Has anyone ever had an altercation with another guest and/or family while at WDW?

One I got into a heated discussion with a CM. We had lunch reservations at the Plaza and because of the huge midday dance party thing we got there 5 minutes before the reservation. The CM at the desk was dealing with a woman who was SCREAMING because there wasn't room for walk-ins for another 1.5 hours. I patiently stood behind the screamer for about 15 minutes. After the screamer left the CM called inside to get someone to relieve her (I don't blame her!) and the new CM started to check me in. Then he looked at the time and said I was late and missed my reservation! I tried to explain about how I was stuck behind the screamer and he tried to help the people behind me. So I got loud also. The original CM came back and she took care of getting my family seated, but I made sure to ask for the person in charge.
 
It is scary how angry some people get!
We had two instances that stand out in my mind. I'm a very calm, patient person but everyone has their limits of course.
During one of our trips Disney was hosting a cheerleading competition. We sat down at Cosmic Rays. My girls were sitting and I was getting the then baby out of the stroller. One of the cheer moms walks up and explains how she needs our table and she spotted it first. Now, it was busy and we had just sat down after waiting a while for a table. I matched her tone and explained that was our table and we would not leave. She argued a bit more and then finally walked away mad.
The second altercation involved a car accident. We discovered that FL is a no fault state. We backed up, dh was able to put the car into drive and we were slammed into by a person in a hurry who thought they could get around us. A guy vacationing from New Orleans got out and was irate. That was a scary situation with our little ones in the car watching as dh tried to remain calm so the other guy would back off.
 
These stories are great...I just wasted an entire hour of time that I could have been cleaning and doing laundry to read this...oops. popcorn::

I do have to comment on the bus thing, though. I am by nature a person who tends to go out of my way to help others, so I am always trying to compact my family as much as possible on buses, letting my son sit in my lap sometimes when he is way too big. But, many times its impossible to know what someone is suffering from that you can't see. So, I refuse to judge someone who looks like they're able bodied and sitting when they could be in a lot of pain or something else is going on.
 
These stories are great...I just wasted an entire hour of time that I could have been cleaning and doing laundry to read this...oops. popcorn::

I do have to comment on the bus thing, though. I am by nature a person who tends to go out of my way to help others, so I am always trying to compact my family as much as possible on buses, letting my son sit in my lap sometimes when he is way too big. But, many times its impossible to know what someone is suffering from that you can't see. So, I refuse to judge someone who looks like they're able bodied and sitting when they could be in a lot of pain or something else is going on.

Due to some physical oddities, I am sometimes able to stand but NOT to have a kid on my lap. A woman on a bus once asked me to put my son on my lap so she could sit. I told her no, but that she was welcome to my seat. Well, no, that would make *her* feel awkward, so maybe she could have his seat and he could sit on HER lap? No lady, I am not putting my pre-schooler on the lap of a stranger on a bus. Well, she fussed and fussed, but honestly it came down to the ONLY thing that would suit her was for my son not to have a seat of his own. That wasn't something I was willing to accommodate. She thought I was inconsiderate, but there's a point at which making demands of strangers in the name of "polite" becomes bullying and controlling.
 
a stroller in MK clipped a ladies leg. She turned around thought it was my wheelchair before I could defend myself she pushed my chair so hard I fell out. I really hurt myself. Even if I did do it it was so agressive. The stroller pusher looked on in amazement. Others did not know what to do. I was upset nobody stopped her or attempted to help.

The bus situ I don't judge. If somebody is kind enough to give a place up how nice I would never demand it. Disabilities can be invisible plus it's up to them. Not everyone wants to stand. Fair enough they were there first.

The people I really feel for on buses is the folks with kids that have a stroller as a wheelchair. They can't stay in the stroller like I can my wheelchair. So some kids they can't go on their parents lap due to various reasons or be carried. Then other people glare at them for taking up a seat or what if a seat is not available. I wish they would design a suitable stroller that meets the law requirements for buses.
 
