Did you ever lose it at Disney

[Candicno]

One "gentleman" placed his shoes inside the middle so as not to get them wet and apparently the way he did this was unacceptable (I didn't notice anything unusal in the way he did this)QUOTE]

I could see a situation like this happening. At WDW, we have lots of cultures and people from all over the world. Some things that mean nothing to us mean EVERYTHING in another culture.

For example...

There are MANY MANY cultures/religions around the world that treat shoes differently that us Americans. In many places, the bottoms of shoes are considered unclean, and even showing the bottom of your shoes to an elder or when in another's company is disrespectful. I couldn't imagine what placing a pair of shoes on one's belongings might be considered!

 

[BillSears]

Yes I did and I regret it to this day.

Back around 1998 I was in the MK. It was the very last day of our vacation and the afternoon parade was just starting. I decided that the train was the best way to get past the parade and into the park. All fine so far right?

Well this was when the MK train station was between being wheelchair accesible and not wheelchair accessible. It had been preciously and would be again soon but on that day they had shut down the access. I'm a paraplegic and can't step up onto the train.

I argued with a CM about allowing me to make a transfer onto the train since the wheelchair access was shut down. He would allow me to transfer into the normal seat but that was much too high. But he wouldn't allow me to transfer onto the floor of the area where the wheelchairs normally go. From that floor space I would have then been able to transfer up into a normal seat.

I actually cussed out a CM and we practically got physical over this. I was so frustrated because I could see/touch just where I needed to go but he wouldn't let me do it. I even attempted to do it without his permission but he stopped me. During this part he pinched his hand on the gate when I was trying to open it and he was trying to close it. Later I had heard it drew some blood.

I realized afterward that he was just following the rules as he saw them. That I should have just backed down and tried my best to have a magical day. That it wasn't his fault the normal wheelchair access was shut down. But boy was I steamed at the time it happened.

Afterward I was interviewed by some suits concerning it. They took my name and address. Got my side of the story etc. I'm sure somewhere in Disney's computer system there is some sort of black mark next to my name.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Yes I did and I regret it to this day.

Back around 1998 I was in the MK. It was the very last day of our vacation and the afternoon parade was just starting. I decided that the train was the best way to get past the parade and into the park. All fine so far right?

Well this was when the MK train station was between being wheelchair accesible and not wheelchair accessible. It had been preciously and would be again soon but on that day they had shut down the access. I'm a paraplegic and can't step up onto the train.

I argued with a CM about allowing me to make a transfer onto the train since the wheelchair access was shut down. He would allow me to transfer into the normal seat but that was much too high. But he wouldn't allow me to transfer onto the floor of the area where the wheelchairs normally go. From that floor space I would have then been able to transfer up into a normal seat.

I actually cussed out a CM and we practically got physical over this. I was so frustrated because I could see/touch just where I needed to go but he wouldn't let me do it. I even attempted to do it without his permission but he stopped me. During this part he pinched his hand on the gate when I was trying to open it and he was trying to close it. Later I had heard it drew some blood.

I realized afterward that he was just following the rules as he saw them. That I should have just backed down and tried my best to have a magical day. That it wasn't his fault the normal wheelchair access was shut down. But boy was I steamed at the time it happened.

Afterward I was interviewed by some suits concerning it. They took my name and address. Got my side of the story etc. I'm sure somewhere in Disney's computer system there is some sort of black mark next to my name.

That sounds like a bad situation that would have made anybody get upset. I am sure that cm knew you were just frustrated and was probably hating life at that moment as much as you were.

 

[BillSears]

That sounds like a bad situation that would have made anybody get upset. I am sure that cm knew you were just frustrated and was probably hating life at that moment as much as you were.

Thank you.

One positive thing that came from that incident was that I've never "argued" with a CM since then. I have explained my position. I have requested that I speak to a manager. I have stood my ground on a couple of things. But I haven't lost my temper or raised my voice with a CM.

