What Have Been Your Least Pleasant Experiences at (or Trips to) DLR??

[kaoden39]

However.......... if everyone was to avoid a certain day or month or season, out of fear, or negative thoughts or feelings, or other trials and tribulations, then no one would ever be going anywhere. Ah....... then when I go to Disneyland, I can have the entire park to myself. he he!

I like the way you think!

 

[blackssrider00]

In the many times that my family and I have been to Disneyland there was really one time that really got my blood boiling. It was in February 14 2006 the day I asked my wife to marry me on the POTC . Well later that night my fiancé, my 4 ,month old son and daughter waited to go back to the DL hotel taking the monorail back. My family has never sat in the front and since it wasn’t too busy we decided to wait and the CM told us she would get us on the next one that came back to pick us up So she said to go wait in the front and wait for the next monorail bus that came back. All was good we were in the front nobody was waiting as time went on the next crowd came in, then a man and his son decided to walk in front of us and cut in line . It was perfectly clear that we were there first, so I decided not to say anything because maybe they were going to go sit somewhere else. So when the monorail came back and the gate opened we made are way to the front cab then it went down hill from there . The man and his son were right next to us and basically wouldn’t back down from sitting in the front when the CM said only 4 people could sit in the front we all looked at each other and were like dude we were here first but NO I didn’t want to make a scene . It really made me mad because the guy wouldn’t look at me because he knew he was in the wrong and kept mumbling . The guy had no respect I had my little guy 4month old with a stroller. So to make a long story short I wasn’t going to wait for the next one so my family were split up in different cabs of the monorail and it was jam packed when I finally got inside I felt bad because I was bumping people with the stroller . Everyone saw what happened so they were pretty cool with us coming in so late . So that was my terrible experience

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

It's not just March, it's January too -- maybe due to cold and flu season? Twice in January people in my family got sick. My DS had projectile vomiting, high fever, extremely sore throat, etc., and I ended up getting sick this past January with a sinus infection, high fever, sore throat, etc. In DS's case I ended up having to call the Doctors on call and have them send a Dr to treat him. They gave him an antibiotic shot and a prescription for antibiotics, and the next day he was much better. It cost us $300 out of pocket, because insurance would only cover if I had taken him to an ER --which makes no sense because we would've waited a heck of a long time for him to be seen and it would've cost the insurance company more than $300! In this case, the DR came to us and I didn't have to worry about him being miserable waiting in an ER waiting room half of forever to be seen. It was worth it for him, and us, to be able to enjoy the rest of the vacation without worrying about him getting worse or being miserable. It wasn't a pretty sight. The first night in DL he threw up in the park. We left immediately and by the time we got him to the room, he projectile vomited all over the bathroom floor and walls before he could make it to the toilet. Thank goodness, the whole bathroom was tiled, so it was easier to clean and didn't smell up the entire floor of the hotel. Hojos was very nice about it and sent up trash bags to bag the towels we used to clean up and they also gave us more fresh towels. Of course, I didn't expect them to clean it up.
Other than the above, the only other thing that bugs me at DL is when people are rude, cut in lines, or don't take their kids for a nap when they clearly need one and are in melt down mode.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I think any time anyone goes anywhere and expects everything to go perfectly (as we can tend to do with a Disney visit), anything that goes wrong stands out.

I have to admit, I read the first few posts on this thread and then simply didn't see the point in having everyone recount their worst experience, so I stopped reading.

Cheers to the magical memories that will bring smiles to your face for the rest of your life. As for the kid that dropped an ice cream on me, the mother that ran over me with a stroller, the ride that broken down for an hour, or the $5 toy that broke, I try to forget about those days and cherish the magic.

