Bad Guest Behavior and Disney's reactions to it...

[ChrisFL]

...after touring the parks today, one thing stuck out in my mind...both on the TTA and hearing Splash Mountain as I walked near it...I heard several PA announcements from CM's telling guests to stay seated.

We've also heard of rumors that there will be lap bars installed on Splash Mountain, doors on the parking lot trams, and we've already seen major increases in the warnings on SSE (before the refurb and now) on guests staying put.

So is this a bigger issue than 10-20 years ago, or is Disney afraid of the bad press/lawyers causing more issues?

Somehow, after hearing the CM's having to constantly do these announcements on the PA, I think it's a bigger issue.

Does anyone know if this is happening at DL also?

I don't see why people can't just use common sense. Yes, I know common sense isn't really "common" but it's still disturbing.

What would we see next? Lap bars on the TTA and SSE?

 

[disney4life2008]

I witnessed 2 scary events this month.

On Splash Mountain - there was a pre teen who literally stood up as we were going up for the drop. They stopped the ride and the PA CM came on warning everyone to stay seated.

On Its a Small World - a 4 year old boy jumped out of his moms lap and almost toppled into the water.

 

[Phonedave]

OK - I am going to get smacked by some of you for this, but I will throw it out there anyway.

- The (To quote 47) 'Wal*Marting" of WDW

- Discounts and promos galore. Making a trip to WDW not something extra special, but a common occurrence (Disney would rather have 50 people pay $20 each, than 5 people pay $100 each)

- The recent thread about dress code, and how some people wish for a return to the time when going to WDW was something special and you took the time to look presentable.

Take all that into account, mix in the entitlement attitude of many people today and you have a recipe for parks filled with people who see them as nothing more special than a trip to the local Great Adventure, and act accordingly.

I will continue to defend Disney and WDW when I feel they are making good decisions, but in this case you reap what you sow. Disney has sown a crop of stinkweed.
-dave

 

[ChrisFL]

I witnessed 2 scary events this month.

On Splash Mountain - there was a pre teen who literally stood up as we were going up for the drop. They stopped the ride and the PA CM came on warning everyone to stay seated.

On Its a Small World - a 4 year old boy jumped out of his moms lap and almost toppled into the water.

oh yes, I can see lap bars on IASW also...great

There should be a sign to all guests outside of every attraction..."Sit down, shut up and hold on"

 

[Ziffell]

OK - I am going to get smacked by some of you for this, but I will throw it out there anyway.

- The (To quote 47) 'Wal*Marting" of WDW

- Discounts and promos galore. Making a trip to WDW not something extra special, but a common occurrence (Disney would rather have 50 people pay $20 each, than 5 people pay $100 each)

- The recent thread about dress code, and how some people wish for a return to the time when going to WDW was something special and you took the time to look presentable.

Take all that into account, mix in the entitlement attitude of many people today and you have a recipe for parks filled with people who see them as nothing more special than a trip to the local Great Adventure, and act accordingly.

I will continue to defend Disney and WDW when I feel they are making good decisions, but in this case you reap what you sow. Disney has sown a crop of stinkweed.
-dave

:sohappy:

 

[captain marvel1]

love the walmarting reference they are my competition i work for publix.

 

[ChrisFL]

OK - I am going to get smacked by some of you for this, but I will throw it out there anyway.

- The (To quote 47) 'Wal*Marting" of WDW

- Discounts and promos galore. Making a trip to WDW not something extra special, but a common occurrence (Disney would rather have 50 people pay $20 each, than 5 people pay $100 each)

- The recent thread about dress code, and how some people wish for a return to the time when going to WDW was something special and you took the time to look presentable.

Take all that into account, mix in the entitlement attitude of many people today and you have a recipe for parks filled with people who see them as nothing more special than a trip to the local Great Adventure, and act accordingly.

I will continue to defend Disney and WDW when I feel they are making good decisions, but in this case you reap what you sow. Disney has sown a crop of stinkweed.
-dave

Wow, you bring up a great point...something that's kinda been in the back of my mind but not that I really thought about that much.