 

[objan]

This was our first real vacation as a family. Other than camping. It was 1995 and there had been a huge hurricane the day we went to Florida. We lost all of our luggage. We didn't know how to get out the "the world" to buy essentials. We were young and inexperienced travelers. My boys were 9 and 12. The 9 y/o had to wear under roos with mickey mouse on them and the 12 y/o had to wear mens 34 waist. (a size too big for him) They gripped and complained and moaned and groaned about not having any underwear, no swim suit, their favorite t shirts lost etc, etc. Not to mention that my husband and I also had no underwear, no swim suit, and had lost our favorite clothes. I spent every waking moment on the phone with the airline, hoping they found our luggage. It was hot, it was crowded and we were having to spend our precious Disney time shopping for clothes. Well after about 2 days of this, and shopping in DTD for things to wear, I sat on a bench in the middle of DTD started sobbing hysterically and cried.....This is supposed to be the happiest damn place on earth.......why am I sitting here sobbing my eyes out?!?! Well.......my boys were shocked into realizing that they were making the situation worse by complaining and it was ruining my time too. The rest of the trip was better and we tryed to relax about the whole thing. By the way......our luggage was never found and every picture that trip.....we are all wearing the same outfit. Have to laugh about it now

 

[Goobergal99]

This was our first real vacation as a family. Other than camping. It was 1995 and there had been a huge hurricane the day we went to Florida. We lost all of our luggage. We didn't know how to get out the "the world" to buy essentials. We were young and inexperienced travelers. My boys were 9 and 12. The 9 y/o had to wear under roos with mickey mouse on them and the 12 y/o had to wear mens 34 waist. (a size too big for him) They gripped and complained and moaned and groaned about not having any underwear, no swim suit, their favorite t shirts lost etc, etc. Not to mention that my husband and I also had no underwear, no swim suit, and had lost our favorite clothes. I spent every waking moment on the phone with the airline, hoping they found our luggage. It was hot, it was crowded and we were having to spend our precious Disney time shopping for clothes. Well after about 2 days of this, and shopping in DTD for things to wear, I sat on a bench in the middle of DTD started sobbing hysterically and cried.....This is supposed to be the happiest damn place on earth.......why am I sitting here sobbing my eyes out?!?! Well.......my boys were shocked into realizing that they were making the situation worse by complaining and it was ruining my time too. The rest of the trip was better and we tryed to relax about the whole thing. By the way......our luggage was never found and every picture that trip.....we are all wearing the same outfit. Have to laugh about it now

Oh Honey, I am so sorry that this happened to you, That is my biggest vacation fear, losing my luggage.... I thought that the airline had to comp you if they didnt find your luggage wethin 48 hours though, is this not true?

 

[objan]

Goobergal.........we did get some money as soon as the luggage was not found and when the vacation was over and no luggage.......we filled out all the forms. TWA really didn't reinburse us at all, but the good ole' disney insurance made up the difference. As a matter of fact I felt like I made money on the deal. So we did get reinbursed for no luggage, but that didn't help the week we were without. Every trip we have take since then, I make sure I carry at least one change of clothes, swim suits, and any other essentials in a carry on bag. Never has happened again, but I feel better with that little insurance bag. lol

 

[cindyfan]

Isn't it funny how no matter how you try.... there are still times you just "lose it"!!!

Two years ago..... staying at Poly in Oct for 8 days....
My DD was 12 at the time. We usually bring enough clothes to last, but always try to do a laundry run.
So the 4th day I go to do laundry..... and we all spend the afternoon at the pool relaxing.
So.....before we go down... I grabbed the laundry bag and ask "do you have anything else that needs washed?" "Nope."
2 hours later as I am putting things away.... I think "where's all DD's clothes? there were only a couple shirts, etc."
So I went to put things away only to find ALL of her dirty stuff was still in the drawer!!!!
Then realize she had only one clean pair of underwear left for the next 4 days!!!!
I flipped out!!!
DD and DH were still at the pool.... having a BLAST... while I had spent the last 2 hours doing laundry!! And now realized I had to do more!
I gathered up the dirty laundry, put it in a bag.....and.....
I ran down to the pool and started yelling at DD...."what do you think you are going to do now?? Wear DIRTY underwear??"
I took the bag and threw it at her and told her she was going to have to do the laundry!
I left them and went to the beach! I spent the next hour just trying to calm down.
When I returned to the room..... DD kept apologizing!!! then she spent her own "souvenir" money to buy more underwear so she could have clean ones.

