Disney guest chokes girl who was blocking view of fireworks, deputies say

[larryz]

Ask me nicely, if you want my respect. Tell me what to do, you will only get attitude.

So if she'd said, "Please sit down," you would have said, "Please **** off"?

 

[larryz]

Uh huh. Not, y'know, a massive new Star Wars land with multiple E-tickets, eateries, and common areas. Or a massive new Pandora area. Or a new Toy Story land. Or the new nighttime Animal Kingdom show. It's good that you know better than the Imagineers and the folks whose job it is to plan these things.

You keep using that word "massive." I do not think it means what you think it means...

 

[natatomic]

I wish you are not allow to sit down during the fireworks. When we were there last, my daughter wanted to watch the fireworks close to the castle. When we got there, it was packed and almost everyone was sitting down. I refuse to sit on a dirty floor so I stood. When Wishes started a lady behind me told me to sit down. That ****ed me off so much so that I told her to **** off. She shut up after that. Funny thing is after about a minute everyone stood up. That's the last time I will ever watch the fireworks that close to the castle.

Swearing in front of families and children...classy.
And of course everyone stood up after a bit. If one person stands, then the people behind them have to stand in order to see. Then the people around them have to stand, too. It's a total domino effect on everyone because one person chose to stand.

 

[LongLiveTheKing]

Want to cap attendance and minimize profit loss?

Build more resorts and go to a full island model.

What would this solve?

 

[LongLiveTheKing]

You keep using that word "massive." I do not think it means what you think it means...

You misspelled "bigly"

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm quite sure there was a lot more to it than that. A LOT.

That said though,I absolutely agree that does not justify ever putting hands on anyone.

I'm sure there were some words used in the exchange that are not suitable for this forum...maybe from both parties. Sadly that might be all it took and there's nothing else to the story. I've seen people lose their mind over basic, petty insults many times. If you know someone is saying something to you to get a rise or reaction out of you I often wonder why people take the bait and lash back. It's what the person is looking for. A far more effective comeback is to ignore them or even better kill them with kindness. I guess it's a little passive aggressive, but far more enjoyable than getting in a shouting match with someone like this woman who was unstable enough to take it physical.

 

[GoofGoof]

Swearing in front of families and children...classy.
And of course everyone stood up after a bit. If one person stands, then the people behind them have to stand in order to see. Then the people around them have to stand, too. It's a total domino effect on everyone because one person chose to stand.

Is this just for the castle show that people are worried about others standing? Fireworks are up in the sky so why does it matter if the person in front of you is standing if you are looking up anyway. I can understand issues with seeing the parades, but I never understood why people struggle over getting and keeping good spots to see fireworks...just look up.

 

[ford91exploder]

I'm sure there were some words used in the exchange that are not suitable for this forum...maybe from both parties. Sadly that might be all it took and there's nothing else to the story. I've seen people lose their mind over basic, petty insults many times. If you know someone is saying something to you to get a rise or reaction out of you I often wonder why people take the bait and lash back. It's what the person is looking for. A far more effective comeback is to ignore them or even better kill them with kindness. I guess it's a little passive aggressive, but far more enjoyable than getting in a shouting match with someone like this woman who was unstable enough to take it physical.

In situations like these the best play is to simply walk away

 

[GoofGoof]

In situations like these the best play is to simply walk away

I've done that. I was at MK one day a few years back and we walked in about 20 mins before the light parade was starting. We knew we would have to stand 2 or 3 rows back, but it beats waiting for hours for a parade. We walked up and stood behind some people sitting on the curb using bags and towels to save spaces. As soon as walked up a lady stood and aggressively turned and said "we have more people coming". In response I smiled and said "that's cool, we have no problem standing behind your group". She was unhappy with the answer. She then said "we are planning to stand so you won't be able to see". My response was "that's OK we are happy just seeing whatever we can". She was boiling mad now. Her next response was "we have been waiting here over 2 hours you can't just walk in 15 minutes before the parade and expect to get a spot where you can see". Now the wise a$$ in me wanted to say it's 20 minutes to start not 15 but I knew this woman was going to be a big pain so we just moved on and watched from down the street.

 

[natatomic]

Is this just for the castle show that people are worried about others standing? Fireworks are up in the sky so why does it matter if the person in front of you is standing if you are looking up anyway. I can understand issues with seeing the parades, but I never understood why people struggle over getting and keeping good spots to see fireworks...just look up.

