Day 8, Dec 18: I bounce into Pirates of the Caribbean, we park the stroller and head for the line. Taking the one on the right side as always. I don't know why. But we always seem to. There's a bit of a wait, not much, probably about ten minutes in total HOWEVER it was enough to almost RUIN the whole experience for me. Not because we had to wait but because of what HAPPENED during that wait. You see... there was a little boy, perhaps Tommy's age or a tad older, in line a group or two of people behind us. And he joined the line absolutely SCREAMING and continued to wail the entire time we waited to board our boat. The screaming was in the form of abject terror. That he was going to be made to go on this particular ride by his two "loving" parents. Now I'm probably going to go off as pretty harsh here but I will explain myself. This cute little dumpling was shaking, sobbing, snot was running down his face and his breath was hitching between the shrieks. You know... that uhhhh uhhhh uhhhh thing that happens when your crying becomes completely OUT OF CONTROL. I know exactly how that is because I cry in the exact same manner every time I try to watch Forest Gump. It's true. I'm not proud but I'm truthful. It was sad, pathetic and, I felt, incredibly cruel. Of his parents. I kept turning around and looking, hard, at them. But they were deliberately avoiding me and all others who were staring in their direction. And they did, in fact, seem to be quite uncomfortable. But not enough to get out of the bloody line. I kept trying to catch their eye. Couldn't. However, DH kept looking at me, a lot, because I think he was getting pretty nervous that I was going to say or do something to make people look at us. He's not much for people looking at us. I am one who, on the other hand, doesn't give a half of a crap. Nor do I like to bud into others' business when there is no need to. But I will not shy away from speaking up when I feel it is important. End of story. And I am truly ashamed that in this instance I did not. But I kept waiting for the CM at the end of the queue to ask them to leave. I was SURE he would. SURE! And this whole time I was carrying Tommy on my hip and he was turned around staring at this poor little wreck of a boy. With the saddest, pained look on his little face. Tommy has a tremendous amount of empathy. Everyone who's ever taught him in school or dance or swimming has expressed this same opinion. This was killing him. Me too. In fact, all of us were either upset or mad about it. Calvin was MAD. DH was upset. Beth was upset. The couple behind us too. Now... I have to say... I GET the timid child thing. I have one. And I also get that there are certain times and certain rides where they might be encouraged or even, tricked, into riding. But you must know your child. This was not that child. Or that age. Or that ride. It just wasn't Beth in Star Tours. Or Space Mountain. Or The Enchanted Tiki Room... Under New Management. YES! SHHHHHH! It wasn't a situation like that, new thing and never done it but would like it... this was TERROR. Plain and simple. It made me want to puke. And then some. And THEN kick that Dad's a$$ to Downtown Disney and back. I was spittin' mad in my Tigger Ears. And, yes, I know this isn't that funny. 'Cause it wasn't funny at all. And I will even tell you that we, ourselves, had a moment like this once. It was last May with Tommy and The Haunted Mansion. Everything was fine till he was in the Doom Buggy with DH, though. THEN he lost it. No way out. Started scream-crying. But what my wonderful, protective, sweet man of my dreams did was.... bury Tommy's face deep into his chest and plug the poor little guys ears so that he could not hear or see any more of the ride. And we've never asked him to go on again. Even though it breaks my heart. And he may never want to try it, again, either. So be it. What is the point of traumatizing your child at DISNEY? Because that's what these people did. For whatever reason. I don't doubt they do love their child but, for some reason, something was not clicking there between the ears. That little kid will NEVER love that classic ride. Never. They ruined it. For him. And the CM let them. He let them haul that screaming boy into the boat and he screamed the WHOLE WAY through. The entire ride. They were in the one behind ours and I listened the entire time. Whew. I'm done. I'm pi$$ed again. I gotta go upstairs and kick the crap out of our housepainter dude.
To be continued.
I would have done the same thing you did -- try to give the parents the evil eye and hope they got the message. I'm also surprised that the CM's didn't say anything. Poor little kid!
Then again maybe it was fortunate that I didn't hear him say it. 