 

[Sherry E]

This isn't about expecting perfection. We ALL love DLR and know that not every trip is perfect. We still go back! It is just about sharing experiences. For example, in the Los Angeles Times, for many years, the Travel section published an annual article of "Travel Horror Stories" submitted by readers. Some of them were funny; some were serious. When I started the thread, I wasn't necessarily looking for the 'worst,' per se, meaning serious disasters, but just the least pleasant, in terms of things going awry. I kind of think everyone has those trips (to DLR or wherever!) where everything goes wrong from beginning to end - a comedy of errors, if you will - and you can kind of look back and either laugh at it later, OR you look ahead and think 'I can't wait to get back to DLR to have a do-over trip.' So I was expecting people would have a lot of stories such as 'We missed the plane, the shower curtain in the hotel fell off, the waiter spilled food on me, the ride broke down when we were on it, my family got into a big argument over where to eat ice cream,' etc. But people have other, more sobering, kinds of stories to share, too, and I am honored that they have wanted to!!

I so appreciate the time people have taken to post their stories! Keep them coming!

 

[Sherry E]

In the many times that my family and I have been to Disneyland there was really one time that really got my blood boiling. It was in February 14 2006 the day I asked my wife to marry me on the POTC . Well later that night my fiancé, my 4 ,month old son and daughter waited to go back to the DL hotel taking the monorail back. My family has never sat in the front and since it wasn’t too busy we decided to wait and the CM told us she would get us on the next one that came back to pick us up So she said to go wait in the front and wait for the next monorail bus that came back. All was good we were in the front nobody was waiting as time went on the next crowd came in, then a man and his son decided to walk in front of us and cut in line . It was perfectly clear that we were there first, so I decided not to say anything because maybe they were going to go sit somewhere else. So when the monorail came back and the gate opened we made are way to the front cab then it went down hill from there . The man and his son were right next to us and basically wouldn’t back down from sitting in the front when the CM said only 4 people could sit in the front we all looked at each other and were like dude we were here first but NO I didn’t want to make a scene . It really made me mad because the guy wouldn’t look at me because he knew he was in the wrong and kept mumbling . The guy had no respect I had my little guy 4month old with a stroller. So to make a long story short I wasn’t going to wait for the next one so my family were split up in different cabs of the monorail and it was jam packed when I finally got inside I felt bad because I was bumping people with the stroller . Everyone saw what happened so they were pretty cool with us coming in so late . So that was my terrible experience

People like that are so frustrating! It's like we were saying earlier, some folks just think their time is more important than yours, their amusement is more important, their convenience, etc. Most mature and considerate people realize that when we go to DLR, we are all in the same boat. We all have to wait on each other. Sometimes, we may have to let someone go ahead of us even if it means we wait a little longer. We all just try to be friendly and patient and go with the flow. And then there are other people who seem hell bent on defying those principles and guidelines, and are determined to get on a ride (like the Monorail) before you get on or get their TOTP candy before you get yours, or take even pictures in front of the Castle even when they see you have been waiting on them for ten minutes and would like to have your PhotoPass pictures taken in front of the Castle! To me, that doesn't really exemplify 'Disney spirit' at all, and it makes me wonder if those folks are really, truly happy to be there!

It's not just March, it's January too -- maybe due to cold and flu season? Twice in January people in my family got sick. My DS had projectile vomiting, high fever, extremely sore throat, etc., and I ended up getting sick this past January with a sinus infection, high fever, sore throat, etc. In DS's case I ended up having to call the Doctors on call and have them send a Dr to treat him. They gave him an antibiotic shot and a prescription for antibiotics, and the next day he was much better. It cost us $300 out of pocket, because insurance would only cover if I had taken him to an ER --which makes no sense because we would've waited a heck of a long time for him to be seen and it would've cost the insurance company more than $300! In this case, the DR came to us and I didn't have to worry about him being miserable waiting in an ER waiting room half of forever to be seen. It was worth it for him, and us, to be able to enjoy the rest of the vacation without worrying about him getting worse or being miserable. It wasn't a pretty sight. The first night in DL he threw up in the park. We left immediately and by the time we got him to the room, he projectile vomited all over the bathroom floor and walls before he could make it to the toilet. Thank goodness, the whole bathroom was tiled, so it was easier to clean and didn't smell up the entire floor of the hotel. Hojos was very nice about it and sent up trash bags to bag the towels we used to clean up and they also gave us more fresh towels. Of course, I didn't expect them to clean it up.
Other than the above, the only other thing that bugs me at DL is when people are rude, cut in lines, or don't take their kids for a nap when they clearly need one and are in melt down mode.

