I've never seen so many parents forcing their children to have fun!

[Liberator]

We had a very nice 3 day visit on the weekend of 23 - 26 at the Grand Californian, I will post a review later.

I liked Disneyland, even more than Disney World. I thought that the "Disney spirit" is very strong there, we really enjoyed the atmosphere, even it was quite crowded, especially on May 23.

We noticed some things that were really annoying and sad ath the same time: Parents forcing their children to have fun!

First: No child wants to go to a Disney park in the evening, for example at 11 pm. So many crying kids who need to go to bed, but their parents do not want to realize, because they paid $$$ and want to see the kids 100 % happy all day - sad!

I've heard a mother say to their girls that thay have an appointment somewhere to get costumes and princess style outfits. All girls started to cry. They said they do not want to do that, but the mother did not want to hear any arguments and they went off.

A family behind us at Soarin' had their 4397343th visit at Disneyland, their youngest son did not want to ride Soarin', but he was forced to. He started crying and the father said some things that may lead to a psychic problem if he would say that more often to his children. On the ride the father was like "LOOK AT THE MICKEY GOLF BALL", "LOOK AT THE HIDDEN MICKEY THERE", "CAN YOU SEE THE MAN FALLING IN THAT SCENE???". Wow, why didnt he just shut up and let everyone, especially the children, enjoy the ride!? Visiting Disneyland over and over must be so tiring...

There was a grandma who started an argument out of nothing with me in front of her grandchildren. I still do not understand what it was all about, but I must have interrupt her "EVERYHONE HAS 100 % FUN NOW"-style in some way. Their children were obviously tired and she was yelling at me, I still do not know why. The children looked at me like they are used to it and felt very embarassed.

We overheard so many meltdowns, mothers yelling at their children because they were just tired and out of energy...terrifying!

Additionally, there were a lot of moments in which I thought that locals who visit Disneyland very often destroy the atmosphere for visitors who are there for the first time. They made us feel in some points like we are not asked for to be in their private wonderland. We sometimes looked us in the eyes and thought the same things of what just happened...


Everyone who visits Disneyland for the first time: Get some blistering plaster, you will have a lot of stroller and scooter attacks in your ankles.

All in all these were just some things we noticed and that were the only negative points. As said above we enjoyed our days and nights there and I would love to come back some day

 

[2boysmom1998]

Everyone who visits Disneyland for the first time: Get some blistering plaster, you will have a lot of stroller and scooter attacks in your ankles.

All in all these were just some things we noticed and that were the only negative points. As said above we enjoyed our days and nights there and I would love to come back some day

Last year when I went someone ran into me with the footrest of a wheelchair (they were being pushed.) It really hurt and I ended up having a huge bruise and gash in my leg. I could hardly walk for the rest of the day. They looked at me when it happen, they didn't even say they were sorry. Very rude!

 

[SMD]

I remember many years ago a mom yelling at her kids that she didn't pay for park tickets for them to leave to go swimming. I still think of that because ticket prices have doubled or more since then.

 

[Sherry E]

.......Additionally, there were a lot of moments in which I thought that locals who visit Disneyland very often destroy the atmosphere for visitors who are there for the first time. They made us feel in some points like we are not asked for to be in their private wonderland. We sometimes looked us in the eyes and thought the same things of what just happened...


Everyone who visits Disneyland for the first time: Get some blistering plaster, you will have a lot of stroller and scooter attacks in your ankles.

All in all these were just some things we noticed and that were the only negative points. As said above we enjoyed our days and nights there and I would love to come back some day

I've had my ankles banged into by strollers -- and I have no clue if they were locals or not locals.

Oddly, in all my trips to DLR over the years, I've never been able to tell outright who the "locals who visit Disneyland very often" (the ones who were apparently destroying the atmosphere for visitors) were. I never witness people waving around APs (which I have read about on various forums), causing scenes and throwing tantrums because they are AP holders. Now if I struck up a conversation with someone who happened to mention they were local, that would be a different story. But most people I have chatted with in DLR were from out of state or out of the country. I live in Los Angeles, and I can't really pinpoint anyone who is a local when I am in the parks.

 

[SMD]

Last year when I went someone ran into me with the footrest of a wheelchair (they were being pushed.) It really hurt and I ended up having a huge bruise and gash in my leg. I could hardly walk for the rest of the day. They looked at me when it happen, they didn't even say they were sorry. Very rude!

