Is It True About Those Heely Shoes In The Parks????

[orljustin]

The point is that trampolines, sleigh riding, skating and riding bikes are (for the most part) not done in the middle of the mall, supermarket or other areas where they aren't really appropriate. Heelys, however, lend themselves to the convienence of rolling about (at high speed) whereever the user wants to. And kids (most), don't have the right kind of judgement to decide where is appropriate. Otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen off my bench.

 

[MushyMushy]

Aside from WDW to any parent who won't let their kids use them... that is a personal decision and as a fellow parent on to be respected. But I just have to wonder do you let them go to skating parties? what about riding a bike? sleigh ride? use trampolines?... ask an orthopedic surgeon about trampolines someday!!! Will they be allowed to play sports? drive a car someday? Ok I'm carried away, but I'm just wondering where they rank by some parents.

They rank with me the same as roller skates. My DD has been begging for them and she gets the same response every time. She can have them if she's willing to wear protective gear -- helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. She can have them if she ONLY wears them outdoors. No stores, no school, no malls, NO WHERE indoors. With those conditions, they aren't so appealing to her anymore, but then we have to see some moron parents letting their kids fly all over a grocery store and I'm the mean mom.

Whatever. Sometimes having a bit of common sense isn't popular.

 

[MushyMushy]

The point is that trampolines, sleigh riding, skating and riding bikes are (for the most part) not done in the middle of the mall, supermarket or other areas where they aren't really appropriate. Heelys, however, lend themselves to the convienence of rolling about (at high speed) whereever the user wants to. And kids (most), don't have the right kind of judgement to decide where is appropriate. Otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen off my bench.

Exactly!

Most parents who buy roller blades or skates for their kids make them wear protective gear. Most kids riding bikes have to wear a helmet. Why does all common sense fly out the window with heelies? People wouldn't typically allow their kid to wear roller blades to a mall, or ride a skateboard through a bookstore. Why are heelies different?

 

[MyManGoofy!]

As to the breaking the rules. Nope, don't expect a letter, but I would want to hear it from a CM. And from them I was 1 Yes and 1 No. I checked the back of my AP, no comment there and didn't see it posted at the park. I'm not a rule bender (Believe Me! I paid full price for a 38 month old one year) But I knew Disney's policy is posted 3 year old. I guess I haven't read every word on disney.com, but I have listened to every announcement, and haven't noticed any signs either so yes when Disney tells me no heelys, then no heelys. We have no plans to go back as of now but when we do I will get an answer from "Disney" if I need one (probably won't because I'm not going to be pulling them around all week again (and I don't let them skate in the parks)

Case and point. As I said before - for those of you that would like to see Heelys out of the parks - you need to be just as insistant.

 

[KCMiller]

As to the breaking the rules. Nope, don't expect a letter, but I would want to hear it from a CM. And from them I was 1 Yes and 1 No. I checked the back of my AP, no comment there and didn't see it posted at the park. I'm not a rule bender (Believe Me! I paid full price for a 38 month old one year) But I knew Disney's policy is posted 3 year old. I guess I haven't read every word on disney.com, but I have listened to every announcement, and haven't noticed any signs either so yes when Disney tells me no heelys, then no heelys. We have no plans to go back as of now but when we do I will get an answer from "Disney" if I need one (probably won't because I'm not going to be pulling them around all week again (and I don't let them skate in the parks)

I can't find it now, but I know in a previous thread, someone actually posted a photo of the sign posted outside the gates which contains the following information, and I know that I've seen and read the signs myself right there outside the gates, before I enter WDW. And this, in italics below, is direct from the WDW website. I just don't see how there can be any confusion about whether or not heely's are allowed:

Q. Are there any personal items I should not bring with me into the Theme Parks?

A. Items that you may not bring into the Theme Parks include, but are not limited to:

Items with wheels, such as wagons, skateboards, scooters, inline skates, shoes with built-in wheels, two-wheeled or three-wheeled conveyances, strollers larger than 36" x 52", suitcases, coolers, or backpacks with or without wheels larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high (coolers required for medication may be stored in a locker or at Guest Relations), and any trailer-like object that is pushed or towed by an ECV wheelchair or stroller
Alcoholic beverages
Weapons of any kind
Folding chairs
Glass containers (excluding baby food jars and perfume bottles)
Pets (unless they are service animals)
In Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park (for the safety of the wildlife), balloons, straws and drink lids are not permitted.

