What not to do at Disney?

[maxiesmom]

Don't start yelling at the CMs when they tell you you can't park on the sidewalk and have to be in between the ropes to watch the parade, but there is no room left. You made the choice to ride the rides or shop until right before parade time. It is not a CMs fault that now your child can't see the Cinderella float.

Saw lots of that last week. Some of those adults were pretty darn nasty to the CMs.

 

[ratlenhum]

oh god

not everything has to be so serious

You obviously don't have a disabled child, or know anyone close to you that does. You've never felt the heartache when people point, stare or pass remarks. You've never had to bite your tongue or keep from smacking someone so rude in the face or you would have totally gotten that post. Laughing at a bigger kid in a stroller is no different than laughing at a child in a wheel chair if you don't know the reason why. Not all disabilities are visible. Play it safe, assume there is a disability, mind your business and go about your day. Don't stare, point, make comments, or laugh when your child does one of those either

 

[froggy5657]

Don't curse, there are kids around

Be nice to the CMs they work so hard to make your vacation magical

Don't cut in front of strollers/wheelchairs/ECV's

Keep in mind that everyone has a problem that you don't know about, so you should refrain from judging.

 

[DISaholic's]

- Don't stay in a show/ride/restaurant with your screaming child. There are exit doors for a reason. You and your child will be much happier in a calm/quiet location. (from any experienced mom of three who had to take her screaming 2 yr old out of many places she thougt scary)

- Don't drop your trash/maps/napkins on the ground.

- Don't leave the bathroom a mess, put your papertowels, etc in the garbage can and flush the toilet

- Don't criticize Disney on everything, you paid for/chose the vacation. It's your responsibility to find the magic but you won't if you're negative about everything.

Some of these seem to be common sense, but common sense doesn't seem to be so common anymore

 

[scarlet_ibis]

- Don't leave the bathroom a mess, put your papertowels, etc in the garbage can and flush the toilet

I never understand this. Who thinks it's okay to NOT flush a public toilet?

 

[bdoyledimou]

DO NOT DRAG YOUR SCARED SCREAMING CRYING CHILD ONTO A RIDE THEY DO NOT WANT TO GO ON!!! THEY WILL NOT CHANGE THEIR MINDS!!!!!!!!

Caps on purpose.. i don't know how many times i have seen this... and it angers me to no end.. it ruins the ride for all those around you as well.

Utilize parent swaps or don't go on the ride at all.

 

[lizandjason]

DO NOT DRAG YOUR SCARED SCREAMING CRYING CHILD ONTO A RIDE THEY DO NOT WANT TO GO ON!!! THEY WILL NOT CHANGE THEIR MINDS!!!!!!!!

Caps on purpose.. i don't know how many times i have seen this... and it angers me to no end.. it ruins the ride for all those around you as well.

Utilize parent swaps or don't go on the ride at all.

AMEN!!!

 

[lizandjason]

All of these are great!!

 

[SereneOne]

oh god

not everything has to be so serious

Really?

Maybe one day you will have health problems or you will have a child with health problems. When people make fun of you or of your child, maybe you will have an inkling of how serious of a matter it is. Just because something does not effect you, does not mean it needs to be dismissed. As ignorant as your post comes off, I hope you never know the immense pain and helplessness of having a special needs child and then having people make fun of said child. It is an insult added to injury like no other.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

this one feels like a no brainer, but I see it all the time and it drives me crazy, don't rush the bus when it first arrives LET PEOPLE GET OFF and then start boarding. It seems like it happens more at resorts than parks, (Same for elevators)

 

[Chloesmom]

Don't just stand there and do nothing while your obnoxious child is bullying other children and splashing other children and adults with water in the play fountain area.

Generally it's a pretty good idea to keep an eye on your child the whole time you're at WDW. My boyfriend and I were at Raglan Road one night a little after midnight having a few drinks when this kid (probably around 8 years old) randomly ran up and sat down at the table next to ours. He started picking up the salt and pepper shakers and whatever else was sitting on the table and banging it around and hitting the table and stuff. We were both looking around to see if there was some parent chasing after this kid, but there wasn't. And then he just took off running again.

Thats when I tell the child to back to thier seat... I am sure I have made many an enemy from unattentive parents but I dont care. ANYONE that is being rude will get told so by me.. child, adult.. I am not afraid to speak up and generally everyone around me thanks me... I taught my child manners... it wasnt hard... if you and your child have no manners then stay at home.
Seriously... obnoxious children are my #1 pet peeve.. I dont get why its ok for kids to behave like that. Its never ok to ruin someone elses moment.. regardless of your age.

 

[DisneyLover83]

My son is autistic, prone to flight and also likes to skip more than walk and swings his arms when he skips. when he's in the stroller, he sits still and won't get out until we tell him to. He's safe there, he's not running off and he's not accidentally hitting any other guests with his arms as he skips and swings. My son doesn't see other people, they do not exist to him. He'll walk into them and not even notice.

My 9 year old son has autism and we have a special needs stroller for him. He is a flight risk and he does not know fear. We feel more comfortable knowing that he is safe and with us.

i have a HFASD son high functioning autism spectrum disorder, as today seems to be about educating others, im going to add my 2p s worth
josh is 10, he also has severe brittle asthma. he is tall and muscular, he plays alot of soccer (to improve his lungs) and physically very strong.
so strong that i cant hold him if he goes into meltdown, like all children with asd (and i say this alittle tongue in check as all asd kids are different )he doesnt do crowds, he doesnt like to be touched, and can lose the plot if toussled.

