What have you seen is a Disney park that made you shake your head?

[Tinkim]

I don't think it was the OPs intent to insult anybody with the Gameboy comment. Understandably, they can help kids to focus and not become overstimulated. I was only speaking from personal experience as my boys don't have autism and they don't need one. Obviously, you can't look at any child and know whether they have autism and need the Gameboy or headphones to help them but I was speaking of kids who just need to be doing something every minute of the day even at WDW and don't want to be bothered talking to their family in lines or just taking in the scenery around them. I apologize if anyone was offended about the Gameboy comment as that was certainly not my intent.

Also to whoever asked . . . no you can't use a radio on the plane but it came in handy in the airport and they had a deck of cards and books for the plane.

 

[Evil Queen]

I don't think it was the OPs intent to insult anybody with the Gameboy comment. Understandably, they can help kids to focus and not become overstimulated. I was only speaking from personal experience as my boys don't have autism and they don't need one. Obviously, you can't look at any child and know whether they have autism and need the Gameboy or headphones to help them but I was speaking of kids who just need to be doing something every minute of the day even at WDW and don't want to be bothered talking to their family in lines or just taking in the scenery around them. I apologize if anyone was offended about the Gameboy comment as that was certainly not my intent.

Also to whoever asked . . . no you can't use a radio on the plane but it came in handy in the airport and they had a deck of cards and books for the plane.

Tinkim-thanks. That means much to us who deal with these issues everyday.

All I meant judgements shouldn't be made with out knowing all the facts. I too, meant no harm from my post.

 

[joshsmom]

What have I seen that makes me shake my head? Shake my head and shake my stomach.....at Typhoon Lagoon....big, hairy men in tight Speedos. Come on, now, buy some nice swim trunks. It is your civic duty...my kids do not need an anatomy lesson at Disney.

 

[#1 TITANS FAN]

The poor kid (about 6) who dared to stop and look at the fireworks as they went off; his dad screamed at him that he'd better get moving or he'd beat his butt (in much less polite wording). Is beating the crowd out that much more important?

 

[Evil Queen]

That's not right, punishing someone for one of the reason they were brought to begin with, the magic!!

I wish my son would beg to see the fireworks, he begs not to, so we don't!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I don't think it was the OPs intent to insult anybody with the Gameboy comment. Understandably, they can help kids to focus and not become overstimulated. I was only speaking from personal experience as my boys don't have autism and they don't need one. Obviously, you can't look at any child and know whether they have autism and need the Gameboy or headphones to help them but I was speaking of kids who just need to be doing something every minute of the day even at WDW and don't want to be bothered talking to their family in lines or just taking in the scenery around them. I apologize if anyone was offended about the Gameboy comment as that was certainly not my intent.

Also to whoever asked . . . no you can't use a radio on the plane but it came in handy in the airport and they had a deck of cards and books for the plane.

Thank you Tink! That is exactly it. Let me first apologize also if I offended anyone. I have a friend's who's nephew is autisic, so I am not unaware that some kids need certain stimuli.

But, special needs not withstanding, can we all agree that in today's society, kids can't break themselves away from the video games? My point was, that EVEN on a trip to WDW, these kids are walking around with their eyes glued to the screen. ( I want to say the 3 different kids I saw, I feel confident that they had no special needs). The 1st kid I saw, I said to my DS, this is ONE place you will NOT have your Gameboy. He agreed and said he wouldn't even want to take his Gameboy to the parks.

It was something that made me shake my head, that's all. To each his own, if your child does not have special needs, I just can't see spending all that money for a family vacation, and the kid is not doing anything that he wouldn't be doing at home.

 

[LSUDis]

Wait, wait, wait....I have a solution to this whole thread.

Let's agree to give the Gameboys to those Speedo and thong people at Typhoon Lagoon so that they will stay in their beach chairs!

 

[Luv2Roam]

Sometimes I see one person, or a group who act rude (pushing their way around, line hopping/jumping, squeezing in where there is no room to squeeze, etc) but they call others around them "rude".
So I always consider when I hear or read people labeling others "rude" that they may actually be the rude person. I think some people confuse "rude" with "you are where I want to be, so move it". That the other person(s) was there first does not seem to matter to some. (Tink Attitude -- It's all about me. )
One example -- a group were sitting on the monorail, while others were standing. Typical crowded monorail cab -- strollers, guests of misc ages.
The group sitting just about knocked down those standing while they rush and weasled their way out the door first, like they just HAD to be first out the door.
Some of the group made it out first; some were left behind. The group still in the monorail commented on how "rude" the standing people were who did not let them out first. To me, common sense should tell anyone those standing need out before those sitting when the cab is crowded.