 

[MushyMushy]

This is straight from the horse's mouth:

Q. Are there any personal items I should not bring with me into the Theme Parks?
A. Items that you may not bring into the Theme Parks include, but are not limited to:

* Items with wheels, such as wagons, skateboards, scooters, inline skates, shoes with built-in wheels, two-wheeled or three-wheeled conveyances, strollers larger than 36" x 52", suitcases, coolers, or backpacks with or without wheels larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high (coolers required for medication may be stored in a locker or at Guest Relations), and any trailer-like object that is pushed or towed by an ECV wheelchair or stroller
* Alcoholic beverages
* Weapons of any kind
* Folding chairs
* Glass containers (excluding baby food jars and perfume bottles)
* Pets (unless they are service animals)
* In Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park (for the safety of the wildlife), balloons, straws and drink lids are not permitted.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/helpFAQ?id=HelpFAQThemeParkPage#q12

 

[MushyMushy]

I can't find it now, but I know in a previous thread, someone actually posted a photo of the sign posted outside the gates which contains the following information, and I know that I've seen and read the signs myself right there outside the gates, before I enter WDW. And this, in italics below, is direct from the WDW website. I just don't see how there can be any confusion about whether or not heely's are allowed:

Great minds think alike.

 

[heatherlynn444]

I can't find it now, but I know in a previous thread, someone actually posted a photo of the sign posted outside the gates which contains the following information, and I know that I've seen and read the signs myself right there outside the gates, before I enter WDW. And this, in italics below, is direct from the WDW website. I just don't see how there can be any confusion about whether or not heely's are allowed:

Q. Are there any personal items I should not bring with me into the Theme Parks?

A. Items that you may not bring into the Theme Parks include, but are not limited to:

Items with wheels, such as wagons, skateboards, scooters, inline skates, shoes with built-in wheels, two-wheeled or three-wheeled conveyances, strollers larger than 36" x 52", suitcases, coolers, or backpacks with or without wheels larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high (coolers required for medication may be stored in a locker or at Guest Relations), and any trailer-like object that is pushed or towed by an ECV wheelchair or stroller
Alcoholic beverages
Weapons of any kind
Folding chairs
Glass containers (excluding baby food jars and perfume bottles)
Pets (unless they are service animals)
In Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park (for the safety of the wildlife), balloons, straws and drink lids are not permitted.

I don't get the confusion either, and perosnally, when I have kids, I do not want to teach them that breaking the rules is ok. do I think heelys are TOTALLY bad? not really. but its just like anything in life...when not used in the proper way, people can get hurt. pretty simple.

 

[Blondiex46]

sorry but the kids rolling around in the heelys are annoying, they whip around you. I am glad they have outlawed it and they are saying something to the kids, they say it at the malls.

 

[cara76]

Glad to know they aren't allowed. I hate seeing them and I've seen alot of them this week.

Most of the kids on them can't even hold themselves upright on them, and have to hold on to someone to keep there balance so I'm not understanding the point of weaing them. No way am I going to hold DS upright so he can skate around WDW.

 

[raidermatt]

The point is that trampolines, sleigh riding, skating and riding bikes are (for the most part) not done in the middle of the mall, supermarket or other areas where they aren't really appropriate. Heelys, however, lend themselves to the convienence of rolling about (at high speed) whereever the user wants to. And kids (most), don't have the right kind of judgement to decide where is appropriate. Otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen off my bench.

I think the only thing that threw some people off is the falling off the bench laughing part. You even say most kids lack the judgement, which puts it mostly on the parents, yet you laughed at the kid that got bloodied.

I can understand the "needs to learn a lesson" feeling, but it's still a kid getting hurt who probably doesn't know any better because his parents are teaching him right.

But that's not really the point of the discussion.

I agree, they aren't allowed and for good reason.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Sorry to bring this thread back, but I had to post.

I just returned after a few days in the parks. Too many kids with heelys to count. Ugh. Weaving in and out, gliding down hills away from parents, etc. But two main things...

1. Was sitting in front of China on a bench, looking back at the pavilion. Group of three comes wheeling down the hill. First one hits cobblestone section near the garden and completely eats pavement, tossing water bottle in the air and attracting attention. I laughed so hard, I nearly fell off the bench. Parents finally catch up to them and hobble him over to a bench on the other side, and start using the water in the returned bottle to wash the blood off his leg.

2. Was waiting for the Dreams parade at the Kingdom on Main Street. Some kid comes wheeling down the road. The CM about 10 feet away from me looks at them and says "Skating is not allowed here. Please walk." Or something to that effect.

Good times had by all.

Oh yeah that was sooooo funny! NOT

 

[orljustin]

Good addition to the discussion there. Or did you have an extra credit for the smilie you needed to use before it expired?

