Stroller etiquette

[Jiminy'sGirl]

We have been taking trips in early November and February or March for so long now that I haven't seen too much of this. You all are scaring me, as my oldest child is now in 5th grade and this November is the last time we are going to take him out of school for WDW. Looks like I better buy some armor and prepare to dodge strollers in July 2013!

 

[shaynar]

As a double stroller pushing mom I just want to point out that it's much more difficult to navigate a stroller (especially once there are kids in it!) than simply walking. A human being with two legs just seems to have an innate agility that a stroller does not! lol!

So when I'm pushing a stroller in a straight line and someone crosses in front of me it's not so easy to maneuver around.

Also, I'm sorry, but people who decide to just stop in the middle of a walkway suck! How am I supposed to anticipate that your whole group is just going to stop while you look in your huge carry-all for a lip-balm? Again, stroller, not so agile. Takes a bit more work.

Before we bash the strollers, can we also bash all the people with two legs who can't seem to walk in a straight line?

 

[AlohaAnnie]

Wow! Someone needs morning coffee! Here are some hugs!

Disney World is so busy. People are going to bump into each other. It happens all the time. People do not walk on one side of the streets like driving a car. I call it Disney mode.


There is not personal space at Disney World. I am always shocked at this at the beginning of our trip but I get use to it after a while.

I have pushed a stroller and bumped into someone with a stroller and I have been the one bumped into.

I am glad that I drove my stroller first and then was bumped after not needing one anymore or I wouldn't understand the crowds of people and how hard it is to sometimes avoid hitting someone.

Give someone a break for goodness sakes! What if you were in their situation. I never hit anyone on purpose. I hope the person who hits me isn't hitting me on purpose.

You are going to meet rude people every where you go. I personally want to be kind to those people. You never know what kind of day they were having. I have been at the end of my rope, have you?

Spread some love people

 

[River Country]

DW and I have been pushing a Stroller for the last 5 years in WDW and well i am on both sides here. We have ettiquite and would never intentionally hit another stroller or person even though we are from NJ LOL

However, as far as people stopping and i think this is only an issue in HS and MK just the way the parks are situated but PHOTOPASS photographers are in the middle of the street every 10 feet and loads of people are trying to navigate around them which makes pushing a stroller in that crowd very difficult especially for the moron's that jump over a stroller yes it happend and yes i introduced him to NJ the hard way.

Its not just strollers but the motorized carts and wheelchairs alike just becasue you are in one doesnt give you the right to mow me down and I am the kinda of person that will infrom you of that.

Going to WDW is a privilege not a right, be courteous and respectful so everyone can enjoy it

 

[Figment43]

I'm supposed to turn around and look behind me now? Should I just put on my toe shoes and pirouette down the street so I can see all around me at the same time? Doesn't the person behind me have any obligation to look ahead of her?

Is it really that much for you to glance over your shoulder and be aware of your surroundings in general? Yes, they should be looking ahead and watching where they're going. But it's easy to get distracted at WDW, especially if they have multiple children, so you can't count on that.

 

[glaserjm]

I think it's mostly about the apology rather than the bumping. People need to acknowledge when they run into each other, make eye contact and do the "Sorry" or "Excuse me"...it really does go a long way regardless of who is "at fault".

 

[ttintagel]

Is it really that much for you to glance over your shoulder and be aware of your surroundings in general? Yes, they should be looking ahead and watching where they're going. But it's easy to get distracted at WDW, especially if they have multiple children, so you can't count on that.

Well, yes, it is, seeing as how my eyes are in the front of my head and I don't have a 360-degree swivel neck like an owl.

And why do they have an excuse for "getting distracted," but I don't?

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Is it really that much for you to glance over your shoulder and be aware of your surroundings in general? Yes, they should be looking ahead and watching where they're going. But it's easy to get distracted at WDW, especially if they have multiple children, so you can't count on that.

There was no excuse for the man who ran me down. I was walking along in a straight line at a decent pace, watching ahead of me (you know...so I wouldn't run into anyone). Silly me...I clearly should have been watching behind me just in case there was man moving at a full run using a stroller to clear his path. He ran right into the back of my knees, and it didn't seem to bother him a bit...he didn't spare a second glance as my family was helping me off the ground.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

It constantly disturbs me that people throw the word "Nazi" around without any kind of historical context. I agree some families are rude and don't pay attention to driving strollers in Walt Disney World, but I fail to see the correlation with genocide.

 

[saddler andy]

I fight back with my secret weapon, well not so secret!

My Grandmother in a wheelchair!

Its like medievil jousting.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

One thing I can always count on at WDW is coming home with stroller bruises. Last trip Hubby was hit twice by the same stroller and there was no else near us! She could have gone around and the stroller was empty.

They need to put a bell or horn on them.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I have seriously considered just sitting down on top of their kid. "sorry, you knocked me off my feet." For added payback I have also considered tossing my drink over my head and into their face as I fall onto their kid.

I could see this as a short dream sequence in a comedy movie!

 

[Figment43]

Well, yes, it is, seeing as how my eyes are in the front of my head and I don't have a 360-degree swivel neck like an owl.

And why do they have an excuse for "getting distracted," but I don't?

Let me put it this way. There are stupid people in this world. While you don't have a responsibility to look out for their stupidity, it's in your best interest to take the time to do so.

It's like driving. There are idiots who will crash into you. I don't have a responsibility to look in my rearview mirror when I stop to make sure I'm not going to get rear ended, but I don't want to get rear ended.