I've posted this before. Last year after the parade the crowd was waiting for the CMs to take down the ropes. No one was moving anywhere. I was standing still, when a woman an an ECV decided that she could fit into the small space next to me, she rammed her ECV forward and stopped on my foot and yelled at me for standing still behind a rope. I asked her to move, she ignored me, I told her that the weight of her, plus her ECV plus her basket full of junk was hurting me. She then called to her husband and said I called her fat (she was, like 300lb, but I was more concerned about the weight of the massive ECV). He just rolled his eyes and backed her up. I could walk, but I was afraid to take my shoe off because I thought it would swell. It throbbed for a few hours but it was ok.

Generally being bumped from behind by a stroller I just shrug off, but when I see that the person is pushing the stroller while texting or taking pictures, then I'll say something. Also, when they stick the stroller out in front of them to block people from getting into a line in front of them or something. Really? That's your kid, just let the other people go first.

 

[disneymom0104]

You know, I have been on both sides of this so can completely understand. After having 2 kids that did little complaining and were happy to ride whatever I put them on I then had a little boy that would not ride anything if we didn't give him a little pressure. And 99.9% of the time he ends up loving whatever ride we put him on. I have a rule that my kids need to try every ride once (within reason, I don't make them ride Tower of Terror unless they are loving everything else and have a desire to try, and I didn't put my 5 year old on Indiana Jones in May even though he was tall enough)- if they don't like it, they do not have to ride again that visit (we only go every 2-ish years) This past visit my 5 year old ended up not liking Space Mountain, but he LOVED Splash and Big Thunder and his favorite of all was the swinging Mickey Wheel. He LOVED Grizzly River and didn't care for Soarin because he was worried about losing his shoes. He would not have tried any of them without a little pressure from us. He told me in the line for Big Thunder was the only reason he was going THAT night was so he would not have to be asked to go again while we were there- by the time we hit the very first curve in the ride he said it was his favorite and wanted to ride it every day. Anyway- all that to say- it is exhausting in the parks, for parents and even more so for kids. We take breaks and naps but it is still more "stimulation" than they are used to. I have had kids whine and cry in lines for various reasons. I'm not a yeller anyway and can't imagine yelling at my kids anywhere, let alone Disneyland-I don't condone that at all. But I think if you have older kids, or if your kids are grown you forget how little kids can be sometimes. My son cries at the mall, he cries and whines at the park sometimes and he cried and whined sometimes at Disneyland. It is just him and I hate that there could have been people judging his behavior, when he was just being a 5 year old kid in a very exhausting, over-stimulating environment. I am however mindful of his sleep and try my best to keep him on a relatively decent sleep schedule.

Just another perspective of "forcing" kids on rides.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I've had my ankles bashed by strollers and wheelchairs. but I have also been on the other side of that where someone cuts in front of my stroller to get ahead then stops or slows down, leading to an accidental hit because it's hard to stop a rolling object with momentum instantaneously. I think courtesy goes both ways.

I'm not sure why everyone blames aps. Maybe you all go at different times than i do but the only way i know someone is an ap is if I've either seen them there regularly or we have a conversation and I ask. Lots of rude and nice people both aps and ticketed guests.

Edited to add that nearly everyone that has a kid has experienced the dredded meltdown at an undesirable place. Kids do these things for one reason or another and it's easy to judge others, but without knowing the whole story, you shouldn't judge because your kids could be the next ones doing something you never expected them to do at Disneyland.

 

[mom2rtk]

I've learned one thing with parenting over the years....... it's to not make snap decisions about other parents based on one observation at one point in time.

 

[SMD]

You know, I have been on both sides of this so can completely understand. After having 2 kids that did little complaining and were happy to ride whatever I put them on I then had a little boy that would not ride anything if we didn't give him a little pressure. And 99.9% of the time he ends up loving whatever ride we put him on. I have a rule that my kids need to try every ride once (within reason, I don't make them ride Tower of Terror unless they are loving everything else and have a desire to try, and I didn't put my 5 year old on Indiana Jones in May even though he was tall enough)- if they don't like it, they do not have to ride again that visit (we only go every 2-ish years) This past visit my 5 year old ended up not liking Space Mountain, but he LOVED Splash and Big Thunder and his favorite of all was the swinging Mickey Wheel. He LOVED Grizzly River and didn't care for Soarin because he was worried about losing his shoes. He would not have tried any of them without a little pressure from us. He told me in the line for Big Thunder was the only reason he was going THAT night was so he would not have to be asked to go again while we were there- by the time we hit the very first curve in the ride he said it was his favorite and wanted to ride it every day. Anyway- all that to say- it is exhausting in the parks, for parents and even more so for kids. We take breaks and naps but it is still more "stimulation" than they are used to. I have had kids whine and cry in lines for various reasons. I'm not a yeller anyway and can't imagine yelling at my kids anywhere, let alone Disneyland-I don't condone that at all. But I think if you have older kids, or if your kids are grown you forget how little kids can be sometimes. My son cries at the mall, he cries and whines at the park sometimes and he cried and whined sometimes at Disneyland. It is just him and I hate that there could have been people judging his behavior, when he was just being a 5 year old kid in a very exhausting, over-stimulating environment. I am however mindful of his sleep and try my best to keep him on a relatively decent sleep schedule.

