A trip to Walt Disney World is an escape. That’s what makes it so perfect. You can’t see the real world anywhere on the Disney World property. You go, and every problem slides away until it’s time to leave again and return to reality. It’s hard to explain to someone who has never gone or people who hate Disney, but if you know, you know.
But even at the Happiest Place on Earth, some little annoyances get under your skin. You are, after all, surrounded by tens of thousands of people every time you try to walk into the Magic Kingdom. At least one of those people will do something you find annoying. It’s just the laws of nature.
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And I’m not talking about the big things. I’m sure we can all agree that fighting at Animal Kingdom or getting drunk and trying to climb the Mexican Pyramid at EPCOT is just out of bounds for all of us. There really shouldn’t be a disagreement there. Do you really need to jump on a parade float to show off to your 25 Instagram followers? Didn’t think so.
But there are little things. Small human behavior on a trip to Disney World that can just get under your skin. And if we can somehow come to an agreement as a Disney Community that we will stop doing these things, we will all have a more pleasant experience the next time we head to a Disney theme park. So, here are the worst guests’ behaviors at Disney World.
The Wannabe Influencer
So you’ve found it. The perfect picture. Perhaps it’s right when we walk into the Magic Kingdom with Cinderella Castle in the background, or it’s at Animal Kingdom with the Tree of Life as the backdrop. Whenever you are in Disney World, you find it that’s the one you want. The kids are in a good mood; this photo will be on the Christmas card this year.
So, you get in line to wait for the Disney photo pass photographer. The line isn’t that long, and the kids are still in a good mood. But then, it happens.
A group of 20-somethings. They start by taking photos, one at a time, then two at a time, and then finish it off with a group photo. And then, there’s the wardrobe change. Got to make sure that the right sunglasses are on, and don’t forget to give the camera the peace sign. And before you know it, the line has grown, 10 minutes have passed, and the kids have lost their patience. Even the Disney World cast member is losing steam.
We get it; your 25 social media followers must know you’re at EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios today. But for the rest of us, take a couple of photos and move on so we can move on with our lives. We don’t need to be dragged into your fake influencer world.
So, perhaps we can agree to a limit on the photos. Sure, you’d like to spend all day there, but let every other Disney guest get a shot, too. Five photographs and move on. That’s one for each of your five followers. That seems like plenty to me.
The Screamers
So, you woke up at seven a.m., got on your phone, and bought Disney Genie Plus. You fought off the hoards and got that lightning lane for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad or Expedition Everest. Or maybe you even ponied up the extra cash for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
You get to the ride and you see it: the dreaded line of cast members telling Disney guests the ride is closed. Sure, you can wait for the attraction to be back up or use the lightning lane somewhere else, but you have a different plan—it’s time to yell at the cast members.
Everyone knows that the ride is down is not the cast members’ fault. Chances are, it was a Disney Parks guest who did something wrong. But that doesn’t matter; you want someone to take your frustrations out on, and there they are.
Your best hope is that they will give you whatever you want to get you to go away, but chances are better that your very public display of anger at the lowly cast member will get you nothing. You’d be better off quietly asking one of them to change your lightning lane to another ride, or maybe even if they could get you on Slinky Dog instead. I know, I’ve done it.
Never yell at the cast members. They’re just there doing their jobs, and the chances are much better that if you’re nice, they’ll hook you up with something good. But you keep doing it your way and get nothing.
The Strollers/ ECV Mafia
Strollers and electric conveyance vehicles (ECVs) are the bane of every Walt Disney World Resort guest who doesn’t use them and the savior of every guest who does. There has to be some middle ground here, and perhaps we can come to some sort of understanding.
Do you really need a stroller the size of a Volkswagen to cruise around Disney’s Hollywood Studios? And does your kid really need an iPad to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse when the real Mickey Mouse is right there (IRL, I’m told it’s called)?
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But that’s not even my main beef with these modes of Disney transportation. You’re strolling along the World Showcase at EPCOT, enjoying an adult beverage, when a stroller or an ECV runs up behind you. You get run down by a stroller, or you get the blaring horn of an ECV. Of course, you can go faster than me; you’ve got four wheels and a motor. I’ve got my legs.
I would gladly move to the side, but do I really need the horn? I’m not moving for that, just out of spite. And don’t have your kid kick me. They’re too old for a stroller if their feet can touch the ground.
We can find a way to co-exist. It shouldn’t be that hard. But can we remember that we’re all going somewhere?
The Drunks
Let’s face it: Disney parks will never stop selling alcohol. It’s a massive moneymaker for Disney World, and now it’s even expanding into Disneyland, despite Walt Disney’s prohibition against it.
Most of the issues that take place at the Walt Disney World Resort are because of alcohol, or, should I say, people having too much of it. A fight breaks out at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; it was probably alcohol. Argument in the Hollywood Studio parking lot, probably alcohol. Someone decides it would be a good idea to climb the pyramid in the Mexico Pavilion in EPCOT, you guessed it, alcohol.
The last time I was at the parks, parents lined up first thing in the morning for a coffee with a shot. Why? Sure, you’re on vacation, and as the poet and philosopher Jimmy Buffett said, “It’s five o’clock somewhere.” (RIP Jimmy). But you’re on vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth, so maybe wait until the actual five o’clock.
And we haven’t even talked about the EPCOT bar crawl. That’s 11 countries and 11 drinks. Bringing a family to World Showcase on weekends is virtually impossible. It’s hard to explain exactly what’s happening to kids, so there’s no need to bother.
Disney World tickets don’t necessarily mean that you need to drink. Sure, one or two is perfectly fine, and I’ll join you for a beer in Germany if you’d like, but 11 is a bit much.
Perhaps we can agree on this one. EPCOT is yours on the weekends, and you can keep Disney Springs whenever you want. That seems like a fair trade. And the Disneyland Resort is neutral territory. Everyone can do what they like.
The Solution
Listen, I get it. We all love going to Disney, and Walt Disney World tickets aren’t cheap. We all think that because we’ve paid so much to be there, we can do/say anything that we want, and it’s okay. But we always have to remember that other people there paid the same amount, and they’re thinking the same thing. It has the potential to be complete chaos.
And I know that there are things that I do in the theme parks that drive people crazy. I bounce like a pinball through people while trying to get a ride. It’s annoying, and I know it. And because of this, I will also try to work on myself. I think it’s only fair that if I’m going to throw hidden Mickey-shaped stones, I save one for myself, too.
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We all love the magic at Disney World parks, and if we can just take a second to think about other people, we can make it better for everyone. The great New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio was once asked why he played hard every day, and he responded that “someone out there might be seeing me for the first time.”
If we are faithful stewards of Disney, we must ensure that everyone enjoys themselves there. We want people to feel the same magic that we do. It’s why we go there year after year.
If not, we all might just end up getting banned from the place that we love so much, and no one wants that. We want the rides and attractions. We want that feeling when we first step foot into the Magic Kingdom. We don’t want to be considered the worst Disney World guests, do we?
So, let’s all agree to be cool, and we can solve all these problems. Thanks in advance.
Disclaimer: The opinions addressed in this article are the writer’s and may not reflect the sentiments of Disney Fanatic as a whole.