I have learned rudeness just depends on which end of the stick you are on.

 

[Evil Queen]

Thank you Tink! That is exactly it. Let me first apologize also if I offended anyone. I have a friend's who's nephew is autisic, so I am not unaware that some kids need certain stimuli.

But, special needs not withstanding, can we all agree that in today's society, kids can't break themselves away from the video games? My point was, that EVEN on a trip to WDW, these kids are walking around with their eyes glued to the screen. ( I want to say the 3 different kids I saw, I feel confident that they had no special needs). The 1st kid I saw, I said to my DS, this is ONE place you will NOT have your Gameboy. He agreed and said he wouldn't even want to take his Gameboy to the parks.

It was something that made me shake my head, that's all. To each his own, if your child does not have special needs, I just can't see spending all that money for a family vacation, and the kid is not doing anything that he wouldn't be doing at home.

I agree, but you don't know who has Autism (Asperger's) in any cases. So why judge anyone at all? Apparently this works for these 3 families (out of how many you saw).

Did these 3 children harm you?

Do you know for a fact they were not special needs kids? I think those are really good odds,, 3 out of how many you saw that day? They could have very well been "special" needs children, what lesson was taught to your own? You placed judgement and taught your kids the same.

Sorry, but this a a very real, scary and sad fact for MANY of us on this forum!

 

[Forevryoung]

So I haven't been to Disney so this didn't take place there but I had the strangest thing happen to me a few years ago. I must have been about 15 or so and I was in the restroom waiting for my sister. A woman was changing her infant (probably 3 months old or so), finished, went to go wash her hands and couldn't figure out what to do with the baby, finally held the baby in one arm and washed the other hand... Then she asked me to hold her baby while she went to the bathroom. Like tried to hand him over- I was not going to be responsible for this baby so I just said "I am not comfortable with it" and then she asked my sister who is 3 years younger than I am. Then we just walked out. I am sorry but that mother is nuts to leave her infant in the arms of a total stranger, a baby seat would have been a little better, I probably would have said yes, but I wouldn't hold it!

 

[Luv2Roam]

I recall a very sad situation too, one that we have all seen similar at one time or another.
In this situation it was during the holidays and VERY crowded. One of the parades had started. DH and I camped out for an hour and even our seating was not comfortable. We were basically leaning on a rail fence near the castle. It did not take long for the line along the fence to be packed with other guests. Once it was so crowded we were sometimes standing sideways, rather than facing front.
Once the parade started, the sidewalk was so packed no one could move forward on the sidewalk. People were standing shoulder to shoulder.
A CM was standing in the bushes behind guests and the fence, continually asking guests not to stand on the fence.
Just as the first parade float was passing by, a male guest with his daughter came by. I would guess the girl to be around 10 - 12.
Even though we were already jammed packed in, he asked a guest if he could trade places so his daughter could stand on the fence. The guy he asked had been standing there at least an hour, but was nice enough to allow the man's request.
The daughter stands on the fence, leaning into her father for support to keep from falling. (Very narrow wrought iron fence.)
Right away the CM chases her down.
The girl cannot see then.
Five minutes later the dad tells her to stand back on the fence. SHE objects. The dad tells her to do it.
She does, and the CM promptly comes over.
The father then started swearing a blue streak, yelling any cuss word you can imagine. In between the swearing he says his daughter cannot see the parade (which is going by and they are not even facing towards any longer anyway).
The CM told the guest he should not have expected to get a good view of the parade by walking up as it first started going by.
The father drags off his little girl swearing all the way.

NOW isn't THAT a Kodak moment his daughter will ALWAYS recall with love and fondness? That girl's face looked like her heart was broken. And I am sure that father does not have a clue what damage he did on many levels. But maybe that poor girl is use to his childish and bad temper tantrums.
It was very sad for her.

