WDW says Heelys not permitted in Parks

[pepperw23]

Unfortunately, these parents will almost never see that they are making a mistake by allowing the behaviour no matter how many rules are put in place. If her son had crashed into you she probably would have found some reason that it was your fault.

AMEN!! These are probably the same parents of the kids that look at you like "what are you doing in the middle of the street in that car!" when you try to drive by. Heaven forbid they get OUT OF THE ROAD!!!

 

[JerseyGirl114]

I can't believe what a hot topic this is! I think the main reason for this board is to ask questions and have them answered. It seems that the question was "Can you wear them" and the answer has been "NO!". And yet all these posts....

That being said, my kids have heelys and they love them. We spend a lot of time at the ballparks and they are very convenient for my kids who aren't playing. Since the wheels are easily removed they do wear them as sneakers and will be wearing them at WDW - without wheels - they'll be in the glove comparment in our car which will never leave the parking lot at the Poly

It's unfortunate that there are kids who aren't respectful while using them, and as for rude parents, I could go on forever...

For those who say "I'll never let my kids wear them", don't knock them until you've tried them! I remember when Sony Walkmans first came out, my mom was so upset, she was afraid I would go deaf!!! Now half the world is plugged into an IPOD - those are the people who really bump into you

 

[pepperw23]

When someone sues when they've been injured, there are usually two pieces to the suit. One for the actual damages--medical bills, lost wages, etc. The second is punative. IMHO there's a big difference between an accident and negligence. If someone trips over a curb and knocks you down, IMHO that's an accident. No one intended to trip over the curb or fall into someone, and it was an accident that couldn't be foreseen and wasn't caused by negligence. (unless they were drunk or something along those lines)

On the other hand, allowing you child to wear shoes that give them less control over their movements and they knock into someone becaue they were unable to stop--well, that's negligence, and in that case, punative damages come into play even if the injury wasn't a life altering event.

If some kid knocked into me because they were wearing Heelys and couldn't stop, and knocked me down and I skinned and bruised various parts of my body and ached for the rest of my WDW trip, then I would certainly consider suing to recoop my medical costs as well as the cost of my ruined trip so I could retake it again under more favorable circumstances.

That kid (and/or their parents) would have been first of all breaking Florida state law, second of all acting in a manner by not foreseeing that the shoes could cause a loss of control and thus injury to the child or others. That is negligence, and if there are damages as the result of the negligence, it is actionable.

Anne

For real? Really? . This caught my interest so much I called my Uncle (who I think thought I had lost my mind lol) He is an attorney. I asked him if this happened would he represent the person and he said "No way" it would be a loss because the jury would see the plaintiff as greedy. He said that if there was a serious injury he may consider it, but he would probably refer the case. Then he wanted to know why.....LOL. Yep he figures I have lost it now.

 

[CPM]

personally, I don't see any problem with kids wearing them if they use them correctly. My son has worn them every time we have been to a theme park. We never knew they weren't allowed until I read this thread. He usually just glides along as we walk, not at all inappropriately IMO. I would assume it's the people that use them out of control, rolling into people that caise the problems.
Heck, I've been plowed into by kids just runing without Heely's on.

 

[pepperw23]

good point. Just so we are clear, I do not disagree with any parent letting thier kid wear these..like I said earlier, I had never even heard of them until June. But I do agree with the other posters that some (not all, or even not most) parents really need to be more consious (sp?) of how thier kids are behaving on them. I don't think I would sue anyone over it though, but that is a touchy subject for me because of my friend that can't get a court date for her son that was in coma(drunk driver) and now has huge medical bills, because the courts are clogged up with these crazy law suites..plus I hear some of the stories my Uncle tells me about people and some of the lawsuites they try to get away with...It is crazy.

 

[Lizzybee]

I'm a former competitive figure skater, I was even pro for awhile and there's NO WAY I'd skate in a park crowded with people. I'm very good at stopping very quickly but I couldn't stop skating as quickly as I can stop walking, not even in my "glory days". Now I know there's no chance of there being ice in an outdoor theme park in Florida, but I'm just using this as an example. I've been plowed during figure skating practices and I've been plowed playing "tennis court" hockey on inline skates and I can tell you for sure ice hurts less than concrete/blacktop. It's just a bad idea, spare the kid and everyone else around the drama. There's just no good reason to Heely in WDW parks.
(PS "I want to" or "I like to" aren't good enough reasons. There are plenty of things people like to and want to do that shouldn't be done in big crowds.)

