what was the best WDW guest meltdown you've observed

[DfromATX]

$1000 in three days at Disney for meals and shopping?? LOL Done.

These represent three of our actual days we have spent at WDW during one of our trips...
Day one
Breakfast at Chef Mickey's x3 people = $111
Lunch at Casey's Corner x3 people = $38
Dinner at LTT x3 people = $114
Shopping ($ per person) = $120

Day two
Breakfast at Donald's Safari (AK) x3 people = $100
Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ x3 people = $51
Dinner at Rainforest Cafe x3 people = $113
Shopping ($ per person) = $120

Day three
Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table x3 people = $180
Lunch at SciFi Dine In x3 people = $108
Dinner at 50's Prime Time x3 people = $69
Shopping ($ per person) = $120

Total: $1,724

That's why I like the DDP!

 

[DfromATX]

I've never witnessed any meltdowns. Of course, I think it's because I try and enjoy myself.

Same here! We are usually too busy having fun!

 

[Chernaboggles]

True! I have found that if you are nice to others, they will be nice to you. It might be a Texan thing, but we like to talk to everyone. We also enjoy talking to people from other countries.

Well, I grew up outside of Boston but as it happens I AM a card-carrying Honorary Texan. A friend from Texas got me the card as a gag gift. When I was living in New Jersey, I showed it to a co-worker and this exchange actually happened:

Me: "See? I'm a card-carrying Honorary Texan!"
Co-worker: "Cool! What does it get you?"
Me: "A 10% discount on everything made in Texas!"
Co-worker: "Where can I get one? Does it work for online shopping?"
Me: ....

 

[DfromATX]

Well, I grew up outside of Boston but as it happens I AM a card-carrying Honorary Texan. A friend from Texas got me the card as a gag gift. When I was living in New Jersey, I showed it to a co-worker and this exchange actually happened:

Me: "See? I'm a card-carrying Honorary Texan!"
Co-worker: "Cool! What does it get you?"
Me: "A 10% discount on everything made in Texas!"
Co-worker: "Where can I get one? Does it work for online shopping?"
Me: ....

LOL... yep we are a proud bunch, possibly too proud.

 

[Chernaboggles]

LOL... yep we are a proud bunch, possibly too proud.

But lots of fun!

 

[G00fyDad]

That's why I like the DDP!

I did too at one point. We realistically break down our trip's food into a day-to-day and meal-by-meal situation, add it up and compare it to the cost of the DDP. It used to save us money, but not anymore. The sample I gave in that post was a actual 3 day meal and souvenir shopping expenditure during one of our recent trips, but it is only a snapshot of three day and not indicative of the entire trip. We still spent less money on food that trip than the DDP would have cost us. I do agree that the DDP is a good deal for many people though.

 

[DfromATX]

I did too at one point. We realistically break down our trip's food into a day-to-day and meal-by-meal situation, add it up and compare it to the cost of the DDP. It used to save us money, but not anymore. The sample I gave in that post was a actual 3 day meal and souvenir shopping expenditure during one of our recent trips, but it is only a snapshot of three day and not indicative of the entire trip. We still spent less money on food that trip than the DDP would have cost us. I do agree that the DDP is a good deal for many people though.

We've always done the DDP. In retrospect, it wasn't worth it when my kids were younger (such waste!), but our first trip I arranged with a TA and we didn't know any better. Now they're all teens, and much heartier eaters, plus I've learned to utilize the TS at the nicer places, which we really enjoy. I priced it today and an adult DP is about $62 pp per day. We also use the snack as our breakfast.

 

[Matt_Black]

Yeah. Generally speaking, using a QS meal on a breakfast is a waste, in my opinion.

 

[LdyApxr]

I know what you mean. I remember seeing an ad for a 600 square foot apartment for sale that when I calculated the price/sq foot, it was nearly $1000. When the City of San Francisco seriously considered building housing for its teachers so they could live in the City because it was cheaper to provide housing rather than give teachers raises sufficient to afford to live in SF, you know you are living in an expensive part of the country. My parents were fortunate to move to the Bay Area before housing prices starting climbing through the roof (no pun intended). However, when it came time to sell, we loved it. And thanks to Prop 13, property taxes were low.

I've read stories in the Chronicle of couples living outside the Bay Area in airpark communities because the price of the house, plane and flying lessons to get a pilot's license are cheaper than 3-4 bed/2-3 bath house in the City. And don't even talk about what it costs to park in SF, that is, if you can find a place to park. Which is why we drove to Larkspur and took the ferry in.

