Sick and Tired of Being Attacked by Strollers

[mesaboy2]

In all seriousness, I think Disney out to have a line (much like the carpool highway lane) where it's tapped off (or painted) for where the strollers or wheel chairs could go. I think it would provide courtesy of having other park guests give them room and would provide them a lane. Just a thought.

No one would pay attention to such painted or taped lines on the ground. Many carpool lanes are designed with minimal opportunity to enter and exit them. The theme parks could not function like this.

 

[Jubilee]

This is why I never make eye contact with people during a rush. If you see me, I'll have my shades and flip flops on and I'll say "excuse me" whether I accidentally run into you or whether you accidentally run into me. Get over it and move on, people.

If someone swore at me, THEN I would make eye contact, smile and tell them to have a nice day! (Btw, this has never happened to me at Disney World and I have been there-literally-hundreds of times.)

 

[larryz]

Did I feel the need to start a thread about idiot parents on DisBoards (and what a long thread it would be)?

Ah, but the thread you COULD start would be GLORIOUS -- in the Klingon meaning of the word...

 

[maxiesmom]

In all seriousness, I think Disney out to have a line (much like the carpool highway lane) where it's tapped off (or painted) for where the strollers or wheel chairs could go. I think it would provide courtesy of having other park guests give them room and would provide them a lane. Just a thought.

People wouldn't follow the lines. Heck some people can't smoke only in the smoking areas, you are expecting an awful lot for them to stay in a lane. I'm not sure how that would work anyway. How could you draw lines in MK and expect people to stay in them? Would your draw turn around lanes too? Just wouldn't work.

 

[jamescanuck2001]

I'm sure incidents with strollers and other things happen at WDW each and every day. Sometimes with nasty results. There is a reason for the 1st aid stations.

It can get pretty chaotic at WDW. Chaotic enough for stroller accidents, lose a child, drop a Dole Whip, etc. Sometimes it is clearly the fault of a particular person, but most often I would think it's just an accident where no one is at fault. If one party reacts rudely ie. walks away without an excuse me or sorry, well I feel sorry for that person. They are going to have a crappy life if that's the way they behave.

Best thing to do is walk defensively. And if an accident happens, apologize if necessary and provide assistance. Everyone will go away happy and just maybe you will make new friends.

Next week I'll be flying into WDW with a large stroller (my daughter is 1, if she needs to sleep, an umbrella stroller just won't cut it). And besides the large stroller gives her protection from accidents.

I'll be careful just like last year, and watch for the less crowded ways to get to where we are going, and when stopping, step to the side out of the crowd movement. (it's ridiculous how many times a large group just stops in the middle of a busy pathway to consult maps, etc.)

 

[Flews]

So, you would not mind if I rammed a stroller into the back of your heels.... and I didn't stop, or apologize, or ask if you were ok, and instead... I took off in another direction to avoid the situation?

If any of the people who hit us would have exercised some common courtesy and stopped, apologized, and made sure DW and DS were OK after those incidents... we would have said thank you for stopping... and just got over it despite the pain. I bet there are a lot of injuries caused by careless people pushing strollers, some serious.

So you want to call the police because some people are rude?

Cheers,

 

[Flews]

Sorry I didnt read past page 4...

Page one had me CRACKING UP omg, hilarious!!

But on a serious note... I dont think most stroller pushing people are intendeng to hit anyone... but it happens... I cannot tell you how hard it is to maneuver a stroller thru WDW, and I only bring a small umbrellatype.

My major issue is that people are usually so entranced by their own experience that they dont notice others around them.... Too many times people have stepped in front of us, cut us off, or literally tried to step OVER my DD in the stroller

I guess what I am intending to point out here is just that, it goes both ways....

Hear, hear!

Cheers,

 

[Wadecool]

In all seriousness, I think Disney out to have a line (much like the carpool highway lane) where it's tapped off (or painted) for where the strollers or wheel chairs could go. I think it would provide courtesy of having other park guests give them room and would provide them a lane. Just a thought.

I can imagine people putting dummies in strollers to gain access to the designated stroller lanes, like they do in the carpool lanes.

 

[larryz]

Inflatable babies... now available in three sizes, both genders, and four different nationalities to serve your stroller-lane entry needs...
$24.95 at Disney Babies... (Brazilian model with singing and chanting module slightly higher)

 

[mpres2]

I have problems with the size of strollers these days! A lot of them are close to the size of a Smart Car! Seriously, there should be a limit. One child to one stroller! Stollers are not substitutions for beasts of burdens to transport all off your valuables.

So, how would you have mothers of twins (or more) transport their small children? You should have seen me when I had 20 month old twins and a newborn...My stroller was the size of a station wagon and it was a necessity if I ever wanted to leave my house!

 

[larryz]

You could start your trip in AK and hire a couple of Sherpas from over by EE...

 

[deuceswild10]

Who needs to contact the police! When attacked by a stroller my preferred method of resolution is to remove my shirt and challenge the offender to a bare knuckle boxing match.

OP, relax. Seriously.

 

[blondietink]

I agree wtih some of the other posters. I have to push a wheelchair around the parks and it is a nightmare of people stepping in front of us, people psuhing us, people stopping right in front of us and expect us to stop before we hit them. Other people are so unaware of their surroundings, then they get mad at us for clipping their heels or otherwise bumping into them. UGH!

