DL Experience Soured By Other Guests

[desertdweller]

Another thread in here recently told of an experience with "riff-raff" harassing CMs in DL while security stood close by and could do nothing. During my hundreds of times in the park over the past 46 years I've had good times for the most part. However, relaxed standards and changes in behavior along with lack of manners in general have created a different type of guest over the past couple decades.

The park used to be very strict about who got through the gates. Appearance alone could have you banned for long hair or inappropriate clothing. As far as I can tell, they allow almost anyone entry for some years now.

That thread got me thinking about an incident that I experienced some years ago. We had a few out of state guests visiting the park and had reserved a waterfront table at the Blue Bayou for lunch. We were just beginning to eat when a boatload of people left the dock and slowly cruised by. A group began yelling at us diners. One fueled the other into more outrageous statements which started with berating us for eating in such a ****** restaurant. One said they work in the BB and they always spit in the food. Another went further and said they work there also and do other things to the food which was graphically told. They at last yelled their way into the tunnel but you could still hear them as they sailed away. What a miserable experience the guests in the boats before and behind them must have had.

The incident lead to a discussion among us and diners around us about the rudeness that everyone was beginning to see when out in public. It certainly put a slight damper on our lunch experience in that wonderfully atmospheric spot. Of course, some minutes later that same boat came back up the waterfall with that group still screaming and cursing.

Another time while on POTC a group of teen boys in our boat were jumping out and walking alongside the vessel as we passed through the first scenes. I'm certain that can't happen anymore with the advent of security cameras.

We've had numerous postings about CMs and their rude behavior so I'm curious if any of the others in here have had some bad experiences in the park that were solely caused by other guests behaving badly.

[dshimel]

On one trip on the Matterhorn I got pared with a guy that screamed like a girl all the way through.... Not becuase he was scared.... I mean all the way through. From the moment the brakes released to let us on the lift hill, the the moment the brakes caught us at the bottom, constant, shrill, loud as possible screaming. Drove me freakin' nuts.

[The Mad Hatter]

I had an experience on POTC where a group of ummm how do i say this without sounding racist, latino teenagers in the boat in front of us were singing. Not the POTC song...some other song in spanish...very loud. I couldn't help but to yell at them to shut up but I know that only feuled it more. It ruined the whole ride. if my teenager acted like that, i'd slap them.

[Disneyphile]

I think people just have a much bigger sense of "entitlement" these days, and feel they can act the way they want. The fact that our society has become so "sue happy" over the stupidest things also doesn't help. I think the reason people aren't "booted" or "disallowed" from the park anymore is that some of those folks would be very quick to file a discrimination suit.

For one, I would love to see Disney boot line-cutters, purposely offensive/cursing folks, and anyone else trying to ruin someone's day. But, somebody probably sued at one point, so the rules became more lax.

[cellarhound]

Over the holiday, by the Plaza Pavilion, and I was about to pass a costumed CM... When an over enthusiastic and demanding person grabbed the arm of the poor CM who simply couldn't even see this guy... Now I know his intentions where to get the character to have a picture taken with his family... But it was the WAY he did it that really ticked me off... Because it took place right in front of me...

If I was that theme character I would have belted the guy right in the face and run off... Luckily this didn't happen... I commended the actions of the cm to guest services...

[The Mad Hatter]

But, somebody probably sued at one point, so the rules became more lax.

They can sue my backpack as it hits them upside the head

[Disneyphile]

They can sue my backpack as it hits them upside the head

Heh, heh. Same attitude I have about my elbow since I have "accidentally" used it on some line-cutters before. Ooopsie!

[DLDivorcee]

Whatever happened to the rule that an establishment "Reserves the right to refuse service to anyone?" I really do think that these rude guests might get a little more than they bargained for, and rightfully so!

[cellarhound]

Pet Peeves that Disrespectful Guests do.

1. Chewing Gum on walls of an attraction.
2. Trying to grab something off of POTC, causing someone to talk over the loud speaker to EVERYONE on the ride...
3. Guests that don't understand why you stop in the middle of a cheque to enjoy some of the theming.
4. Anyone and everyone who tries to talk louder than the robots in the star tours cheque, or the Indy Cheque, or other interesting cheques.
5. Line jumpers...
6. Parents with children who really don't need strollers.
7. People who drop coins from the top of the escalators of the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure.

[ah schucks]

As a former CM- Thank You. The stuff I put up with as a CM both from guest and co-workers was appauling.
While working Autopia, I had a guest refuse to use a car that had been driven by a person of Jewish decent. Whilst this was going on a cast member told me she thought the gentlemen who refused to drive in that car was right and that she disliked the attitude of this group of Jewish young men and women who had been riders. I was appauled. Not to mention the bad Asian driver jokes galore from everyone.

However my worst experiance happened on Gay Days last year. Nothing against gay men, but I boarded POTC and these young gay men and there female companion boarded behind and proceeded to describe graphic sexual adventures, very loudly for the first few minutes of the ride. Ahead of me there was a family with a very young boy who kept looking over his shoulder.
I finally turned to these hooligans (I said it) and told them it might be this boy's once and only chance to come here and they were ruining it. The young poeple behind me were furious and tried to fight me after the ride, to which I prompetly reminded them, that I would resist and they could be permently removed from the park- they ran away. The boys parents thanked me and I went about the rest of my day- However I noticed a higher level of poor decessions by people that day regarding the sacredness of a family park.