It's insane isn't it. We lived in Benicia but rented because a three bedroom house was over $500k and even on the 680 corridor(outer Fairfield), houses are still going for over $350k for a rundown, shabby, gutted house.

 

[jloucks]

Probably one of the best ones was in Disneyland. I was walking through Fantasyland and generally toward the front of the park, and was walking behind a dad and 2 maybe 13 year old boys. The dad was non-stop berating one of the kids (I gathered that the other kid was a buddy) for ruining the trip. The dad kept going off about how he'd taken a day off work, spent all kinds of money, made plans, and now they had to leave because the son was a rude little jerk. I never did hear what the kid had done, but the dad was so over the top rant-y that it was embarrassing.

Wouldn't be over the top if the kid knocked an old person over to get in line first. You don't know, so judging a parent in the throws of a meltdown is wildly speculative.

 

[networkpro]

It's that sweet tea they drink in the South - turns your brain to mush, lol.

No match for the Smog in LA, it removes your ability to reason.

 

[jloucks]

I understand where the Dad is coming from. I have been there myself. I spend all year busting my backside to make the money to spend a nice week on vacation. The kids then whine and ***** about every little thing. The wife, instead of calling the whiny kids on the carpet, she continually makes excuses for the kids behavior thus justifying the behavior. This results in Dad being the bad guy.

Given the fact Dad has worked like crazy to provide, spent thousands that is not appreciated, then is the one at fault, no wonder the guy snapped.

Fortunately my wife usually 'has my back' on these sorts of things. I have done fairly well at training my kids to appreciate vacations. Still can't get them to stop squabbling among themselves tho. It makes my skin crawl to see a hard working spouse (husband or wife) unappreciated and disrespected. I suspect they are also chastised for putting in extra hours at work and missing a few ball games too. The poor suckers can't win.

 

[Clover Bailey]

I once saw three friends in WDW near the exit to Mad Tea Party and two wanted to go on Ariel's Undersea Adventure but the other one started getting mad at them since she hated the park and wanted to leave. The two girls didn't listen to her and she quickly went over to a CM and asked her to get them off the ride and requested a ticket to Universal since she hated the park. Obviously the CM refused to and I don't know what happened next but my dad said something about her getting a temporary ban from the Magic Kingdom.

Also, I haven't seen this, but I heard online about some woman complaining at a CM because she let a child with cancer or some illness skip the line.

 

[jloucks]

I've had two 'meltdowns' myself. Although they were more 'speak my mind' and less uncontrolled outburst.

One was with a huge batch of line cutters (one person saved spot at buses for another 30). I spoke up. Crowd support was significant.

The second was with a guy who pushed (granted it was gently) my wife before she could sit down, because he wanted the bench. Many have heard the story, but I wanted to say again how impressed I was with the CM's for separating us very quickly. It was like they have magic teleporters or something.

I have not ever witnessed any major meltdowns (physical altercations) at WDW. I have at Six Flags, but that's another topic. A few moderates @ WDW here and there and tons of minor.

Moderate: I was at the bus stops (a common theme with stress it seems) with about a 20 minute line (a long time after a full day at park) when a group of about 8 scooters (seems entire family just got them for fun) rolled up and took their place at the front of the line. Another guy in the line had a moderate meltdown and was very loudly exclaiming his displeasure with the new surprise wait time and line cutting. It was awkward, but I felt his pain.

Moderate: I have seen on multiple occasions people smacking the snot out of their kids. I though the era of corporal punishment has passed, but when you have people from all around the world in one place, you get to witness some wild parenting techniques.

Mild: Profanity is expressly prohibited, but I hear it all the time.

Mild: Family members snapping at each other

Mild: Young children going bezerk after just a ton too much stimulation for hours and hours on end.

 

[allymonkey]

Mild: Family members snapping at each other.

Sorry about that. My husband forgot to bring his "listening ears" on the last trip.

 

[POLY LOVER]

I once saw three friends in WDW near the exit to Mad Tea Party and two wanted to go on Ariel's Undersea Adventure but the other one started getting mad at them since she hated the park and wanted to leave. The two girls didn't listen to her and she quickly went over to a CM and asked her to get them off the ride and requested a ticket to Universal since she hated the park. Obviously the CM refused to and I don't know what happened next but my dad said something about her getting a temporary ban from the Magic Kingdom.

Also, I haven't seen this, but I heard online about some woman complaining at a CM because she let a child with cancer or some illness skip the line.

no good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Clover Bailey]

no good deed goes unpunished.