How awful! What was the ultimate diagnosis of your son? Was that only a flu? A BAD flu, I would guess! Had he picked up a specific stomach virus of some kind, or was it food poisoning?

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

How awful! What was the ultimate diagnosis of your son? Was that only a flu? A BAD flu, I would guess! Had he picked up a specific stomach virus of some kind, or was it food poisoning?

The Dr said he had an ear infection and that his fever got so high so fast, that, along with the equilibrium being messed up, caused his vomiting. He was better, literally, the next morning. He felt human again, and by the next day was completely back to normal, except he had to continue taking antibiotics.

 

[hulamom]

We are actually just back from DLR -- we were there Nov 8-10. Overall, the crowds and people were polite and friendly. I only had one potentially dangerous experience. I was rushing to get FP's at Big Thunder (the rest of my family was waiting for me in line at Nemo). A boy around 13 or 14 sticks his leg out and trips me. Thankfully I caught myself and didn't actually fall. When I turned to look at him, he sneered at me, obvious that it was done on purpose. I actually said, "You tripped me on purpose!" He just turned around and his mother gave *me* a dirty look. Whatever, it didn't ruin my day.

I mentioned this briefly in another post, but we had a fairly decent family meltdown before the fireworks that did actually threaten to ruin it for us. My DS6 had been waiting patiently while first me and DD11 rode on Indy, then DH and DD rode (kid switch). We promised him ice cream afterwards, not realizing how close it was to the fireworks. DD was starting to whine about wanting to go on the Mattherhorn one last time (this was our last evening), but we said after ice cream. We headed down Main St. and seeing that the ice cream parlor was really crowded, we went to the Carnation place across the street. DS wanted an ice cream sandwich or bar, so DH stood in line. When he got to the front, they were out of sandwiches and bars. DS, who can be rather stubborn, insisted on that and wouldn't take plain ice cream. So, I tried to find him some along Main St., but as the fireworks were about to start, the carts were either out or closed and the parlor's line looked to be an hour long. I went back to the family, by this time, *my* ice cream was melting. DS said he'd take a scoop of ice cream, but now the Carnation window had closed. Major tears. He wouldn't take my ice cream. By now, DH is upset and threatening to leave the park. DD starts crying because she wants to ride on the Matterhorn. DS is bawling because he wants ice cream and he does *not* want to ride the Matterhorn, and people are starting to look at us.

So, we grab all our ice cream (mines more like milkshake at this point and frankly I have no appetite) and we head toward Tomorrowland. I finally found a cart that was selling ice cream bars and profusely thank the CM that she saved my son's evening. She smiles and says "that's why we're Disneyland!". But by now the fireworks have started and we're sitting a the Tomorrowland terrace watching an fairly obstructed view of the fireworks. DS is eating his bar and DD is still going on about the Mattherhorn. That's is when my un-proud moment as a parent occurs. I became one of those parents who yells at her kids at Disneyland. And I made DS cry more while eating his ice cream. "Just beautiful" DH said. I shed my own tears, looked at the semi-obscured fireworks and decided to try to turn it around so we didn't end our DLR experience on that note.

I grabbed DS into a big hug and told him I was sorry and asked if his ice cream was good. Thank goodness for the mood turnarounds of 6 year olds, but he gave me a big smile. Then I told DD and DH to go ahead to the Matterhorn that I'd stay back with DS. After they left, DS said he wanted to go on Buzz, so we went and he got his highest score. Then we ended our evening all together riding Space Mountain. I still feel guilty about it all, but at least we turned it around and made things happy again.

