I Went, I Saw, I Was Appalled!

[MagicDream4Me]

:eek: Well guys and gals, I'm back after a week at WDW and I have to tell you- I am not sure if I ever want to go back! Yes, I said it! Me- who is a kid at heart, who had tears in her eyes going through the gates! I LOVE WDW and all that it represents, which I believe to be family, dreams, hope, and kindness. This year we had more encounters with SG's than good times! I guess it is because the US dollar is so weak- WDW was full of 'visitors' from other countries. Now, when I say full, I mean that we literally went a whole day without speaking to anyone (besides CMs) from the US. I felt like we were in another country! I have nothing against people from other countries- (that will be my only PC statement)- but if you are going to visit here- learn a little English and learn what is socially acceptable! I don't now how on earth the CMs kept their cool with some SGs. We had a large group of people from Italy almost run over us pushing and shoving to get on JC. When we got on, the CM was trying to tell them where to sit, when they all jumped on the boat like wild monkeys and sat where ever they wanted. The other CM was trying to load guests on the opposite side and these people literally pushed them out of their seats! During the ride- they were hanging out of the boat pointing and yelling to each other so loud that we couldn't even hear the CM. When we stopped, the CM explained how we were to exit. These people started bailing off before we were even docked good, going over rails, under rails, and jumping on the dock. The CM just stood there and looked in amazement, while the rest of us just waited a minute for all of them to leave. I found myself apologizing to CMs at least 5 times a day, just because I felt so bad for the way people were acting! I seriously have lost what little faith I had in human beings! I saw rudeness like never before- including my husband being 'manhandled' TWICE because I guess he was standing in someones way! People were messy, loud, just crazy!! People, fat people, laid out in the middle of the street to watch fireworks! We actaully stepped over her big belly to get by!! People fighting over seats in the theaters. (MOVE ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE ROW FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!!) People making a scene at Tony's because they wanted pizza-"and what the hell is calamari"! People were cussing everywhere in front of my child! People complaining about every little thing all day long!! I am sooo sad because WDW is such a great place, but SG have ruined my vacation and my image of my favorite place in the world. People have turned WDW into such a chore! I saw many, many things that I will post as I can, right now I'm still just really upset about the whole ordeal. My 7yr old DD even said that WDW had 'changed' a bunch and wanted to know why everyone was being so mean! That really hurt me! I WILL say that the CMs were GREAT and I have a couple of great stories to share, later. Usually I cry when I leave WDW because I'm sad to leave. This time I cried because I don't think I'll be going back!

[Morning]

I spent the same week at WDW as you, but it seems that we were in alternate dimensions. I had a great time and I was thrilled to meet people from all over the world at the World. I got to meet a lady from Belgium while in line for the David Cassidy concert at Epcot; a family from Lima Peru while at a food court - the mom and I laughed while we tried to share greetings and "Where is the ketchup?" with my 10 words of Spanish and her 10 in English (we ended up pointing and miming and saying "Buenos Dias" :P ), and many visitors from the UK because of their school holidays being that week. A family from Wales and me and my companion had great fun on the Pirates ride at Disney Quest. We made their son Captain and it was rolling in the aisles laughing fun to hear him yell out commands with that accent!

I really like to meet people for whom my Ohio residence is an exotic location!

I didn't see the rudeness you saw. Perhaps I was just lucky. The rudest person I saw was a US woman who pushed her too big child in a stroller into a counter service area at Animal Kingdom. My ankles went OUCH at that one!

So, I guess the point of my story is not to give up because of a few bad experiences.

I hope the magic comes back!

Morning

[Princess Susi]

Everyone has a bad trip, once in a while. Don't give up. Give it another try. You love it so much and it will be better another time.:o: I am sorry you had such a rotten time. We have had trips from Hell to DL before, but would never stop going. Besides, you HAVE to met Big Wallaby and Zazu and the rest of the wonderful CMs at WDW! They will make your trips there so happy!:D:
susi

[Big Wallaby]

Don't forget Cranbiz and others!

I agree with Susie, we all experience days of all kinds here. I hope you won't really let this keep you away, because it is a neat place, as you have experienced in the past. Different weeks bring different crowds.

[vixen101485]

:including my husband being 'manhandled' TWICE !

This caught my eye, either I have a really dirty mind or I am confused. Both are normal for me.

SOOOOO ......did he enjoy the manhandling? Did a female or male manhandle him? or one or each? What body part got manhandled or is it not appropriate to speak of that body part in a public forum? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Princess Susi]

This caught my eye, either I have a really dirty mind or I am confused. Both are normal for me.

SOOOOO ......did he enjoy the manhandling? Did a female or male manhandle him? or one or each? What body part got manhandled or is it not appropriate to speak of that body part in a public forum? Inquiring minds want to know.