Let me reiterate this one more time. My wife and I have seen plenty of kids wearing heelys in public places. I've commented to her more than once about the reports on this board of kids flailing into everything in the parks. We walk in the park, we see kids rolling about. Less than an hour or so into our park time, and wham! One goes down. We talk about it, we talk about it, and almost instantly, it happens. That's whats funny.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Yes - there are many CM's that ignore the Heelys, for two main reasons. Those parents that allow these kids to wear them into the parks are not exactly at the top of the parenting heap, if you catch me. CM's are often verbally attacked, threatened and I even know of one CM that a dad raised his hand to hit her over it. It is just not worth the abuse over it. Although you will still see some dedicated CMs giving it the ole college try.

The second is that CMs rarely get backed up by Disney management on any kind of issue like this. Mgmt tends to fall all over a disgruntled guest, giving them fastpasses, food coupons or whatever instead of backing up the CM and telling these guest that their kids cannot wear Heelys and that the parents cannot scream and yell and threated CMs.

I'll agree with you wholeheartedly on your first point, and not at all on your second one.

Without exception, EVERY TIME I've asked a manager to deal with a guest complaint regarding use of Heelies or wheeled shoes, I've been backed up.

My favorite Heely story came when I asked a mother who was towing a Heely-Wearing son to remove the wheels. She snapped at me "But he's disabled!"

Yep, that one was a head-scratcher, all right.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

As to the breaking the rules. Nope, don't expect a letter, but I would want to hear it from a CM.

They're not permitted in the parks.

There you go.

 

[jjarman]

I can tell you right now I will not go out of my way to avoid running into these little fiends. If one runs into me and falls, hate it. You shouldn't be skating in the parks idiot. If one rolls over my foot you can bet I will throw a big fit and will find momma and/or daddy and scream some more. I will also be taking a picture of that sign referenced earlier with the "rules" so I can show momma and daddy that their little darling is breaking a rule.

 

[rhiannonwales]

My 7 y.o. DS wore his this year for our trip. It was his first trip out of a stroller and (other than a stroller) we would have been lost without them. Either my wife or I "towed" him most every day(I'd say we do 5 to 15 miles a day). He did very good to hold on tight an simply be pulled like I was pulling him in a stroller. He did skate to the car and back at the hotel and parking lots, but always at our sides. We did have a CM at MGM say to us... "Oh hun, no rolling please" He said yes ma'am and walked (honestly only for a bit though) But no "rolling?" Strollers roll? I know you can't set rules and say it's ok to wear them I'm you are being towed, and if they ban them (WDW tells me to leave them at home) I will, but I don't feel bad about what I did.

Didn't read the whole thread, saw the comment about achilles...interesting... but I'd say one thing these kids won't ever experience is shin splints. MAN I HATED THOSE!

As to anyone who is glad to see a kid bleeding, obviously doesn't have kids, so I can't wish ill will on them (and wouldn't) You are sick (and by your other posts, probably just looking to start something) But perhaps your wife is doing 60 MPH in a 55 and slams in to a tree? Would you laugh at her blood?

Hey its nice to know that you think the rules dont apply to you even after you were told not to use them.Thats a GREAT example to set.

 

[texaslover]

I am not judging you parental decisions at all, but have you considered the potential damage that they do without an accident? My DW is currently paying the price for wearing flip flops for four years straight. No accidents, just wearing a shoe with no support. If that can do permanent damage, then what can heelys do? My DW is in her 30s and not an athlete, so she will manage without surgery. The doctor told us that even with surgery, it can never get back to 100%. That part of your body is just that delicate and you basically get one shot at keeping it healthy. He compared DW's ankle condition to that of a NFL linebacker. I cannot imagine being a kid and having to deal with something like that for the rest of my life.

I saw this come back to the top and wanted to address it since it was written in response to my post.

DS wears the Heely's approximately every other day for around 1 to 2 hours at a time (or less). Usually when he is playing outside with friends, running errands with me and wants to cruise the sidewalks, etc. He would never wear them as regular shoes because they are not meant to be walked in for long distances. Maybe that is the misconception, people see kids in them and think they wear them as a regular shoe or to school all day. They are not allowed in schools (as a teacher I say thank goodness!). They have arch support like a regular athletic shoe and the wheels can be taken out to walk normally.

I don't think that he will have any problems in the future because of the Heelys just like I don't think someone who goes to roller skate, skateboard, ski, or other type of sport periodically would.

 

[freemore]

I only noticed a couple of kids on heeleys and they didn't seem to be bothering anyone.

 

[nicknamy1996]

Hey its nice to know that you think the rules dont apply to you even after you were told not to use them.Thats a GREAT example to set.

Thanks, but someone already posted the link to Disney's answer. And yep, I follow the rules (once I know them) When I was there I was told yes by one CM and no by another. Now I know Disney's rules and have no issues with them.