Behavioral U-Turn Needed.. Quickly

[NickMaio]

My point is sometimes it really is about culture and not manners or rudeness.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

For years Disney has had its "Wild about Safety" ad campaign that they put on park maps and buses. They could do something similar to encourage guests to be mindful of others and discourage stuff like flash photos on rides.

 

[Texas84]

It’s society at large.

Why did that remind of Monty Python?

"It's a fair cop, but society's to blame. "
"Agreed. We'll be charging them too."

 

[erasure fan1]

For years Disney has had its "Wild about Safety" ad campaign that they put on park maps and buses. They could do something similar to encourage guests to be mindful of others and discourage stuff like flash photos on rides.

But a kid cutting the line to meet buzz, or someone taking a photo on haunted mansion, isn't going to bring on a lawsuit. A kid jumping in front of a bus or going into an area they aren't supposed to be in and getting hurt will. It's about the money.

 

[LUVofDIS]

You need a fourth choice, manners are the same as the last couple of decades. My wife and I have noticed that there are has always been a few who believe the world revolves around them. We noticed this over twenty years ago. I feel the majority are well behaved and taught right from wrong and are not allowed to act the fool while in public.

There has always been the exceptions since I have been an adult. But that also goes for parents. My wife and I went on vacation to Mexico with close friends of ours back in 98. His mom and step dad were also there. I remember all of us walking in town and his mom was upset about something and was talking loudly about how she deserved to be treated better because she was an American. I was so embarrassed and made my friend do something about it or I was. He knew what I meant and shut his mom up. I know it sounds harsh but I don't believe anyone is above anyone in this world and I won't stand for that in Mexico or anywhere.

Just yesterday we were in Munising MI. looking at waterfalls. A couple with two kids walk up to a fenced off area. Their little boy walks through the fence and I yelled that their child was walking toward the water. The dad looks and laughs saying "he cant drown in that". I just looked at him and said its fenced off for a reason. He didn't like that but oh well.

At the same time I saw hundreds of families yesterday that were well behaved. I had a tripod setup in a corner and it seemed to be a kid magnet, but each time the parents would tell their kids to stay away.

In Disney I have experienced more rude adults than children. Cutting in line, smoking in non-smoking areas, complaining about how long they have to wait in line, etc. But still there are more pleasant people than unpleasant people at Disney.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Disney gives you a cross section of the world and sometimes, it's downright sad.

 

[Sonconato]

It's ironic that this thread was created because my husband and I were just discussing this today as we were coming home from AK. My family and I were in Zuri's Sweet Shop because it was raining fairly heavily, and we looked out one of the windows. Outside there was a man using one of the over-sized umbrellas used for a set of table and chairs. I believe that it came from the Harambe Market area. An employee eventually stopped him and he put it down. I can safely say I have never seen that before...and I won't even get into what my husband found in the men's restroom.

 

[powderehss]

I think it's just the new generations of families and parents in this day and age. (No offense to any sensible young families on here! I'm talking about stupid ones)

They themselves just involuntarily "learn" to be more mean and assertive from social media (My GOD, have you seen Twitter?! It's a nightmare. It's "hip" and "cool" to be a sarcastic jerk to others). Orrrr I could be just sounding like a grandma ranting.

I dunno. I remember having a good conversation with some of the folks at my campsite about how tons of younger people these days don't seem to have any respect for authority and/or their elders (and you know what, it's true. Very damn true. I see it a lot online); and self-discipline on top of that. At least my folks taught me respect and discipline.

During my last visit, people just kept cutting us off in Fantasyland with their spoiled brats in those chunky tan park strollers. I think one ran over my foot a bit too if I recall... I definitely feel like people have gotten ruder in this day and age.

I don't just see it at Disney either. I also see it at concerts and at Anime Boston too...
People just mindlessly stand in the Artist's Alley staring at an artist's prints with their mouth hung open like a drooling ape as they clog the aisle for the other congoers who are just trying to get through. Behavior like that has almost made me late for cosplay photoshoots, and it sucks.