 

[ilovefh]

This thread irks me! I really didn't think anything of strollers before I had my son. Now that I push one every time we go to the park (several times per month) my eyes have been opened. I've run into people by mistake before and 9 times out of 10 it was not because I was some crazed stroller pushing maniac. The majority of the time someone darts out in front of me and thinks they have time to cross my path and they don't. Or, my absolute favorite is when someone is walking next to me and they see a centimeter of space between me and the person in front of me and they try to squeeze in between the stroller and the people in front of me and bump the stroller. I have had someone almost knock my stroller over doing that. I had one person trip on the front foot rest as they did this and they almost fell. If you cut me off, not my fault! If you're in front of me and I don't realize you have stopped, my fault.

And let's be honest, I don't really want my son coming into contact with your body as you fall on the stroller so I am super careful, but if you don't watch where you are walking I can't help that!

(And yes, I have been the idiot who stopped dead with no notice in front of a stroller. In fact I just did it the other day and I apologized profusely to the lady who bumped me. We had a good laugh with her as I couldn't believe I had done that when I know how annoying it is!)

And to the poster who said stroller drivers should "maintain" a safe distance: You must not have been to WDW when there is ANY crowd at all. If you are walking down a path and leave enough room for a person in front of you rest assured that someone will be along shortly to fill that space.

And to the OP if I hit you and didn't realize it and you chased me down to "confront me" or tried to detain me I'd probably roll my eyes at you and laugh at how something so small is taking up your precious vacation time. Now if you nicely pointed out that I bumped into your wife while I wasn't paying attention I'd apologize, but DH (and the rest of my family and facebook and the DIS) would have a good laugh if you confronted me and tried to detain me.

 

[BUTTERHEAD1]

I never understand why people who go on vacation to a place that is specifically for children and then complain about strollers and noisy restaurants. Maybe a cruise or camping is a better suited vacation for you. I no longer have stroller aged children but if I did and I accidentally bumped into and you decided to physically detain me or my wife... You would be picking your teeth up off of the floor. You should seriously consider an alternative vacation or accept the fact that you will get bumped into by wayward strollers. Lighten up Francis!

 

[kaligal]

I don't get all these stroller wars.

Are strollers a pain? Yes. They're a pain for the people stuck behind them...even if the people behind them also happen to be pushing a stroller. They're a pain for the people who have to use them.

Once in a while, people with strollers hit other people...usually an accident, but some folks do it intentionally. Should they? No. But they do. People without strollers also bash into others, too. There are nasty people in the world.

Is it difficult to maneuver a stroller in a crowded place? Of course. Duh.

If you have children, you have to deal with loads of inconvenience from the minute you go into labor. Maneuvering strollers is part of it. If you don't want to deal with strollers in crowded places - especially places where most people there have no idea where they're going - don't take your young kids to crowded places. Duh.

If you go to a place that is Kid Heaven, you must expect that there will be kids-a-plenty there. Some of those little ones will be in strollers. The strollers will get in your way. Duh.

It's all so extremely foreseeable.

I miss refillable mug fights.

 

[LoriNKY]

I've not had too many problems with strollers (either pushing one or getting hit by one), but you get someone on a scooter gnawing on a turkey leg, and watch out!

 

[smidgy]

I never understand why people who go on vacation to a place that is specifically for children and then complain about strollers and noisy restaurants. Maybe a cruise or camping is a better suited vacation for you. I no longer have stroller aged children but if I did and I accidentally bumped into and you decided to physically detain me or my wife... You would be picking your teeth up off of the floor. You should seriously consider an alternative vacation or accept the fact that you will get bumped into by wayward strollers. Lighten up Francis!

while I feel that accidents happen, people bump into each other, whether walking, pushing strollers, or are in Ecvs, and we all need to be patient and polite....

I absolutely, totally disagree. that disney world is "specifically for children". this is not true. Disney world is for whoever chooses to go there. including those who are child free. I could state "disney is a place specifically for empty nesters, looking to rekindle thier romance".... and I would be correct!!!!

 

[BUTTERHEAD1]

We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun - together."—Walt Disney


I dont think he said a park for empty nesters looking to rekindle their romance....just saying

First and foremost it is a park for families and of course all are welcome. My point was if you have a problem with strollers banging into you or kids crying in restaurants then WDW is not the vacation for you. BTW I have gone to WDW on 2 seperte vacations where it was just me and the wife and will travel there again without kids. If a stroller or two bang into me then so be it.

 

[maxiesmom]

We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun - together."—Walt Disney

He also stated the parks are for children of all ages. Not just the ones who need a stroller.

I do think people should lighten up a bit about strollers, and accept that somtimes it is not the stroller users fault their is a bump. Sometimes it is the fault of the ones without the stroller. However I also think that you shouldn't expect to be smacked with one during your trip to WDW. Carefulness and consideration need to come from everyone.

I also think that consideration needs to extend to restaurants and crying children. Being in a theme park doesn't mean you throw common sense and consideration out the window. It isn't suddenly ok to let your kids cry and carry on for hours on end, just because you are in a theme park. Children should still have manners, and their parents should still know enough to not push them to the breaking point where a total meltdown is inevitable. Being in a theme park doesn't make it enjoyable for everyone else to have to listen to little Brittany have a meltdown, nor does it mean the parent can ignore it and expect everyone else to have to suck it up.

Common sense and common courtesy is what it is all about.