it's tough to be a bug

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
The last time I saw it this past January, I could not believe all the crying kids that left mid show. Later on in the day, I was walking by the exit area again and a little girl was hysterically crying, begging her mom to never take her to that show again. I really think there needs to be more signage and/or communication on just how scary this show is.
I agree that it might be scary or startling for some in the 5-and-under crowd, but aren't there still signs both inside and outside the theater, warning that it "features images of insects, loud noises, dense fog, and things that creep and crawl in the dark. This attraction may be frightening for children"? As of our last visit (summer 2021), there was also an announcement they made every few minutes when we were waiting to enter the theater, to that effect. Plus, there are "Dark, Scary, Loud" warnings for it in the Disney MDE app and on the WDW website, the latter of which goes on to describe things like the flying tarantula quills. I'm not sure what more WDW should reasonably be expected to do to educate parents ahead of time.
 
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Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
I was just reading about Alien Encounter, and I need to go off on that for a moment because I'm amazed at how vague and not-nearly-emphasizing-this-enough some of the signs were.

View attachment 679267

It's basically the same "dark and your kids might not like it" warning you would get on the sign for something as goofy as Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

I see slightly better signs on the image search, I don't know the exact set up, but I'm guessing they expected the more-detailed attraction description sign to do the heavy lifting and the fact that there were extra signs at all was supposed to get the point across, but compared to, like, Dinosaur's warning signs, which are bigger and more specific (Dinosaur has scary dinosaurs), it just seems very unhelpful.

Don't get me wrong, the thing still says "terror " right in the name and I still blame people for getting on it, but I was expecting, like, "WARNING: THIS IS A PURPOSEFULLY R RATED EXPERIENCE INVOLVING VIOLENT DEATH AND EXTREME PERIL". Maybe if they found a way to point out the part where you get "blood" rained down on you people would have stayed away.
Do you want the CM’s to hold your kids hands too? I mean sheesh, last time I checked no one knows their child better then their parent(s)…you, as a parent, read the signs, watch the YouTube videos and make that decision. It’s the same reason they put a warning on toaster plugs “Do NOT use in water”…you have to pay attention.
 

WorldExplorer

Well-Known Member
Do you want the CM’s to hold your kids hands too? I mean sheesh, last time I checked no one knows their child better then their parent(s)…you, as a parent, read the signs, watch the YouTube videos and make that decision. It’s the same reason they put a warning on toaster plugs “Do NOT use in water”…you have to pay attention.

Yes, I said that.
Don't get me wrong, the thing still says "terror " right in the name and I still blame people for getting on it

I was just surprised that probably the most intense ride got the softest warning I've seen.
I can find their choices for the thing weird while simultaneously thinking what was there should have still kept people away.

People not paying attention to stuff like this is absolutely something I look down on. I don't even think it was more like I expected it would've actually helped; people don't read and don't think.


(And yes, I should have worded that last sentence better. More of a question if going the gross out/visceral route would work better, but... people don't read, so probably not.)
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Yes, I said that.


I was just surprised that probably the most intense ride got the softest warning I've seen.
I can find their choices for the thing weird while simultaneously thinking what was there should have still kept people away.

People not paying attention to stuff like this is absolutely something I look down on. I don't even think it was more like I expected it would've actually helped; people don't read and don't think.


(And yes, I should have worded that last sentence better. More of a question if going the gross out/visceral route would work better, but... people don't read, so probably not.)
It wasn't all that soft, there was more then one sign and some were more explicet then that one. Not only that but it was well known. Word of mouth was a huge factor in it's success initially and also added to it's eventual demise. There was no excuse for people to misinterpret the messages. What happened was that like all the other warnings at Disney, the public figured that this was Disney so how scary or dangerous could it possibly be. The foolishness in that is that Disney was always like that. Every movie had a sad or high intensity part to it. Bambi, Cinderella's wicked step sisters, kids being turned into donkeys in Pinocchio, Snow White dying and being laid out in the casket with all the dwarfs crying and so on. All had very sad/scary sections with happy endings. They should have known what to expect.
 

WorldExplorer

Well-Known Member
It wasn't all that soft, there was more then one sign and some were more explicet then that one. Not only that but it was well known. Word of mouth was a huge factor in it's success initially and also added to it's eventual demise. There was no excuse for people to misinterpret the messages. What happened was that like all the other warnings at Disney, the public figured that this was Disney so how scary or dangerous could it possibly be. The foolishness in that is that Disney was always like that. Every movie had a sad or high intensity part to it. Bambi, Cinderella's wicked step sisters, kids being turned into donkeys in Pinocchio, Snow White dying and being laid out in the casket with all the dwarfs crying and so on. All had very sad/scary sections with happy endings. They should have known what to expect.

