Have you ever had a Magical Meltdown at WDW?

[mamaprincess]

Hmmmm... it seems that us planners seem to be the most prone to magical meltdowns at WDW. Why do the non-planners always want to mess up our neatly and perfectly arranged itineraries. They seem to have no idea of all the trouble we've gone through planning the perfect trip to WDW Every now and them we have to beat them into submission! Then everyone can get back to having a magical vacation OUR WAY or risk the wrath!!!

 

[korbbec]

We were a group of 7. My Bro, neice, and his girlfriend flying from Colorado, my mother and step- father flying from Connecticut, and my little bro (23) and me (28) driving from Ct because we don't like to fly. We had no plans for arrival day due to people arriving at diff times from diff places by diff means. My DM planned the trip and was eagerly awaiting everyones arrival as they got in first. The folks from Co arrived next. They never went to dinner as they were waiting for my bro & me. We arrived late and everyone decided to just wait for breakfast since we had an early (like 8 am?) ADR for Restaurantosaurus and everyone wanted a good nights sleep after traveling all day. We woke up starving. We got ready and headed for the bus. We waited for the bus. We rode the bus. We walked into the park. We waited to get seated. We waited for a server. Please keep in mind that none of this took exceptionally long, we were just hungry so it felt that way. Well, we were "lucky" enough to get a very friendly server. He was unlucky enough to get us. He started chatting and welcoming us and telling us about the buufet and so on. My DM lost it. Her head started spinning.(At least that's how I remember it). She actually said to him, with a snide, condescending look "We really don't care about any of this and you are wasting our time. We just want food. Where do we get it". The rest of our party was mortified. Myself and both adults from Colorado are in or have been in the food service industry so we apologised as did my DM once she got some grub and returned to herself.

 

[5disneyfreaks]

Really, it wasn't. Ok, it was kinda. Honestly, we had a family meltdown. It was our first trip to WDW. DH and I did some research, nothing like I do now, but some. And somewhere I read it was a good idea to take a friend if you were taking a teenager. So we decided to take DS best friend. He had never been to WDW. We had the money and thought we would have a good time.

Everything was fine until we learned that the friend did not want to eat anything that wasn't a bacon cheeseburger. Also, we told him, if he wanted to buy stuff, that he needed to take money. His words, "I am planning on taking $200." I had no idea where he was getting $200, but I decided that was between him and his parents. When we went, he had about $60 to spend. Of course, he wanted to buy stuff for his family and himself. Long story short, I would go off by myself to buy stuff for my dk's. We did end up buying a few small things for him.

Call me mean, but we paid for the rooms, his meals (did dining plan), tickets, and paid for airline tickets. After all that, and me telling him he needed to bring his own spending money, hinted the whole trip on things he wanted us to buy him.

Needless to say, as a family, we decided not to take a friend again! It was so bad that DS and friend are still able to talk and do a few things together, but would not call each other "best friend" anymore.

 

[maddhatir]

Hmmmm... it seems that us planners seem to be the most prone to magical meltdowns at WDW. Why do the non-planners always want to mess up our neatly and perfectly arranged itineraries. They seem to have no idea of all the trouble we've gone through planning the perfect trip to WDW Every now and them we have to beat them into submission! Then everyone can get back to having a magical vacation OUR WAY or risk the wrath!!!

DH and I NEVER go with a plan (10 times and not one time did we have a plan) and usually end up wandering around saying to each other- where do YOU want to eat-- i dont know...where do YOU want to eat, we then get into an arguement and eat something neither of us want-- we do the same thing for the parks- we get up and that morning we decide which park to go to and then DH says it feels like all we do is zig zag from one park to another etc. BUT! he says he doesnt like to PLAN anything (this does not make sense to me, but .....he's a man) we still end up having a great time...

anywho-- you should see my "anal retentive" schedule for this sept visit- i subscribed to TGM--i have which park we are doing for each day- all my ADRs are made- i even have which CS we are eating at!-- no more wandering around aimlessly

lets see how this works........and how much we bicker! ......but we will still have a good time!

 

[Tinkerchele]

I have never really had a "meltdown" sure i get mad at DH (why DONT they JUST listen ladies??! ) but then we get over it......

however-- i would like to thank everyone for their stories, the reason being- i keep telling DH that i would like to go to disney with his whole family (and they are not really disney people-- they dont get it) he keeps warning me to let the idea just go, and i keep saying but oh - it will be fun........

i think i am going to let the idea go or else I may be telling MY meltdown story on this thread!

