Cranky Holiday Crowds

[SRUAlmn]

The 2 times I have been to Disney have been at Christmas, and I thought it would be interesting to start a thread where those of us who have experienced this time of year there could share a little about the ups and downs of this time of year, and those who may be planning to attend at this time of year for the first time could learn and prepare themselves for what they may face. Two experiences strongly stand out in my mind to this day (10 years later.)
1. It was my first time at WDW, I was 16 years old, had just lost my father to cancer, all I wanted to do was see Mickey Mouse. At last, there he was in Epcot. I rushed over to get in the LONG line to see him, and as I waited I overheard the conversation of the man and his wife behind me. "I am really sick and tired of these teenagers taking up valuable line space. Is it really necessary to waste my time so they can see a guy in a suit?" I tried to kindly ignore them, until he started nudging the back of my leg with his child's stroller. I turned around and looked at him as he told me to, and I quote, " Get the **** out of the line so the REAL kids could have a turn."
2. We were in position to watch the VMCP with Regis Philbin. We got there early so we could have a good view. There were 7 of us, and the youngest was 11, so we didn't really have any "little" kids (plus we all look older - we are a TALL family.) This family of 4 pushed their way in front of us, glanced over and said "The kids really should be in the front, it means more to them." They then proceeded to put their two children on their shoulders in front of us. Needless to say we didn't really see much of the parade. I still have my pictures with half of Regis Philbin's face and a child's rear end. hahaha- at least we can laugh about it now!

Just thought I'd share. I have some more stories if anyone wants to continue sharing! If you are planning on going during this time of year the magic, decor, and spirit of Disney are unbelievable, but be prepared for your share of people who have lost some of their Disney spirit.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'll often let short kids stand in front of me for parades...but NOT the parents, and certainly not parents with kids on shoulders. If they're going to put the kids on the shoulders, they should stand behind other people.

 

[SRUAlmn]

I guess I should have clarified that. We did allow the small kids to go in front of us (as the parents tried to push them up there,) but the parents followed right behind, and that is when they put them on their shoulders. What kind of manners is this teaching their kids???

 

[danny1649]

Are so rude and unkind at such a Magical place has WDW.In any walk of life you bump into them from time to time.I've met a few at Disney.I don't let them spoil the magic for me.I think of the man who found my wallet with $700.00 cash my park tickets my credit cards and ID'S and returned all intact to lost and found.The many familys who have shared a little curb on Main Street to let my small grandchildren see parade.To the young men and ladies who have offered my wife a seat when the bus is full.Those who are mean and rude at Disney are that way in their everyday life as well and if the magic of Disney can't help them I'm not mad at them I feel sorry them.They measure Disney in dollars and cents spent I measure it in the special way it lifts my spirit and the enjoyment of all the wonderful folks who are enjoying that feeling with me I don't worry about a couple of jerks that if I gave them a brand new house would gripe about the color of it.Let me get off my soap box I'm usally not so preachy,sorry.

 

[chadfromdallas]

Originally posted by SRUAlmn
1. as I waited I overheard the conversation of the man and his wife behind me. "I am really sick and tired of these teenagers taking up valuable line space. Is it really necessary to waste my time so they can see a guy in a suit?" I tried to kindly ignore them, until he started nudging the back of my leg with his child's stroller. I turned around and looked at him as he told me to, and I quote, " Get the **** out of the line so the REAL kids could have a turn."

Wow, some people

If he would have said that to me, I think I would have snapped.



I guess its because I was raised to speak up, but I would have said something once I overheard what you did at first.

The more I think about your situation, the more I actually want it to happen to me on my next trip, just to see what I do, lol....great....

edit: Just to add a little story of something that did happen on one of the trips I took to Disney World: It involved my parents, another couple, and talk about people from Texas. Too many mean and ignorant people in this world today and I guess DW has its fair share of them

 

[uktigger]

hi srualmn

my story isn't as bad as yours
when we first went to disney the first morning we were up early and went to the food court(all star movies)my youngest who was just 5 at the time accidently knocked into a lady 's chair as he was walking around to sit himself down,well this lady turned around and said to her husband "i wish people would teach their children how to behave whist eating"well i was a little upset and did think to myself well if you don't want to be around children then maybe book into a deluxe resort and maybe there will not be as many kids around needless to say we went on to have a great holiday and we have now caught the disney bug and are going back this october

eve

 

[moinab]

Very well said, danny1649!!!!