[/ramble]

 

[Patcheslee]

One of mine and DH discussions about returning next year was whether he wanted to really deal with the rudeness increase at Disney. Between being hit by strollers, a motorized scooter almost hitting DD because the person was on phone, and being pushed into the monorail door because someone couldn't be bothered to take off their backpack and a mom wouldn't fold an empty double stroller he started to hate vacation. Yes the stroller didn't have to be folded but if it's crowded enough that someone is pushed into the door obviously something has to give. There were also polite people like as HS for Galatic Spectacular DD wanted to sit down and wait but didn't want to "ruin her dress". The family next to us said she could sit with their girls (also in princess dresses). So it can go both ways.

 

[I am Timmy]

On my last couple of trips it was always the adults that I felt behaved badly. Kids are pretty much doing kid things - they don't realize what they are doing is bothering others for the most part. The same cannot be said for some adults, esp. at shows and fireworks (any time you might sit early in a good spot). I was repeatedly hit in the side and shoulder by a young woman eating snacks while waiting for the Jingle Bell show at HS in Dec. She knew she was doing it, kept saying sorry but wouldn't move to a position where she wouldn't hit me. She had a huge family with her (I counted nine) trying to squeeze in the space behind me. I had room, I was saving it for my fam that had gone to get drinks. My adult sons returned, sat by her for me, and she stopped. This happens to some degree at every show.
BatB a family sat so close to me the woman's foot was on my leg when she crossed hers. She looked at me, shrugged her shoulders, and got on her phone. I had to ask her dh next to her if they could scoot down the other way - he noticed what his wife was doing and said sorry. So, they put their icecream bar eating kid next to me that could not hold still - I finally put my backpack on the bench next to me while the kid was rolling around on the ground. In order for the kid to sit now, they had to move down.
Don't get me started on the fireworks and parades at MK. Esp. at the xmas party. People paid a lot of money to be there! And, they want the best seats but do not want to show up early for them. I, however paid nothing, therefore do not deserve the great spot I got early. So feel free to scoot up on me, move my stuff, push me aside, or sick your children on me to get me to move.
It has definitely gotten worse the past few years, which is probably why the upcharge events are selling out. They should just advertise them as a "way to avoid those who THINK they are entitled, and prove to them who the entitled really are!".

 

[wombat]

On our recent trip to Walt Disney World I began to notice that a lot of guests forgot to put their manners in their luggage.

I'm unsure whether or not this is a recent occurrence, however I felt that it hurt our experience.

Waiting in lines I saw a lot of parents that couldn't have cared less about their children’s poor behavior. Listen, I’m not talking about meltdowns or other common behaviors. We all know that kids often have bouts of behavior. If you're going to a park, it's to be expected that you'll see some of these things.
I'm talking about kids running around in fenced off planters and parents ignoring them, parents not trying to clean up food that their children dumped out and parents letting their children climb around in areas clearly not meant for them to be climbing.

In one instance, we noticed that some parents had set their children’s worn underwear on a table at a restaurant to dry out. Yuck!

Later on that day, we sat out to wait for fireworks. At one point one member of our group left to get a bottle of water. In order to save her space, we set out an unfolded park map (with a small backpack on top). Just a few minutes after that, some latecomers sat down near us. To be courteous, we shifted over a bit. Rather than being thankful for us accommodating them, one of their group members proceeded to sit down on the backpack that was saving a space for one of our group members and tossed the bag out of their way.

I just don’t understand this. How have we regressed so far as people?

I hope that our experience with this sort of entitled behavior isn’t the standard. However, if it’s become standard, it isn’t too late to help turn things around. It takes just one polite person at a time to turn things around. Keep in mind: it’s rewarding to be polite. You could turn someone’s day around without knowing it.

I had lunch once at the Tusker House Restaurant and there were an extended family (about 20 people, mainly children) who were running around and shouting like wild animals and the adults did nothing despite the other diners getting annoyed. The staff had to ask the adults to control their children three times before they left the restaurant leaving the tables like a bomb had gone off.

 

[John park hopper]

The level of civility in American society IMO has decreased dramatically with each subsequent generation and WDW is just a reflection of that. Looking back at my old WDW pictures people definitely dressed differently; my last visit to WDW (some not all but enough) looked like they were dressed to do yard work. Not greatly significant just an observation. I was taught to say please and thank you. if I got out of hand there was heck to pay by my father. Acting up in a restaurant never entered my brother or my mind. This was passed on to my sons who are passing it on to their kids. Unfortunately there seems to be far to many for a lack of a better term fee range kids; parents turn a blind eye to bad behavior and are oblivious to their kids disturbing others be it at a restaurant, movie WDW etc. These same parents tend to behave like their kids which is not surprising. IMO it's the me first, I deserve it because I exist, I paid my money so I can do what I want, other people don't matter. Will this trend change not IMO. Having posted this I have meet incredibly polite children and parents at WDW.

