Pet peeves I saw today at Magic Kingdom

[Feralpeg]

Getting charged $9 at the parking gates to get dropped off by a taxi (on top of the taxi's fee). Didn't think drop off fee should be the same as parking fee but apparently Disney does.

Where were you dropped off? There is an area for drop offs at the TTC that is free. That is where a taxi is supposed to drop you off if you are going to MK or Epcot. There is also a free drop off area at both MGM and AK. Your taxi driver obviously didn't know what he was doing. Sorry you had to pay for something that wasn't necessary.

 

[jimmiej]

I do not do autograph books...the only autographs we've ever gotten were Buzz and Woody when my older son was 3. I'll tell ya why...but you have to keep the secret....(whispering)....the character's aren't real! What you're getting is some 16 year old kid to write the words "Mickey Mouse".

I think you need a little on your "unbelief!"

 

[LuvN~Travel]

I have one. It has always bothered me to see kids in the parks playing Gameboys/PSPs/etc. I want to ask the parents: "As long as you're throwing away money for their admission, would you mind throwing some my way?" I mean, c'mon, your on vacation at a place that has tons of things to do. Can't we leave the games at home for just a few days and actually see the world around us??

I'm sorry, but if you've EVER been in a line with my son, the 'mouth of the south', you're really going to wish he was playing with his gameboy. Otherwise, your ears are going to get REALLY tired! I don't know how many times we've threatened him with duct tape!
Now of course once on the attraction yes, they should have put them away by then.
Kim

 

[hppy2bhome]

Equidae - I LOVE your picture!!!!!

I, too, am losing my tolerance for rude people. What is with society nowadays? Why do people think the rules don't apply to them?

Here's another BIG Disney pet peeve - people who walk up to watch a parade 5 minutes before it starts and expect to get up to the front! Or they just send their child up to the front with the "Can she just sit in front of you? She's only 3!" line. Hey, if ya'll wanted to see the parade, you should have been here an hour ago like the rest of us!

If there was any pet peeve I would agree with it's this one. I'm all for little ones seeing the parade but I waited over a hour and don't need your child squeezing in at the last minute. This is where my spouse will get up to make room! This upsets me even more but on the other hand I'm proud of him for being sooo kind to children.

Hppy2bhome

 

[damo]

Where were you dropped off? There is an area for drop offs at the TTC that is free. That is where a taxi is supposed to drop you off if you are going to MK or Epcot. There is also a free drop off area at both MGM and AK. Your taxi driver obviously didn't know what he was doing. Sorry you had to pay for something that wasn't necessary.

Is there more than 1 way to get into AK? We went through the main parking gates and the person at the gate said all taxis had to pay $9. I have the specific "taxi" stub from the gate. The person at guest services said that this is a normal charge that all taxis are charged for dropping off. She did not say that the taxi went the wrong way. She also told me that if my husband were to drop me off, he would be charged the same price.

I thought it was a mistake too, until I went and checked at guest services at the front gate. The girl was very surprised that I had a problem with the policy.

Last time I went, I did not encounter this charge.

Perhaps it is new.

 

[maddhatir]

I do not do autograph books...the only autographs we've ever gotten were Buzz and Woody when my older son was 3. I'll tell ya why...but you have to keep the secret....(whispering)....the character's aren't real! What you're getting is some 16 year old kid to write the words "Mickey Mouse".

hee hee- it is funny that you say that--

i am an adult, mind you, and one year i came back from disney and was telling by boss how upset i was that i didnt get any charachter autographs-- she said-- you know.....they are not real....they are just people inside the suits autographing your book......right?......you know that.....

i just looked at her like she just told me there was no santa!...but then the realization hit me.......she is right!

so....for my birthday that year, she gave me a disney auto book and her and my supervisor signed all the disney characters names to it...all messy and scribley like the characters would......!!!

 

[disneyjunkie]

I don't understand how the autographs can be a pet peeve? There isn't a rule that says you HAVE to meet the characters.

I'm 38 and I love visiting the characters. My son is 14 so he's to cool for autographs now. He'll pose for pictures but won't get any autographs.

We do several character meals during our trip, but I still look forward visiting with the characters in the parks.

 

[Feralpeg]

Is there more than 1 way to get into AK? We went through the main parking gates and the person at the gate said all taxis had to pay $9. I have the specific "taxi" stub from the gate. The person at guest services said that this is a normal charge that all taxis are charged for dropping off. She did not say that the taxi went the wrong way. She also told me that if my husband were to drop me off, he would be charged the same price.

I thought it was a mistake too, until I went and checked at guest services at the front gate. The girl was very surprised that I had a problem with the policy.

Last time I went, I did not encounter this charge.

Perhaps it is new.

I've not looked at AK recently, but there used to be a drop off area for taxis and people just dropping other people off. I'll look next time I'm over there to make sure. I can't believe they'd change it. How would locals drop off people? I'll find out.

 

[lntsmom]

answering the question of why Disney encourages people to do this.

I worked at the Royal Gorge all through high school and college so I have a little inside info on how tourism works. The various offerings in the area all worked together to cross-promote. The money spent at the actual venue is the tip of the iceburg. The real money comes in hotels, meals, taxes, transportation, etc.

I don't have a single problem with anyone standing in line for autographs...matter of fact, I wish more people would! As long as they're standing in line, they're not competing with me for a place in line for a ride or for seats for a show .

Oh, and jimmie...well, I think I was forever relieved in my belief in that particular sort of magic due to a stint in college working at Chuck E. Cheese. The experience from the inside of a rat suit was eye-opening. I'm sure, , the Disney characters never get smacked, pulled on, or have grown adults with some serious involvement in the kinky try to put the moves on them! Being that rat was one of my least favorite jobs ever...and whenever I see a character all I can think is, "wow...what a tough was to pull in a paycheck!".