 

[roadtripper]

Another parade story to share...
I overheard a woman talking about how long she had waited to get her spot, and she said, "if anyone tries to cut in front of me, I'm going to let them have a piece of my mind." I moved so that I was DIRECTLY in front of her, and she didn't say a thing, but did the eye roll to her friend. I could only do it for a second before turning around and saying--"Just kidding!" We had a good laugh, and I moved out of her way. Then she let my kids stand in front of her! A funny Disney moment!

 

[KittyKitty]

Waiting for parades seem to bring out the beast in ppl. Most complaints from these boards involve them. I find even myself becoming territorial while waiting.

So I've decided not to even try to see the parades anymore. It's a good time to go on a ride


See ya there!
Susan

 

[MomE@Home]

Spring break in April 2002 was the last time we were at WDW and we experienced both good & bad behavior from children & adults. Most of the bad came from adults !
We always let children sit up front during parades with ours if there is room.

 

[johnsonet]

Originally posted by danny1649
Are so rude and unkind at such a Magical place has WDW.In any walk of life you bump into them from time to time.I've met a few at Disney.I don't let them spoil the magic for me.I think of the man who found my wallet with $700.00 cash my park tickets my credit cards and ID'S and returned all intact to lost and found.The many familys who have shared a little curb on Main Street to let my small grandchildren see parade.To the young men and ladies who have offered my wife a seat when the bus is full.Those who are mean and rude at Disney are that way in their everyday life as well and if the magic of Disney can't help them I'm not mad at them I feel sorry them.They measure Disney in dollars and cents spent I measure it in the special way it lifts my spirit and the enjoyment of all the wonderful folks who are enjoying that feeling with me I don't worry about a couple of jerks that if I gave them a brand new house would gripe about the color of it.Let me get off my soap box I'm usally not so preachy,sorry.

danny1649 your post just brought a tear to my eyes...WELL SAID!!!

 

[winniedapooh]

Uggh this was our first trip at Christmas----it was a sea of people and my kids got knocked in the head by people carrying oversized backpacks on their backs and then turning around into them. One lady pushed her stroller and her entire party in front of us while we were waiting for a parade and made a comment about my size and her children not being able to see through me. We had staked out a spot an hour before parade time, she was walking by and decided this was a good spot to have! Another family dragged their screaming and crying toddlers through fantasy land screaming at them to grow up and walk. The kids looked all of 2 or 3, it was hot-high 70's, they had no stroller and were each carrying stuff, and it was late afternoon. Poor things I don't think I will ever forget the look in their eyes as they cried and the look of anger on Dad's face and in his eyes. On a happier note, while waiting in Mickey's Philharmagic we met a lovely woman who had a very disfigured face and who most people were staring at and little kids were gaping at. My 10 yo saw this and went up to her and started talking, he had this great conversation with her. When it was time to go in she reached over, hugged me, and thanked me for raising such a polite boy. She said I know most people cannot understand what I am saying and a lot of people stare at me but your son made me feel like a princess today!

 

[BeckWhy]

I don't think it's just holiday crowds. When I went in January, there was this family behind me in one of the lines, the little boy grabbed my backpack, yanked it back, then pushed me. When I turned around to see who it was (wouldn't be the first time I ran into people I knew in Disney World), it was this lil kid. Then his mom started giving me all these bad looks. Then the kid continued to push and what not into me. My sister was starting to get annoyed (I have a high tolerance for stuff) and she was about to say something, and if any of you have followed any of my posts, you should know it wouldn't have been pretty.

Also I had experience on that trip (mind you it was in JANUARY) of parents complaining the lines were WAY too long, and what not.

When I was waiting for the parade in the Magic Kingdom I also had a women come up and tell everyone to move (from the sidewalk) because she had bad knees and couldn't stand for long periods of time. Not to mention, after that, she stood through most of the parade (well the parts that I was there for).