 

[Nemo14]

It's everywhere, but there are also a lot of good parents out there too. They're just not so noticeable.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Waiting in lines I saw a lot of parents that couldn't have cared less about their children’s poor behavior. Listen, I’m not talking about meltdowns or other common behaviors. We all know that kids often have bouts of behavior. If you're going to a park, it's to be expected that you'll see some of these things.
I'm talking about kids running around in fenced off planters and parents ignoring them, parents not trying to clean up food that their children dumped out and parents letting their children climb around in areas clearly not meant for them to be climbing.

This is deeper than WDW where this happens at.

There is a combination of stuff with parents with kids.

I've seen parents being occupied by smart phones instead of watching their kids. Smart Phones has caused people not to pay attention on the road also. What I'm getting at it some people take being on a smart phone to an extreme that they don't pay attention to their surroundings.

Parents have been yelled at by strangers for trying to control their kid for stuff like telling the kid to behave. An example of this was at a local fair that I went to This year. A Mom told 3 or 4 year old kid to behave and sit down after the kid was misbehaving, but an elderly woman yelled "abuser" to the mom for telling the kid to behavior. What that elderly woman did yelling abuse over a parent telling a 3 or 4 year old kid to behavior shows what is wrong with society.

I believe psychologists are not helping matters and could be giving parents bad advice how to handle kids. A few years a psychologist came on local news station and said parents shouldn't say "no" to their kid with them allowing the kid to do anything he or she wants to do with no punishment.

Some parents also are just don't want to discipline their kids plain and simple.

 

[Tinkwings]

Goodness, there is some school of parenting thought out there now that intentionally refrains from using the word NO or likewise to stop behavior....its idea is based on not stifling creativity and letting the child explore their world and express themselves....without boundaries where do you draw the line for societal behavior norms? Yes I have noticed as steady decline in public behavior, and its not all that they don't care, it is in part what some young parents believe is best for their children....maybe they were overly restricted and monitored by helicopter parents themselves and are trying a new thing? Once my older child told me as a young adult that "manners don't matter anymore Mom." I said they sure do to a large percentage of people, maybe older than 35 who have different expectations. And so many of my older friends who are grandparents have constantly complained about being in public play places with their grandkids where a child misbehaves excessively and the parent sits there and does nothing. Like throwing things at other children or physically shoving them....when one friend suggested the parent should say something the parent responded " Oh I don't think it hurt them or bothered them THAT much." Sigh.....

 

[JIMINYCR]

It shouldn't be up to the guests to police bad/rude behavior. That is up to the cast members and Disney. And they are part of the problem, they have absolutely no spine when it comes to addressing rude or problem people. Too many times they turn a blind eye because it's easier not to say anything.

Its not that CM's have no spine. Unfortunately the CM's are not encouraged to be confrontational with guests. Their hands are tied and they are very limited in what they can do regarding guests. If they did confront guests and it was seen by their supervisor or a complaint was put in, they would be written up.
Disney does not want to have guests confronted, put in line, told how to control their kids, or enforce behavior unless it is major issue which security would be called in for.

 

[Andrew C]

I blame TV, video games, social media...and most importantly ESPN!

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

I blame TV, video games, social media...and most importantly ESPN!

You’ll never walk alone! ️️️

 

[Paper straw fan]

I still believe that 99.9% of people at places like WDW know common courtesy and decency, otherwise you'd see chaos every day you were at a park. But the more people they squeeze in on a day, the greater likelihood of people doing some ridiculous things. And yeah I think part of it can be people who maybe this is a completely new thing for them possibly not knowing decorum in such a crowded place.

That said, it's still fun to hear these stories- so fire away- I'm sure I have plenty too, and the crazier the fireworks crowd gets, the greater likelihood of people violating social contacts of behavior.

 

[larryz]

Unfortunately nobody starts a thread about the people acting normal.

That's because that thread would last about 10 posts.