enjoy a ride without glasses so I don't have to leave the line to get the goop off. But my cousin and her children are legally blind without them. The bubbles have now made them leave the line to go spend many minutes cleaning this off and altered their day.

Just stay in the vast amounts of people free land you may or may not find in the park if you must buy one. Or let the kidlets enjoy the bubbles they come across when a cm is using one.

lol goop?? I wear glasses, I've had all matter of things splattered on them. You know what I do? i use my shirt or a kleenex. It's bubbles, not toxic magma from planet x..

 

[Jedana]

Can she not bring her lunch? Is she required to eat what the cafeteria provides? (Just curious.)

My daughter is allergic to most food including peanuts. She has an epi-pen for an UNKNOWN food allergy. Yes, we don't know what could cause her problems. She still eats in the cafeteria or brings something from home. I have told the school that she can sit next to someone who eats peanuts as so far her reaction to them has not been that severe. I would never want to tell a kid he can't have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but certainly would if it meant my kid might die because of it. (If she was severely allergic to peanuts, they would move her to a peanut-free area for lunch. Peanuts have not been banned and I am fine with that.)

As for the bubble issue - we would never blow them in line. Elsewhere, I expect others can avoid the bubbles or politely ask us to stop blowing them. (Of course this isn't an issue for us as we don't take bubbles to WDW but have blown them at the park at home.)

At one of the schools here (parochial, K-12), they have a peanut free, perfume free, room. One grade level had 18 kids with peanut allergies, so they put them all in one room and put a whole bunch of rules on it. Visitors have to wash their hands before entering, all food must be in original packaging with allergen information, etc. They eat lunch in that class, and it has it's own bathroom in there.


I'm allergic to the dyes/perfumes in most bubbles. When the kids wanted bubble baths, and I would swoosh the bubbles, my hands would come out red and blistering. (The first couple times, that is; after that, I started using a whisk and the shower head to swoosh). I have to use a natural soap with no dyes or scents.

If they were outside and wanted to play with bubbles, their dad would need to do it, or they had to do it themselves.

Some one walking by with heavy perfume (or even those scented sprays from the places at the mall) can send me into a migraine.

 

[BayouMickey]

At one of the schools here (parochial, K-12), they have a peanut free, perfume free, room. One grade level had 18 kids with peanut allergies, so they put them all in one room and put a whole bunch of rules on it. Visitors have to wash their hands before entering, all food must be in original packaging with allergen information, etc. They eat lunch in that class, and it has it's own bathroom in there.


I'm allergic to the dyes/perfumes in most bubbles. When the kids wanted bubble baths, and I would swoosh the bubbles, my hands would come out red and blistering. (The first couple times, that is; after that, I started using a whisk and the shower head to swoosh). I have to use a natural soap with no dyes or scents.

If they were outside and wanted to play with bubbles, their dad would need to do it, or they had to do it themselves.

Some one walking by with heavy perfume (or even those scented sprays from the places at the mall) can send me into a migraine.

Firstly, I'm sorry for all you have to go through, It must be very hard with perfumes in just about everything these days!

Secondly I think your school has it done right. The way they do it doesn't put anyone out. Kudos to them.

 

[abinormal]

You are absolutely right Zen, we didn't.. But lines were not nearly as bad back then either. I can see the need for some entertainment while waiting.. Heck even Disney sees the need now, hence the new interactive queues popping up. But I agree, we were a tougher lot back then..

I'm 31 and carried a book everywhere I went as a child. I still do. I don't see what's so terrible about that.

 

[BayouMickey]

I'm 31 and carried a book everywhere I went as a child. I still do. I don't see what's so terrible about that.

Me either

 

[mm1971]

When we were there in August, they had bubble guns at most of the kiosks that were available. I don't remember what they cost, but the kids played with them for a few minutes.

 

[maxiesmom]

lol goop?? I wear glasses, I've had all matter of things splattered on them. You know what I do? i use my shirt or a kleenex. It's bubbles, not toxic magma from planet x..

You did exactly what my eye doctor says not to do, as it will scratch the lenses on my glasses.

There are many ways to entertain kids in line that don't involve spraying or shooting of other substances on the other people in line, even if that contact is accidental.

 

[BayouMickey]

You did exactly what my eye doctor says not to do, as it will scratch the lenses on my glasses.

There are many ways to entertain kids in line that don't involve spraying or shooting of other substances on the other people in line, even if that contact is accidental.

Dentist tell people not to eat sweets. Do you never eat sweets?
My current pair of glasses I've had for 3 years now.. not one scratch.. It would take more than one quick wipe in a line to ruin them..

you say that like some parent is giving them to kids and telling them "take em all out kid" lol wow the centralisticness of people these days astonishes me. Apparently tolerance is a four letter word now..

I just can't believe how far low we've gone in a society when we can't tolerate a few minutes around a little child innocently blowing bubbles... Shame on us for becoming so self absorbed...

Especially in a place which is supposed to be so magical for children and encourages grown ups to relive their childhood..

 

[chimilady]

yes, and she does on days she has to. I was just posing the question on the fact that what if she couldn't. but god help her if she bought a peanut butter sandwich lol. And your thought process is very similar to mine, which is my whole point in a round about way. I would never expect or tell someone that they can't have this or that for the sake of MY child. as a parent it's my responsibility to remove her from a situation that puts her in a dangerous one for her. It's not my job to police everyone around her.

You do realize that you are talking about DEATH of a child, right? DEATH, not itchy eyes, not oh poor baby, DEATH. I see you whining about your poor child not being able to eat what they want because another child could die, but we're supposed to feel bad for you? FWIW, when we transitioned to sunflower seed butter (and yes, it's good!) we went half peanutbutter, half sunflower seed butter with jelly at home, so when they went to school they were used to it. If sugar was airborne and could kill people, you would not be singing the same tune you're singing now, because you child could DIE. But it's not your child, so who cares, right?