LOL! Get your mind out of the gutter so my can float by!!!!!! LOL

Sounds like it was crowded and not fun manhandling...:(
susi

[drcorey]

geez, what's next, someone is farting disney tunes?

[DisneyMom]

Off Topic-Dr Corey Did you have a nice birthday?

[Princess Susi]

drcorey was farting the Happy Birthday song....LOL!:eek:

[Big Wallaby]

Aha! That's how we get so far off-topic here! One person makes a subtly different remark, which spawns its own subthread. Can you imagine the confusion we would have here if the board was set up so that one post could have multiple responses, so we had to follow each response and its responses? I think my head would explode.

[Princess Susi]

Yeah I was trying to figure out why all threads eventually lead to chaos as well.....We all have wandering minds. I guess if a thread stayed on topic, my head would explode.
susi

[BRWombat]

Wouldn't "The Exploding Heads" be a cool name for a band?

Hey, look, a cloud!

[Syndrome]

After visiting Europe, I realized how much of the "rude" behavior is actually cultural. We went to Loro Parque in Cadiz, Spain (think Sea World with more animals but without rides). We did a VIP tour, which was offered in multiple languages so we were in an English speaking group. The park draws visits from Spain, England, Germany, France, etc. Our tour included reserved seating at the shows, but our guide warned us that the other visitors will get VERY aggressive in trying to take it. Indeed, it was another type of "animal show" on its own to watch the seating process. Despite multiple huge RESERVED signs and guide standing guards, these people did contortions to force themselves into the reserved areas. Then, instead of simply backing down, they would get into heated arguments with the guides! It was funny to watch them pulled the "I don't speak ______" routine when a guide would tell them in one language, then watch the guide easily speak to whatever language they were using (God, I admire the multilinguisity that seems so common in Europe).

We also noticed that the European park visits literally had no respect for personal space and would run into you, push ahead of you, etc. if allowed. Fortunately, I am from Chicago so I easily held my own. Mr. Syndrome just got behind me and followed my lead. It truly was a different world in terms of manners over there.

[Big Wallaby]

Had a deal like that at KSC last Tuesday. We're in line, and people are joining the line ahead of us. So we would cut right back in ahead of them, and they would be ready to fight us about it. Of course, it helped that by the end of the day I would be pressing 30+ hours without sleep, so I was ready to pick a fight with a little old lady if it came down to it.

Nice thing about being in buses, I don't see a lot of the line fighting, it's all done with before I pull up most of the time.

[hobie16]

Aha! That's how we get so far off-topic here! One person makes a subtly different remark, which spawns its own subthread. Can you imagine the confusion we would have here if the board was set up so that one post could have multiple responses, so we had to follow each response and its responses? I think my head would explode.

Nutz!! You discovered the plot. Now we have to come up with something else.

[StephM]

We also noticed that the European park visits literally had no respect for personal space and would run into you, push ahead of you, etc. if allowed. Fortunately, I am from Chicago so I easily held my own. Mr. Syndrome just got behind me and followed my lead. It truly was a different world in terms of manners over there.

DH told me when he was stationed near Bamburg, Germany in the Army, he had a little old german woman literally trample him to get on a bus. Pushing and shoving is just the way it is done in some places.

We were there 10/15-10/23 and had good experiences for the most part. One guy was trying to kill me with a rented stroller. I guess he thought repeatedly nailing me in the ankles would make me plow through the 1200 people exiting MK in front of me faster. I turned around and told him to stop hitting me! He was like...."oh sorry...this stroller....blah blah!" Ummm, yeah sir, I am pushing one too, but oddly enough, NOT ramming the people in front of me. Grrr. The lady next to me just laughed out loud when I turned around and yelled at him. I can usually control my temper, but that was a bit much.


We had a terrific time. As always, great CMs and some really nice fellow guests.

[Princess Susi]

Can you imagine the confusion we would have here if the board was set up so that one post could have multiple responses, so we had to follow each response and its responses? I think my head would explode.

I think I have noticed this very phenomenon lately here... many branching responses in every direction! Gah! My head is exploding!:eek:

[BRWombat]

I think I have noticed this very phenomenon lately here... many branching responses in every direction! Gah! My head is exploding!:eek:Nothing new about that. (Branching responses, that it, not exploding heads. :rolleyes:)

[ktulu]

When I was in Japan, I crowded onto a train leaving Maihama station (the station for Tokyo Disney Resort, I spent 1.5 hours there, just sayin...) and had people push and shove me to get on the train as well. We left no man (or woman!) behind!

Oh, no one was rude about it, just something that has to be done...

[Morning]

One guy was trying to kill me with a rented stroller. I guess he thought repeatedly nailing me in the ankles would make me plow through the 1200 people exiting MK in front of me faster.


