Have you ever had a shock?

[chell]

Originally posted by Trena
DD (4) and I saw Santa at Fantasmic about 3 years ago around New Years Day. He was wearing suspenders and red clothes. They introduced him and had him stand and wave to the crowd. DD LOVED IT! Mickey and Santa! Now that is a vacation.

Now that I think about it we saw him too on our last trip. We were talking about how much he looked like Santa. If I see him again I'll just have to ask him if we can have a pic made with him.

 

[mom2boys]

Three years ago we were on the sidewalk between the exit to Mickey's house & the playground. A young boy of about 13 was in a wheel chair being pushed by another boy of about the same age. Suddenly the boy in the wheelchair was face first on the pavement. A woman about 10 feet away starts screaming hysterically "my baby, oohhh my baby" About that time the boys gets up and sprints across the sidewalk. Mom chases him & starts cussing at him and beating him with her fists. She his calling him the f word and just beating him. Finally a man - not with them calmly says "Ma'am watch your language this is a family park" With that she starts screaming at him, telling him she'll talk to her son any way she pleases.
I was totally shocked by the wheelchair portion of the episode and even felt badly for the boy & his poor distraught mother. Then when she started in on him. I can't imagien what there homelife is like. Obviously the mother had no problem with her son riding around in a wheelchair all day when he obviously didn't need it.

 

[ProfGoofy]

This one happened at Disneyland, we were taking a break on a bench in the hub at the end of Main Street when my curious 18 month old DS decided he wanted to touch the grass and sniff the flowers in the gardens lining the walks around the hub. Well before we knew what he was up to, he figured he could get closer by poping his head between the metal bars of the knee high, green fence lining the walks. And when he tried to pull his head out, we all suddenly realized that his head was stuck. So my son starts to cry, my DW starts to get upset but mangages to comfort him, and I'm at a loss as to what to do. Meanwhile, security and the suits come out of the wood work and try to help. Two guests offer to try to pull the bars a part. The park nurse is called to see if she could lotion my DS's head and slide him out. In the meantime a group of concerned onlookers gather and this one guy pulls out a camera and starts taking pictures of my crying DS and upset DW. My DW hears the guy's camera, looks up and is shocked to see him standing there taking pictures and says, "You're taking pictures of this!?!" The guy says, "Sure, it's funny." My wife who is still trying to calm my son down, seethingly says to the guys, "This is not funny." The guy's response was, "Sure it is. You'll look back on this one day and laugh, and you'll thank me for taking the pictures." (I don't know if this guy planned on selling us a picture of this or what) I looked at security and the suits and they, along with everyone else, were staring at this guy with the camera. The camera guy didn't say a word, but quickly slithered away.

Long story short with my DS, the lotion that the nurse brought didn't help his head was too big, so the paramedics were called. As the paramedics were arriving, I heard someone in the crowd passing by say, push him through. It took a second, but my brain clicked when I remembered, as I'm sure most of you mothers who have given birth out there know, with a baby under the age of two, the head is a big solid mass, the rest of the body is small and squeezable. So before the paramedics reached into their bag of tricks, I took hold of my DS, turned him so his shoulders could slide through the bars and then slide the rest of him through. Cheers all around and pats on the back from security and the suits. My DS was happily smiling in my DW's arms and no worse for wear, though he now knows not to stick his head where it doesn't belong (Later on at City Hall, DS was presented with two signed pictures, one from Mickey and the gang and one from Winnie the Pooh and the gang).

For the rest of the day, I had to keep an eye on my DW and a look out for the guy with the camera, because I knew if my DW ever got her hands on him, she was going to shove his head through a couple metal bars, then smile while telling him how funny it is and not to worry, one day he to will look back on it and laugh.

 

[musicalSaranader]

That's quite a story there! Now here's something I've always wondered about a situation like this: if a kid's head can fit one way through the bars, why can't it fit back the way it came so easily?

 

[mitros]

I think it has something to do with the ears. When going foward into the bars, your ears pretty much lie flat .When reversing the procedure you are going in the opposite direction and your ears do not get as flat. Put your hands up againest your cheeks and slide them back over your ears, they go easily. Now try reversing that. Put your hands in back of your ears and move them foward, keeping them tight againest your head . Uncomfortable, isn't it?

 

[ProfGoofy]

mitros has it right, the ears acted like the barbs on a fishing hook.

 

[musicalSaranader]

OK, I get it now.

 

[mitros]

Thanks, the fish hook barbs is a good comparison.

 

[Zelda]

My niece and I were the only ones in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse late one night. I hear crunching under my feet, look down and there were hundreds of cockroaches!!! We both noticed but neither said anything -- too busy getting out fast!

