Obnoxious Park Visitor Stories

[WaltzingMatilda]

I don't know, as someone w/more years under her belt in the customer service industry than I care to think about...I think the best way to deal with the irate customers/park visitors/ resort guests etc. is to stay calm and keep an even keel...if I walked by a situation where a CM was screaming at a guest I think I'd have to ask another CM to step in and give some aide. The only time we have EVER stepped in and made any remarks was ASMovies late in the night (after midnight) we were departing from the bus and this dad just lost it...and I mean LOST IT! He starts screaming at his wife, shoved her out of the way and started pounding on his son who was maybe 6-7 years old...my husband is a fairly big guy and didn't make a scene but simply grabbed hold of the guys arm and said "hey buddy, lets just calm down for a minute and not ruin a $5,000 trip for one bad night." I thought for sure the girls and I would be visiting a jail cell or hospital room for sure but CM's from guest services came by to see what was going on between my husband and this guy while the poor wife was getting ice for her son....never did see the family again on the rest of the trip...I was really worried though..did the dad take it out on the mom and boy once they were all out of sight? who knows..but my husband couldn't just stand by and not do anything...there are a few wackos out there that can ruin a day for Disney employee or guest.

First I agree with your take on customer service. I've done it all my life and am finally getting paid well for it. People don't realize how unappreciated CSR's are, until they have to deal with a bad one. Believe me, we lifers don't do it for the money. I truly believe we do it because it feels so good to make an unhappy person happy (maybe I've been brainwashed?)

Second, what a sad story! I am so glad your husband stood up, and I understand your fears about the reprecussions. I once watched a 10 year old being verbally abused by a father to the point where I wanted to intervene, but I thought, what worse is waiting for him if I do? I still kick myself for not saying anything.

 

[marksniles]

We just got back this week from WDW. Here's my observations. We saw a lot of rude people there!

1. On COP, a toddler was screaming "MOMMY!" at the top of her lungs through the first two scenes. All she said was SHHH! SHHH! The screams were SO loud you couldn't even hear the dialogue in the show. People were getting very updet and then she finally got up and left the theatre.

2. Photo happy people. We were in line for POTC. Finally we were able to get in. It was broken down all day we were there. FInally we're in line and this family of about 10 adults and children are photo happy. They were taking photos of EVERYTHING in the queue line. I mean everything. I know this might be your first trip to WDW but be kind to those around you. I was seeing flashes so much by the time I got on the boat.

3. I love people who gather at the exit of an attraction with their family to decide what they are going to do next. The get their map out and check where to go. ARGH!

4. Once we were getting on the train to go to Conservation station and we were the last people on the train. There was only space for one person to sit. A little girl asked her mother if she could sit on her lap so my wife could have a seat and the mothers response was "NO! Then I won't be able to see everything!" ARGH! We seat cheek to cheek on that trip to the station!

5. BUT THE BEST! We were walking into the Tree of Life when thesse two kids ran ahead of us and cut the line and then in Portuguese they tell their parents to cut us too. Un benowst to them - my wife speaks Portuguese! She understand everything they were saying and she looked at them and said "OH! I don't think so!" They were shocked! They moved over and let us through! It was the best day ever!

Mark

 

[MinnieMommy]

Compared to some of these, this is minor, but this happened on a surprise trip to MK in June. We are riding IASW and a woman in the front of the boat starts throwing pennies into set pieces along the ride. THEN, she gives pennies to her teenage and pre-teen sons and they start throwing the pennies AT the AA's! My husband said something, but the woman just laughed!! And we wonder why kids today do some of the things they do!!! :brick:

 

[RalphieN]

I think the teenagers and pre-teens drive me crazy the most BUT.... the most annoyed I've ever been was at a parade when we couldn't find a spot to sit on the curb so we stood behind some folks who were sitting. It was my wife, two teenagers, and 7yo and 4yo. Everyone could see OK until the parade started and the folks at the curb all stood up. So now my kids can't see anything but off to the left, a wonderful family with some smaller kids offered some room for my two youngest to fit in. Everything was cool until the people in front of us who were video-taping literally stepped in front of all of the kids everytime a float went by. There were about 5 or 6 of us yelling at them but they totally ignored everyone. My goal for the rest of that day was to follow them around and get myself into every one of their videos but my wife wouldn't let me.

 

[Sumshine 904]

Oh, and to add to that, my family went over to the bathrooms right after that. Of course, she is there. I saw her come out with her family. They were all at least about 12, so they didn't even need a stroller but for some reason, they had one. The same girl that had stopped the ride was pushing one of her sisters around in it (the sister she was pushing was older). Then, after about knocking over a couple of guests (myself included), she ran into one of the benches. She almost broke the stroller and hurt some guests.