 

[Becky_Boop]

I'm a former competitive figure skater, I was even pro for awhile and there's NO WAY I'd skate in a park crowded with people. I'm very good at stopping very quickly but I couldn't stop skating as quickly as I can stop walking, not even in my "glory days".

Don't worry folks, we won't skate in crowded areas. Only empty areas outside of Disney.

Stopping on Heelys is much easier than stopping on ice skates, roller blades, or roller skates. All you have to do is basically tap your foot and start walking.

 

[torinsmom]

Don't worry folks, we won't skate in crowded areas. Only empty areas outside of Disney.

Stopping on Heelys is much easier than stopping on ice skates, roller blades, or roller skates. All you have to do is basically tap your foot and start walking.

But they can get going fairly fast, right? So what happens if you're going fast and need to stop quickly? You put your foot down and don't fly forward? Sorry, I am just visualizing kids trying to go from 5-10mph to 0 in a millisecond.

 

[wtpntigger2]

We aren't "special people". We know the rules apply to us, and that's why we're following them. Heelys are NOT ILLEGAL IN MANY PLACES. We will NOT skate in WDW. We will NOT skate in another Florida theme park. We will NOT skate somewhere where Heelys are not allowed.

You keep saying "we". Are you speaking for all Heely users? Great, then I won't see any on my trip next month - NOT!

I am glad you are willing to follow the rules now that you know them, but please stop saying we as you and a few others on this thread are most likely going to be the only ones following the rule.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

Okay, I have to throw in some more of my 2 cents because this thread just won't die.

From reading this whole thing, I have come to a couple conclusions.

Heely's REALLY annoy people. Especially at WDW. This is what I believe is causing the debate. I KNOW the posters said their kids would not wear them if it was policy. I KNOW they said they would follow the rules. I KNOW you have every right to buy the shoes for your kids and you are NOT some whacko parent if your kids have them.

It is IRRELEVANT whether or not they are skates/are not skates. They ANNOY people. And I think what is getting the tempers of some of the posters raised about this is that some (not all) posters whose kids have Heelys said they wanted an "Official NO HEELYS response from Disney itself."
This burns my butt personally because I tend to be of the persuasion that if things are going to annoy people around me, I don't do it. Not because it is an "official rule" but because I have empathy for those around me.

I leave an attraction with my screaming child, turn off my cell phone ringer, wear deoderant, steer my stroller carefully, etc. NOT because Disney TOLD me to. But because it is COURTEOUS to those around me.

I think a few, if not most, of those who posted that Heely's at WDW were upsetting to them because they worried about safety of themselves and others started getting all riled up because they thought (as I did) that once 20 people said that Heely's really cause a problem at Disney the posters would say "Oh, jeez, if it bothers everyone so much, we'll just leave them home" or "yeah, in a crowd like that, they probably wouldn't be that safe"

But no, the Heely's were coming unless Disney OFFICIALLY declared them off limits. And even when they did, it was not believed.

I smoke. I would NEVER smoke anywhere but the designated areas, even if there weren't signs. And even here, at our local fair, we find a corner out of the way and smoke there. Why?? Because wandering in a crowd smoking is a health and safety issue to those around us. So in order to respect the space and sanity of the other people trying to enjoy their day, we don't smoke walking around, although it is allowed at the fair. I would never forgive myself if I burned someone and ruined an otherwise good day. So my kids would not wear Heely's to WDW, rule or not, because if they lost their footing and took out some poor bystander and even caused them a scrape, I would feel terrible.

I think the lack of empathy for others is what got everyone's panties in a bunch. I know you cannot please everyone.....but this is obviously a BIG deal to a lot of people. So maybe this is one way to make Disney a lot more pleasant for your fellow guests.