Funny thing was..... during the time I went to the Poly beach... there was a wedding going on! It was beautiful! I even took some pictures. It was awesome to see the couple saying thier vows with the castle in the background!!!

 

[Shinji]

I am happy to see this thread. I can recall one time I came really close to “loosing it” and another time when someone else completely lost it.

One year, when tapestry of dreams was still running, My Wife (then girlfriend) and sister were entering the China pavilion in Epcot, right in front of the pond. The parade was about to start and we were going to grab a mango smoothie from the window service there. Just as we turned to enter the pathway, we observed a teenage boy, 17 or so - push either his mother or grandmother out of the way. He looked down at his camera and said in a thick, British accent “Oh great! Now my camera isn’t working”. He proceeded to throw the camera straight down and it scattered into hundreds of pieces. Pieces came very close to cutting my wife’s leg. I was not sure if she was hit, so I asked her. She was fine and that was Lucky for the punk.

Last year 2004, May Flower and Garden festival; It was the last night (Friday) of our trip. We were waiting in line to go back to POR:FQ from Epcot after the park had closed. About halfway through the first line for the busses, this lady and her child were in front of us. The child was, at a guess maybe 12 and in a wheelchair. Usually, Wheelchair guests go to the front of the line, obviously, so they can load first. This lady was in line with us and no-where near the front. The kid pitched a fit each time a bus came and passed without stopping for us. He kicked his feet a few times and whined. He also counted the busses as they passed out loud.

After about 35 minutes, our bus finally came and started loading. When it was our turn, the lady yelled at the bus driver to “lower the door”. The bus driver told her, most politely that he could not do that once the bush started loading and “She needed to be in the front of the line.” She started yelling at the bus driver, saying something about her child having “O.C.D. Attacks”. My sister and wife boarded the bus. This lady got even more indignant and proceeded to block the door to the bus by spreading her arms out and block other people (me) from boarding. She continued to rant and rave at the poor driver about it. I felt sorry for the bus driver while she went on a tirade. She did not pay attention to anything he said, even the part about “waiting for the next bus”.

While she may have argued that she didn’t know to be in the front of the line. I cannot see how she can claim that she didn’t know all Disney busses are wheelchair accessible. After all, how could she not know that and yet demand the driver “lower the door”?

I said “Excuse me” loud enough for her to hear me and she took a defensive stance by trying to push me. I read her body language and shifted my weight; she lost her balance and I boarded the bus as she fell. Some people on the bus and in line thought it was funny and started laughing. 10 minutes later, she finally relented by making the kid get out of the wheelchair and walk onto the bus. People clapped because we were finally able to leave for the resort. I didn’t look back but, I think she just left the wheelchair at the Epcot bus stop.

 

[Goobergal99]

Goobergal.........we did get some money as soon as the luggage was not found and when the vacation was over and no luggage.......we filled out all the forms. TWA really didn't reinburse us at all, but the good ole' disney insurance made up the difference. As a matter of fact I felt like I made money on the deal. So we did get reinbursed for no luggage, but that didn't help the week we were without. Every trip we have take since then, I make sure I carry at least one change of clothes, swim suits, and any other essentials in a carry on bag. Never has happened again, but I feel better with that little insurance bag. lol

Oh well that is good..... I too am a nervous wreck about these sort of things. I have to say that although we are using ME when we get to MCO on Monday... (Sorry, had to dance) we are not putting on the yellow tags but instead are collecting our own luggage. Mostly out of fear of it not getting there and us never finding out until hours later... I would rather know that the airlines lost my luggage right away then find out later on when I am miles away from the airport.

 

[Jabber_Jaws]

I lost it with my 3 1/2 yr old son at Universal because it was time to go see the "Barney" show and he wanted to stay and play on this little playground they had next to the Barney theatre. I was yelling and then I tried pulling him and finally he was crying and I was looking around to see who was witnessing me turning into a witch! Don't judge the man with the stroller too harshly, kids can be really frustrating when they insist on having their way. Hopefully, I will be more flexible this trip! LOL

You know I think I would not of had a problem missing Barney. Heck I would of let him play, and bought him a ice cream.