Eek! What a nightmare! The only time I'm in a stroller is when my four year old niece wants to sit inbetween my legs. But I do enjoy not walking for once, lol!

 

[Sumshine 904]

Oh and I also hate it when people try to scare the crap out of you on the Haunted Mansion. It happened about a week ago and I almost litterally fell out of my doom buggy. And after the ride, the person's like, "You guys don't scare easily!" or something. And FYI I just recently got over my fear of the HM, when I was little, I used to cry SO hard on the ride. But my mom said one time a year or two ago, "Summer, I haven't been on the Haunted Mansion for years. Please, can you go on the ride for your mother?" Ofcoarse, I said yes because if I said no I would've felt bad the entire trip. Turns out that my memory made it seem that everything was REALLY realistic, and after the stretch room, I was like, "What the heck, I remember the ride being more scarier as a baby..." And I had a grand ol' time the rest of the ride, heheh. Next fear to conquer: Tower of Terror (I'll be 20 when I go on THAT)

 

[BrittanyRose428]

I hate it when people walk between you and your group. Especially when your holding hands. When I was younger we were in the Magic Kingdom for the 4th of July, (BAD idea, I don't know what we were thinking) and leaving after the fireworks with the huge crowd was a nightmare. Since I was little I was holding my moms hand, and this lady, grabbed her kids hand and pushed between my mom and I.

 

[joanna71985]

One annoyance that we expect and learned to enjoy is character moshing. you know, when the CM brings out a character for autographs and a line forms and sure enough. Those that can't wait just walk on up and chaos ensues and someone gets rude and, boy thats a good show!:sohappy:

Oh man. I deal with this every single day. Now, granted some people don't know that we have a line and are quick to appologize and go to the back. But some people do know and are just trying to get a picture without waiting. These people get me so annoyed and aggitated. It isn't fair to those who have waited for awhile. So wait your turn. And the worst thing is that some people get so nasty when informed about the line and stuff. Why can't people just give us a break? We are just trying to do our job. If we say they will be right back out if they go in for a "snack", then they will be right back out (usually). Sorry. I had to get that out. I had a rough day at work today.

 

[jillmo1474]

annoying things in wdw

Tis happens all the time...I also happened to read it on another message board, but how sooo true it is. When people STOP right in front of you!!! It's like , do not realize there are 20 million people behind you !!! I mean, a Whole park in moving UP from behind you!!:brick:

 

[Alice Boulevard]

This instance might just be me. In the theater for "Impressions de France" while the French CM was introducing the film a group of people sitting only a couple of rows from him began mimicking his accent and were laughing about it. That's abonimably ignorant.

As for all the criticism V_Misses_Epcot has received for her wonderful rant I too work in a customer service environment namely a department store, and please understand that there are some times when you just need to get all of the rudeness and inaninities off your chest. No matter how adept you are at letting things roll off your shoulder there from time to time manages to be that one customer (or in Disneyspeak guest) or instance that makes you want to run to the break area and scream your head off or cry your eyes out or do both simultaneously. And after you've had a number of these occurrences only an all-out conniption fit breakdown will remedy the anguish. Yes I realize that there are some people who shouldn't work in a customer service environment. But I personally believe that some people look at the souls who fill the titles "cast member", "sales associate", "customer service representative" as having a degree of inhumanity as though they were the equivalent of a fixture or a register. And in that comes the disregard and the rudeness. There's only so much of that obliviousness even the strongest can take before there comes a decidedly emotional response.

That's why I think everyone should work in a customer service environment for 6 months to experience what it's like. Oh I know it won't change everything (some of my co-workers...:brick: ), but maybe it might create a greater awareness of what such a job truly entails. An example- I was at Hersheypark last month, and one of the workers asked me what time it was. When I told her she said, "That's it"? I looked at her and sympathetically said, "Sorry", and smiled. That kind of empahty. Because I know what that's like.

We are human. That may come as a shock to some, but we are humans.

 

[Scar Junior]

When I was a CM, I think the most annoying were the parents who would yell at their children for doing what kids do and having fun while at WDW! I heard kids get yelled at, literally yelled at, for all sorts of things. From wanting to go on a ride or get something to eat/drink, to wanting to look at a waterfall or flowers.


As a guest, my biggest annoyance is always the people who are in line near you and shoot out facts about the attraction or WDW - at least half are just wrong.......... ex. Standing behind the guy who told people around him that every the park ticket/fastpass is monitored and Disney keeps track of every park you visit and fastpass you get in a computer. If you use your room key to charge something, they add that to their file on you. Every guest has a file.

I think the guy just got done reading 1984 or something.

