Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Skywilliams, I totally understand your point, after all, we're all human. I guess I feel like getting upset about kids spoiling plans or misbehaving is different from forcing the kids to do something they obviously don't want to just because a parent feels the "need" to experience whatever it is. I'll bet if those kids had taken naps, and then come back to see Mickey, they would have been fine. Instead, the mom just got terrible pictures of upset kids.
Originally Posted By cindyland In our many trips to DL, we had one really gross experience that stands out over the many incidents of rudeness in line, people stepping on you two seconds before Fantasmic starts to watch the show after you've sat there for 90 minutes, etc. Anyway, I was with my kids at Tarzan's Treehouse when I noticed a little boy, about 5 years old (old enough to know better), peeing into the stream. The mother just shrugged and said he didn't want to leave to use the bathroom. Another mother and I were totally mortified and in shock. Funny how these things bond you with total strangers! BTW, I have been guilty of trying to cram everything in to make the trip the perfect DL experience, but I think I'm getting better. I'm learning that DL isn't going anywhere, and if today isn't the perfect day, there's always the next trip. I had this point pounded into my head when we visited during a horrible rain storm last April when we had to leave the park, we were all just too wet and miserable to make a good day out of it. Disappointing, but these things happen!
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<I was with my kids at Tarzan's Treehouse when I noticed a little boy, about 5 years old (old enough to know better), peeing into the stream. The mother just shrugged and said he didn't want to leave to use the bathroom.>>> Unless this situation has something more to it to make my understanding of it DRASTICALLY OFF, this is enough ALONE to say that that is a "bad job of parenting." I mean first of all it was probably the MOTHER that didn't want to leave. Peeing in public isn't cute, it isn't funny...it's socially unacceptable, well at least when someone else sees.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<I guess it all boils down to how you react when something bad happens.>>> Bingo! <<<I guess a big problem is that as a parent you may be on vacation with your kids but you are not on a vacation from being a parent.>>> Bravo! I don't think any kids, no matter how well behaved are robots. I will admit that I use WDW as a testing ground of sorts, and sadly enough, I am probably twice as hard on my children there as I would be anywhere else in public. I think maybe I need to relax a bit and let them be kids more. However, one thing to consider is, children's conduct is sort of like getting a tooth pulled. You have to start taking the pain medicine before the numbness wears off, and continue to take it even if you don't hurt that badly, because once you miss a dose or two the pain can spiral out of control and there is no reigning it back in. I feel as if I am not making ANY sense whatsoever. LOL
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "...well at least when someone else sees." I like the qualifer there...
Originally Posted By grumpster Kind of like "if a tree falls in the forrest...". I get what you're saying DVC_dad, in a roundabout way.
Originally Posted By alexbook Not sure if this quite fits the topic, but... I took my mom to DLR last weekend, just the two of us. At one point, we spent a good 20-30 minutes in a queue directly behind a mom and three kids. The kids weren't obnoxious, exactly, just really, really excited to be there and having trouble standing still. I got awfully tired of it, and I think Mom did, too, but hey, it's Disneyland, kids are gonna act up. Anyway, after the ride, Mom and I stopped for lunch and I told her how watching that family gave me a new appreciation for how much she'd had to put up with from me and my brother.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<I like the qualifer there...>>> Well suddenly a thought of the golf course came to mind, but I promise we go WAAAAY back into the woods. That doesn't count does it?
Originally Posted By DVC_dad alexbook that is awesome! I simple "thank you" or a random "I understand" goes a long long long way with most people.
Originally Posted By Tinkerbell819 Cindyland, I think you win with the "Most Obnoxious Guest" story! Ewwwwwwww......
Originally Posted By cindyland Not really the award I was going for. Luckily my husband didn't see it or it might have been the "last time we went to DL ever" story... but my 8-year old daughter saw it and said the loud "ewww" we were all dying to do! And it didn't phase the mother at all, just a shrug.