I'm going throught the same thing with my DH and his family. I really thought it would be fun to go on a trip with all of them. I told them I would plan the whole thing. But, there's always some excuse - I can't get days off, it's too hot for me, too much money, yadda, yadda....I swear they will be sorry one day when they're 2 grandchildren are grown up - they're missing out on some great memories!

My DH keeps telling me to give up and I think I've just realized after reading these posts that it will just be a future meltdown story!

 

[SnwflkCts]

Wow ... these meltdown stories have made me know it would NOT be good to go with family ... ha ha I had no intentions of it cause I KNOW it would be bad.

No meltdown but did get a little wigged out when DH was moving SOOOO slow to get ready to go back to MK in the evening for our CRT ressie. Of course if I had known it was almost 1/2 hour or longer to just get in and up the stairs to our table I would not have gotten so crazed. He and I are opposites -- I can get ready fairly quickly but not him! ARG -- I was fine once we got there ... and no other troubles after.

 

[fabumouse]

Hmmmm... it seems that us planners seem to be the most prone to magical meltdowns at WDW. Why do the non-planners always want to mess up our neatly and perfectly arranged itineraries. They seem to have no idea of all the trouble we've gone through planning the perfect trip to WDW

And that's where my "meltdown" (more of a "I've decided the rest of you don't exist" moment than anything) began.

I had planned and planned and scheduled and reserved my little heart out. I figured out the best place to stay, based on our party. FIL and MIL and DD and DH and myself did pretty well for about two days into our itinerary. Then I notice that a) we've been paying for a lot more of the sit-down meals than was our fair share, and b) FIL is starting to look anxious every time the bill comes.

So I pull DH aside and ask him to talk to FIL regarding cost issues and sure enough - he'd really like to skip the ADR's I had so carefully planned by menu, had specifically made based on IL's food preferences, had organized after handing over the UG and asking where do you, IL's, want to eat?? and instead would like to just find counter-service somewhere.

So we start to wander. I don't want to wander, I want to eat where we have a reservation. Places are closed, or only serve things most of us won't eat, etc. etc. An hour later, IL's want to go back to the room and ask concierge where we can order a pizza. And since I've been the hostess with the mostess, they're looking at ME to take care of this. But I don't want pizza. And IL's can easily afford the reserved meals (especially since I seem to be paying for most of them), so I get the teeniest bit petulant about the whole thing and stand in one place throwing a minor fit and refusing to return to the rooms to order overpriced pizza that I don't want anyway.

Two days later, I'm still complaining to my DH about the whole thing until he gently points out that the only person having issues about this is ME. And since the room service food they ordered ended up being like $80 anyhow, they seemed to have learned their lesson, so could we just go to the restaurants and maybe get over it?

 

[cmassey]

interesting.

after our return from wdw this past christmas, i posted a question here as to whether or not it is possible to spend a whole disney vacation without a breakdown at some point. what i received in response was 2 pages worth of people suggesting that the only guests who lose their composure are those who have not adequately planned their trips.

this thread confirms what i thought at the time, "what a bunch of baloney!"

 

[WDW LOVR]

My meltdown came one afternoon years ago but I'm happy to say it wasn't directed at any of my family members.

This was probably 1997 or 1998. We had gone to Blizzard Beach to enjoy a water park day. All week we had been battling the Brazilian teen tour groups. Now I have nothing personal against Brazil. I'd love to visit there one day, but the Teen Tour Groups are a little much to handle at WDW. For those of you who have experienced them, you know what I mean.

Any way, we get to BB fairly early. I head up to Summit Plummet to ride before the lines get too long. While patiently waiting my turn a large group of young Brazilian boys try to cut through the whole line to get to their friends at the top of the stairs. I don't think so boys. They did their best to push their way past me, but that wasn't gonna happen. They finally gave up. Well, that just got it started.

Later in the day DW, DS 14, DS 9, DS 6 and me, DH were in the lazy river. We were approaching one of the entrances into the river and a large group of the teens were piling in. They were not paying any attention to what they were doing and in their rowdiness knocked my DS 9 out of his tube and had him smashed against the river wall. He is now 17 yrs old, 6' and 135 lbs soaking wet so you can imagine how small he was then. He started yelling for help and the teens just kept on screaming and raising h***.

I hopped out of my tube in a flash and started throwing young men out of the way. 20 years of regular weight lifting will allow you to throw fairly good sized humans around, especially when the addrenaline is flowing. I got to my son and helped him out of the river all the while using words that are not appropriate for a Magical vacation. We had a few more run in's with the groups that day and week, but nothing like that time in the lazy river.

I think I was justified, don't you?