I met that guy's clone about 50 times during my visit to the parks (coincidently the same week that you were there). Those big strollers need to have warning lights on them, they are dangerous. My ankles were bruised from trying to get to a shop that was simply surrounded. Many of the kids seemed to be over the age of five or six, with a few seeming even older.

My parents would have made me walk. "Damnit I paid money for this, now get up off ya arse and go DO something!" ;)

[mechurchlady]

They been battering people with strollers for decades. The worst was the dude with a kid on his shoulders while running with a kid in the stroller. Dodges in front of me, stops, turns, and yells to his family the direction to go.

This waddlebutt has not brakes and does not need some slob screaming in my face.

[Big Wallaby]

I have certainly plowed into enough people to make them think twice about just stopping in the middle of walking. And being that I walk with a purpose and have a lot of weight that I am pushing, I find myself apologizing for encroaching on peoples' personal space despite the fact it's their fault. I'm getting very good at dancing around people.

When I take days off in the parks, that's the only thing that people do on a consistent basis that really bugs me. Only thing I see consistently that bugs me more is when an entire family, taking up sixteen feet across on the path, do it, and I have nowhere to go but through, and I have enough momentum to bowl them over except that they have a stroller on the other side.

[Morning]

When I was at the parks this month I did daydream about renting one of those horrible blue plastic strollers (despite being childless) and just using it to actually get through the "stop right in front of the the attraction, open the map, hand Timmy the water bottle, give Susie money to buy an ice cream and have Dad yell at everyone" folks....

but I promise, when I was hit by the strollers I was not in the middle of a walkway.

Really :)


Morning
was trying to find a store that had Tigger croc shoe charms. (Found them on last day, yay! Also have Eeyore of course!)

[Princess Susi]

When I was at the parks this month I did daydream about renting one of those horrible blue plastic strollers (despite being childless) and just using it to actually get through the "stop right in front of the the attraction, open the map, hand Timmy the water bottle, give Susie money to buy an ice cream and have Dad yell at everyone" folks....

but I promise, when I was hit by the strollers I was not in the middle of a walkway.

Really :)


Morning
was trying to find a store that had Tigger croc shoe charms. (Found them on last day, yay! Also have Eeyore of course!)

You can find every Disney croc jibbit on ebay. I have the whole crew, princesses, Fab 6, Pooh and friends, castle, etc...All very inexpensive on eBay too.:)
Back to Stupid things stupid guests do at the Parks.....

[Morning]

You can find every Disney croc jibbit on ebay. I have the whole crew, princesses, Fab 6, Pooh and friends, castle, etc...All very inexpensive on eBay too.:)
Back to Stupid things stupid guests do at the Parks.....

Where do you think I got the Eeyore jibbitz? ;)

But thank you very much for the information -- it is not everybody who understands that everybody needs shoe charms. :D:

Morning
saving up for Disney Crocs in pink -- only saw the black ones in my size at the parks.

OK, now REALLY back to stupid dirty park stories .. really. I promise.

[MagicDream4Me]

Hey guys! Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but I started a new job right after I returned from WDW and it is taking a while to get adjusted to midnights! I re-read my first post and I am sorry- yes I had a few bad things happen, but now I can focus on the positives! We did have fun this year - we just happen to have a few runs of bad luck! Of course the 'magic' is still there and we are already planning next years trip. Maybe a DCruise? Anyway- as I said before the CMs were great! Jeff on the Great Movie Ride switched with another so he could be our guide (this is my DD fav), and let us sit in the 2nd row. We got to do the Cowboy (instead of Gangster). We had never done the cowboy and haven't since. My DD thought it was something Jeff did just for her!! The 'Cowboy' talked to my DD and made it very special..she says that was her fav thing ever! A CM on Rockin' Rollercoaster (w/f) walked my DD over to the unload ramp so me and DH could ride! DD had rode before...and rode after this..., but for some reason was having a complete meltdown about riding, so the CM saved the day...well.. moment(ha) and we all had fun!! I volunteered for the Pearl Harbor skit at the backlot tour- that was alot of fun!! My DD & DH thought it was funny! Great pics! The MLF used my DD joke I texted in and she was so excited to hear her name! My DD got 2 Tink pins from Dream Team.. very cool. So not all was bad... I was just disappointed in the way humans act nowadays. I try to be as nice and helpful when I go to WDW and I guess I stupidly think others do too. This year was our first with the DDP and wow, the food was sooo good!! My DH loved all the resturants we went to! (He's picky,too) I'm glad I can look back now with pleasant memories... Sorry if I tainted anyone's vision of WDW. I guess like someone posted... you get good weeks and bad ones...Next year, sign me up for a good one!! HA!