I do not know what that means.

 

[Monorail_Red_77]

About 2 years ago we arrived at Epcot about 6pm as we had reservations at The Rose & Crown later that night during Illuminations. There was a lot of shouting ahead of us outside Club Cool and as we got closer we saw a guy pinned down on the floor with his face kissing the pavement. There was a crowd of people looking upset with him and shouting and pointing whilst the guy kneeling on his back looked like he knew what he was doing and wasn't going to let him go. A lady was on the floor nearby very upset and dazed and a cast member was coming out of Club Cool telling us all to stay calm, to leave the area and that security were on the way.

Turned out some guy had been drinking too much and gone on a drunken rampage assualting people for some reason. He'd firstly wondered backstage into a CM office and attacked somebody and taken a pvc pipe from somewhere. He'd then entered Club Cool with the pipe and attacked guests and a CM. Fortunately an off duty marine had been present and subdued and restrained him, ending his fun for the night. The story made the media the following day.

I remember that day. I was there with my wife for our annual Food and Wine trip. I didn't hear anything about it though until I got home and saw it on the news. I didn't see what went down first hand but it stuck in my mind since we too were there at the time.

 

[Monorail_Red_77]

I've been following this thread since page 1 and somehow this incident didn't come to mind until now...

In 2009, DH and I were on our very first trip together when we were dating. We stayed at the Poly with a 30% off deal for 9 nights, loving every second of uninterrupted time together. Everything went swimmingly-until one fateful day at DHS.

We were walking up to Tower of Terror, one of our faves, and we notice a family near us where their maybe 12 year old son feels very concerned about going on the ride. "Does it REALLY drop, or does Disney just make you feel like you're dropping?" he says. Mom responds "Hon. I've been on this before. Disney uses their technology magic to make you feel like you're falling but you're not". She turns and chuckles to who I assume was husband/dad and they share a laugh, knowing it drops for real.

Fast forward to us in the library and the they are with us. Kid still afraid and family still stringing him along. They stay close in the boiler room, kid continuing to question what he knows cannot be true. Then we board the ride and what do you know, our friends are behind us! I turn to DH and we just had to laugh in fear of him soon finding out the truth. The ride begins and he moans in fear, parents laughing. It's dark and he starts freaking more. And then we dropped! For the rest of the entire ride, he obviously finds out IT IS CERTAINLY REAL and he is literally screaming and crying at the top of his lungs "WERE ALL GONNA DIIIIIIIIIE!" over and over.

As we disembark, his parents are laughing hysterically and he is half laughing too and half crying at this point, slapping them playfully saying he hates them.

Wow!

Funny, I have to do that kinda stuff to my 10 year old son. I get that. He totally freaks out at the thought of a new thrilling ride. We tell him he has to ride the ride at least once. Just like his food. If he doesn't like it then he doesn't have to ride it again.

Each and every time. He goes on crying, etc. But you know what. Every ride after the first time. He loves them. It is just the fear of the unknown. He did it with Splash Mountian, Soarin', space mountain, rockin' roller coaster, tower of terror, etc. His next ride to conquer them all is Expedition Everest. This time he is excited, given his track record I think he finally gets it. But, time will tell.

When I took him on RnR I told him the coaster did not do flips or loops. guests around me were looking at us weird. DS said he had to go to the bathroom. Little did I know, he just went back to the front of the queue to ask a CM if it did flips. Afterword it seemed like an eternity of crying and screaming until we got on the ride. Then like magic, he loved it and we did it one more time that trip as well.

Another funny time my wife took him on Soarin' while I waited with another son that was under the height requirement. She tells me he was screaming like crazy and crying really bad. Come to find out. Half of the screaming was because he was scared. The other half was because his finger got caught in the hole in the seatbelt buckle and he could not free his hand until the ride was over.
He's ok, but I still laugh about that one to this day.

 

[mergatroid]

I remember that day. I was there with my wife for our annual Food and Wine trip. I didn't hear anything about it though until I got home and saw it on the news. I didn't see what went down first hand but it stuck in my mind since we too were there at the time.

Yes it was very bizarre and unexpected to see such a scene like that there. You kind of think of Disney as being a bubble of happiness and smiles and not the place some guy goes on a one man rampage with a pvc pipe attacking people. It was strange too when we mentioned it to our waiter at The Rose & Crown a couple of hours later. We'd imagined he would have heard about it but he was completely oblivious to what had happened.