Originally Posted By ilvdland Okay, I have one: The first was when I was waiting by the lockers by Grizzly. I was sitting on a rock waiting, watching a Grandma and Grandpa with their grandson. Grandma is watching the rafts for her family, of course all the while not watching "Jimmy" the grandson. A few mintutes go by, I look away, when I look back "Jimmy" (who is probably about 4 or 5 I would say) decides to pee on one of the trees. I keep waiting for Grandma or Grandpa to turn around, but no. They never saw it, I was the only one who had to bear witness to this. Oh wait, it gets better.....fast forward to later on in the day. My friends who were on the Grizzly at the time and I are in line for IASW. While in line, I realize I hadn't told them what happened while they were on the ride. So I tell them while we're waiting, then we get on the boat. Just as the boat starts to move, I hear a child whining behind me that he has to go to the bathroom. Something tells me to turn around and look.....sure enough, it's the same kid!!! So I spend the whole ride thinking this kid is going to pee his pants. The best part is, when they got off the ride, they didn't even take him to the bathroom by IASW, I don't know where they ended up. I just remember seeing them hurry off with the poor kid holding on for dear life. Had I been closer I would have told them where the closest bathroom was, but how could I have known that they didn't know? Oh yeah, this one isn't really obnoxious, but it was so stupid I had to call Ursula at work to tell her right after I heard it: I'm walking in the park right before City Hall about a half hour before rope drop. There is a woman with about 5 kids with her, explaining all of the various nuances of Main Street. She points to City Hall and says..."Hey guys, did you know that when it's your birthday you go in there and get a birthday sticker so you don't have to wait in line for the rides on your birthday. Isn't that cool??" I must have been wearing the wrong sticker on all of those birthdays......
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 LOL, yeah, I love hearing people giving bogus information. Sometimes I want to correct them, but I never do...I just let them figure it out for themselves...
Originally Posted By Altadisdude Here’s one that happened on our trip on the 23’rd this month. We were on POTC and two people in the front row of our boat took multiple flash photographs of every single scene starting with the talking skull and crossbones and ending with Captain Jack. It was one of the most annoying things I have ever experienced at Disneyland.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^Be bold... Tell 'em to KNOCK IT OFF! They may not listen, but at least they'll FULLY understand that the "No flash photography" spiel is directed at 'everyone.' We had an experience with an obnoxious guest back in May and the entire situation made me both angry and sad. Because my mother-in-law was with us and she'd never been to Disneyland before, we wanted her to experience as much as possible. So, we camped out extra early for a good spot for the Parade of Dreams - sitting on a bench at the hub, just across from the entrance to Tomorrowland. As the waiting crowd grew, a family came and sat down in front of us. It was a very tight space, but we don't mind scrunching a bit to accommodate, especially when folks are actually sitting in the sitting only area. This family consisted on three young children plus a baby in a stroller, their mother and THE FATHER (yes, it was him who was the problem). I immediately noticed some things about this family... Father was groomed and dressed very neatly, mother and the children not so. It was obvious that this family was either fairly poor or the father simply kept the mother on an extremely tight budget leash. The children were under-dressed for the chilly evening air; their clothes were tattered; their hair uncombed. The mother appeared to be quite downtrodden and dressed very matronly for her age (late 20s, early 30s at my guesstimation). Father decided to leave the area and head over to Tomorrowland Terrace to pick up a bite to eat - sandwich and fries for himself only - and also returned with one container of chocolate milk that the kids shared. He also came with a couple of cups of very hot water. This was used by the mother to prepare the children's supper - Cup O'Noodles she'd brought into the park. Throughout the preparation, the father was commanding her, basically... "Do this, don't do that... No, do it this way." Every once in awhile, she'd look over at us with this gently horrified look (that's the best way to describe it) of embarrassment... I gave her a few soft smiles to let her know it was okay. Well... Many of you know me AND my mouth (for better or worse... ;-) ...The parade started and the father proceeded to shove the unloaded stroller of his youngest child right up against my mother-in-laws leg and then stood directly next to it - completely blocking her view. I reached over and pushed the stroller off of my mother-in-law, which caught the eye of the father. At this point, I just shot him a 'look.' However, it became very clear that he didn't mind shoving his butt in our faces (in the SITTING area - everyone else seemed to understand this) and blocking our views. So... I did it. This domineering jerk was about to get his comeuppance... I simply said - loudly - "Excuse me!" He looked my way, as did his ever-suffering young wife... "You need to SIT DOWN!" And he did... Smashed up against his child's stroller. Heh. The look on his wife's face was priceless... Her eyes were so wide when she looked at me - she couldn't BELIEVE that a woman (of all people) actually stood up to her miserable excuse of a husband. Quite satisfying it was... Yep!
