Something very annoying I noticed in WDW

[always quiet]

I meant to post about this before, but have been busy lately. I have noticed a trend with parents and kids in Disney....no, not strollers....kids on wheels!! I have even noticed this in the malls here at home. The kids are wearing those sneakers with the pop out wheels on the soles and the parents, literally, pull them through the parks! This might not necessarily be a bad thing if it weren't for the fact that normally, the kids are being drug and are behind the parents...who don't see there are people walking behind them as well. Also, once the parents let the kid go, you then are faced with kids racing past you, not caring that they just about knocked you on your keester.

Don't say I didn't warn you!!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

That's just crazy - whatever next!!

 

[ReggieB]

Roller skates are not allowed in the parks, and from what I understand these shoes fit in that category. However I don't know how CM's would handle the situation, as I imagine parents would get pretty annoyed if their kids got thrown out! It's not like you would be carrying around a spare paiir of shoes. I did notice a kid in DTD with them on last May, but not at the parks. It's not like these kids legs are old or anything sheesh... If I can make it round unaided, I think they could too!!!

 

[NMAmy]

I saw them, too. I didn't notice any of them going too fast--and frankly, I would never PULL my kid through a theme park but that's just because I'm lazy. I saw a couple of them moving along on their own steam but they weren't going very fast.

 

[joshsmom]

Another reason DS will NOT have these!!! Sorry Charlie, not gonna happen. Wouldn't "pull" him even if he DID have them!!!

 

[seashoreCM]

, the kids are being drug and are behind the parents...who don't see there are people walking behind them as well. Also, once the parents let the kid go, you then are faced with kids racing past you, not caring that they just about knocked you on your keester. :

I never mastered roller skates or ice skates. I remember "doing ice skating" for some winter gym classes as a kid at the local hockey arena and I stayed against the wall. Always afraid my legs would go out in front of me and I'd fall down (1:then) ... and go boom (2:now) ... on my keester whether or not someone else got in my way.

The kids can walk normally in those shoes. If they persist in skating they can expect to be thrown out of the park.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[TinkGirl]

I saw them, too. I didn't notice any of them going too fast--and frankly, I would never PULL my kid through a theme park but that's just because I'm lazy. I saw a couple of them moving along on their own steam but they weren't going very fast.

We saw them, too. They weren't a problem when we were there except that my three kids were practically drooling with jealousy over these things!

 

[2Xited4Disney]

We should all just wear them and tool around in them... hahahahahahaha



I do secretly want them...

 

[Ride Junkie]

When we were at DL a few weeks ago, we noticed a CM telling a parent that they had to remove the wheels on their kid's shoes before they entered the park. Apparently they aren't allowed & they will tell you if they see them. We did see a few kids zooming around, however, so I guess if they are not noticed by a CM, they skate.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I can't *STAND* these shoes! As a school teacher, I expect them to be banned from all public schools very quickly this year or the beginning of the next. They are already at our school.

As far as the cast members go, they CAN tell them to pop the wheels out of the shoes. The majority of the brands have this feature for various reasons. They simply pop out.

 

[madalex]

I was at WDW all last week and my kids started counting the number of kids with shoes like this. They got somewhere into the 30's, meaning we saw 4 - 5 kids per day actually "skating" with such shoes. Who knows how many other kids had the shoes, but we just did not see skating? Never saw anyone being pulled by the parents, but also never saw any CM's telling the kids/parents to take the shoes off.

 

[Lorelai]

They are called "Heelys" and the wheels can be removed to wear as "regular" sneakers. They are sold by sporting goods stores like Modells. In our town they are not allowed in the public schools with the wheels intact. You must remove them before entering the school. But they aren't like roller skates or in-line skates. It's basically a sneaker with a single thick, shallow wheel inserted into the rubber of the heel. They don't get a lot of speed, but still....

I can see how they would be a danger in the parks. Especially for the little kids that wear them! Getting on and off of rides like Peter Pan, Buzz Lightyear or anthing with a conveyer belt could be very dangerous. Parents will hopefully realize that they should never put their child in that situation. Jeez, some folks have a hard enough time with those track rides without adding wheels to the mix.

By the way, my 12 year old has these sneakers but is only allowed to use the wheels at home or at his friends house. Never in public areas where he could roll over someone.

 

[sleepyone]

*Thinking of investing in Heelys so the kids can pull me through WDW like the White Witch and her polar bears*

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I see a lot of kids with these things at WDW. Not once have I had a problem with them or have I seen them being a problem to others. Not saying it doens't happen, I just haven't observed it. I have seen way more problems with strollers and ECVs.

 

[pezpam]

There's another brand with 2 sets of wheels on each foot - you flip a switch to put the wheels out for skating or up in the shoe for skating. Fine for playing outside at home, not for school or WDW......

Last time we went to DL (ok, the only time.....), the security guards out in DTD were warning parents with skating kids that they were not allowed to skate on the property. They didn't tell anyone to leave though and several kids, probably a few days into vacation, had figured out that they could skate, flip the wheels in and walk by the guard, then flip the wheels out again once they were safely away from the guard. Gotta wonder about parents who would let them do that......

 

[Msslaydbug]

We see kids all around here have them. I can see where they will need to be banned from school.

 

[Matt]

I saw a bunch of kids with them but i never saw parents dragging them. The kids would just roll a few feet and then walk. It really wasn't a problem when I was there.

 

[Feralpeg]

I spend more time at DTD than most, so I guess that explains why I've seen so many incidents with them. I have personally been run into multiple times. I posted on another thread that I had a kid hit me so hard that a drink I was carrying went flying out of my hand. Thank goodness it didn't hit anyone. The kid did not apologize, nor did his mom. She watched the whole thing and simply glared at me when I stood there with a shocked look on my face. I predict that they will be banned from DTD before long. Although I have never complained, I would imagine other victims have.

 

[jann1033]

i saw some kid in home depot with them on the other day, just pictured her running into a big stack of plywood and getting brusied and battered but really how could they be safe in crowds or entering exiting rides. it's like letting the 3 yr old kid push the stroller at park close time, not a good idea

 

[princesspumpkin]

My DD-9 has has a pair. I have never pulled her though - but she wears them whennever we go out. She skates from the car to the store. She'll skate down an aisle - when there's no onne else in it. She hasn't bumped into anyone yet - but she did bump into many people when she just walked down aisle She has a key to remove the wheel when she goes to school. I don't see them being any different than children bouncing around normally and causing havoc. It actually keeps the rest of her body more still than when she walked around!