And in case my personal opinion on Heely's matters to anyone, I have seen 1 kid, who was very responsibly "heely-ing" at Magic Kingdom. I am neutral about the shoes in general. They actually look like fun, but my kids have a tendency to make bad choices, so we will not be buying Heely's.

 

[Mickey&Donald]

Okay, I have to throw in some more of my 2 cents because this thread just won't die.

From reading this whole thing, I have come to a couple conclusions.

Heely's REALLY annoy people. Especially at WDW. This is what I believe is causing the debate. I KNOW the posters said their kids would not wear them if it was policy. I KNOW they said they would follow the rules. I KNOW you have every right to buy the shoes for your kids and you are NOT some whacko parent if your kids have them.

It is IRRELEVANT whether or not they are skates/are not skates. They ANNOY people. And I think what is getting the tempers of some of the posters raised about this is that some (not all) posters whose kids have Heelys said they wanted an "Official NO HEELYS response from Disney itself."
This burns my butt personally because I tend to be of the persuasion that if things are going to annoy people around me, I don't do it. Not because it is an "official rule" but because I have empathy for those around me.

I leave an attraction with my screaming child, turn off my cell phone ringer, wear deoderant, steer my stroller carefully, etc. NOT because Disney TOLD me to. But because it is COURTEOUS to those around me.

I think a few, if not most, of those who posted that Heely's at WDW were upsetting to them because they worried about safety of themselves and others started getting all riled up because they thought (as I did) that once 20 people said that Heely's really cause a problem at Disney the posters would say "Oh, jeez, if it bothers everyone so much, we'll just leave them home" or "yeah, in a crowd like that, they probably wouldn't be that safe"

But no, the Heely's were coming unless Disney OFFICIALLY declared them off limits. And even when they did, it was not believed.

I smoke. I would NEVER smoke anywhere but the designated areas, even if there weren't signs. And even here, at our local fair, we find a corner out of the way and smoke there. Why?? Because wandering in a crowd smoking is a health and safety issue to those around us. So in order to respect the space and sanity of the other people trying to enjoy their day, we don't smoke walking around, although it is allowed at the fair. I would never forgive myself if I burned someone and ruined an otherwise good day. So my kids would not wear Heely's to WDW, rule or not, because if they lost their footing and took out some poor bystander and even caused them a scrape, I would feel terrible.

I think the lack of empathy for others is what got everyone's panties in a bunch. I know you cannot please everyone.....but this is obviously a BIG deal to a lot of people. So maybe this is one way to make Disney a lot more pleasant for your fellow guests.

And in case my personal opinion on Heely's matters to anyone, I have seen 1 kid, who was very responsibly "heely-ing" at Magic Kingdom. I am neutral about the shoes in general. They actually look like fun, but my kids have a tendency to make bad choices, so we will not be buying Heely's.

Beautifully written! I wholeheartedly agree with your entire post.

It's such a sad thing how self absorbed people are today. It's a rare thing to find someone as compassionate for their fellow man, such as yourself.

And I leave you all with this:

Goodbye, long pointless thread!

 

[Becky_Boop]

But they can get going fairly fast, right? So what happens if you're going fast and need to stop quickly? You put your foot down and don't fly forward? Sorry, I am just visualizing kids trying to go from 5-10mph to 0 in a millisecond.

You're supposed to go no faster than you can run. I've never done anything close to that, though. Unless you can run 10mph, you shouldn't skate 10mph.

You keep saying "we". Are you speaking for all Heely users? Great, then I won't see any on my trip next month - NOT!

I am glad you are willing to follow the rules now that you know them, but please stop saying we as you and a few others on this thread are most likely going to be the only ones following the rule.

Sorry Well, I guess I'm referring to the Heely-ers on this thread.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

But they can get going fairly fast, right? So what happens if you're going fast and need to stop quickly? You put your foot down and don't fly forward? Sorry, I am just visualizing kids trying to go from 5-10mph to 0 in a millisecond.

The two students in my school to whom I referred in my earlier post broke *both* their forearms trying to stop in this way. While many Heely users are careful or whatever, these two children learned the hard way. One is 13 and the other is 14.

 

[Fitswimmer]

I think the lack of empathy for others is what got everyone's panties in a bunch. I know you cannot please everyone.....but this is obviously a BIG deal to a lot of people. So maybe this is one way to make Disney a lot more pleasant for your fellow guests.