Originally Posted By mousecateer77 Alice, you handled that well. It is amazing what people will do for you if you just ask.... or demand. Good job.
Originally Posted By nk28 unfortunately, as I used to be in a similar situation, I can relate to the poor woman in wonderingalice's last post and I wasn't going to say anything, but I just can't not say anything...I agree it was a good job in speaking up about the need to sit in the area designated for sitting (obviously), but I would have gone a different way with it for one reason. the father obviously has no worries about treating the wife like that in a very public place because he knows she won't stand up for herself which means this kind of treatment must have started a long time ago. given that wonderingalice stood up to the father so well, he knew wonderingalice wouldn't just take the kind of treatment the way his wife did. even though it got him to sit down, I can 99% guarantee the wife at the end of the day took the brunt of a venting session the father would no doubt have had when they were somewhere private. now I'm not saying don't say anything, but I would have gone a softer route about it. as long as the father didn't start making a scene I would have stuck with the softer route. who knows, maybe this was the first time the wife convinced the father to actually GO to Disneyland...you'd be amazed how someone could take something so simple as how wonderingalice handled the situation as an excuse not to go again (speaking from personal experience). again, it was definitely great to speak up about the issue...this is just something to consider...please, please don't take offense...
Originally Posted By wonderingalice Thanks, mousecateer77... And no offense taken at all, nk28... I understand where you're coming from and I'm so sorry you've been subjected to behaviors such as this man displayed. *Hugs* Thankfully, she didn't appear to be physically abused or particularly afraid of her husband... just subservient to him and his ego. I also don't think it was his first time at Disneyland, though I imagine they don't go often due to the expense involved. He knew his way around too well - as shown in the way he took charge of getting his own meal rather than sending her to fetch it, AND he returned with cups of hot water for the prep of the children's supper. I gave an abbreviated version here... We attempted to resolve the stroller-crowding situation a few times, which he was very aware of as he kept pushing the boundaries each time we 'corrected' it. There were also people sitting behind him on the hub pathway who were grumbling, but no one was direct with the man. He'd come and gone three times, each time shoving himself more and more into my mother-in-law's small space (the three of us were sharing the bench with two other women and their small children - sitting on their mommy's laps). He showed a total disregard for the people around him and he knew it by the looks exchanged and the muffled comments by the others. So, by the time I'd had enough, I don't think he was too surprised by it. And he actually looked 'guilty,' not 'angry' when I called him on his behavior. I hope you're wrong about her catching it from him later. I promise I'll consider it all if ever confronted with this type of situation again. The whole thing - all of it - just made me boil inside.
Originally Posted By nk28 thanks for not taking offense wonderingalice...I was worried you might and I kind of regretted posting my comment after I hit that submit button *hugs* I understand what you mean about the situation making you boil...hehe..I know reading your post made me see red I can't believe some of the stuff that people do in disney! hehe..some of the stories in here are pretty good though. reading them makes me wonder what kind of obnoxious stories I might end up posting once we come back from our trip!
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^ No doubt you'll have at least a couple of them to share! *L* It just goes with the territory... Something about Disneyland - Some people are just as happy and wonderful to be around as can be. Others turn into alien beings on a destructo (self or otherwise) mission. Hee hee hee... And you should never worry about hitting "Submit" here on something you feel strongly about. We're a kind and gentle bunch for the most part (just be careful in World Events *L*) ...even if some of us (like me) are a bit goofier and hmmmmm... more 'assertive' (sounds nicer than aggressive, eh? ;-) than some others.