OMG! I can't believe the people on the bus left a grandma standing with an infant, and a mom holding a 3 year old!!! what is WRONG with people? yeah, we're ALL tired and beat, but ... jeez. I'm a grandma, but not lucky enough (YET) to have the grandkids with me. but I SURE can stand easier than someone HOLDING a child! hubby NEBO gets SO upset when he sees young men sitting, when there are children standing, or ladies holding little kids!(or men, for that matter) you'll be back at the resort soon. let the kids or people holding the kids sit. sheesh. (as opposed to the people using up an extra seat or 2 for their "stuff", cause they dont' want to hold it on their lap)
The last time we went, I was pregnant. Center of gravity was off, and I had the hardest time remaining upright during that bus ride. I recall a family with two small boys sitting right in front of me. I kept hoping that the mother would ask the boys to share a seat so I could sit (although, yes, I realize they were not required to do so at all), but she never did. I told myself I would never stand on the bus again unless I was a) not pregnant and b) wasn't carrying anything or anyone.
 
It was last September and we were leaving MNSSHP. It was super later and we had been in MK since it opened. We were exhausted but especially our 9 year old. The bus was jam packed and we had to stand. We were the last people let on the bus so the space to stand was slim pickings. We finally found a pole that wasn't crowded and I had my son hold on to it and I held on as well. Well this woman who didn't speak English very well kept saying "We were here first, this is our pole." I kept explaining the pole was big enough for her, her daughter and us but she didn't care. She kept shoving me! Meanwhile, my son is literally falling asleep standing up. My husband was trying to prop him up on one side while I held him and to the pole for both of us. The entire drive to Pop she just kept shoving me and swearing at me. Horrible! We now will only drive to and from the parks. Just sad.
 


a stroller in MK clipped a ladies leg. She turned around thought it was my wheelchair before I could defend myself she pushed my chair so hard I fell out. I really hurt myself. Even if I did do it it was so agressive. The stroller pusher looked on in amazement. Others did not know what to do. I was upset nobody stopped her or attempted to help.

The bus situ I don't judge. If somebody is kind enough to give a place up how nice I would never demand it. Disabilities can be invisible plus it's up to them. Not everyone wants to stand. Fair enough they were there first.

The people I really feel for on buses is the folks with kids that have a stroller as a wheelchair. They can't stay in the stroller like I can my wheelchair. So some kids they can't go on their parents lap due to various reasons or be carried. Then other people glare at them for taking up a seat or what if a seat is not available. I wish they would design a suitable stroller that meets the law requirements for buses.
They do make transport strollers but they are expensive and if people only use a bus on vacation they often won't buy it for one week a year.
 
They do make transport strollers but they are expensive and if people only use a bus on vacation they often won't buy it for one week a year.

That is interesting and good to know. Thank you. It makes sense to what I witnessed at Christmas. Parents got on the bus with their DD in a stroller as a wheelchair. The bus driver demanded that the DD be removed. Dad stated no saying she had spinal issues and this stroller was classed as a wheelchair. Maclaren I think. But the Bus driver would not have it. Then guests started joining in. It was most unpleasant. Maybe this was such a device it was their own. But ignorance of the bus driver he still saw it as a stroller.
 
DH and I were in Magic Kingdom for NYE in 2003. We were sitting near the castle around 11, making friends with the people around us as we waited for midnight. All of a sudden a woman with one of the big Disney strollers started barreling through, not paying attention to the fact that there were people there, and literally ran her stroller over me. The family next to us - a lovely woman from France - comforted me and the CM who saw it happened told DH there was nothing he could do. Hopefully she didn't do it to a kid - it hurt.

Of course, we almost had an incident when I went with my family when I was in college. We watched as a group of teen girls, one in a wheelchair, bypassed the line through a handicap entrance. No big deal, and my dad commented how nice it was that she would be able to ride with her friends. Then we saw them at a different line...with a different girl in the wheelchair. Same thing - whole group went to the front of the line. We started to get suspicious. We then saw them in front of a ride - one girl got out of the wheelchair, they discussed who was going to be "handicapped" for the next ride, and all but 2 ran off while one assumed the role and the other pushed the chair. It's the closest I've ever seen to my dad getting involved in other people's business. He might have said something to a CM, but we talked as a family how wrong that was and how it didn't matter because WE were going to do the right thing. I'm so glad that they've changed the program so that families with actual disabilities (visible or not) can take advantage while snotty teens who don't want to wait in line can't.
 