EXACTLY!!! Why does it have to be a written down, put on a sign rule? If the activity-smoking, heely-wearing, cutting in line or stroller ramming-has the potential to cause injury(no matter how minor) or cause someone else to have a less than enjoyable experience at the parks-THEN DON'T DO IT!! Granted, there are some people who will still find something that another person does that annoys them, but if everyone followed that simple, common sense instruction-these threads wouldn't exist.

None of us are alone on the planet, and if we can't learn to consider each other's needs at a place like WDW, that's pretty scary.

 

[Markstudy]

My Heelys story is like many. I just saw them the first time at Disney in January. But now I see them everywhere. And recently i had a very bad accident with them.

We were shoping at Target...in a corner where 3 rows and the Pharmacey all came together in a very tight area,...when a small boy (9-11 ) came flying around the corner very fast and was heading straight for my wife, who had her back turned ( she was looking at a hair dryer instead of watching the race track ). I had to shove my cart between my wife's back and the little boy heading straight for her.

He hit the cart at a very high speed and knocked out his 2 front teeth, on the top bar of the cart. Lots of blood and I felt bad that someone got hurt. I only take some pride in the fact that I protected my wife instead of 2 people now being down on the floor in pain.

His Mom caught-up a few minutes later ( couldn't keep-up with her child on wheels ) and yelled at me for hittting her kid with a cart. I stopped her rage by asking her if she wanted to see the store's video tape?
It was her kid or my wife? and my wife was shopping unlike her kid who was practicing his high speed racing skills (not what Target is for)

She must have known it was probably her kids fault, she gave-up too easy and went to the more important business at hand....wiping the blood from her kids face and looking at his teeth ( I hope they were baby teeth).

I blame the mom. Kids do stupid things. They do stupid things in a half-second, kids are spur-of-the-moment accidents waiting to happen. That's how kids learn. It's the mom that gave him the tools to hang himself with.

I don't buy the argument...he's a good kid. No such thing. I was a kid once...give me some wheels and a smooth store at a shopping center or resort or theme park..... and bad things will happen that what the word "kid" means Maybe you should let him bring his BB gun into Target or Disney?

Back to Target and the sence of the crime...
Because I was looking the right-way at the right-time....my wife was not hurt durring our shopping trip. ( Do any of you expect to be at risk everytime you go shopping?) "Thanks Heelys" I feel pretty bad for rolling my shopping cart in front of my wife, and watching as a little-boy out-of-contol smash his face. Great invention you have there, I hope you enjoy your fat profits

 

[TomD]

I think more PARENTS with STROLLERS who use them as battering rams should be banned from the parks. I have been hit ...bumped into..and run over by strollers. I have never been bumped into by a kid on Heelys

I understand WDW's policy on heely's and my kids will never own a pair but lets call it as it is. IMO More people get bumpedinto at WDW with Strollers then people on Heely's

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

I think Disney should just put up a sign that says "Be courteous and use common sense" to cover any confusion about rediculous things like this.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

There are people who actually think it's OK to roller skate in crowded amusement parks? Now I've officially heard everything.

 

[CPM]

There are people who actually think it's OK to roller skate in crowded amusement parks? Now I've officially heard everything.

Yup, I think it's okay if they do it correctly. I'm sure there are plenty of things worse to worry about @@.
This is so silly.
I've been hit by strollers, and people even walking, smoke blown in my face and more. BUT NEVER even noticed Heeley's.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

Yup, I think it's okay if they do it correctly. I'm sure there are plenty of things worse to worry about @@.
This is so silly.
I've been hit by strollers, and people even walking, smoke blown in my face and more. BUT NEVER even noticed Heeley's.

So other bad behaviour justifies this bad behaviour? What next, skateboards?

Look, I think heelys are cool, very cute, neat idea! I saw kids rolling around in them on the resort grounds when we were there but not at the parks. This is just a silly and unneccesary liability.

This is what happens when adults don't have any more sense than their kids. Of course kids want to wear them everywhere -- that's when adults are supposed to teach kids about "the time and place for everything."