 

[LadyAurora]

DH and I were at the Marketplace just relaxing and waiting for sunset one night. At the next table was a Grandpa with his two grandsons, one about 5 and one about 2 or 3. Grandpa was busy keeping an eye on the 5YO, while the 2YO was walking along the railing, looking at the ducks, but not going too far away. Suddenly, he too decides to put his head through the bars! The little boy was screaming as soon as he realized his predicament. The big brother was laughing! The grandpa was panicking! He couldn't get the boy's head out of the railing. While I was busy wondering why Disney has railings that kids can fit their head through, and is it Grandpa's fault that he wasn't watching and other non-helpful things, my DH calmly went over and twisted the little one's head the right way so that it fit back through the bars (hard to do when you're panicking). The grandpa was very thankful and even had the boys calm again before Grandma returned with ice cream. Maybe Grandpa never got busted!

 

[FFerret]

Originally posted by LadyAurora
, he too decides to put his head through the bars! The little boy was screaming as soon as he realized his predicament. The big brother was laughing! The grandpa was panicking! He couldn't get the boy's head out of the railing. While I was busy wondering why Disney has railings that kids can fit their head through, and is it Grandpa's fault that he wasn't watching and other non-helpful things, my DH calmly went over and twisted the little one's head the right way so that it fit back through the bars (hard to do when you're panicking). The grandpa was very thankful and even had the boys calm again before Grandma returned with ice cream. Maybe Grandpa never got busted!

Oh Lord, this reminds me of a McD incident we had. Somehow my little boy got HIS head through the railing and we could NOT figure out how--there was NO WAY to pull it back!!! Finally we figured out what he did--he had WALKED through it, only his head couldn't go -- we had it all wrong, and simply had him step backwards

What a panc!

 

[hucifer]

Originally posted by Zelda
My niece and I were the only ones in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse late one night. I hear crunching under my feet, look down and there were hundreds of cockroaches!!! We both noticed but neither said anything -- too busy getting out fast!

I think I would have broken some speed records getting out of there. Holy cow!

 

[FloridaCat]

During our July trip we were waiting for the bus to WLfrom AK. We were close to the front and had been waiting 10-15 minutes when the bus pulled up. This Lady and three kids who had been seating some distance away came running up and jumped in front of everyone to board. She got in front of my DD and that was a wrong thing to do and she let her know it loud and clear. DD also gave her another seromon as we got off. and everyone clapped.

 

[mitros]

Yes, I know what you are talking about, as I also live in Florida. I did not actually mean clean, as in cleaning up food debris as you would to clear northern roaches out of your house. What I meant was to spray insecticide in the immediate area if there were that many in one place. I know Disney uses different types of sprays for large infestations of the palmettos in a particular area.. As an afterthought, would the palmettos swarm like the scene described on an artificial tree of steel and fiberglass that the swiss family tree house is made of? Have they adapted to the artificial stuff? i thought they were on live trees for some sort of sustenence. {moderator: sorry, I realize this a little off topic}

 

[NotUrsula]

I've never actually lived in Florida, but I grew up in the very southernmost part of S. Louisiana; the fauna is essentially identical! The tree roaches will adapt to any damp, dark place where they can nest; the eggs need water, but not standing water. The are mostly in trees for the moisture that collects in and around the leaves. In some ways I think that an artificial tree might provide more moisture than a real one, as it doesn't actually absorb water.

I don't know how much good it really does to spray in an outdoor environment, especially one that people track through all day long. A powder like Roach-Pruf would be better for outdoor bugs, but I doubt WDW would use it; it would be too easy for small children to get into it and ingest it in such a public place.

Though now that I think about it, I'm sure that trash does collect at the base of and in the crevices of that treehouse. Things always fall when people climb.

 

[RickinNYC]

I was actually the victim of a shocking story that quite a few fellow guests were witness to. My partner and I were crossing the bridge from the hub to Tomorrowland when out of the clear blue sky, WHAP! A seagull (it was HUGE I tell ya!) came out of nowhere and wacked me on the top of my head, knocking me aside and flew off!

It scared the bejesus out of me! My partner kept asking me if I was okay, a couple of guests asked (in VERY amused tones) if I was okay, some Disney suits trotted over to me to ask if I was ok.

I was okay!

I just kept muttering something about Hitchcock, Tippi Hedren and my mussed 'do.

 

[bigtinkfun]

Not as shocking as some of the stories I've read here, but in January 2000, I was visiting MK and decided to get a hot dog. As I wandered away from the cart, there was a hard thump on my shoulder that drew my attention. Then I felt a slight tug on my hot dog. I looked up just in time to see a gull flying off with 2/3 of my hot dog! I was flabbergasted!

The CM running the cart was very nice about it, though. Gave me a new hot dog and told me it happens all the time.

