So many rude guests!

[alicat8]

I feel that more and more people have the "I am the center of the universe" syndrome and Disney is no exception; but that just makes those people that go out of their way to be kind and caring stand out

Yes. This.

 

[goofy4prez]

I personally think that people have bought into the new trinity.....

Me
Myself
& I

We have become such a self centered, self satisfying, and want it now society centered on "self." I'm 51 years old and I can remember back in the 70's that Saturday Morning jingle when we use to watch cartoons, "Your the most important person in the whole wide world and you hardly even know you." This has continued to evolve to where it is today. Others don't seem to matter as long as I get what I want and when I want to get it. Now before I get flamed big time (and I'm sure I will) I still think that most people are still good people who genuinely care for others, but the number of those who don't is just getting larger and larger and becoming so much more prevalent than ever before.

 

[Moms]

We have noticed the changes as well but I think that our society (especially here in the US) in general has become decidedly less civil and common courtesy is not as "common" as it used to be. When you put so many members of that society in one place it is bound to seem that it is more rampant than perhaps it really is.

We try to take things in stride and focus on the good people who really do outnumber the jerks (they just don't stand out). With CM's we always try to greet them directly, ask them how they are and always, always, always say "Thank you!"

 

[ArwenMarie]

My sister gets worked up just thinking about going to MK. She says out of all the parks MK is the worst for rude guest behavior. It's like everyone remembered to take their crazy pills. I have to agree with her. I have witnessed some of the worst of human behaviors while there. My theory is that there are a lot of families trying to cram a two day park into one. It just can't be done on a reasonable timetable.

I agree with your sister, MK for rudeness is the worst in my experience. I think it's the most crowded and paradoxically, the most "magical", so people are the most frenzied while they are there. The walkways are also quite narrow in spots for the crowds, which doesn't help. I also agree about the days.

 

[North of Mouse]

My sister gets worked up just thinking about going to MK. She says out of all the parks MK is the worst for rude guest behavior. It's like everyone remembered to take their crazy pills. I have to agree with her. I have witnessed some of the worst of human behaviors while there. My theory is that there are a lot of families trying to cram a two day park into one. It just can't be done on a reasonable timetable.

And of course this is the age of entitlement.

Yes, I agree, we're here now after two years hiatus, and it seems MK is way worse than ever. I think the main reason is all the families with baby strollers that are as large as some golf carts (an exaggeration, but barely) that hold anything but a baby, mostly older children. They seem to have an agenda, and don't dare get in the way of them and their entitled children.

Also, all the precise planning people do, we must do xyz today at this park so we can do xyz at the next park tomorrow, and don't get in my way.

 

[Delilah1310]

Some people seem to be itching to start a fight sometimes.

About two years ago, after the fireworks, my 5 yo son and I got seperated as we were walking out. I was admittedly walking much brisker than the rest of the crowd and i inadvertently cut off a man. I apologize and explained that I was trying to catch up to me son who had gotten separated.

He kept going on and on, loudly, about how much more important I think I must be, and look at me, thinking I was the only one who wanted to get out of the park, and I should relax, this was supposed to be a vacation and on and on and on. I just ignored him and finally caught up to my son, but it was like he wanted me to engage with him about my behavior ... admittedly inappropriate, but on accident and immediately apologized for before his taunts. I didn't feel like I owed him more than that, but I'm sure he told everyone how rude I was.

 

[lauradis]

Our last trip in Oct 2013. We ran into couple of rude people.

The worst was hoveround lady in Epcot that not only banged in to me but our dd. we didn't cut her off or stop, we where simply in her way. After she hit my dd hard enough to remove little skin and cause a bruise. I stop and told dd 10 to watch out for strollers and hoverounds. she was behind us in the Epcot bottle neck and she told us. "We should get out of her way." Basically it was our fault she rammed us. I moved my self and my child as far away from that nasty woman as possible, with out saying a word.

I was so angry with her, I don't think I could have been civil at all.

After a couple of mins passed my dd told me she was a jerk, my answer was yes she was, don't treat people like that.

 

[RustManFan]

Me, me, me

My child, my child, my child

No consideration or patience

 

[CT Yankee]

Isn't ironic that while our society has generally become more tolerant, open-minded and accepting over the past couple of decades, it seems that people have increased their ability to be real jerks to each other. Just an observation.

 

[lauradis]

Isn't ironic that while our society has generally become more tolerant, open-minded and accepting over the past couple of decades, it seems that people have increased their ability to be real jerks to each other. Just an observation.

Are you sure about that, or have people just learned to speak in pc terms.

 

[larryz]

We just finished up a mostly wonderful 2 week trip and I couldn't believe the number of rude guests we encountered this time around. It's the worst I've experienced in our 4 family trips. Adults pushing, shoving their kids ahead of people in line, yelling at other parties, pulling their families through tight spaces at top speeds, stampeding at trams, line cutting, etc., etc. Has it always been this bad and i've just never noticed?

Maybe they were concerned about getting to their FP+ on time so they wouldn't be turned away for being one minute late.

 

[lauradis]

Maybe they were concerned about getting to their FP+ on time so they wouldn't be turned away for being one minute late.

haha

 

[brookmey]

Unfortunately I do think part of the entitlement comes from the internet -- people read about others getting special treatment, and then "special" becomes the new normal/expected. With tens of thousands of visitors a day, not everyone gets to be special. Some people just cannot cope with that math.