So that begs the question, would it ever be possible to go back, or are we stuck? seeing the value resorts, I think we're stuck

 

[juan]

I normally keep to myself/my party but last weekend I yelled at people using flash photography every 5 secs on a ride (after told not to) and I blocked the line and yelled at teens for trying to jump the line.
:fork:

 

[ChrisFL]

I normally keep to myself/my party but last weekend I yelled at people using flash photography every 5 secs on a ride (after told not to) and I blocked the line and yelled at teens for trying to jump the line.
:fork:

Perhaps Mickey and Goofy should make a common courtesy guidebook to hand out to tourists..err...guests when they enter the park and see if it helps any?

 

[swimmom]

.......OR you can be asked to leave!!!!

Given fair warning, maybe there can be more common courtesy in the parks.

 

[Krack2]

It's definitely a bigger issue now than 20 years ago. It's lightyears different, imo.

You should see California ... I've witnessed people (surprisingly, more often than not, it's women) threaten to punch CMs because they were instructed they can't lay on the ground (blankets and pillows) in the middle of the major walk way in front of Tom Sawyer's Island two hours before Fantasmic starts. It got progressively worse over years, and the last time I was there (about a year ago), it seems like Disney had just given up and instead roped off 40% of Frontierland as a campground, hours before the show started.

You want a great barometer to know if you're old? I can remember when people would enter a theatre (Captain EO, Muppets, Hall of Presidents, etc) and actually move to the end of the aisle as instructed over the intercom.

 

[DisneyJoe]

- Discounts and promos galore. Making a trip to WDW not something extra special, but a common occurrence (Disney would rather have 50 people pay $20 each, than 5 people pay $100 each)

There are still MANY who find a trip to WDW to be much too expensive even with the promotions; as a travel agent I deal with this daily.

From my experience, it can be summed up in one of your phrases - "entitlement attitude of many people today"...I see this from those who are booking the value resorts and from those who are booking concierge level at the deluxe resorts - but luckily for me, they are in the minority.

In other words, once the "discounts and promos galore" slow down, IMHO, you are STILL going to see stupid guests.

 

[Phonedave]

There are still MANY who find a trip to WDW to be much too expensive even with the promotions; as a travel agent I deal with this daily.

From my experience, it can be summed up in one of your phrases - "entitlement attitude of many people today"...I see this from those who are booking the value resorts and from those who are booking concierge level at the deluxe resorts - but luckily for me, they are in the minority.

In other words, once the "discounts and promos galore" slow down, IMHO, you are STILL going to see stupid guests.

I am sure there are plenty that find WDW too pricey (especialy if airfare is part of the requirement)

I will however, use another entertainment venue to illustrate my point - movies/theater.

There are two movie theaters that I frequent. One is an older one, non-3D, standard seating. One of those ones with that used to have three concession stands at one time, and now two are shuttered. It is about $12 admission to go there.

The next is a newer one (about a year old). Brand new projection, 3D capable, stadium seating that reclines with flip up armrests. It is I think $16 or $17 (I go with my kids, I forget the adult/child breakout)

The behavior of people in the more expensive theater is most assuredly much better than those in the cheaper theater. The $4 or $5 difference is not going to make or break someone. It's the impression that you are in someplace better, that makes somone behave better.

I see the same thing when going to a off-Broadway to a Broadway show. Even something like Avenue Q, which is a fun, rowdy, type musical that the crowd gets into, has a well behaved considerate audience (At least when it was on-Broadway, I haven't seen it since it left). Part of it has to do with the amount of money you paid for the ticket, and the other part has to with the atmosphere.

By making the cost cheaper (not necessarly affordable, just cheaper) and maintaining the parks to match, WDW has lost some of that atmosphere that says "I better behave while I am here because it's a nice place"

-dave

 

[jonnyc]

On Its a Small World - a 4 year old boy jumped out of his moms lap and almost toppled into the water.

To be fair, I can empathize with this 4 year old.

 

[RiversideBunny]

OK - I am going to get smacked by some of you for this, but I will throw it out there anyway.