 

[damo]

I've not looked at AK recently, but there used to be a drop off area for taxis and people just dropping other people off. I'll look next time I'm over there to make sure. I can't believe they'd change it. How would locals drop off people? I'll find out.

Thanks! It sure put our day off to a bad start. I was hoping that maybe someone would refund the money when I gave them the stub but no such luck. It plainly is printed on the stub with the time and it says taxi $9.

Next time I will just take the cab to Downtown Disney and catch a bus from there. That's how we got home. Took the bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge to sneek a look and then the bus to Downtown Disney and then the bus back to the hotel.

 

[Cindyluwho]

I view a Disney vacation as a supreme challenge...my goal is to get as much out of it while transfering as little green to their pockets as possible. Thus, we stay far, far away from characters unless they are at a meal. Every minute you spend playing putt-putt golf, wandering around Downtown Disney, or waiting in line for a character is money in their pockets!!!

Wow!! What a comment. Just think, if we all felt this way Disney would close down and NOBODY would get to go. They are a business, for heaven's sake! Yes, they are there to make people happy but first and foremost they are in business to make money!!That's not a sin! It's one thing if you love Disney and you're short on cash so you're watching pennies. But it sounds almost like you do it as a game or something.

 

[lntsmom]

bottom line! I'm sure you just made their list of BFF!

 

[apostolic4life]

I'm not in the restaurant business, but I think you're mistaken on one mathematical point. A restaurant wouldn't need 6-9 tables for every family already at a table (unless it happened to be the first 5 minutes the place was open). Using your numbers, they would need 6-9 tables for every cash register (excluding the one used for drive-through). And yea, just about every counter service restaurant in my area (and from my recollection, even those at Disney) has at least that many tables, other than those little window places intended primarily for take-away.

Even so, I agree that no CS restaurant likely expects to have a seat available immediately for every single customer as soon as they get their food, at their busiest times. That would be impractical. But it is a fact that when a member of a group occupies a table in a CS restaurant for the additional, say 5-30 minutes the rest of their party is in line, ordering and collecting their food, this is over and above the 25-50 minutes you mentioned. Thus, you'd need to add another 1-6 tables per cash register to handle all customers if everyone did it at busy times.

Not meaning to insult, but you are looking at this from the wrong angle. When planning restaurant seating one must not look at the front end (how many customers can we take orders from); you must look more closely at the back end (how long will each service, or table, occupy that seat). My math is very accurate when you do not change the perameters I have stated. The time I factored in includes the possibility of someone holding a table for 15- 20 minutes (my original numbers were a minimum of 25 to 30 min. - people who do not hold tables/ a maximum of 50 minutes which would include those who do hold them). Yes, these times are approximate and could be intensely debated, but I am willing to admit I have no solid data on how much time each group spends at a WDW CS restaurant so these times may have some differences from actual time spent. (based on people here, these times seem fair)

In any event, I think if there is any flawed logic here, it's that of using "there aren't enough tables anyway", as justification to occupy them for even longer. That makes no sense.

I agree, "there aren't enough tables anyway" is too simple when you consider most restaurants already maximize the available space they occupy. Over the years, attendance at WDW has grown to a point no one could have predicted, simply cramming more tables into the old locations would not work. The only real solution would be to expand food operations in the park by adding more eateries with more seating. The cry for more seating is legitimate, but the solution to provide that seating may not be practical for some time.

I don't necessarily think people intend to be rude when they're doing this. I know a lot of people don't even think about what they're doing. They've been walking around the park all day, are tired and want to sit down, so they grab a seat while dad gets the food. Keeping strollers or unruly kids out of lines is a good reason, too. The rude ones are the ones you see walking in, looking around, saying "wow, it's crowded -- quick, grab that table right there, it's the only one left. Or, using the McDonald's scenario, they see that there is only one table left near the playplace, scope out the line to see if there are kids in it, and decide accordingly to grab the table before the other family has the chance. And yes, I have witnessed and overheard the conversations, so I know some (not all) people do this for selfish reasons.

Rudeness will always rear its ugly head! My solution is simple: assume nothing, always give the other person the benefit of the doubt. I know some people may not want to take this path, but it allows me to continue on and carry a smile the entire day!! It's all about the magic!!!!!

I agree. Which is why I like these kinds of threads. I have recognized myself in them on occasion, and have changed my behavior once I realized that it was bothersome to other people.

Seeing myself and some of my reactions listed on the DIS has allowed me to look inward and see that many of my "pet peeves" came from flaws in my own character and incorrect outward focus. The DIS is better than therapy.

 

[disneyphanatic1911]

Standing in a long line when it's 90 degrees outside, and the person in front of you decided not to wear deodorant for the past three days.

That has to be my biggest pet peeve.

 

[Glendamax]

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I totally agree with you about the deoderant

 

[JadenLayne]

The person sitting next to you singing all of the Disney songs, especially at The Little Mermaid to the top of her lungs..........oh wait, that was me!!!!!

 

[sara74]

The person sitting next to you singing all of the Disney songs, especially at The Little Mermaid to the top of her lungs..........oh wait, that was me!!!!!

You didn't mention singing them off key and crying while doing it - that will be ME (in 3 weeks!) Isn't that to be expected? I promise to keep it a decibel below the actual performers!

 

[cinmell]

Standing in a long line when it's 90 degrees outside, and the person in front of you decided not to wear deodorant for the past three days. .

That really grosses me out!!!!!!