Man I dislike that purple dino.

Cheers:

 

[MidNite]

This was a few years ago. My husband, daughter, mother and I went to Epcot. Keeping in mind, I had been doing all the planning and organizing and gathering of information for the trip for months ahead of time and DH knew it...

So we get to Epcot and DH decides he doesn't want to do what we had already talked about. He wants to do it his way. I don't exactly agree with him, verbally, but I do go with what he wants. This includes splitting up from my Mom and my DD so they can go eat at Garden Grill and we go eat at San Angel. I wanted to eat at Garden Grill, but he was just set on San Angel. So, I do that for him to make him (and my daughter who really wanted GG) happy. That entire day and night, I do almost everything he wanted to do. Might not have been in the exact order he wanted to do, but we did it.

Towards the end of the evening, DD and I wanted to ride on El Rio del Tiempo. That is my favorite ride at Epcot. DH wasn't having it. I don't know what his problem was and I don't remember what he wanted to do, but he was insistent we were NOT going to ride it. So, again, we split up with Mom taking DD to ride, DH and I going off to do whatever it was that he wanted to do.

The whole time after we leave Mom and DD at the Mexican Pavilion we are arguing, not loudly but heatedly. He's telling me that everything we did that day was what I wanted to do and that he didn't get to do anything that he wanted to do. WHAT?? At this point I'm getting furious angry and sometimes when I get that mad, I cry. Here I am walking down the sidewalk with tears streaming down my face and arguing with DH through clenched teeth.

Ultimately, we wind up at the Norwegian Pavilion and I decide to sit down on a bench across from the boat replica. This bench is on the walkway to the restroom, so --great-- we get to be observed by everyone heading that way. I pull out a pen and paper to make a column "Me" and another column "You" and I list everything we had done that day that he wanted to do. Nine things in his column. And then I list everything I wanted to do. One thing in my column. UGH. I was so mad. What made it worse was he still stuck to his guns even after I showed him proof. Men.

 

[KarenP99]

...DH was right; WDW is no place for kids....

This just cracked me up

 

[delilah]

Normally, when we are on a big trip, things happen that peeve me (and I'm sure other people, too). Usually, I am not loud, just angry. Like when my son
lost his gameboy at Grand Floridian--I still can't believe that somebody could find a kid's toy labeled with his name and phone number, and NOT turn it in to lost and found. But, then, I once dropped my pager somewhere between my office desk and my car, discovered it missing when I arrived home, and drove back to my office, and it was GONE. It too was labeled with my name, and dropped right outside the office with the same name on the door.

Last trip, I was really peeved with my husband. We went to MGM on Star Wars weekend Memorial Day week. My son wanted a purple light saber, which they had at the gift store on Sunday. My husband didn't want to wait in line to buy it. The purple light sabers were very popular, and when we returned later in the week, there were nont. We couldn't find any anywhere--not at WDW, not at Target, not at Toys R Us. We have spent more time looking for that saber than it could possibly have taken to wait in that line. Even going to Toys R Us is a 40 minute trip, and my son was totally inconsolable at the time.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

Did I ever lose it? Why yes, yes as a matter of a fact I did!

We were doing an extended family trip (NEVER AGAIN) and my BILs were fighting about something dumb like whether to go back to the room or stay at EPCOT and I started to ..... *CRY* .

Warning for all future travellers : Don't bring non-Disney people with you to WDW!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stacy6552]

While at MK for not even half the day, I was hit approximately 20 times in the foot and leg by those parents that can't steer strollers. Most of the time it was when there wasn't a baby or kid in the stroller. I seen kids pushing their own strollers better than the parents. I hate to see how those parents that cannot steer strollers can operate a motor vehicle???

OK it has to be said (and I didnt read all 1118 pages so forgive the redundance if it is), it has been my experience that most people who get knocked by a stroller bring it on themselves. Yes some people look away for a second to talk to another child or their spouse or whatever and doo hit someone accidentally. However, I can't tell you how many people would just stop abruptly in front of me (and my stroller) or just cut me off suddenly. I never hit anyone, but it sure started ticking me off.