 

[CarKey]

I rarely speak of this but this is my story..In 1995 my DH and I were on our honeymoon staying at the resort formerly known as Dixie Landings. I should probably mention that my whole life I was a little bit...spoiled by my father who happens to be a photographer. Well one day DH and I took a paddle boat trip along the river at the resort and I wore a fanny pack (that I failed to notice was unzipped) with my camera, given to me by dad, inside. At the end of the ride I was climbing out and my camera falls out of the fanny pack, skids across the front of the boat (I can still picture it like it was yesterday) and plops into the water. I told the CM on the dock that he must go in after it! He said he couldn't do that so I said I'd go in myself. I kicked off my shoes to make my point even though I can't even swim. CM said the water is 20 feet deep and he can't let me go in. By now I am crying so he says he will call in the Disney Divers to see if they can rescue my camera. Looking back now I seriously doubt they have Disney Divers. Anyway, he gives me a number to call to check on the situation later in the day. I went back to the room, still crying, still embarrassing DH, and called my dad. Freaked the man out, his daughter calling from her honeymoon bawling her eyes out. I asked dad if he's be able to fix my camera after they pulled it up. He said no, he'd get me a new one. Disney never actually rescued my camera and I never actually told anyone this story. Neither did DH which is why we are still married!!

 

[debbiepump]

I think my sis had the ultimate as far as melt downs in WDW-her DH was being stupd, you guys know what I mean, just being husband stupid. She had had enough. She just walked away with the kids and enjoyed herself the rest of the day in the parks, went over and got their dog, went back to Fort Wilderness and went to bed. Well, her husband looked for her the entire time (this was precellphone days) and then sat in their car and waited til every single car was gone in the parking lot of MK when the park closed. He then went back to Fort Wilderness (at 1 am) and here they were, all fast asleep. Words were not necessary after that one. Man, she is a quite laid back gal too!!!
I chuckle all the time about that story.

 

[MsLeFever]

I hopped out of my tube in a flash and started throwing young men out of the way. 20 years of regular weight lifting will allow you to throw fairly good sized humans around, especially when the addrenaline is flowing. I got to my son and helped him out of the river all the while using words that are not appropriate for a Magical vacation. We had a few more run in's with the groups that day and week, but nothing like that time in the lazy river.

I think I was justified, don't you?

heck yeah! You betcha!

 

[RN2BIA]

I know without a doubt that it will be me that has the magical meltdown. It always is because DH has no emotions - must be a male gene thing. My only question is do I plan my meltdown or do I let it be a surprise?

 

[mamaprincess]

I know without a doubt that it will be me that has the magical meltdown. It always is because DH has no emotions - must be a male gene thing. My only question is do I plan my meltdown or do I let it be a surprise?

I'd plan on having a meltdown if things don't go as planned.

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

I had a meltdown our first night at Disney in 2002. I was travelling with my mom, dh, ds2, and dd5. We got to our cabin at FW late, after a LOOONG last drive (where I got stuck behind the wheel in Orlando - let's just say I'm NOT a city driver!) and then ran out to stock the fridge, and then cooked dinner. DS was completely exhausted, and cranky and on the verge of crying. I was watching the weather, and noticed that the forecast was calling for rain EVERY DAY. (Which is the one thing I somehow missed in all my planning. It's Florida. It rains every day. DUH. How I didn't know that, I don't know. *sigh*) Anyway, my mother decides that she CAN'T just sit in the cabin! We're in DISNEY WORLD! We have to go ride the monorail RIGHT NOW! I knew there was NO way my ds would make it without hysterics. He was REALLY tired. I was upset because I thought our whole vacation would be a wash because of the rain. It was my kids' FIRST vacation at Disney. And I didn't want my daughter to see the castle without me. But I didn't want to go anywhere because my son was unhappy. Mom and I got into it, heatedly. Summary of her points: I was ruining her vacation with my negative attitude and destroying her granddaughter's Disney experience. My side: She was not being considerate of my son, and ruining my vacation by letting my daughter see the World without me. In the end, she, DH and DD left. I stayed. Within _2_ minutes, ds was sound asleep. Leaving me in the cabin, by myself (but for a sleeping toddler), for the next two hours feeling miserable. When they came back, they told me they only rode the monorail around Epcot, and saved the Magic Kingdom views for the next day. I told them I was right about the baby's exhaustion. We decided to put it all behind us, and the rest of the vacation was completely magical.

This time, for our first night, we've got older kids, no mom, and reservations for Chef Mickey's. Here's hoping it goes better!

 

[KimRaye]

I rarely speak of this but this is my story..

Soooooo many of you have Cracked me Up! And, that line was just one of them!!