Oh these stories are amazing. Not that I am happy anyone got into a fight but to hear I'm not the only one who sees some not so magical guests when there.

I was at a breakfast with my mother a few years ago. It wasn't a character meal, I think it was Kona Cafe (pretty low key, mostly adults). Anyways she is on her phone surfing and texting. This woman sitting next to us with her husband starts talking loudly about how rude it is that people come to meals with others and ignore them. She kept going and getting louder, they were only maybe a foot away. "Well I tell you, people just have no manners these days, so rude... can't even sit at a table and talk to their own family". I swear it took ever ounce of my mother's patience not to respond but it seemed to be bothering her more when we didn't respond or acknowledge her. We got our food and proceeded to eat as she continued. My mother looked at me and just said "someone needs to have another cup....", I couldn't hold back the giggles and the woman became even more irate I was appearing to laugh at her. Her husband kept sighing too, the only person bothering anyone was her.

The bus thing is something I just don't get because I'm from the NYC area. If I don't want to stand and a bus is full I wait for the next one. This can easily be done sometimes at WDW and as those buses aren't major capacity, especially if they have a wheelchair, it might not take forever at peak times, like at night during the fireworks. If you are in a rush well then you need to accept you might have to stand. Also I feel like the rides can be super short, in the city you can spend 30-45 minutes standing on public transport.
 
That is interesting and good to know. Thank you. It makes sense to what I witnessed at Christmas. Parents got on the bus with their DD in a stroller as a wheelchair. The bus driver demanded that the DD be removed. Dad stated no saying she had spinal issues and this stroller was classed as a wheelchair. Maclaren I think. But the Bus driver would not have it. Then guests started joining in. It was most unpleasant. Maybe this was such a device it was their own. But ignorance of the bus driver he still saw it as a stroller.

While her Mclaren was probably a special needs stroller, the bus driver was right. It was not one of the special needs strollers designed to be used with bus tie downs. Tying it down could bend the frame. We used a Mclaren Major for our daughter for 5-6 years before transitioning to a wheelchair about a year ago, and when we purchased the stroller, the wheelchair company made sure we knew that it was not designed for transport. On a bus, it needed to be folded just like the smaller strollers.
 
My first and only experience with this was on our second trip. DH started feeling really sick our first day in the parks and had to go to an urgent care. We had our car there so he drove and I planned to take our 3 kids back on the bus later. I was a little nervous being there alone and the kids were sad that their dad wasn't there but we all agreed we were going to keep a good attitude and make the most of the situation! When we found our way to the buses (which we had never used before) the opening to enter the line was open on both sides. Hard to explain but usually one side is chained off and you can only enter from one side and then it snakes around. It was middle of the day so there weren't many people in line and I couldn't tell which end was the beginning and which was the end. So I just guessed and we kind of stood off to the side a little so if we had unintentionally gone to the front we could hang back until everyone else boarded. When the bus pulled up I realized I had indeed gone to the wrong end of the line but just stepped back to let the line go past. Unfortunately my two younger children missed the "wait" memo and skipped on toward the bus as soon as it stopped. They quickly noticed older DD and I were not with them though and had stopped on the sidewalk to wait for us. As the line of people passed between older DD and me and my two youngest a grown man looked right at me and made a rude comment about thinking I was better than everyone else and didn't have to wait in line. I was just stunned. WDW was my happy place and it just seemed surreal that someone could be so ugly (and I was already feeling a little sorry for myself with DH getting sick on our first day). All I said back to him was "I'm sorry, I was mixed up." My older DD (11) said "mom, why was that man so mean to you?" I told her some people just aren't very happy people! It ended up being kind of funny though...as I said there weren't many people at all and everyone had a seat and plenty of room to spread out. We ended up sitting directly across from grouchy man and his female companion and he was obviously embarrassed. And the entire ride the kids asked if DH was going to be okay and how much they missed having him there. As petty as it sounds I hope that man felt like a real jerk, and maybe will think twice before he speaks next time!
 
