So last weekend we took the kids to Orlando but decided to give Universal a try (although we did hit the MNSSHP Friday night - I am just not up for Universal's version). Without getting into everything, it made me appreciate Disney and all of its charms, FP+ and all, even more. However the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Hogsmeade/Hogwarts are truly amazing. Talk about doing something right! You feel like you have stepped into the pages of the books. Something I found interesting though is that apparently J.K. Rowling is actively involved in both of these, so much so that she does not allow WWHP to participate in Universal's Halloween in anyway (although she did allow it to be open during it for the first time this year, but no connection between the two is to be made by the park according to various staffers I spoke too).
However, for the first time in my life I had a gate keeper try to kick me out of a park. When going through the turnstiles I let my DH of first go that he could get our stroller and I went through with our 3 young boys. I did my card and thumbprint first, then when my son stepped up the gatekeeper asked me for the ticket "associated" with him. I grabbed one of my tickets meant for a child and asked her to use it as I did not think it mattered since he was under 9 and any child's ticket would do - and this was said nicely, not in a mean or disagreeable manner. You would have thought I spit in her face as she was utterly outraged and told me I was wrong and needed to find his actual ticket. How exactly I was to determine which piece of paper was his was a mystery to me, but I never argued with her or said a cross word, I just flipped through my tickets, grabbed one and told her it was his. After I got all three of my children through I looked at her, smiled, and said (with sarcasm if I am being honest), "Thank you have a wonderful day!" She then started to yell at me telling me to stop and wait because she was calling security to have me escorted off of the property. I looked at her and said, "Let me get this straight, you want to kick me out because I said, 'Thank you have a wonderful day'?" She again told me to wait while she called security. During this exchange my 6 year old wandered off so I told her I was going to find him but indicated the area where I would be and told her to please have security come and find me because I would love to speak to them, and again told her "Thank you have a wonderful day." She was irate and continued to repeatedly yell at me to wait for security as I left to look for my son, and every time she did I met it with "Thank you have a wonderful day" (this time without sarcasm but with happiness in my voice).
Of course security never came and I solemnly affirm that is an accurate description of the entire event as I asked a friend who was with me to read over it to make sure I was not leaving anything out or slanting it. I never once raised my voice at her, cursed at her, or made a disparaging remark. I did say my thank you in a sarcastic manner the first time but after that I said it as pleasantly as I could because I just found the whole thing to be ludicrous. And the entire time I was thinking to myself, "This would never happen at WDW."
However, for the first time in my life I had a gate keeper try to kick me out of a park. When going through the turnstiles I let my DH of first go that he could get our stroller and I went through with our 3 young boys. I did my card and thumbprint first, then when my son stepped up the gatekeeper asked me for the ticket "associated" with him. I grabbed one of my tickets meant for a child and asked her to use it as I did not think it mattered since he was under 9 and any child's ticket would do - and this was said nicely, not in a mean or disagreeable manner. You would have thought I spit in her face as she was utterly outraged and told me I was wrong and needed to find his actual ticket. How exactly I was to determine which piece of paper was his was a mystery to me, but I never argued with her or said a cross word, I just flipped through my tickets, grabbed one and told her it was his. After I got all three of my children through I looked at her, smiled, and said (with sarcasm if I am being honest), "Thank you have a wonderful day!" She then started to yell at me telling me to stop and wait because she was calling security to have me escorted off of the property. I looked at her and said, "Let me get this straight, you want to kick me out because I said, 'Thank you have a wonderful day'?" She again told me to wait while she called security. During this exchange my 6 year old wandered off so I told her I was going to find him but indicated the area where I would be and told her to please have security come and find me because I would love to speak to them, and again told her "Thank you have a wonderful day." She was irate and continued to repeatedly yell at me to wait for security as I left to look for my son, and every time she did I met it with "Thank you have a wonderful day" (this time without sarcasm but with happiness in my voice).
Of course security never came and I solemnly affirm that is an accurate description of the entire event as I asked a friend who was with me to read over it to make sure I was not leaving anything out or slanting it. I never once raised my voice at her, cursed at her, or made a disparaging remark. I did say my thank you in a sarcastic manner the first time but after that I said it as pleasantly as I could because I just found the whole thing to be ludicrous. And the entire time I was thinking to myself, "This would never happen at WDW."