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After a Disney World ride malfunctioned, one father was particularly upset with the park for its lack of empathy towards his daughters, who got stuck on the ride.
Disney World is more popularly known by its moniker “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” and it’s a title that is well-earned by the Mouse House and Disney Park. With rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Expedition Everest, it’s no surprise that this is the case.
Tusker House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney
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Father Becomes Disenchanted with the Mouse
Recently, however, a father found himself less than happy with his experience at Disney World. Here’s what happened.
The father, Joe Sherman, told Fox Business that despite taking his family to Disney World in Central Florida for years, this time left his 7-year-old and 11-year-old “traumatized.” As some might already know, recently, Expedition Everest saw a malfunction that had the ride stuck on an incline for more than 30 minutes.
“So my daughter came down they were crying hysterically and traumatized, we had to leave the park early,” Sherman said.
Disney World Guests Stuck on Expedition Everest Coaster Incline for More Than 30 Minutes😨 pic.twitter.com/BufIh3dcPg
— Game of X (@froggyups) December 18, 2023
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“My girls need therapy. They don’t want to go on any roller coaster. They are scared to pieces to go to any amusement park,” he added. This, unfortunately, wasn’t all. Sherman also shared that his daughters were “freezing,” while they were stuck on the ride.
“In the meantime, my wife was freaking out, crying hysterically, and she asked the cast members [Disney employees] for a status update but no one could tell her anything.”
Credit: Disney
“And the worst part about the whole situation is that Disney prides themselves on having the best guest experience. But it seemed like they fell out of protocol where nobody can talk to my wife, nobody can comfort her, nobody can give her some sort of resolve,”
Sherman commented. “They just said, ‘we don’t have any updates. This is normal,’ over and over again.”
Credit: Disney
Ultimately, when the girls were finally let down and reunited with their parents, Sherman reached out to Disney to resolve the situation but was met with a standard “black and white” corporate response wherein the park offered them “FastPasses.”
“They failed to have empathy,” Sherman concluded.
Credit: Disney
What do you think of this situation? Do you think Disney should have responded differently? Let us know in the comments!
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Disney Fanatic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.
I doubt very much your daughters’ need therapy for being stuck on a ride for a few minutes. Why weren’t you trying to make light of the situation and distract your family instead of planning how much you were going to take Disney for over a stopped ride. If your wife needed “empathy” maybe she shouldn’t go on any rides.
I think someone was looking for some freebies and was upset they didn’t get any.
Why are a 7 and 11 year old riding a ride unsupervised? Perhaps if the parents were with them, the children could have been reassured that everything was going to be ok…
WAUT,WHAT? A 7 AND 11 YEAR÷OLD WERE.ON THE RIDE ALONE? Your wife was asking cast members for an update. Exactly, where we=re you? Taking notes and trying to figure out what you could hlget out of Disney? Did you and your wife do v anything to calm the situation or did you fan the flames and increase the negative response to the situation.
Why were your two young children on that ride alone. Had they ever ridden this ride before alone. 30 minutes is not an unusual wait for a ride to be fixed. You should have been more of sympathetic to your children and not hyped them up. If they need therapy thst is on you and your wife NOT Disney. Take resoonsibility!!
People are so damn soft. Same thing happed to us when my kids were little. They thought it was awesome. And we didn’t expect anything for what happened. Cry more.
if they need therapy maybe he has failed as a father keeping his daughters calm. If this is the worst thing they experience, consider themselves lucky
If his daughters needed therapy after being stuck for 30 mins, he really has raised some soft kids. As well why were the parents not on this ride with them. They could’ve been there and reassured them everything was fine. The father is pathetic.
Been stuck on many rides at Disney. The one time was on Thunder Mountain on an incline. And the CMs wouldn’t help us out of the cars after we were told we would have to vacate the ride. One woman was handicap and needed help to get out if the car. I had to ask other riders to help get her out bc the cms wouldn’t help!