There are idiots who will ram you with a stroller without apologizing. I don't have to turn my head a little (because, unless you have neck problems, your head should be able to turn enough for you to see behind you with peripheral vision) to make sure nobody is going to ram me, but I do because I don't want a chunk of skin missing from my leg. If you don't want to take it upon yourself to make sure some stroller wielding moron doesn't ruin your day, that's your problem.

Personally, I think both sides need to start acting like adults. Everybody should watch where they're going and apologize if they bump into someone. But that's not going to happen. So I'm just going to perform the evidently arduous task of looking over my shoulder to save myself from injury.

 

[ttintagel]

Let me put it this way. There are stupid people in this world. While you don't have a responsibility to look out for their stupidity, it's in your best interest to take the time to do so.

It's like driving. There are idiots who will crash into you. I don't have a responsibility to look in my rearview mirror when I stop to make sure I'm not going to get rear ended, but I don't want to get rear ended.

There are idiots who will ram you with a stroller without apologizing. I don't have to turn my head a little (because, unless you have neck problems, your head should be able to turn enough for you to see behind you with peripheral vision) to make sure nobody is going to ram me, but I do because I don't want a chunk of skin missing from my leg. If you don't want to take it upon yourself to make sure some stroller wielding moron doesn't ruin your day, that's your problem.

Bolding mine.

Personally, I think both sides need to start acting like adults. Everybody should watch where they're going and apologize if they bump into someone. But that's not going to happen. So I'm just going to perform the evidently arduous task of looking over my shoulder to save myself from injury.

Having a rear-view mirror would certainly help. But looking backwards over your shoulder while walking is going to cause more accidents than it prevents. It seems pretty obvious that there would be far more driving accidents, too, if drivers didn't have those mirrors and instead had to turn around while they were driving. Is it reasonable to put the onus on pedestrians to walk around holding mirrors up in front of themselves while they walk?

Peripheral vision lets you see beside you. To see behind you with peripheral vision, you'd have to turn your head 90 degrees. In the time it takes me to do that, I can easily run into something in front of me. And there you'd be to tell me I should have been watching where I was going instead of looking behind me.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I've said it before...

y'all need to practice before you go to WDW...be vigilent!

have your spouse do a little Mike and Sully work out a few times before you go...

happyfeet, happyfeet, happyfeet...STROLLER!
happyfeet, happyfeet, happyfeet...DOUBLE STROLLER!

 

[Figment43]

Having a rear-view mirror would certainly help. But looking backwards over your shoulder while walking is going to cause more accidents than it prevents. It seems pretty obvious that there would be far more driving accidents, too, if drivers didn't have those mirrors and instead had to turn around while they were driving. Is it reasonable to put the onus on pedestrians to walk around holding mirrors up in front of themselves while they walk?

Peripheral vision lets you see beside you. To see behind you with peripheral vision, you'd have to turn your head 90 degrees. In the time it takes me to do that, I can easily run into something in front of me. And there you'd be to tell me I should have been watching where I was going instead of looking behind me.

Tell me, when you're driving, do you turn your head and check your blind spot before switching lanes? Or do you just expect the person coming up in that lane to look out for you? Also, if you do check your blind spot, do you crash into stuff when you do? And how is it you can turn your head to check your blind spot while driving but not turn your head to make sure no one is behind you while you're walking?

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Tell me, when you're driving, do you turn your head and check your blind spot before switching lanes? Or do you just expect the person coming up in that lane to look out for you? Also, if you do check your blind spot, do you crash into stuff when you do? And how is it you can turn your head to check your blind spot while driving but not turn your head to make sure no one is behind you while you're walking?

I see that as apples and oranges. People walking are pedestrians and anyone operating something with wheels (strollers) needs to watch out for them, not the other way around. You can't be constantly looking over your shoulder while walking and you should not have to.

 

[Figment43]

I see that as apples and oranges. People walking are pedestrians and anyone operating something with wheels (strollers) needs to watch out for them, not the other way around. You can't be constantly looking over your shoulder while walking and you should not have to.

Well, you all enjoy your sore ankles then. I've been to WDW probably a hundred times and have only been bumped with a stroller once. The lady even apologized. IMHO, glancing over my shoulder once in a while is a small price to pay for leaving the parks with cut- and bruise-free ankles.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I have only made contact with someone with my stroller 3 times.

Once we were in a crowd after a parade and someone without a stroller kept pushing me from behind when I was doing my best to remain still because I had the stroller. My son’s feet kept hitting the lady’s leg in front of me. She turned around and told me she couldn’t move. I apologized and told her I was being pushed from behind. It stopped after that. It was our small umbrella stroller and I was very afraid someone would fall on my son in that crowd.

Another time was when we were walking and there was a man on my right. And I mean directly to the right, not ahead or behind me, but walking at the same pace. I don’t know what he saw, but he suddenly decided to cut to our left and cut across us, but could not “clear” the stroller even though I stopped.

Another was when we were walking behind some people and one of them turned all the way around and started coming directly towards us. I stopped at least 2 yards back, but they kept going headed straight for us. I moved to avoid a head on, but their pants knicked the side.

I guess some people use the strollers inappropriately, but not everyone. My son is in that stroller. I’m not interested in the stroller making contact with anything or anyone. My daughter sometimes wants to push it, but I know better. She pushes it at the airport until I get the bags checked and when we are at a CS restaurant and I have a tray of food. I’ve only handed it over to her in the parks when it was raining and there was next to no one around.

 

[chartle]

Having a rear-view mirror would certainly help.

You need one of these if you wear glasses.

or these stuck to a hat.