Disclaimer: this still doesn't excuse the woman choking the girl (or swearing in front of children, or any rude behavior)
I've been sitting when the person directly in front of me stands up. Space is so limited, that they are only a foot or so away from me. Think about the angle between your head and a person 6 feet tall standing that close in front of you. Even if the person isn't blocking the fireworks (although at least the lower ones get blocked in this situation), I still don't go to the parks to see fireworks frame the backside of some sweaty stranger.

 

[ford91exploder]

I've done that. I was at MK one day a few years back and we walked in about 20 mins before the light parade was starting. We knew we would have to stand 2 or 3 rows back, but it beats waiting for hours for a parade. We walked up and stood behind some people sitting on the curb using bags and towels to save spaces. As soon as walked up a lady stood and aggressively turned and said "we have more people coming". In response I smiled and said "that's cool, we have no problem standing behind your group". She was unhappy with the answer. She then said "we are planning to stand so you won't be able to see". My response was "that's OK we are happy just seeing whatever we can". She was boiling mad now. Her next response was "we have been waiting here over 2 hours you can't just walk in 15 minutes before the parade and expect to get a spot where you can see". Now the wise a$$ in me wanted to say it's 20 minutes to start not 15 but I knew this woman was going to be a big pain so we just moved on and watched from down the street.

Been there done that too, The problem is with the increase in prices people want to squeeze every last dime of value out of their vacation which leads to ugly incidents like this. I hope MK NEVER adds alcohol to ODV because it's going to make situations like the one you describe far far worse.

P.S.

The attitude which drives this is

I spent X thousand dollars for this vacation and NOBODY is going to interfere with it or they will answer to ME

 

[larryz]

I've done that. I was at MK one day a few years back and we walked in about 20 mins before the light parade was starting. We knew we would have to stand 2 or 3 rows back, but it beats waiting for hours for a parade. We walked up and stood behind some people sitting on the curb using bags and towels to save spaces. As soon as walked up a lady stood and aggressively turned and said "we have more people coming". In response I smiled and said "that's cool, we have no problem standing behind your group". She was unhappy with the answer. She then said "we are planning to stand so you won't be able to see". My response was "that's OK we are happy just seeing whatever we can". She was boiling mad now. Her next response was "we have been waiting here over 2 hours you can't just walk in 15 minutes before the parade and expect to get a spot where you can see". Now the wise a$$ in me wanted to say it's 20 minutes to start not 15 but I knew this woman was going to be a big pain so we just moved on and watched from down the street.

I wonder if she posts on here... or that other board...

 

[GoofGoof]

Disclaimer: this still doesn't excuse the woman choking the girl (or swearing in front of children, or any rude behavior)
I've been sitting when the person directly in front of me stands up. Space is so limited, that they are only a foot or so away from me. Think about the angle between your head and a person 6 feet tall standing that close in front of you. Even if the person isn't blocking the fireworks (although at least the lower ones get blocked in this situation), I still don't go to the parks to see fireworks frame the backside of some sweaty stranger.

Can't you just stand up? Why do people need to sit on the ground for fireworks? I can maybe understand wanting to sit while you wait if you are there for a while, but doesn't everyone stand anyway once the show starts? I've never seen people sitting during Wishes. Full disclosure...I haven't seen Wishes from inside MK in years now. I always go to Top of the World to watch. Maybe this sitting is a new thing.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Can't you just stand up? Why do people need to sit on the ground for fireworks? I can maybe understand wanting to sit while you wait if you are there for a while, but doesn't everyone stand anyway once the show starts? I've never seen people sitting during Wishes. Full disclosure...I haven't seen Wishes from inside MK in years now. I always go to Top of the World to watch. Maybe this sitting is a new thing.

Sitting is a pretty new things. Among regulars, front rows during parades are sort of expected to sit. The front part of the hub near the castle also sits. And the FP section of Illuminations.

Sometimes it doesn't happen, sometimes it does. Sometimes if someone up front stand forcing everyone else to stand, it happens without comment. Sometimes regulars yell at folks to sit.

It's not very consistent at this time.

 

[GoofGoof]

Sitting is a pretty new things. Among regulars, front rows during parades are sort of expected to sit. The front part of the hub near the castle also sits. And the FP section of Illuminations.

