Just ranting about strollers

[SammieG]

in all of our 14 disney trips (lasting between 2 and 3 weeks every time) I can honestly say I have never knowingly hit anyone with a stroller or indeed had anyone hit me.

My son has never had any encounters with people treading on him or stepping over him.

Just regular walking by ourselves... enjoying the day...

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I have been to WDW and every time I go it seems that somebody has to bump me with a stroller. To get to the front of the lines at rides and "apologize" for bumping you, or hit you and nearly trip you to get the last souvenier you wanted and I just thought of this and it started getting me thinking about all the things people do to abuse stollers that urk me. Things like putting your bags into them and the kids are running around hitting people and the parents have no control because they dont feel like carring their kids. I am sorry if you are offended by my ranting but I felt like I needed to rant and if you do to go ahead thats what this thread is for.

I can completely understand how you feel- BUT- we are a family that uses strollers as we have 3 young children. We are very polite and yes, we will apologize profusely if we accidentally bump into you. Now as far as the kids running around hitting people- kids, like adults do like to stretch their legs from time to time. My kids will walk for some of our trip but cannot walk to whole day and we don't let them if it is supercrowded. They also do not hit anyone. So, our children don't walk because we are lazy, they walk because they are not nonpersons. They have needs too. It seems like you had a unique experience because we have never seen such things. Personally, I have found that people who don't have strollers are usually much ruder. I actually had a man step over the front of my double stroller like my kids needed to have his crotch in their face all because he wanted to see a character and we were stuck in a bit of a traffic jam. He just didn't want to wait his turn and was annoyed when I said something to him. If my kids wouldn't have witnessed it or gotten hurt I would have ran him down with the stroller. So I am sorry you had a bad experience, but not everyone is like that and it has nothing to do with having kids or strollers.

 

[SueM in MN]

As for scooters and wheelchairs all I have to say is dont' use one if you don't need one. I will never look at a person and assume one way or another if they really need them. However, I have had several times where I have seen a family or a group of teens rent either a wheelchair or a scooter and rotate people sitting in them throughout the day in an attempt to avoid lines. As a person with two family members that require these devices I get really irked when people abuse the use of wheelchairs and scooters.

That was my rant.

Just want to point out that most of the lines at WDW are wheelchair/ECV accessible (called Mainstream Lines), so most people with wheelchairs/ECVs wait in the regular line with everyone else. AK and the Studio were built with all Mainstream Lines. Attractions at MK and Epcot were converted to Mainstream Lines as much as possible as new attractions were built or old ones renovated. People who are renting wheelchairs or ECVs because they think they will get some 'perks' usually find out pretty quickly that the main 'perk' is having a place to sit while waiting in line. But, in exchange for that, they have paid extra money and (in the case of the park rental wheelchairs), have to push around a wheelchair all day that weighs 40-50 pounds empty.

Some of the people who 'rotate' using an ECV or wheelchair are actually people who could all benefit from one, but prefer to just rent one and walk sometimes. The EVCs get expensive, some people get tired or cramped sitting all the time and so people do sometimes switch off instead of riding all the time. Also, with 2 people who both could use a wheelchair, I know many who rent one wheelchair and alternate pushing it.

 

[Disney Spaz]

For me I was thinking of two incidents I have experienced.
First, I stood in line with a family with a little girl in a wheelchair. My DS at the time was 5 and was asking me why she was in the chair. I explained that some people need the to get around and I didnt' know why she was in the chair and it is rude to ask. The mother overheard us and I guess thought we were questioning the use of the wheelchair and gruffly said to us "my daughter can't walk she is paralyzed." At which point my 5 year old asked what that meant, I explained it to him and then he asked the mom "if she can't move her legs then how come she keeps kicking my mom?" At which point the mom gave my DS a nasty look. I hushed my DS and said I would explain later. Then as we got to the front of the line I heard the little girl ask if she could please walk now she was tired of playing pretend.
Second, my family endured a group of ten teenagers that rotated through the wheelchair. At the first ride one young man was in the chair. As we exited BTMRR a new young man was riding while his buddy used him as a battering ram to shove through the crowd. My family tried heading in the other direction only to run into the same group in Tommorrowland where a young lady was now in the seat, screaming as someone raced her through the crowd to get to SM. These very rare but still frustrating expirences are what my rant is about no one else.

