The popcorn cart guy almost ruined our trip!

[TruBlu]

I know it sounds dramatic, but my kids were really sad.

On our second to last night at MK as we were leaving the park my DS8 asked for some popcorn. On the price sign it listed that they took dining plan. So, we stood in a long line only to find out that they only took cash - which I had none. The park was closing, so we had to leave without it. DS was tired and sad. I know that being very, very tired played into it.

SO, on our last night... I made sure I had cash. We watched the last Spectromagic parade then rushed for the popcorn cart. DS danced over going on and on about how good Disney popcorn was. We got to the end of the line but were turned away by a CM who said the line was closed. DS started to cry. (Again, being exhaused played a big part of this.) We had to stand beside the cart to wait for DH. We watched as they scooped all the popcorn into a trash bag and threw it away. I begged the CM to let me buy some, but he said no.

What a way to end a trip. Not very magical.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

That doesn't sound very Disney-like at all. I'm so sorry you had that experience. I would have been fit to be tied! Grrrrr! Where's some of that Disney magic when you need it? I don't know...such a shame. You'd think that if they had to cut the line, the least they could do is take the cart behind the scenes to empty it out...why torment a child like that. Terrible!

 

[mamaloya]

How appalling!!! I would have been sure that they would have just given you a bag for goodness sake. Tinkerbell needs to sprinkle that CM with a little pixie dust (after taking him to the woodshed). How awful and cruel. I can't imagine a CM doing that to a child. My dd lost her sparkle flashlight one year and was crying. A CM came up to us and asked what was wrong. When we told him he said to give him a minute. He came back a couple minutes later looking quite sad. He apologized to us because he went looking for the cart CMs so that he could give dd a new light toy to replace her lost one, but they were all gone. I think he did give her a balloon though. If a CM is willing to replace a toy that costs $10, I can't imagine a CM not willing to give a child some popcorn that they are going to throw away anyway. And to throw it away in front of your child!!!!

HOW RUDE!!!!!

 

[TruBlu]

Thanks for understanding. I was afraid I would get flamed for being silly. I know it doesn't sound like much, but that is his last memory of MK. That is the story he told everyone when they asked how the trip was.

To make the story even worse...
We've only been 2 times. Our first trip ended with us getting so sick we couldn't leave our room for 4 days. We actually had to have a doctor come to the room.

So, one more try. If the next trip ends with my kids crying, I'm going to Universal.

 

[tweedlemom]

If I were you, I'd let your situation be known to Disney somehow. Obviously they can't undo the damage that was done, but it may help them change their actions down the road and prevent future childrens' visits from being tarnished. I totally understand how something even as small as popcorn can be a big deal when a child is tired, so don't feel like you should have to apologize. Disney should understand that too. What a shame!

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I'm so sorry you had to go through that with your son. It boggles me that they would rather throw the popcorn away than sell it to you.

 

[mom2aredhead]

If I were you, I'd let your situation be known to Disney somehow. Obviously they can't undo the damage that was done, but it may help them change their actions down the road and prevent future childrens' visits from being tarnished. I totally understand how something even as small as popcorn can be a big deal when a child is tired, so don't feel like you should have to apologize. Disney should understand that too. What a shame!

Ruined Trip? Damage? Tarnished Visits?

Sorry - a little too dramatic over popcorn.

 

[GraysMom]

What a bummer! I must have gotten a different CM when we were at the MK in early May. I went to pay for my popcorn, and planned on charging to my room (didn't have any cash on me at the moment), but realized once I got up there that I couldn't charge it. I told the CM I would be right back with cash (DH and DS were watching a performance in front of the castle) and he said "don't worry about it" and just gave it to me . I kept telling him I would be right back with the money and he insisted I just take the popcorn (and being the serious popcorn addict that I am, I immediately started ). I'm sorry you got a rotten CM. Here's hoping your next trip will be filled with pixie dust !

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks for understanding. I was afraid I would get flamed for being silly. I know it doesn't sound like much, but that is his last memory of MK. That is the story he told everyone when they asked how the trip was.

Kids remember the craziest things. We've been to the zoo many times, and he loves it, but 3 visits ago we left the stroller behind us while looking at penguins, then turned back only to see a crow land on the stroller and grab an almost full package of peanuts, and go flying off...so now it's "we went to the zoo, a crow got my snack" over and over.

I've started to remind him of all the much better things that we see every time we go. It's not working, but at least it makes me feel better.


Although I've never made a complaint, I have heard that it can be good to at least let it be known to them that there was a problem. I can't imagine the cart vendor would have done that, if his supervisor were watching, so you might as well make a situation where the supervisor can find out after-the-fact.

 

[java]

Oh that stinks. We had a different popcorn "disaster" My dd9 loves popcorn and was so excited to get her big popcorn as we left the park- no sooner do we step through the gate does someone bump into her and it spills. She gets a little upset quietly and starts scooping it up to throw it out. Immediately someone comes over to sweep it up and before we had a chance to turn around another CM had run over to get her another bag of popcorn!! Now that is good PR. I am sorry you had such a grump.

 

[TruBlu]

I'm so sorry you had to go through that with your son. It boggles me that they would rather throw the popcorn away than sell it to you.