Sometimes it doesn't happen, sometimes it does. Sometimes if someone up front stand forcing everyone else to stand, it happens without comment. Sometimes regulars yell at folks to sit.

It's not very consistent at this time.

Parades I get. You are looking at things at ground level and there's a curb or front row area. Front row sits and then the people behind can see too. Fireworks in the sky I don't get. Unless everyone is sitting I'd be worried someone would step on me too

 

[Goofyernmost]

The overcrowding of MK is driven by Disneys overarching greed Disney could but refuses to cap admissions to a level which would allieviate the nuts to butts crowding.

I guess that would be determined by what you call crowding. Wouldn't it be a natural thing that people from all sections of the park might converge on the central hub because that is where fireworks are seen with some degree of continuity and design. So a park that isn't really full could appear to be a mess when everyone shows up at the same time to watch the fireworks wouldn't it. Based on that wouldn't the problem actually be the fireworks show instead of the crowd which has assembled in that spot for the sole purpose of observing said fireworks. Damn the greed of the Company, what are they thinking. They have already gotten rid of the nighttime parade thus eliminating the disgusting and, apparently, highly dangerous crowding of MSUSA, so getting rid of the castle projections and the fireworks will probably be dropped soon due to the Guest Demand for more safety. In other words the overcrowding argument is a highly exaggerated pile of do-do unless they decide to only have the fireworks when the park is empty.

 

[21stamps]

I just read the first few pages and had to comment..

Disney greed, or lack of a night time parade, or prices, or not enough attractions..

These are all reasons to justify a person choking another person?

Wow. No wonder we have so many frivolous lawsuits. It couldn't possibly just be the responsibility of a single human.. better look elsewhere to blame.

 

[GoofGoof]

Been there done that too, The problem is with the increase in prices people want to squeeze every last dime of value out of their vacation which leads to ugly incidents like this. I hope MK NEVER adds alcohol to ODV because it's going to make situations like the one you describe far far worse.

P.S.

The attitude which drives this is

I spent X thousand dollars for this vacation and NOBODY is going to interfere with it or they will answer to ME

I hear what you are saying and agree that Disney is an extremely expensive vacation these days, but I think the level of blame on the price increases for this type of behavior is a little overblown. It's a factor but not the key driver. People have always wanted to get every dime of value out of their vacations at WDW. There were hostilities 20+ years ago over things like saving spots at parades. It's nothing new...although choking a kid seems to be a new low. I bet some former and current CMs could tell you stories from the past and present of generally bad behavior. If you want to say that the parks being overcrowded (especially MK) is driving an increase in this kind of behavior I can buy that.

I also think they needed to do a better job with dispersing crowds to other places outside of MK at night. When they closed PI it added some stress on MK at night. People who may have been more than happy to leave a park and unwind at PI in the evening ended up hopping at MK which was typically open late. Illuminations is early at 9, AK before this summer was closing before 8PM most nights and DHS had sporadic, temporary nighttime entertainment recently (other than Fantasmic). I think maybe with RoL and Pandora at AK, eventually SWL and maybe some permanent night show at DHS and the build up of Disney Springs there's going to be a lot more options for later at night outside of MK and Wishes.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Isn't part of the reason for Avatar, Frozen, Ratatouie, Toy Story, Rivers, Star Wars, etc, to lower crowding by taking some of the heat off MK?

Instead of raising ticket prices they could, I dunno, also invest in more people eater rides like Mansion.

All the people eater rides in the world will not solve the problem of crowds gathering to watch the fireworks. Last I heard you cannot see the fireworks from most "people eater" rides.

 

[Stellajack]

I hear what you are saying and agree that Disney is an extremely expensive vacation these days, but I think the level of blame on the price increases for this type of behavior is a little overblown. It's a factor but not the key driver.

Yes! The lady who put "both hands" (per the Orlando Sentinel) around the teen's neck has no excuse for her own behavior. Her posted bond of $2000 could have paid for another week in a 'moderate', so I don't believe she was really concerned about expense. IF the teen copped an attitude with her, then the lady's best response would have been to give her a lesson in manners OR just ignore the girls as they left. What an embarrassment for the Mature family...a mother with an assault record. In the end 'class' is always the winner.