 

[Tinseltown Trauma]

I agree, but you don't know who has Autism (Asperberger's) in any cases. So why judge anyone at all? Apparently this works for these 3 families (out of how many you saw).
Did these 3 children harm you?
Do you know for a fact they were not special needs kids? I think those are really good odds,, 3 out of how many you saw that day? They could have very well been "special" needs children, what lesson was taught to your own? You placed judgement and taught your kids the same.
Sorry, but this a a very real, scary and sad fact for MANY of us on this forum!

Oh, for godssakes, lighten up! Clearly the OP meant this thread to be an amusing "vent," but you are turning it into something else. These "game boy posters" aren't attacking you, but it sure seems like you're starting to attack them, and it's really getting wearisome. NOBODY MADE A JUDGMENT HERE; they made an OBSERVATION and they expressed their OPINION, both of which they're entitled to, esp on a message board. Had nothing to do with being purposefully insensitive or politically incorrect. And they certainly weren't being nasty in their posts. Nonetheless, they acknowledged your point, and even though they didn't have to, they apologzied--and you're still hammering!

And, as far as a lesson goes, she taught her kid a very good lesson (and NOT the one you claim--very mean-spirited): she told her son that she certainly would not tolerate a particular scenario that they OBSERVED, as it is counter to a belief/value system she has about a particular family experience--one, I might add, that I perceive to be quite appropriate for the circumstances at play, i.e., being at WDW. She told her son this in the context of the fact that HE is not "special needs"; she did NOT run over to the other family to chastize anyone there and impose her value assessment on them.

Sorry, but you simply cannot expect the entire world to think and do in terms of "special needs" every time they take a step or breathe a breath or formulate a thought, when it's not even a part of their everyday, personal reality. And that's an opinion--a reasonable one--not a judgment; and, quite frankly, it's really a fact of life for the majority of the populace.

TT

 

[bytheblood]

Last November, when we were there at Thanksgiving, I saw no less than 3 different kids at 3 different times walking around playing with a Gameboy.

I mean, my son is an addict, and even HE gives up the Gameboy for a day in the parks. As a parent, the amount of money I spend for my child to be in a Disney park, over my dead body would they be walking around with a Gameboy clued to their hands. No way, no how.

I could see MAYBE bringing it to pass time in long lines, but these kids were not in line, they were walking with their families.

I will certainly be bringing one of those for my daughter, so you can plan on us bothering you now if you are visiting in June.

My daughter carries one so that she has something to do in lines or while she is easily bored in a sit-down restaurant waiting for her dinner.

I would much rather her play gameboy despite the fact that I spent $200 on a 7-day ticket instead of complaining that she is bored and wearing on the nerves of those around us because she is jittery.


Very disturbing - when we were at Castaway Cay, a dad told his children, HIS CHILDREN mind you, "You better shut your f****** mouths and I better not hear another f****** word out of you. You are all in so much trouble, I am beating your f****** a**** when we get back to the Bronx." And his wife and mother were sitting there agreeing with him. I am thinking, "What kind of family is this and what in the world would possibly cause you to speak to your own flesh and blood like this???"

 

[Travelnauts]

What it comes down to is does it really matter. Let's enjoy ourselves, our in our own way. I am sure people could find thing's about us to complain about. Like those board people need to get a life. They spend too much time on them.
Well, I guess to each his own. Let the clowns be clowns and the tacky be tacky. If you think about it, is it really worth wasting time looking for faults and thing's to complain about or should we just live our lives and have fun.

Here's a idea. Let's talk about the Make-A-Wish child I saw laughing at Disney World and the tears of joy I saw in the parents eyes seeing their child enjoying life. Yes, Mom was in a bikini top and Dad really needed fashion help.
Keep smiling!

 

[minkydog]

my biggest pet peeve is when people let their children run to the front of an autograph queue with no regard for those who have been standing in line. the handler doesn't always notice and it's awkward telling a child to go to the back of the line. most of the time i think these people know exactly what they are doing!

Ooooh, you just hit on my pet peeve... We had this happen to us while we were waiting for lunch at Cinderella's Castle. Lo, and behold! Cindy herself appeared! We don't usually do character meets. My DD9 lined up and I followed her with DS7, who is very autistic and in a wheelchair. Do you know, four parents pushed my kids out of the way? One even met my eye and said, "You don't mind, do you? My child really wants to meet Cinderella." And you assume mine don't? Pardon me, is it the wheelchair or the hand-flapping that makes you think that?