Just another perspective of "forcing" kids on rides.

This is one of those things were I sometimes end up on POTC with an annoying kid, but, I know I can ride it again, so while I remember how rude or entitled people might be, I generally shrug it off. I think that if I was on an annual trip I'd just ask the CMs to let me ride again. Aside from the people determined to take flash photos, I've also been stuck with a kid who screamed unless her mother let her use a bright flashlight, which the CMs stepped out twice and asked her to turn off and she switched it back on. I got the feeling that the mother knew she'd be afraid of the dark and that's why she had the flashlight ready, which was annoying. I've been with other kids who have cried after the drop, some get over it, some drown out the whole ride. I think if the parent was adding to it by saying, "look at the well!" "ooh, see the wench auction!" It would be more annoying to add to the distraction than just letting the kid cry. At least it's only POTC and not a long airplane ride.

 

[mummabear]

First: No child wants to go to a Disney park in the evening, for example at 11 pm.

Shows you shouldn't judge people with having any facts.
We travel from NZ, there is a 5hour time difference to LA (depending on the time of the year) we can easily have them up
Past 11 and it still not even be there bed time then we "sleep in" the next day.
Our girls love being up after dark, not something they get to see a lot of normally as they are in bed already, plus for everyone the fireworks is an essential park of visiting Disney.

 

[nikerbokers]

I've learned one thing with parenting over the years....... it's to not make snap decisions about other parents based on one observation at one point in time.

I tend to agree for the most part. The Soarin kid easily could have begged his parents to go on and then decided he didn't want to after 5 mins in line or something. The other things, I don't know... my kid could be crying because I said no to another ice cream cone but to someone else it could be "they are overtired". *

 

[disneymom0104]

This is one of those things were I sometimes end up on POTC with an annoying kid, but, I know I can ride it again, so while I remember how rude or entitled people might be, I generally shrug it off. I think that if I was on an annual trip I'd just ask the CMs to let me ride again. Aside from the people determined to take flash photos, I've also been stuck with a kid who screamed unless her mother let her use a bright flashlight, which the CMs stepped out twice and asked her to turn off and she switched it back on. I got the feeling that the mother knew she'd be afraid of the dark and that's why she had the flashlight ready, which was annoying. I've been with other kids who have cried after the drop, some get over it, some drown out the whole ride. I think if the parent was adding to it by saying, "look at the well!" "ooh, see the wench auction!" It would be more annoying to add to the distraction than just letting the kid cry. At least it's only POTC and not a long airplane ride.

I agree- and sometimes you think your kid will do fine on a ride- Pirates is a good example- and then you are stuck on a boat for 15 minutes not knowing how to quiet them down so you don't ruin the ride for everyone else. My kids have actually been okay (quiet) on Pirates thus far- but I have seen quite a few other kids cry through the ride. I don't have much patience for a parent giving them a flashlight- that would drive me insane- I'm glad we haven't experienced anything like that.

 

[cgh]

We learned early on, and adopted the policy that if we are not all having fun, we go back to the room. Tantrums for our kids tend to be due to overstimulation, hunger, or tiredness. We always get out of the park for the afternoon with the young ones for pool time, or nap time. I get why people spend every moment there (maybe going once-it is expensive!, or trying to fit everything in) but for us seeing less makes us enjoy it more. (and causes us to plan another trip!)

 

[beachdreamr1229]

LOL. I was that kid that always cried on PoTC. Even after I had mastered all the mountains, I was still scared of PoTC. I think I was 10 or 11 years old before it stopped scaring me. My family took me on it because they thought after going on faster rides, I'd be okay with the drops on Pirates. Coincidentally, I once screamed on IASM because the boats reminded me of PoTC. You just don't know what's going on in a kid's head.