- The (To quote 47) 'Wal*Marting" of WDW

- Discounts and promos galore. Making a trip to WDW not something extra special, but a common occurrence (Disney would rather have 50 people pay $20 each, than 5 people pay $100 each)

- The recent thread about dress code, and how some people wish for a return to the time when going to WDW was something special and you took the time to look presentable.

Take all that into account, mix in the entitlement attitude of many people today and you have a recipe for parks filled with people who see them as nothing more special than a trip to the local Great Adventure, and act accordingly.

I will continue to defend Disney and WDW when I feel they are making good decisions, but in this case you reap what you sow. Disney has sown a crop of stinkweed.
-dave

Yes, agree.
WDW is a victim of its own success.

 

[Oddysey]

I witnessed 2 scary events this month.

On Splash Mountain - there was a pre teen who literally stood up as we were going up for the drop. They stopped the ride and the PA CM came on warning everyone to stay seated.

On Its a Small World - a 4 year old boy jumped out of his moms lap and almost toppled into the water.

I got a similar Splash Mountain story that happend a year ago. There were two male teenagers in the front row, my wife and I in the second, and no one else on the boat. Just after the drop and after we turned to the right a bit; the two guys jumped out of the boat.

The first one was quick and succsesfully jumped over the fence into frontierland. The second guy slipped on the wet concrete as soon as he stepped out of the boat and busted it pretty hard. However, he gathered himself pretty quickly and joined his friend by hopping over the fence.

To be honest I was pretty happy when the two exited the ride as it wasn't much fun with them on it. Listening to them shout obsenities all through Briar Kingdom was getting old quickly.

 

[janoimagine]

I think a big part of it is simply stupidity of the guest. We were waiting to get onto POTC ( we were loading from the cave side, they were loading from the opposite) and I witnessed a group of Brazilian women (yes, from a tour group) change seats after the load gates had closed and the ride was in motion, one woman who was seated in the rear of the boat, actually got onto the walkway inside the load gates and ran up to sit closer to the front with the rest of her party ... like I said, while the ride was in motion. When the CM confronted them they just gave him a blank stare and one actually said 'No english.' Then they proceeded to ruin the ride for everyone else by using the strobe on their camera's through the entire ride. However one good note was that security was waiting for them when they disembarked.

 

[mousefanwhat?]

- The (To quote 47) 'Wal*Marting" of WDW

- Discounts and promos galore. Making a trip to WDW not something extra special, but a common occurrence (Disney would rather have 50 people pay $20 each, than 5 people pay $100 each)

- The recent thread about dress code, and how some people wish for a return to the time when going to WDW was something special and you took the time to look presentable.

Take all that into account, mix in the entitlement attitude of many people today and you have a recipe for parks filled with people who see them as nothing more special than a trip to the local Great Adventure, and act accordingly.

I will continue to defend Disney and WDW when I feel they are making good decisions, but in this case you reap what you sow. Disney has sown a crop of stinkweed.
-dave

I totally agree. I have to say I must be getting old. The flash photography and not moving to the end of the row of seats really gets under my skin. I don't understand the loss of common courtesty and common sense among park visitors..oh hell...among most of the public at large for that matter. I'm a cranky ol biddy.

 

[DisneyGigi]

Something that I have figured out over the years is ... some people are stupid! They are the same people that yell out during movies, rides,take flash pictures etc, break the rules anywhere because they feel that they can. It is like society now feels that they can just do what they wish because they are somehow entitled to. Personally I would like to sock people right in the nose when they do things that ruin things for those that do follow the rules. (like lap bars on splash.. that is so going to stink!) I also have thought to myself when someone does something ignorant on a ride that I so hope they break something.. it would serve them right for their stupidity. :fork:

 

[Figment632]

I normally keep to myself/my party but last weekend I yelled at people using flash photography every 5 secs on a ride (after told not to) and I blocked the line and yelled at teens for trying to jump the line.
:fork:

I hate this it ruined HM for me. My favorite part of HM is the scene with the dancing ghosts in the room with the dueling portraits. I never noticed that there was glass in front of you till some a***hole felt he had to film the ride with his light on.