Lastly to the smokers out there. I get it, you wanna smoke, respect the kids and do it in the proper areas, big deal. I hate fighting these people who feel so entitled since 90% of the park is outside.

[cellarhound]

8. People who think they can be rude to you by insulting you with "you should cheer up, you are in the happiest place on earth, you know..."
9. Any adult who thinks smacking their kid publicly will stop that child from crying...

[ah schucks]

Whatever happened to the rule that an establishment "Reserves the right to refuse service to anyone?" I really do think that these rude guests might get a little more than they bargained for, and rightfully so!

ACLU baby! Freaking saintity of individualism cripples the ability of an instituation to do anything that singles anyone our for bad marks.

Used to be that "Gay Days" were unsupported by Disney because it intially seemed to fly in the face of the family values that Disney supports. After enough complaints and facing the fact that a large portion of male CMs are in fact themselves gay, Disney began support for the program.

It goes the same with all behavior, our letigious society has gone so far we are crippled by our own law system and we cannot refuse the right to refuse service anymore. Customer is always right. Its sick but if a guest pushes a CM that CM cannot defend him or herself legally. You must be made to suffer the insults and taunts of guests because that guest paid for admission an deserves the right to heckle you.

[Ghostbuster626]

I think the reason ticket prices continue to rise is to keep the "riff raff" out.

[ah schucks]

I think the reason ticket prices continue to rise is to keep the "riff raff" out.

The economics of the ticket price shouldn't prohibit someone of lesser economic status from coming to the park. I always love reading or seeing stories about how huge sums of underprivledged children get an opportunity to come to the park for a day.

I would reconsider how you phrase that or clarify if you meant something else, cause otherwise it seems narrowminded.

[cellarhound]

The economics of the ticket price shouldn't prohibit someone of lesser economic status from coming to the park. I always love reading or seeing stories about how huge sums of underprivledged children get an opportunity to come to the park for a day.

I would reconsider how you phrase that or clarify if you meant something else, cause otherwise it seems narrowminded.

That is more a marketing issue than anything else... If you look at the prices of everything they clearly are defining who their target market is... and it isn't the lower economic class... Which is shamefull, but true...

Let me put it to you this way, you are not going to find me eating at the Napa Rose... But you will find the Disney Board there...

[dshimel]

9. And adult who thinks smacking their kid publicly will stop that child from crying...

Mr. Cellarhoud,
How many kids you got? I have 3... 21, 17 and 14..... I know of what I speak.....

Most times kids are crying is becuase there is a power struggle going on between the kids and the parents. Kids are like dogs.... They smell fear. A slight opening in the parents armor and the kids will use every trick in the book to get to do whatever they want! The parent must be the parent and ensure they, not the kid, keeps the upperhand of the constant power struggle.

Kid realizes you're in public and that you "really, really" want to avoid an incident..... Kid sees that as an oppertunity to through a fit, thinking you'll give in as a means of stopping the fit....

If you do, even once, you're doooommmmeeeedddddddd...... Ever after, whenever the kid wants its way, it throws a fit.... It is like negotiating with a terrorist. If you give in, all you get is more terrorism. If it works, it is done!

Smack the kid on the butt the first few times they try this, not hard enough to cause pain, just hard enough to let the kid know that their little tantrum has only strengthened your resolve to be the one in control.

No more fits.


The problem is that most parents are inconsistant. Smack on the butt one time, give in the next.... The result is a kid that always throws a fit, gambling that this time will be one of the times you give in... Then, when you smack their butt, they cry all the harder thinking it unfair that they lost the gamble this time.

Or, the other problem... Too many parents don't realize it is a power struggle right from the beginning. They think kids are rational and can be reasoned with... They can't. Kids, if given a chance, will be terrorists, doing whatever it takes to get whatever they want. The only way to keep them from becomming terrorists is to make sure it doesn't work.... EVERY time!

[Disneyphile]

I would reconsider how you phrase that or clarify if you meant something else, cause otherwise it seems narrowminded.

I think he/she's referring to people who cause trouble, but not those of lower economic status. (I believe Walt himself was quoted as calling those types "riff-raff".) While I fully support the rising prices of day tickets and APs because people aren't going to pay a large amount of money to just have a place to act up, I also think it sucks that it would exclude those who just couldn't afford it. Maybe have an "AP Scholarship" program or something.... get a lower price with a referral letter and resume of "social skills"?

It's sad, because it's hard to exclude one group without excluding the other.

[Reaver]

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!

or, of course, no reason at all...

[The Mad Hatter]

Most times kids are crying is becuase there is a power struggle going on between the kids and the parents.

Thank you dshimel! These ideas are all to often discarded among people nowadays. And if you think that a parent doesn't have the right to spank their kids in public because it doesn't work, then that's the same thinking behind not repremanding rude people in the park.

[cellarhound]

Mr. Cellarhoud,
How many kids you got? I have 3... 21, 17 and 14..... I know of what I speak.....

Most times kids are crying is becuase there is a power struggle going on between the kids and the parents. Kids are like dogs.... They smell fear. A slight opening in the parents armor and the kids will use every trick in the book to get to do whatever they want! The parent must be the parent and ensure they, not the kid, keeps the upperhand of the constant power struggle.

I am talking about the parents who get possessed by some inner demon and go way overboard and really let loose on their 4 year olds in public for no good reason... And you watch the situation from beginning to ending, and you wonder who is more tired, is it the adults or the kids...

We aren't talking a smack on the rear... we are talking thermonuclear explosion...