I love Disney. We go there once or twice a year and wish we could go more. We just went in March and are now planning a second trip this year for Thanksgiving. But I have to get this story off my chest. It drives me crazy. I guess the moral of the story is that behind the curtain it is a big business. I kind of wish I hadn't pulled the curtain back. However that being said, I was afraid it would ruin the magic a bit for me, but it really hasn't. But here is just a warning for everyone.
The trip we took in March we went to Animal Kingdom for the first time. It was our just our second day there (we were down for 7 days). We took our daughter, 4yrs old, to the Affection Section (petting zoo). While there she brushed the goats and sheep. There was a fenced in area where a cow was housed. Its a metal fence with gaps big enough for children to reach in and pet the animal. There were other kids there with their parents that were attempting to reach the cow through the fence to pet it but were unable to reach him. My daughter approached the fence and put her arm through the fence up to her elbow to pet the cow. For some reason the cow attacked her. The cow turned on her and rammed her arm up against the fence pinning it against the metal. The cow then proceeded to ram her arm with its head over and over into the fence. She was screaming and crying and we would not get her free. No one from Disney came to help. We had to wrestle her arm free from the cow. By the time we got her arm out it was black and blue all the way around and was swollen to the size of a lemon. She was crying hysterically. I could not locate a cast member or Disney employee after the fact in the whole petting area. It was not until after we exited the petting area and came to the outside gate that we found a cast member. He was standing in the turnstile area for the petting zoo. I informed him what happened and showed him my daughters arm. At this point it was extremely swollen all the way around just under her elbow and very black and blue. He forearm had was swollen to the size of a lemon. He told me I could go to any of the stands in the park and just buy her some aspirin. He did not offer to help in anyway. He did not respond in anyway at all about the fact that the cow attacked her. I was shocked. Wouldnt they want to monitor the cow or put it away incase there was a problem with it? Couldnt he have offered to help in someway, maybe offer to get us to first aid? What if my daughters arm was broken? I asked him where first aid was and he directed me to take the train back to Africa then ask someone when I got off it and that was it. It took about 25 minutes or so of my daught cryng in pain and us running around the park but we were able to find first aid. After first aid we ended up leaving the park for the day and sitting in the room nursing my daughter for the day. She seemed ok and we went back to the park the next day. He arm wasn't broken or anything worse thankfully.
Here's what gets me though. I contacted Disney's customer service. They put me in touch with someone from the Executive Office. I wanted to let them know what happened and that maybe they should consider having a cast member in the actual area where the animals are walking around with the kids. I was very nice and pleasant about it. I also wanted to asked if I could be reiumbursed for that day since we had to leave the park at 11am and lost a whole day because of it. When I told her I thought a cast member should be present with the kids and animals her response to me was that she "wished more parents would pay attention to what their kids were doing". Can you believe that??? UMMM I agree with her sure, but what does that have to do with a cow in their attraction attacking my kid. I was standing right next to her and there was nothing I could do. And her answer to me about compensating me for the one day was "how can she tell that I left the park for the day." That was it. Unfortunately I bought my tickets separately from my room pass so they were not able to track when I came in and left the park.
So here is what I learned. As much as you should enjoy the magic, its also a good idea to protect yourself the best you can. Maybe its a good idea to purchase a room/tickets package so you have 1 card that they can tie to you that shows a history of where you go and what you do. Because if there is a problem the complete burden of proof is on you even in this case where they had a medical log of the situation. It didn't matter.
The whole situation almost ruined the magic for me. If you can imagine your little 4 year old getting hurt by and attracting there and then being told its not their responsiblity. But it hasn't still love Disney! Will just make sure I protect myself better next time!!
In the meantime... watch out for those cows!!!
The trip we took in March we went to Animal Kingdom for the first time. It was our just our second day there (we were down for 7 days). We took our daughter, 4yrs old, to the Affection Section (petting zoo). While there she brushed the goats and sheep. There was a fenced in area where a cow was housed. Its a metal fence with gaps big enough for children to reach in and pet the animal. There were other kids there with their parents that were attempting to reach the cow through the fence to pet it but were unable to reach him. My daughter approached the fence and put her arm through the fence up to her elbow to pet the cow. For some reason the cow attacked her. The cow turned on her and rammed her arm up against the fence pinning it against the metal. The cow then proceeded to ram her arm with its head over and over into the fence. She was screaming and crying and we would not get her free. No one from Disney came to help. We had to wrestle her arm free from the cow. By the time we got her arm out it was black and blue all the way around and was swollen to the size of a lemon. She was crying hysterically. I could not locate a cast member or Disney employee after the fact in the whole petting area. It was not until after we exited the petting area and came to the outside gate that we found a cast member. He was standing in the turnstile area for the petting zoo. I informed him what happened and showed him my daughters arm. At this point it was extremely swollen all the way around just under her elbow and very black and blue. He forearm had was swollen to the size of a lemon. He told me I could go to any of the stands in the park and just buy her some aspirin. He did not offer to help in anyway. He did not respond in anyway at all about the fact that the cow attacked her. I was shocked. Wouldnt they want to monitor the cow or put it away incase there was a problem with it? Couldnt he have offered to help in someway, maybe offer to get us to first aid? What if my daughters arm was broken? I asked him where first aid was and he directed me to take the train back to Africa then ask someone when I got off it and that was it. It took about 25 minutes or so of my daught cryng in pain and us running around the park but we were able to find first aid. After first aid we ended up leaving the park for the day and sitting in the room nursing my daughter for the day. She seemed ok and we went back to the park the next day. He arm wasn't broken or anything worse thankfully.
Here's what gets me though. I contacted Disney's customer service. They put me in touch with someone from the Executive Office. I wanted to let them know what happened and that maybe they should consider having a cast member in the actual area where the animals are walking around with the kids. I was very nice and pleasant about it. I also wanted to asked if I could be reiumbursed for that day since we had to leave the park at 11am and lost a whole day because of it. When I told her I thought a cast member should be present with the kids and animals her response to me was that she "wished more parents would pay attention to what their kids were doing". Can you believe that??? UMMM I agree with her sure, but what does that have to do with a cow in their attraction attacking my kid. I was standing right next to her and there was nothing I could do. And her answer to me about compensating me for the one day was "how can she tell that I left the park for the day." That was it. Unfortunately I bought my tickets separately from my room pass so they were not able to track when I came in and left the park.
So here is what I learned. As much as you should enjoy the magic, its also a good idea to protect yourself the best you can. Maybe its a good idea to purchase a room/tickets package so you have 1 card that they can tie to you that shows a history of where you go and what you do. Because if there is a problem the complete burden of proof is on you even in this case where they had a medical log of the situation. It didn't matter.
The whole situation almost ruined the magic for me. If you can imagine your little 4 year old getting hurt by and attracting there and then being told its not their responsiblity. But it hasn't still love Disney! Will just make sure I protect myself better next time!!
In the meantime... watch out for those cows!!!
Cause I am not at all. Like I said it hasn't ruined Disney for me. Though the first couple of weeks after the conversation it kind of did. Then I decided to let it go and walk away with the lesson that if something goes wrong cry fowl right then and there and go straight to custer service and make your demands. I guess my mistake was I was just trying to be a nice guy about it expecting Disney would do the right thing. So enjoy the magic! Love the place! But just keep in the back of your mind if there is a problem get proof of it right away. Like I should have taken a picture of my daughter's arm afterwards! But who thinks about that kind of stuff. 