Me too. I couldn't believe that they were actually shoveling it into a trash bag while my kids stood there and cried. I can understand stopping the line, but I didn't understand why they would throw it away in front of us. I even stood there and begged. I told him it was our last night, but he just said sorry. I told him that he wasn't being very magical, but that didn't work either.

 

[emh1129]

I'm sorry you experienced this on your trip

We had one memorable (not in a good way, either) CM on our first (and only thus far) trip. We were about to ride the Haunted Mansion ride- I talked to ds (4 at the time) and explained it all and he still wanted to ride. Well, he changed his mind when we were in the loading queue and began to cry and hold on to me with complete terror. I told the CM that only my DH would be riding and ds and I would like to exit. He told me that wasn't an option at this point and to get on the ride NOW. I was shocked. I again repeated that we would NOT be riding (ds was now really scared that he might have to ride and was just bawling) and the CM insisted that we couldn't change our minds and that there was no exit. Well, I refused to get on and finally someone pointed out the exit to me, which turned out to be all of about 10 feet away.
We told Guest Services about it and she said that they're used to parents forcing their kids on rides when they are scared and don't want to ride. I was so saddened by that. But she apologized and said she would talk to his supervisor- even she was shocked that he gave us a hard time because she knew how close the exit was to the loading queue.
That really put a damper on our trip, so I know how you feel. That CM was so rude to me.

 

[ecuagoddess]

Ruined Trip? Damage? Tarnished Visits?

Sorry - a little too dramatic over popcorn.

So true. You don't know the CM's situation- the rules are strict, they have to cut the line at a certain point, no exceptions. Also, since the line was officially closed, they would have gotten into trouble for selling it to you. As for throwing it away in front of your child, what did you want them to do? They are assigned/trained to do things a certain way, and 1 upset child should not change that the workflow of an employee. It is sad, and my child would be sad too, but I don't know why you felt that the rules (the cart closes at specific time, no sales after it's closed) don't apply to you. It's unfortunate that you were unable to get popcorn 2 times in a row, but it was obviously not malicious on the CMs' parts. Please don't blame them.

 

[Allison]

Gosh, I hope you are exaggerating when you say it almost ruined your trip. That is just one of those things you brush off and move on.

 

[all4fun]

Well, I searched for it and I found it

Official WDW Dining Plan brochure

According to this, one regular "scoop" or single serving box of popcorn is included on the Dining Plan, so not sure why you had troubles the first time. I think it's a little silly for a CM to throw popcorn away when there's a child crying not two feet away because all he wanted was a little popcorn. If he was throwing it away anyway then he could have given you some for heaven sake. (I know you were more than willing to pay). But its not like someone was going to take inventory and figure out a few kernels of popcorn was missing.

Anyway, so sorry that your LO was upset not once but twice w/the popcorn situation. I certainly think there's no harm in letting Disney know what happeneds. I'd just give them the facts and try to leave as much drama out of it as possible (otherwise they might just think too, kwim). It won't change what happened to you but it might affect how things are handled in the future.

 

[hollieplus2]

If my DS was sitting there crying for it and he still said no I probably would have kicked the bag and told him to clean it up. Not very nice, but neither was he. I hate it when adults are mean spirited to kids. Be mean to me all you want but I won't let you do it to my kid.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

I can totally understand about your little one getitng upset about the popcorn. My dd didn't ask for anything on our trip until our last day. She wanted popcorn. Daddy promised he would get her a popcorn bucket (what she wanted) before we watched Wishes. The cart near the castle had a HUGE line and ran out of popcorn, so we got our spot to watch the fireworks, and she started crying. Normally, we would have told her she would just have to wait, but it was our last day, and we had said she could get some. My DH went up and down Main Street and couldn't find popcorn anywhere. DD was upset for a few minutes and got over it. On the way out, we saw a popcorn cart with another huge line. We got in line, and they ran out of popcorn! Ahh! BUT these CMs kept on making it until they got through the line! I'm so glad b/c I wouldn't have wanted the last night to be sad for my DD either.

I would look through your pictures and try to come up with some good memories together so that the popcorn incident can be forgotten. I could totally see one of my kids retelling that story over and over!

 

[eeyoregon]

and the CM insisted that we couldn't change our minds and that there was no exit.

You now know and I know that is a bunch of bull honky!!! We have used every exit in the Haunted Mansion in our attempts over the years to get our oldest son to ride it, LOL!

OP: I don't think you are being too dramatic at all. Demanding a free all-expense paid trip back to the World would have been dramatic...you just wanted some dang corn!!

It is the little things that kids remember and I am sorry you encountered Mr. Wasteful.

 

[TruBlu]

It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been our last night. (That is what I tried to explain to the CM.) It is just the very last memory my boys have of Disney. As they put it "a mean Disney guy threw away the yummy popcorn right in front of us instead of letting us eat it." If they hadn't taken the trash bag of popcorn with them as they rolled the cart away I think I would have been over there digging thru it like a homeless person.

 

[TruBlu]

Gosh, I hope you are exaggerating when you say it almost ruined your trip. That is just one of those things you brush off and move on.

It is kind of hard to explain "brush it off and move on" to a 5 and 8 year old who have been promised something for 2 nights, they know it is the last chance to get it, and they are watching someone throw it away while they cry and beg "Please Mommy, you promised. Please, please."