Ha! We got the last laugh though. Cindy saw it all. After everyone had the fill of Cinderella she glided over to my son and sat down next to him. he couldn't make eye contact with her, but he reached up and stroked her face and pulled her close until their foreheads touched. Then he quietly held her gloved hand, the only way he would hold a stranger's hand,btw. And there they sat until our name was called.

Cathy--Mother of King John, Princess Eleni, and Prince Christian

 

[DisneyDotty]

Great story! Very happy for you/your family in how this situation resolved itself. Just goes to show, it all evens out in the end! So we ought not get too worked up by other's idiotic behavior--there is justice after all!

 

[mamapajama]

Okay, here's mine and I hope I dont offend anyone.... tiny babies out in the Orlando heat. I'm talking babies only two or three months old without enough protection from the rays and obviously miserable. Now I can understand having them there, I have three kids myself, but during the middle of the day I think you should take them somewhere cool!

My beef is the people who have their 2 month old babies in an umbrella stroller all scrunched over and the stroller has no canopy and the baby is not wearing a hat and has little bare piggies hanging out. Hello people SUN much?

Elise

 

[mamapajama]

Sometimes I see one person, or a group who act rude (pushing their way around, line hopping/jumping, squeezing in where there is no room to squeeze, etc) but they call others around them "rude".
So I always consider when I hear or read people labeling others "rude" that they may actually be the rude person. I think some people confuse "rude" with "you are where I want to be, so move it". That the other person(s) was there first does not seem to matter to some. (Tink Attitude -- It's all about me. )
One example -- a group were sitting on the monorail, while others were standing. Typical crowded monorail cab -- strollers, guests of misc ages.
The group sitting just about knocked down those standing while they rush and weasled their way out the door first, like they just HAD to be first out the door.
Some of the group made it out first; some were left behind. The group still in the monorail commented on how "rude" the standing people were who did not let them out first. To me, common sense should tell anyone those standing need out before those sitting when the cab is crowded.

I have learned rudeness just depends on which end of the stick you are on.

Isn't the rule sort of "first on, last off" at least that's why I always want to sit up front on the plane. get onlast, get off first! It's mind-boggling how people can be so completely self-absorbed.

Elise

 

[mamapajama]

Thank you Tink! That is exactly it. Let me first apologize also if I offended anyone. I have a friend's who's nephew is autisic, so I am not unaware that some kids need certain stimuli.

But, special needs not withstanding, can we all agree that in today's society, kids can't break themselves away from the video games? My point was, that EVEN on a trip to WDW, these kids are walking around with their eyes glued to the screen. ( I want to say the 3 different kids I saw, I feel confident that they had no special needs). The 1st kid I saw, I said to my DS, this is ONE place you will NOT have your Gameboy. He agreed and said he wouldn't even want to take his Gameboy to the parks.

It was something that made me shake my head, that's all. To each his own, if your child does not have special needs, I just can't see spending all that money for a family vacation, and the kid is not doing anything that he wouldn't be doing at home.

My son has the controller surgically attached to is hand! He brought his Game Boy last year (on the first of 3 trips we'd take). he never even turned it on. Next time I asked him if he wanted to bring it. He said no. And that was that. Normal rules don't apply in Disney for him I guess.

Elise

 

[lclark0621]

Ooooh, you just hit on my pet peeve... We had this happen to us while we were waiting for lunch at Cinderella's Castle. Lo, and behold! Cindy herself appeared! We don't usually do character meets. My DD9 lined up and I followed her with DS7, who is very autistic and in a wheelchair. Do you know, four parents pushed my kids out of the way? One even met my eye and said, "You don't mind, do you? My child really wants to meet Cinderella." And you assume mine don't? Pardon me, is it the wheelchair or the hand-flapping that makes you think that?

Ha! We got the last laugh though. Cindy saw it all. After everyone had the fill of Cinderella she glided over to my son and sat down next to him. he couldn't make eye contact with her, but he reached up and stroked her face and pulled her close until their foreheads touched. Then he quietly held her gloved hand, the only way he would hold a stranger's hand,btw. And there they sat until our name was called.

Cathy--Mother of King John, Princess Eleni, and Prince Christian

OMG! Your story brought tears to my eyes. It sound like Cinderella was absolutly wonderful to your son. I hope it is a memory you guys never forget.