Just this past April I had a verbal altercation with a man at Animal Kingdom, I was prepared for the worst and was surprised it didn't get physical. We were there with our 2 young children. My son wanted to ride Kali River Rapids and since my daughter was an infant we opted for the child swap and I waited with her. After my wife, cousin and son get back from riding, my son and I go through the fast pass entrance. We are getting close to the boarding area and the Swedish family ahead of us had all taken off their shoes so they don't get wet. The cast member told them that they had to have shoes on to ride, they were upset and she mentioned there were signs (there are, but I didn't see them either). Since they were putting on their shoes the cast member directed us to proceed past them. The man finished putting on his shoes while we were walking by and proceeded to start walking beside us. He got irate and this 6' 2" - 6' 4" grown man starts berating my 4 year old son for cutting in line. Papa Bear isn't going to stand by idly and allow it so I called him out on it. I told him what happened and he starts in on me asking us if we make a habit of following directions to which I replied that, "Yes, We generally do follow the directions of the people running the rides". He didn't quite like that and I told him to grow up that he was acting immature and my son is only 4. Apparently to him I was acting immature defending a 4 year old from a grown man according to his reply. I was shaking a little from the adrenaline at this point and I was more than prepared to be escorted out by security if needed, but that wouldn't have been ideal. Luckily being that close to the boarding area we then got to just board the raft and we were separated from them and put on a different raft.
 
Took just one trip without a car and relying on Disney transportation to convince me that driving ourselves was the way to go. Buses are hot, crowded, people are tired, and it is just a recipe for disaster. I would start feeling irritated or stressed and realized I did not want to end my Disney days that way. We have found that no matter the resort we are at, we can get from hotel room to park gates within 30 minutes, any time of day. Then when we are all tired and cranky, we can get into our air conditioned vehicle and have peace and quiet. To be honest, we met many people on transport who have been lovely, as well, but the transportation system can be the perfect storm to bring out the ugliness in people, so we just avoid it. Even the calmest, most rational people can go Stitch-like! :stitch2:
 
Oh yeah. Waiting in line at Soarin a family of 3 began pushing their merrily way through the crowd. Trying to cut in front of as many people as they could. We tried to create a barricade just standing there all nonchalant. They began slowly trying to sneak by us. My mother finally had enough and said please stop trying to cut in front of us, we've all been waiting a long time! This entitled woman told her to mindher own d*** business. To which my mother replied sarcastically something to the effect of how she's really teaching her child great morals. Ha!
 
We are driving down but my husband is convinced we should just use WDW Transportation once we get there. Hopefully I can show him this and change his mind...I'm sorry but leaving the park late with two toddlers and an eight year old who is autistic on a crowded hot bus sounds like a recipe for disaster.
 
Tuesday night start of Electrical parade... waited from 8.30pm with husband and 3yo then 10mins in an entire family pushed through my huaband was stood behind me with our stroller I had son on my hip then was swarmed on the left then one of theIreland children practically jumped in our stroller to try and push past... I admit I made my elbows as pointy as possible and didn't look directly at them but said loud enough to hear if manners had died amd if they were ware they were in the magic kingdom ... after a minute they left as I wouldn't budge to give them room...
 
Never had an altercation but I have given the look of death to those who violate my personal space bubble. And if someone doesn't catch that look I start discussing with my dh in a loud voice about a sudden rash that I've developed on my back and I really hope it's not contagious but boy does it itch...I don't care if it creeps them out, at least then they back off of me. Also have used the sweeping pointy elbow trick (hand on hip, elbow jutting out).
I've used the handicapped stall but I also have hip replacements so I prefer the higher toilet in that stall than the lower ones in the other stalls. But people see me a 30 something and don't know of my disability. I've gotten yelled at, my response is just flipping them the bird. I'm tired of explaining my disability to those who would rather just flipout on me than see that hey I may look 30 but if you watch for a minute you'll see that I walk with a noticeable limp and one leg is actually smaller than the other. My DH is trying to think of what to say if someone goes off on us for parking in the handicapped lot (I have a placard to park there but inevitably I always get yelled at by someone who thinks I have no right to it).
It bothers him when this happens, I've just gotten used to it and ignore it.
Another pointy elbow person yey!
 

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