You see, I too, had a meltdown. It was in MGM, a couple of trips ago. (I feel like this is a 'meeting' or something of the wigged out DISers! ) It was also a stupid husband occurance, where he paid no mind (or ear) to my planning until the day(s) came, and then he just complained...... I got soooo upset, I finally lost it! We parted ways. Me with 2 kids, him all alone, with FPs no less - figures. While alone, with 2 kids, I started to worry that I had no way of getting back to our offsite hotel as he had the rental car key. Yes, of course, I thought of a taxi, but still, I worried. We also had PS at 50s coming up soon. He showed up eventually and half-heartedly apologized, still not understanding the planning I did. Suffice it to say, we must be the ONLY family that ever ate at 50s and had a MISERABLE time! NOT because of 50s, but because of our moods!



And for those that joked about planning, or predicting, a meltdown - I AM planning for at least one or two on our next trip. You see, there's 16 of us going, yes 16, almost all newbies, and I have made all the arrangements. I will be the one to blame, the one to complain to, the one to ask, etc. You see where I'm going here - straight to meltdown! Especially with those family members who choose to DELETE all my informational emails regarding this trip and our mutual plans. We only have 3 things we're doing together as a group, and that involves food, the rest of the time, we're free to separate. Trust me, this is how I plan to limit my meltdowns - BYE family!


Thanks to everyone for sharing. It's nice to see that the kiddos aren't the only ones having meltdowns. (From kids, we expect it)

 

[Ladybugsy]

Well, I'm only going to count my trip last year as an actual Disney Experience. Before last year, we just came to Disney and went around like cattle. Last year, and this year, I FOUND THE DIS!

I do remember trip before last being really bad as 3 of us were sick, and it was HORRIBLY hot, and we stayed off site. UGH. But I digress...
A little background....I am married to a cop. Those of you who are married to cops know that they have this "thing" where they want to be in control of the situations. Let's just say that DH is a wonderful man, but can become very hard to get along with very quickly...and this happens a few times a week...lol. So our last trip to Disney I was really wanting things to go smoothly. AND THEY DID!!!! I don't think my dh has been so good for so long since he's been breathing...lol. He was an absolute joy to be with for 2 weeks until the last day came and he had to pack the truck for 7 people. (We took my handicapped aunt and uncle with us) He had a minor meltdown because he wanted to leave earlier than we did, but I can't complain. He was an angel. We are all looking forward to this rare magical time again this September. My parents are coming,though, so there may be trouble lurking. 9 of us all together this time. Did I mention that my parents don't get along with my aunt and uncle so well? I'm hoping for a reunion, but I may end up with a dissolution.

 

[bopper]

My magical meltdown occurred in the POFQ parking lot! We were running late for our ressies for Boatwrights, and couldn't find it. I told dh to ask the CM that was there for help, but he refused. He was gonna walk off and go pout in the car!!! I had just lost a pregnancy 2 wks earlier, so I was feeling fairly hormonal still. So, we will just blame the meltdown on them! Anyhoooo...I completely lost it, and started yelling at him...telling him *I* was the one that had done all the hard work to plan for this trip, *I* was the one who took a 2nd job to help pay for this trip...and if he didn't step up to do SOMETHING on this trip it was gonna be...blah blah blah... It was ugly, my dc were DYING of embarrassment, I went and asked for directions, and off we went with neither of us speaking! Later that night he apologized to all of us for his poutiness, and it was all good! And the next few days, whenever we couldn't find anything, dh was quick to jump and ask for help. heheh There...that's my Magical Meltdown at Disney!

You know that Boatwrights is at PORS, not POFQ? (ducks and runs...)

 

[maddhatir]

You know that Boatwrights is at PORS, not POFQ? (ducks and runs...)

troublemaker......

 

[EjandMD]

It was this past Feb. trip and I don't have kids but took my neice and nephews. My littlest nephew Ben, 8, wanted to ride Dumbo. Well being the experienced WDWinfo girl/ug reader/tgm user, I didn't want to waste the time ESPECIALLY during Pres. Day Weekend! So we were at the rope line in the castle, and I said something like "hurry up let's go, we don't have time...come on move faster, you the one who HAD to ride Dumbo" --- I yelled.

Just then I got that "look" from another guest. You know that look, I give it all the time! to parents who yell at their kids and tell them they WILL NOT GO BACK TO SWIM! YOU ARE GOING TO STAY IN THE PARK AND HAVE FUN!

I felt 2 inches tall at that moment. And I really wasn't mad as much as I was irritated with all the people.

Thank you for letting me get this off my mind.