I think the above has a lot to do with the increase in rude guests. Last summer we were on an Alaskan cruise on the Wonder. It's a small ship so you end up running into the same people. We were very lucky on the trip and always happened to be in the right place at the right time, so we did experience a few "magical" extras. Every single one of those times the same family happened to be near us. Every single time the mom complained to the nearest CM about not getting the same experience we were getting. The last straw for her was when she happened to see us coming out of the captain's bridge, which we had just gotten a tour of. She asked us what was in that room and my DH told her. She turned and literally chased down the CM who had escorted us out of the bridge and demanded that her family should also get a tour. I don't know what the CM said because she was speaking quietly, while the mom was almost yelling.

Look how many times people post threads about what can they do to get special perks or extras from the CMs. If you go into your trip expecting "extra magic" because people on the DIS got it and then you don't get it, but see other families getting it, you're going to be pretty ticked off and let a CM know it. Aside from my experience on the Wonder, that's the most common example of rude behavior that I've seen. Line jumping, pushy parents, stroller ramming, they've been around as long as I can remember. It's the "I deserve something special because I'm here" attitude that has really grown.

 

[mousehockey37]

We have noticed the changes as well but I think that our society (especially here in the US) in general has become decidedly less civil and common courtesy is not as "common" as it used to be. When you put so many members of that society in one place it is bound to seem that it is more rampant than perhaps it really is.

We try to take things in stride and focus on the good people who really do outnumber the jerks (they just don't stand out). With CM's we always try to greet them directly, ask them how they are and always, always, always say "Thank you!"

I think the entitlement of people as well as the downfall in civility is coming due to technology. The more things that we can do now without actually talking to or interacting with anyone, the more people are forgetting how to do it. Kids in their teens and even early 20s have no idea what life was like without the internet or cell phones. Almost anything can be done online today, from ordering food, products, etc, to applying for jobs to going on vacation and everything in between. There was a time not that long ago where that didn't exist.

As the older generations get used to this technology and separate themselves from human interaction, it is helping to center things around one's self.

 

[taffy]

We just got back and found it awful this time for rudeness and I had been reading on here befell we went about the tour groups but ave to say they were great compared to the experience we had with an American family.

We were waiting for the tram to the park and didn't want to try and get on the one that arrived so waited for the next even though a CM said we would fit somewhere. Anyway we were the first family waiting for the next and my wife was carrying our 9 month old and my 4 year old was standing holding her hand. I was holding 2 strollers. As the next tram arrived my wife went to go to the door in our row but instead a women carrying another baby dated over to get out row and stood there holding the door. She then elbowed our nine month old in the head as my wife had her front carrying in an ergo. The grandmother shoved my 4 year old over. It was all pretty disgusting and several people commented on how bad it was. when we got off I went over only to be told I was disgusting and rude.

We entered the park but left a very bad taste in out mouth. Even when we got on a young couple came to see if we were ok.

 

[PrincessDaisyDuck]

We have always had one or two rude guest incidents per trip, although usually what we've seen are families or friends being awful to each other.

- At Epcot, maybe 2008, a guy was carrying a tray of drinks to his family waiting in Morrocco's walkway. The woman screamed at him " I told you to get me something interesting!" She was SO mad at him, Aladdin and Jasmine were greeting nearby and actually looked up at them, startled. So awkward.

- At Animal Kingdom, 2010, two women were half running through the parks while the one lady screamed at the other about them missing the Lion King show. She called her some awful things and the other lady was in tears.

- At Magic Kingdom 2014 a woman was screaming at her husband, waving her finger in his face, cussing up a storm and he just looked miserable. I had my DS with me at the time so I hustled away.

However our trip in February we miraculously did not see any bad behavior! The tour groups were so nice and we had cheerleaders at our hotel and they were so well behaved and downright sweet.

 

[Planogirl]

A few years ago, DS and I were walking towards the Polynesian from the TT&C. There was plenty of room for others but in spite of that we had a man come up behind us and ask us to get out of his way. I just stopped and looked at him and he walked on around us. I called after him apologizing for being on his sidewalk (which is totally out of character for me) but luckily he just went on his way.

 

[mousehockey37]

This past year we attended the MNSSHP. After the fireworks, we tried to head towards the HM and Frontierland. As we're trying to go across the bridge, we're in the center where you're passing people going the other direction. There was a group of about 6 guys pushing their way in the opposite direction. The 1st guy brushed my shoulder, 2nd clipped me a little better, by the 5th guy I had enough and for #5 and #6, I full out just lowered my shoulder into both of them. They obviously weren't caring, so I let them know that I didn't either... lol.

 

[CinderElsa]

Of course it's everybody else; nobody that posts here has ever been part of this problem.

I'd wager that while some of these incidents are caused by poor manners & gross entitlement, the majority of them are caused by people being in their "vacation bubble" - they simply do not notice you. I can almost guarantee that everyone here has, at some point, bumped into someone, walked in front of someone, stopped dead in front of someone, argued with CMs or their kids/family/friends, had a bad day, etc... and gone home as "that person" in someone else's narrative of "Rude People I Met On My Vacation." Yes, even the ones who hand out cards to... shall we say... "overly enthusiastic" CMs.

I have personally never had the misfortune of witnessing any incidents such as those described, but the amount of attention I pay to what other people are doing is pretty minimal. I'm hoping to continue this streak.

 

[larryz]

A few years ago, DS and I were walking towards the Polynesian from the TT&C. There was plenty of room for others but in spite of that we had a man come up behind us and ask us to get out of his way. I just stopped and looked at him and he walked on around us. I called after him apologizing for being on his sidewalk (which is totally out of character for me) but luckily he just went on his way.

Was that a section of those "memorial bricks"? Maybe he did, indeed, think it was "his" walkway...