 

[pampam]

These "I hate the strollers" threads pop up every once in awhile. It's always the same comments. This is my take on it:

Most people are courteous when pushing a stroller. I know I always try to go at a slower pace so I can be able to stop on a dime when someone steps right in front of me. It's crazy, but everyone thinks they have the right of way. Unless WDW puts lines down on the pavement, stop signs at the walking intersections, and teaches people to walk on the right side of the road, this will always be an issue.

Mary

After I read your comments a few times I realized what was wrong. But it did take a few times to figure it out. We drive on the right, and walk on the left. Maybe the Brits have it right after all. lol

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Originally Posted by Diznotyzed
I saw the greatest suggestion for stroller navigation on another group. If you are traveling as a family (rather than solo parent/guardian) why not have one parent walk in front of the stroller and lead the way, with the other piloting the stroller right behind. No hitting strangers that way.

And I guess no talking to your spouse/partner either! Unless, of course, the person in front decides to try and turn around and talk at the same time as navigating, but that will most likely lead to person-to-person bumping instead.

sorry but i will walk beside my DH this year as he pushes the GASP double stroller through the crowds. i'm on vacation to TALK to my husband not just navigaate the corwds and get from ride to ride. we don't bump and when we do we apologize. Unless like someone mentioned, we didn't notice.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

For me I was thinking of two incidents I have experienced.
First, I stood in line with a family with a little girl in a wheelchair. My DS at the time was 5 and was asking me why she was in the chair. I explained that some people need the to get around and I didnt' know why she was in the chair and it is rude to ask. The mother overheard us and I guess thought we were questioning the use of the wheelchair and gruffly said to us "my daughter can't walk she is paralyzed." At which point my 5 year old asked what that meant, I explained it to him and then he asked the mom "if she can't move her legs then how come she keeps kicking my mom?" At which point the mom gave my DS a nasty look. I hushed my DS and said I would explain later. Then as we got to the front of the line I heard the little girl ask if she could please walk now she was tired of playing pretend.
Second, my family endured a group of ten teenagers that rotated through the wheelchair. At the first ride one young man was in the chair. As we exited BTMRR a new young man was riding while his buddy used him as a battering ram to shove through the crowd. My family tried heading in the other direction only to run into the same group in Tommorrowland where a young lady was now in the seat, screaming as someone raced her through the crowd to get to SM. These very rare but still frustrating expirences are what my rant is about no one else.

Karma. Just reading this made me wince.

 

[lkjasd]

Someone posted on another thread about their brother that kept getting hit by a man in scooter numerous times. He was starting to get bloody. He took the key out of the scooter and did not give it back. I think he may even have thrown it....... I would have taken the key and given it to the first CM I saw and showed them the blood. Doubt that guy would learn his lesson though

That was me on the "Most Shocking Things" thread (or someone else has a brother who thinks this way). He didn't actually get bloody. And now for "the rest of the story...

A guy, (in the crowd leaving after the fireworks), kept telling my brother to go faster even though there was nowhere to go in that crowd. After about the second or third hit in the back of the legs, my brother threatened to "kick his ***". After a few minutes of the guy backing off, the guy, again, says to get out of his way and rams my brother. My brother whirls around and grabs the scooter (I thought he was going to dump the guy on the ground and kill him), and stops. He simply smiled, grabbed the key, and chucked it onto the roof of one of the nearby buildings. He then walked away while the guy started to scream (not so nice things at my brother) as he realized what happened. Security stopped us, (because we were close enough to the exit that they could hear the yelling and they could see people, laughing hillariously, pointing at my brother as he walked away), my brother told them what happened and which building they could find the key on. They asked him to let them handle situations like that in the future but let him go.