I want to thank each of you for sharing about your childs disability. As someone who has never spent any time around a child with autism I can have a better understanding of what these families are dealing with and be more aware about the issue in general, especially as the rate of autism keeps increasing it seems like it will just be a matter of time until we all will know someone that has been effected.

 

[TheMorgans]

1. Don't expect everything to be perfect. It’s Disney and it is magical, but it is not perfect. Your kids will have a meltdown. You will have to wait in line. There will be rude guests. Be prepared and have a plan to deal with all of these.

2. Don't be judgmental of others. Everyone is there for the same magical experience that you are. You will see mom's breastfeeding. You will see same gender couples. There will be people drinking and smoking. You will hear people speaking other languages and dressed differently than you. Be tolerant and accepting. Disney appeals to most everyone.

3. Don't underestimate you budget. Disney is expensive and everyone should know this upfront. There are no "Dollar Menus" at the restaurants.
Expect to pay theme-park prices for food. Your kids are going to want to buy things - shirts, toys, ice cream, and on and on. Plan accordingly.

4. Don't over plan your days. Things will come up that will take you off course even the best touring plan. Take time to enjoy some of the little things at Disney such as the quiet paths and the beautiful landscaping. Disney has the best attractions but there are other amazing activities besides the headline attractions.

5. Don't expect to see all of the characters from Disney. Even after all of our visits there are still characters that we have not yet met. There are plenty of characters to see, but remember everyone hates waiting to see them and everyone else has another attraction that they want to see/do next as much as you do.

6. My biggest DO is RELAX & ENJOY. You are at a vacation destination that many families can only dream of. Make the most of it. Create family memories that will last a life time.

 

[Ctsplaysinrain]

If you are on a crowded monorail and someone's 11 yr old son stands up and offers you a seat- do not then let your 11 Yr old son sit down instead....

 

[alwaysmom]

Just plan old.......

Stop being rude!!!

Stop making mean comments out loud, someone can hear you.
Stop being judgmental, you don't know others situation.
Stop assuming you know everything about everything.
Stop thinking you are the only one on vacation.
Stop thinking that just because you paid, you can do whatever you want.
Stop thinking you deserve to be first.

Try being a little courteous.
Try having fun.
Try relaxing.
Try smiling at someone.

 

[ratlenhum]

Just plan old.......

Stop being rude!!!

Stop making mean comments out loud, someone can hear you.
Stop being judgmental, you don't know others situation.
Stop assuming you know everything about everything.
Stop thinking you are the only one on vacation.
Stop thinking that just because you paid, you can do whatever you want.
Stop thinking you deserve to be first.

Try being a little courteous.
Try having fun.
Try relaxing.
Try smiling at someone.

This is the perfect list of rules for Disney. They should hand a sheet with this on it to everyone who books a trip, buys a ticket and enters the park!!

Love it

 

[ratlenhum]

Disneylover83, thanks for being so understanding.

I don't know about other parents of kids with disabilities, but for me, when I over hear a comment like "isn't that kid too old for a stroller?" I don't think to myself "he's 8 and has autism so shut up," I think yes, he's 8 and still needs to be in a stroller. He's different than other kids and can't do what kids his age do because he's disabled, has no fear, will run off, doesn't understand or know better."

So it's not the actual comment that hurts so much it's all the thoughts that come rushing to your head that remind you that your child is different.

We used to go to Sesame Place every year but my son outgrew it. We went to Disneyland in 2008 when we had to fly from NY to CA to see an immunologist that was a specialist in another disorder my son has on top of his autism. We decided to make a vacation out of it and he loved it. So last year we brought him to Disney World and we're going again this summer. He loves it and for the most part he can blend in. He has some issues, but it's so loud there and people move so quickly that most don't hear his vocal ticks, or hear him repeat the repetitive phrase of the week that he says over and over and over 1000 times a day. (this week's phrase is "our house is 279")

We can almost forget for a week that our child is different. He's doing what other kids do, enjoying something "typical" and having fun. There's no teachers, therapists, special ed departments, or specialty doctors to deal with. Although on our trip this year we are making a diversion to see a specialist in Melbourne, but that's only a few hours of our week. We can pretend to be a typical family for a few days a year. Comments and remarks basically hit us like a 2x4 to the head and knock us off our cloud, and really put a damper on our day/week.

People should look our kids, smile, keep your comments to themselves, and hug and kiss their typical kids just a little bit tighter at night. This could have just as easily have happened to your child. We didn't ask for this, we didn't cause this, it just happened.

 

[Bitsmommy]

A mom feeding her baby was offensive to you? Sad.

I am with you!! I am certain that the PP doesn't hide to eat. I am all about covering yourself, but if you are breastfeeding correctly, there is really no way that anything can be seen.

 

[Dannielle_1]

Please don't block the FastPass entrance waiting for your time to come up. I can't tell you the number of times I've had to squeeze through crowds of people to use my already valid fastpass. Stand off to the side or across the way.

(Never understood this anyway, why stand "in line" to get into the fastpass line. Isn't the whole point to avoid as many lines as possible???)

 

[jenn-n-okla]

Mind your manners while you are at Disney. Matter of fact you SHOULD be doing this at all times.
Thou shall not judge others.
Thou shall not cut in lines.
Thou shall not use offensive language.
Thou shall keep all private body parts covered or at least go some place other than a line with children in it. (and no I am not talking about breastfeeding)
Thou shall respect the CMs.
Thou shall respect the rules Disney has posted.