Donald if you got hit that often, I have to guess that you brought it on yourself. Sorry.

 

[cindyfan]

Warning for all future travellers : Don't bring non-Disney people with you to WDW!!!!!!!!!!!!

So True!!!!
I almost lost it when we went with our best friends in 2000.
We didn't plan the entire trip with them....but planned meeting up on like 4 of the 7 days we were there.
The first day with them at MK was fine. But we were staying on-site and they stayed off!! first big mistake they made (after that trip they swore they would never stay off-site again).

By the 3rd day we were to spend together....they did nothing but complain about being off-site and the buses not running and it was hot and they couldn't go rest and swim.....bla bla bla.
Then to make matters worse...... it was thier first trip and our 4th or 5th.... so they kept relying on us to be thier guides!! I didn't mind giving them pointers but I was not going to be responsible for them!
For 2 days....it was "What next? You are the guide... Where to now?" and... "It's hot! What has air-conditioning? Is that ride inside? We're hungry! Where can we eat at?"

We planned MGM for the day and we had our usual plan....and they just walked into the park, grabbed a map and did the usual "So, what do you want to do?" Then it was...."You are the expert....where we going today?"
I had enough.... I was proud of myself for not "losing it" in front of them.... but I said "I'm headed to the Hunchback show, you guys can look at the map and decide"
I walked away with DD and just kind of exploded in front of her! Saying "What do they think I am, thier personal tour guide?" "I want to have fun too!" Thank goodness she understood!!!
They did realize then what they were doing and later that day my best friend apologized.
The last day we spent together at Epcot and it was one of the best days we ever had!!!

 

[k5thbeatle]

One "gentleman" placed his shoes inside the middle so as not to get them wet and apparently the way he did this was unacceptable (I didn't notice anything unusal in the way he did this)QUOTE]

I could see a situation like this happening. At WDW, we have lots of cultures and people from all over the world. Some things that mean nothing to us mean EVERYTHING in another culture.

For example...

There are MANY MANY cultures/religions around the world that treat shoes differently that us Americans. In many places, the bottoms of shoes are considered unclean, and even showing the bottom of your shoes to an elder or when in another's company is disrespectful. I couldn't imagine what placing a pair of shoes on one's belongings might be considered!

The only "culture" that was involved in this scenario was the culture of the "east"...East coast of the US that is! The culture of "I, me, mine"!

 

[eclectics]

The only "culture" that was involved in this scenario was the culture of the "east"...East coast of the US that is! The culture of "I, me, mine"!

Hmmm..... Sounds more like Los Angeles to me.

 

[slk537]

May 2004 is the first time that comes to my mind...we had just gotten to Epcot for the evening EMH and I had to use the restroom. DH told me he and DS would wait for me "outside the doors" of the Electric Umbrella. I said, "You are going to wait for me?" Yes. "You will be right outside the doors?" Yup. (Can you tell I'm a veteran here? He is NEVER where he says he'll be and I end up forced to sit and wait for him so we aren't both wandering around just missing each other). So I go in and zoom through what I need to do, hoping this is the time I'm wrong and he will actually be there. So I walk out into the darkness and realize...there are TWO doors.

Oh...and by the way, he's not outside either of them.

So now I can't even sit outside the doors and wait. I have to keep wandering between them hoping to see them when they return. Do you have any idea how many men with strollers there are at Epcot?? And in the dark, they all look the same.

Finally, by the time I am ready to either burst into tears or explode, they return. He thought I was going to be longer so they ducked into Mouse Gears. The man had been married to me for 7 years at the time...you'd think he'd know by then that I don't take 25 minutes in the bathroom!!!

I don't know how many people noticed me giving him what for - now I was thankful for the darkness - but I did. ARGH!!!

Then he made it worse (and better) by perching me down on a bench and having DS hand me the small bag - they had gone into Mousegears to buy me that pretty three pearl Mickey icon necklace (I had seen it in December and thought it was adorable).

So part of me felt bad but still...all he had to do was say "I want to run into the store...wait here and we'll be right back."

Sidenote: now we bring walkie talkies or cell phones...