 

[emmybee]

I remember my kid beginning to fuss and cry when she was a little kid, but tall enough to ride Soaring'. We were being loaded into the ride, and boy did I feel not only embarrassed, but like I was being a terrible mom! At that point, yes, I insisted she get on the ride. Once the ride got going, she quieted down and really enjoyed it. I never know how she may react to something. She didn't enjoy the Tower of Terrific Good Times (among the names I called it to get her to ride it) or Space Mountain, but she Loved that Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster. This is a kid who won't ride the baby coasters at local parks. I got her to ride Indiana Jones by letting her know that grandma liked the ride, and she liked it despite being nervous about it. We are going again at the end of the summer, and I doubt I'll be able to sweet talk her into my favorite rides again. But at least I'll be riding Big Thunder about a bazillion times! Additionally, back in the 'olden' days when she wasn't on a schedule, we often closed the parks down and really enjoyed being able to get on the Fantasyland rides w/ minimal wait. This past time, she let us know when she was tired, so we left much earlier that we were used to.

 

[NannyBeBe]

The worst parent/child thing I ever witnessed at DLR was a father who was angry at a young boy with him and cussing him out, using the F word. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying something. Such ignorance.

 

[smiths02]

When my son was 5, he agreed to go on Soarin' We used a FP, got all the way to where they load you in line and had to use the restroom. His anxiety made him have to use the restroom. We got out of line and they let us back in FP. I just made him to do. He loved it and wanted to ride it 4 times that night!
I'm not saying I would make my kid a blubbering mess, but some kids need more encouragement than others and some are more frustrating than others. Also, now that I have twins, I see how complicated it can be to keep everyone happy.

 

[RKKUNK]

I remember our son at 4&1/2 yr. old having a fit before we rode Soarin'. He had talked himself in to thinking that the ride was scary or something and there was no convincing him otherwise. He wasn't screaming and carrying on, he was just trying to convince us this was not the ride for him. We were beginning to get a little impatient with him by the time we got on the ride. Of course he loved it and it is still a ride we have to do at least once whenever we go to DCA!

On the other hand, when we were just at DL recently there were 2 families with small kids. The parents were trying to get the kids pumped to go on Space Mountain. These kids were in the age range of maybe 3 or 4 to 5 years old. There was one little girl with a princess dress that was probably in the 4 yr. old range that did not want to ride. She was literally hanging on to the railing as you go down the ramp to get on the ride, crying. Her dad pried her off of the railing and carried her down the ramp to the ride. When it was their turn to get on to the ride, he made her get in, she was still crying and trying to get out. The CMs made him take her out and wait to the side while the rest of their party went on the ride. Dad did NOT look happy. We felt sad for her but were so glad that the CMs made them get out. It would have ruined the ride for her (and others) and maybe ruin roller coasters for her altogether.

 

[NavyDad01]

On my upcoming trip I'm taking four kids that aren't mine and two that are. I know my girls will get on anything they can and for the most part so will 3 of the four that are not mine. However, my nephew who is 8 is a scared and has been telling me. At first he was agreeing with all the kids about getting on all the rides, but as we get closer he has started telling me how scared he is.

This past weekend I was at my brothers house watching the fight and his son was telling the other kids how he wasn't going to get on TOT because he was scared. His dad kind of shocked me by telling him that he better get on and if he don't that he is going to get it when he gets home and to stop acting like a little girl. Then he turns to me and tells me to make sure he gets on all the rides and to let him know if he don't.

 

[coaches24]

I was thinking the same thing when I read the OP. How do you know anyone is a local? I've been to DL 5 times in the last 10 years and have yet to see a "local" that I could recognize as such. I'm not sure I have ever even had a conversation with someone who was a local. Every time I talk to someone at the parks they end up being from far away.

In response to the comment about the mom taking her kids to an appointment I as a parent know all to well how kids can be very excited about something and then get into the moment so when it comes time for them to do what was planned they cry because they don't want to leave what they were doing. But with my DD at least when I drag her to the thing we had planned she always calms down and has a fantastic time and agrees afterword that she was glad we did it.

And I have dragged my DD on a ride she didn't want to do before simply because I knew she would like it and I was right when I did it (RSR her first time). I don't do it often but when it's something I know she will like but is scared simply because it's knew I will make her go on it. Now she loves RSR and looks forward to riding it again. Sometimes parents know better than kids what they will and won't like.

My DD has never rode space or Matterhorn because I she doesn't like roller coasters and gets scared of going fast in the dark so I am waiting till she is ok doing them. As for rides she has been on before and liked I can absolutely see making her ride in a situation where we stood in line and she all of a sudden decides she doesnt want to.