I try really hard not to be a negative person (especially when it comes to Disneyland!), but we all know that each of us have things that drive us nuts, no matter how positive we are. Here’s my list of Disneyland pet peeves, a.k.a. things that drive me crazy. What’s on your list?
1. Using flash/bright lights on rides.
This one drives me absolutely insane. You’re not only distracting/ruining the ride for everyone around you, but your picture/video is going to come out awful anyways. Why bother? Put down your device, enjoy the moment, and stop ruining it for everybody else.
2. Blocking pathways.
Some people at Disneyland have ZERO spacial awareness. If you are walking through an intersection and need to stop, for whatever reason, just step to the side. Stopping in the middle of a pathway completely blocks traffic, sometimes in both directions. There’s nothing wrong with stopping to regroup, check your map, or look up wait times. Just take two steps out of the way and then do it!
3. Cutting the fast pass ticket line.
The more time you spend at Disneyland, the more you notice this one. To get a fast pass ticket at Disneyland, you walk up to the distribution area to use a machine. And sometimes, there’s a small line. But there are always people that head to the machines from the exit, and cut in front of everyone waiting their turn. Because apparently we’re all just standing in line for our health, right?
4. Trying to squeeze into a seating area just before the parade/fireworks.
Disneyland ropes off seating areas for parades and the fireworks way ahead of showtime. But even if groups don’t know that, or didn’t want to stake out a spot and wait, you’d think those people would just try to make the best out of the spots that are left, right? Wrong. So many parents will try to squeeze their kids basically onto your lap so they can see the show. I completely understand wanting the best possible view for your family, but that’s clearly unfair to the people that chose to wait. You’re not entitled to that spot just because you want it.
5. Being rude to cast members.
This one baffles me most of all. The other items on this list can happen by accident; maybe you didn’t notice that you were doing the wrong thing or disrupting people. But being nasty to cast members just makes no sense to me. These people are here to help you, and they work incredibly hard to give you the best experience possible. It’s not a cast member’s fault that a parade gets cancelled, or a restaurant runs out of a certain dessert, or you missed your fast pass window. They deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and kindness. And by the way, if you’re actually kind to a cast member, they’ll often go above and beyond to help you. So if you’re rude, you’re really just shooting yourself in the foot!
Bottom line – just be kind and respectful.
All of these pet peeves pretty much boil down to people being inconsiderate and selfish. It’s not hard to be a great guest at Disneyland; just be kind and respectful to those around you. Wait your turn, be flexible, and pay attention to your surroundings. Everyone at the park wants the same magical experience, and making that happen really starts from within.
One last thing about cast members – if you have a great experience with any member of the Disneyland staff, send a tweet to @DisneylandToday with the CM’s name and the land where you encountered them. They’ll get a pat on the back and their manager will be notified that they’re doing an awesome job!