Again: I said it is still their fault for going on in the post. I quoted that part in the post you are responding to. I do not think the sign is/was an excuse.

All I was saying was that I expected the sign to be more dramatic. I am aware of, and referenced in the post, the other signs.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Again: I said it is still their fault for going on in the post. I quoted that part in the post you are responding to. I do not think the sign is/was an excuse.

All I was saying was that I expected the sign to be more dramatic. I am aware of, and referenced in the post, the other signs.
I knew what you meant, but what I was saying is the only way it could get any more explicit would have been to put a giant skull and crossed bones and state that "it is possible to come out of this alive, it just hasn't happened yet". :eek:

They eventually went with closing it and replacing it with old chili breath, Stitch. The parents didn't like that either because of the seating restraints and the fake chili breath odor plus apparently there was another sign that said. Please leave your sense of humor, if you have one, at the door. There is no room for fun in this theater.
 

WorldExplorer

Well-Known Member
I knew what you meant, but what I was saying is the only way it could get any more explicit would have been to put a giant skull and crossed bones and state that "it is possible to come out of this alive, it just hasn't happened yet". :eek:

They eventually went with closing it and replacing it with old chili breath, Stitch. The parents didn't like that either because of the seating restraints and the fake chili breath odor plus apparently there was another sign that said. Please leave your sense of humor, if you have one, at the door. There is no room for fun in this theater.

That's just not true. There's a wide range of difference between "it's dark and might scare a small kid" and "you will die". I pointed out the fact that other signs at Disney that are still up do exactly that. You and I both pointed out that there were other signs AT THE RIDE that were in between that.

I know that what happened to the ride and I know the "never my fault" mindset went right ahead.
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
I agree that it might be scary or startling for some in the 5-and-under crowd, but aren't there still signs both inside and outside the theater, warning that it "features images of insects, loud noises, dense fog, and things that creep and crawl in the dark. This attraction may be frightening for children"? As of our last visit (summer 2021), there was also an announcement they made every few minutes when we were waiting to enter the theater, to that effect. Plus, there are "Dark, Scary, Loud" warnings for it in the Disney MDE app and on the WDW website, the latter of which goes on to describe things like the flying tarantula quills. I'm not sure what more WDW should reasonably be expected to do to educate parents ahead of time.
That’s fair. Maybe there is more signage than I noticed. I remember it being scary so maybe I’ve blocked out all the warnings 😂 On our last family trip, my kids were 9 and 4. We skipped this and Dinosaur because I had been on them and I 100% knew they’d be scared. When we go in March, they will be 12 and 7. If the 12 year old wants to do either, I would let her. She’s old enough to make that choice. I’d still be hesitant with my 7 year old. She scares easily and often has bad dreams for days. Not something I want to deal with in a hotel room 😂
I think most kids who leave crying are casual visitors who see the Tough to Be a Bug IP and just assume, oh it’s Disney, they’ll be fine.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
That's just not true. There's a wide range of difference between "it's dark and might scare a small kid" and "you will die". I pointed out the fact that other signs at Disney that are still up do exactly that. You and I both pointed out that there were other signs AT THE RIDE that were in between that.

I know that what happened to the ride and I know the "never my fault" mindset went right ahead.
We are saying practically the same thing. Should they have to be more explicit or should the parents have done their job and never made it a problem to begin with. They worded it in the only way possible in what is supposed to be a fun for the family theme park. There is just so much one can do to force people to use their brain cells. The sign should have been enough and it is all that Disney needed to do. They are there to entertain not babysit. Please lighten up a little so we can end this useless discussion.
 

WorldExplorer

Well-Known Member
We are saying practically the same thing. Should they have to be more explicit or should the parents have done their job and never made it a problem to begin with. They worded it in the only way possible in what is supposed to be a fun for the family theme park. There is just so much one can do to force people to use their brain cells. The sign should have been enough and it is all that Disney needed to do. They are there to entertain not babysit. Please lighten up a little so we can end this useless discussion.

I've said I agreed with that it's the parents' job to gauge these things like five times. If you want to end the discussion you are free to stop lecturing me on something I never disagreed with.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
I've said I agreed with that it's the parents' job to gauge these things like five times. If you want to end the discussion you are free to stop lecturing me on something I never disagreed with.
You could have stopped it right there as well. I never disagreed with you either, I just said the same thing in a different way. All I did was express what my thoughts were about the same topic. We only altered on the degree of intensity of the sign. You said it wasn't enough and I said that it was enough. Surely, you don't think that you can express you opinions and observations but I can't. What I did was defend and try to explain what you seemed to take as massive personal disagreement. So, what say we stop it right here. In fact, at this, point you can say something derogatory about my mother and I will not reply.
 

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