 

[rapriebe]

Dear winniedapooh,

Reading your post, almost brought a tear to my eye. You should definitely be proud of your son but more so, you deserve alot of credit. Obviously you have done a great job raising your children and you will reap the rewards from that, all the rest of your life.

Good job MOM

 

[Disney Debbie]

It's not "holiday crowds" - people like that are jerks ALL the time! But honestly - we always enjoy seeing someone act like a jerk every once in a while - gives us a good laugh and someone to talk about the rest of the trip!

The worst I've personally experienced has been trying to see characters - back in the old days before they had organized lines. My DD was so sweet and polite that she'd basically let every one and their brother break in front of her to see them. I'm glad those days are over!! We were at MGM when she was 6 and we were in a food court (that I don't think is there anymore) and Beauty and the Beast appeared out of nowhere! There weren't very many people there at all so we got up and calmly walked over to where they were. There was one family already with them and we were standing there waiting to see them when this woman comes up behind me talking in a very LOUD voice about how they had been waiting in "this line" for 30 minutes and can't believe how rude we are! LINE? WHAT LINE? There was no one there! They walked up from a table just like we did! She apparently knew that they were going to be there so I guess that means she was in "line"???? By this time DD is already with them - which meant that at most this woman had 30 seconds to wait! So we go sit down and as she's leaving she comes by and SHOVES the chair my 6 yo DD's sitting in! Like even if we HAD broken in line it would be a 6 year old's fault!! I honestly thought my SIL and I were going to get in a fist fight it made me so mad!

But really - we have a whole lot more stories of the nice people we've met and talked to and that's what I like to think about. They just don't make as good a story!

 

[krissy3483]

Just wanted to put my own little story in, its not a bad thing at all, it just drove me crazy. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I were in MK on a Monday. We had been there all day and it was crowded and raining. After the first Spectro, we went and got ice cream from the place on Main St. and sat at the chairs next to it outside so we could relax for a few minutes. It was raining pretty heavily, so I stood up to open the umbrella but I was too short, so my boyfriend got up to help me. Not more than two seconds later, a group of 4 or 5 women comes over and takes our nice dry seats and one of them says that "we can all share." If they had asked me politely I would have probably gotten up, but they literally stole the chair out from under me. The only chairs that they left were in the rain and of course soaking wet so those little ladies were asked to move not only by me and my boyfriend, but by all the kind people at the tables around us. Man was that seat comfortable!

 

[Kteacher]

Last July 4th at Epcot, I was sitting on a bench with 2 of my kids waiting for Illuminations to start. After being there for about 30 minutes, a man squeezes onto the bench with us and procedes to light up a cigar I guess that was his way of getting a spot for Illuminations we ended up moving to a different spot because the stench was so bad!

 

[Baloo]

winniedapooh...BRAVO Mom! That was a truley touching story.Thank you for sharing!

A few years ago we were sitting on the curb at MGM waiting for the then Toy Story parade,my son in his stroller pulled right to the edge of the curb,like with a inch to spare, his Dad on the other side.About 5 min. before the parade began a woman and her,about 6 yr old son try to sit on the curb in front of Erich's stroller! I say,no no...they didn't speak English...so they move down INTO the street in front of us to sit... just a few minutes went by and here comes a CM and made them move where the mother tried to sit in front of Erich's stroller on the curb again! The CM told her no and they sulked down the way...during the parade I saw them edged out in the street again.

That wasn't my first "waiting for a parade with rude people" story...I am to the point I don't wait for parades anymore,it seems it brings out some bad manners in ALOT of people.

 

[huskey8]

You know I have to tell you one of the things that surprised me the most when we were at the MK on Thursday was how nice the people were. It was raining on and off and people were sharing ponchos, making room for just one more person under what ever you could get under and generally just helping each other whenever they could. I don’t know but if it was the pixie dust just a good crowd or what but we both were impressed by this.

 

[maroney495]

As others have said there are rude people everywhere, but I guess the time that sticks out most in my mind is from our trip this past Christmas. We were leaving Fantasmic(you know the scene, crushing people all moving at a snail pace). When a guy in front of us lights up his cigarette, then his DW/SO(who was pushing a baby in a stroller) decides to light hers too. Moving at this pace with two burning embers and smoke all around was not fun especially for my DD with asthma.