-- Hulamom

 

[DizMe]

If you do not mind my asking, why does your body have a tendency to make these kidney stones? I hope that something will work out for you in the near future, so as to not have to deal with those rather nasty things any longer. I hope that you never have to go through that again. I sure am sorry to hear about your bad experience.

Thanks, Gisele, and everyone else for your sympathy! No one knows why I make stones like I do. I've been to all sorts of doctors and had all kinds of tests. I saw a top nephrologist in San Francisco but the diagnosis is always the same: idiopathic nephrolithiasis, which in layman's terms means "kidney stones of indeterminate cause." After experimenting with diet, medication, herbs, etc with no change in stone formation, the doctors have basically told me there's nothing I can do in a preventative way. I usually just have a lithotripsy every year (sound wave blasting) and pass the rest of the stones in between lithos. If the stone is too large to pass, then I have to have surgery. I've had 7 surgeries and several lithos. I didn't have a litho this year and it has been nearly 2 years since my last one. I went in this week for a CT scan because of my DL experience 3 weeks ago (doc has been on vacation) and I have half a dozen stones in each kidney, a few of them quite large. Now I'm pretty nervous about that with my upcoming trip to DL next week, but hopefully they'll hang tight. My doctor couldn't get me in for litho until the day before my trip, which would be worse than leaving them alone. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I know it's wonderful to tell everyone about the great things on your trip, but it's also interesting to hear about the things that weren't so great. It's also kind of cathartic! I like reading people's stories. A lot of times I can relate, like with the ice cream meltdown!

I've already mentioned this in old posts, but I once lost hold of my purse on Mulholland Madness and it flew out. They had to shut down the whole ride for about 10 minutes so I could retrieve it from the ground beneath the tracks. Talk about embarrassing. No more purses in DL for me!

 

[AmericanItGirl]

Well, I have 2 separate memories and a general annoyance (none of them are horrific).

The general annoyance is when I'm watching fireworks in front of the castle and people who are supposed to be continually walking (and are being told by the CMs to keep moving) decide to stop and watch the fireworks right in front of me, thereby blocking my view of the castle projections. It was especially bad one time when I went with my then-roommate who had never bothered to stop and watch the fireworks with the projections before. One of these days I'm going to write a letter to Disney about their policy of leaving the walk area in front of the castle open (it's not a bad idea, but it doesn't work because it doesn't take into account human nature...kinda like communism), but I'm lazy.

First memory was when I was about 8 or 9. Indiana Jones had opened a couple of months prior and I had been on it once or twice, with my hands over my ears and my eyes shut tight. Needless to say, I was a fraidy cat when it came to coasters (I have many memories of sitting on the barrels on the other side of the loading area of TMRR with the CMs), but Indy was better than most because it had seat belts (so no sliding into other people or being too jerked around). I finally decided to keep my eyes open the entire time this time and got the seat in front of the steering wheel (still my favorite seat to this day). Well, Indy was still going through its rough patch and stopping occasionally. Needless to say, our car stopped at a scary place, right before it plunged down and began with the real ride (before they revamped the ride). So here we were going up and up and then *bam* stopped. I looked over the side and I couldn't see anything, not even a track. It scared the heck out of me and I didn't get on another roller coaster until I was 15 (now I love them).

Second memory was when I lost an earring, my necklace broke, a pin on my bag broke, and POTC was down for most of the day at various points of the day during a trip when I was 20. None of that spoiled my day, though. I just didn't wear earrings for the rest of the day, repaired my necklace while waiting for my food at Blue Bayou (first time there, went back another time so that I could watch the boats floating by), got a 1st Time Visit pin (the only pin they had at City Hall besides anniversary/just married pins, felt ironic to be sporting that pin) to cover the "hole" of fabric exposed by my broken pin, and rode POTC at midnight, just before they closed the line (which they left open until exactly midnight because of the earlier delay instead of closing it 5 minutes early). Amazing how being at the Happiest Place on Earth can put one into a "how can I fix what's wrong instead of dwelling on my problem" mood.