Slightly OT, but the most shocking thing I ever saw on vacation happened in Cape May, NJ, not WDW. I was attending Mass one Saturday afternoon, and seated on my left was a little boy of about three or so. On my right was this family: Mother, father, three hulking sons. So I'm pretty much stuck in the pew for the duration of the Mass. Everything's going fine, and about 10 minutes into the service, I notice the little boy seems a bit fidgety. Not unusual. I look to my left, and the little guy is, well, pleasuring himself. I think to myself, surely, Mama is going to notice this and put a gentle, but emphatic stop to it.

Oh, think again! This went on for about twenty minutes, and I don't think she was oblivious. There was no way she could have not noticed. I can't blame the child, he was too young to know that his behavior was inappropriate. She should have corrected him.

Mercifully, it was a lightning fast Mass. I went up to receive Communion, and found a seat in another pew.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I have a few shocking things that happened on this trip.
First up, teens smoking an illegal substance in the hot tub at our resort at 1:30 in the morning. They quickly put it out, then started splashing water on their faces, in their hair, and swishing it in their mouths! The girl holding it wrapped it in a towel, then held the towel to her chest as though that is always how she sits in a hot tub. After a couple of uncomfortable minutes, they were out of there.
As reported on the pet peeve thread, I witnessed a young boy (about 3 or 4) peeing on some bushes near stroller return at AK. His parents just stood back. Some CMs noticed and were actually laughing about it, telling each other to look. I don't know which I was more shocked at, the boy peeing or the reaction/inaction of the CMs.
Now, back to the teens. There were a lot of teen groups roaming about and we saw a lot of inappropriate behavior (at least considering that they were at WDW.) There never seemed to be any parents. We saw a lot of making out, groping, etc. going on.
Finally, at Fantasmic, we arrived into the ampitheater around 6:45 for the 8:30 show. We were midway down in the Mickey section. Great seats. There were two women with four kids right behind us. About thirty minutes before showtime, some of the kids needed to go to the restroom. So one woman took all four kids, leaving one woman holding all the seats. By this time it is packed. In walks this woman with two kids who asks if the seats are taken. The woman says "Yes, everyone is in the restroom right now." This other woman says "Oh well" with a nasty tone and sits down. I turned around to look and the poor woman was shocked. She didn't speak very good english and really didn't know what to do. If she got up to get help, then she would lose any remaining seats. And this new woman wasn't budging.
So I got up and went around and asked quietly if she wanted me to go get a castmember, go get some help. She said "Yes, thank you." I went to the top of the ampitheater and told a CM what had happened and he went and got security. I explained to security what had happened as well.
Well, we get down to this woman and he turns to me and says that he can't be moving everybody around, would the original woman (one I was trying to help) mind moving to the top of the ampitheater? He tried convincing her that they were better seats up there! (I have sat up there, and these seats this time were far better.) He talked to her for a few minutes and I was just shocked because she had done nothing wrong, here I was trying to help her and I felt like I had made it worse. She held her ground though and insisted that she was not moving, and he finally removed the other woman and her two kids. So it worked out. The people around us applauded, everyone kept saying "That was just wrong." Which it was. Why should someone have to give up the seats they have saved for almost two hours to someone rude and inconsiderate?
My BIL did say that the other woman probably put some kind of booty curse on me or something....

 

[kapeppy]

DH and I were sitting on the beach at the Poly waiting for FIS and for the EWP when a woman with two young boys (ages about 8 and 5) came up and told the kids to sit on a beach chair, don't move a musle, and wait while she went inside to get some food. She put the older child in charge of the younger child. Of course, kids will be kids and they started playing in the sand near the chair. Well, they eventually got into a sand fight and the little kid stormed off and the big kid encouraged him to go far, far away. I did keep my eye on the little one as he went quite aways down the beach but I was afraid to really do anything about it. Well, I don't know where the mother went to get the food but she missed the fireworks as well as half of the EWP. When she got to the chair and only saw the older child she went berzerk and was about to call security to find her "lost child". I politely told the woman where her son was and she ran down the beach to get him. Well, when she came back she started screaming at the older child that HE was supposed to watch the little one, that HE should have chased him down the beach and brought him back, and that if the little one had been abducted or fell into the water and drowned that HE would have been responsible! HE - what about HER? Hello, what type of parent leaves her young children alone on a beach at night. I don't care if it's WDW or not. It's still not smart or safe! I sat there in total disbelief and just shook my head. They then started eating their food and acted like nothing happened. What is wrong with people?! By the way, she never even thanked me for telling her where her child was.

Amazing!

 

[Mortlives]

We just got back, and while we were there last week, I got such a shock I didn't know how to react. This woman punched her approximately 12 year old son in the stomach, so that he doubled over. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that that was what I had just seen, and I hadn't hallucinated it or something. I mean, who would think someone would do such a thing in public? In Animal Kingdom, of all places. Have a Disney day indeed. Unfortunately, by the time I regathered my wits, she was gone so I couldn't turn security on her.

Hopefully, someone else did.

Ciao,
Mort.