 

[jonesenon4]

ok ive been reading this thread and havent seen the one thing i feel is the most obnoxious of all.it happens several times every trip,we are standing in a long line and someone always thinks rules dont apply to them and lights up a cig.first you get the smell then you see them cupping the cig,blowing the smoke down and trying to wave the smoke away like nobody is going to notice. the cms are usually busy else where so i usually say in a loud voice no smoking allowed here sometimes it works sometimes not. 28 days and counting i can almost feel the magic.

 

[DonaldD23]

The most obnoxious thing at WDW is parents with babies who they can't stop from crying! Why are these people even in the park...it's a baby for crying out loud. They aren't going to remember anything about the trip, and their constant crying annoys the heck out of anyone within 200 feet of them. Do us a favor, stay away from WDW until your kid can walk! Thanks!

 

[rbrower]

ok ive been reading this thread and havent seen the one thing i feel is the most obnoxious of all.it happens several times every trip,we are standing in a long line and someone always thinks rules dont apply to them and lights up a cig.first you get the smell then you see them cupping the cig,blowing the smoke down and trying to wave the smoke away like nobody is going to notice. the cms are usually busy else where so i usually say in a loud voice no smoking allowed here sometimes it works sometimes not. 28 days and counting i can almost feel the magic.

Yeah, that is really annoying!

 

[ears2you]

The most obnoxious thing at WDW is parents with babies who they can't stop from crying! Why are these people even in the park...it's a baby for crying out loud. They aren't going to remember anything about the trip, and their constant crying annoys the heck out of anyone within 200 feet of them. Do us a favor, stay away from WDW until your kid can walk! Thanks!

I know! Cant tell you how many shows have been ruined because people think the warnings about loud noises don't apply to their kids!!

 

[One Lil Spark]

I had an issue on my last trip with a group of 4 preteen boys who were left by themselves on BTMRR. No parents, older siblings, guardians in sight.

These boys sat in front of me in the first two cars on the train and spit the entire time so that it flew back and hit me and others in the face. Not just little amounts either. Like they were getting mouths full of spit.

When I got really angry and wanted to strangle them, they just laughed...

 

[Tracy Savage]

Last year at a MK parade I had placed my video cam on top of a trash can to tape the parade. I set it on top of my backpack(WORKED PERFECTLY, NO BUMPS OR JIGGLES). I didn't realize the camera strap or backpack strap had become tangled with the caution rope they put up. The parade was almost over when a CM started yanking the rope down. You guessed it, my cam went flying. My husband and I caught the stuff but the CM looked at us and kept yanking(still tangled). We asked him to wait a second and he gave it another yank. At that point my ever so tactful hubby started yelling and screaming at the guy. Four letter words and all. :zipit: I'm sure all the little kids standing by us got quite an education that night! I wanted to crawl under a rock.

 

[rbrower]

I had an issue on my last trip with a group of 4 preteen boys who were left by themselves on BTMRR. No parents, older siblings, guardians in sight.

These boys sat in front of me in the first two cars on the train and spit the entire time so that it flew back and hit me and others in the face. Not just little amounts either. Like they were getting mouths full of spit.

When I got really angry and wanted to strangle them, they just laughed...

That is really rude!

 

[rbrower]

The most obnoxious thing at WDW is parents with babies who they can't stop from crying! Why are these people even in the park...it's a baby for crying out loud. They aren't going to remember anything about the trip, and their constant crying annoys the heck out of anyone within 200 feet of them. Do us a favor, stay away from WDW until your kid can walk! Thanks!

I dont think that is rude. First of all, they might have older siblings or that might be the only time in a long time that the family will be able to come. I dont think that people should have to stay away until their child can walk. I think that it is annoying when a kid is crying because he/she doesn't want to ride but the kid's parents make them go on the ride anyways. This happened to me when I went on Soarin the last time I was there. The boy was crying throughout the line. There were these people in front of my who had the same opinion as me. When it came time to get on (the boy was on the other side so I wasn't having to deal with him) the little girl in front of us (with the people who were saying that the lady shouldn't have made her child go on) got scared. And they did what they should. The dad took her off so that she didn't have to ride. I felt like applauding them because they did what I think is appropriate.

 

[rbrower]

Last year at a MK parade I had placed my video cam on top of a trash can to tape the parade. I set it on top of my backpack(WORKED PERFECTLY, NO BUMPS OR JIGGLES). I didn't realize the camera strap or backpack strap had become tangled with the caution rope they put up. The parade was almost over when a CM started yanking the rope down. You guessed it, my cam went flying. My husband and I caught the stuff but the CM looked at us and kept yanking(still tangled). We asked him to wait a second and he gave it another yank. At that point my ever so tactful hubby started yelling and screaming at the guy. Four letter words and all. :zipit: I'm sure all the little kids standing by us got quite an education that night! I wanted to crawl under a rock.

That is bad! You would think that the cm would stop for a second if he saw what was happening! And welcome to the boards (I never get tired of doing that:lol: :lol: )