Disney World — it’s a magical, wonderful place with delicious snacks, great merchandise, and incredible rides. It can really be a spot where happy family memories are made. But it can also bring out the WORST in people.
From pushing past guests who waited hours to get the right spot for the fireworks to ruining the magic for younger kiddos, there are some pretty terrible things people do in Disney World. We get it, sometimes you’re stressed, flustered, and exhausted, and sometimes these things can happen by accident. So today we’re going through the 10 WORST things people do in Disney World so you know what to prepare for and how to NOT be one of “those people.”
1 — Cut lines or try to cut lines
Things happen. A group might get temporarily separated, a bathroom emergency might delay one member of your party from joining the line, or you might otherwise just get split up and need to reunite. And if it’s just one kiddo and a parent who have to “catch up” to the others in line after leaving for a bathroom emergency, it might not be all that bad.
But we all know that frustrating feeling of seeing 10 guests try to push past hundreds of people in line to attempt to get to the 1 person in their party who had been “holding” their spot in line while those other guests grabbed a snack or were doing whatever else they wanted.
It can be really upsetting to others who have been waiting for a long time to suddenly see guests cutting in front — whether that line is for food, merchandise, or a ride.
So what should you do? If your entire group isn’t together, wait for everyone to reach the thing you’ll be lining up for. That way you can all enter at the same time and there’s no need for some members to push past other guests, creating an awkward and frustrating scenario.
If a bathroom emergency does occur and part of your party needs to leave halfway through the line, see if there is a Cast Member who can assist you at all. If not, you may be able to stand to the side and let other guests pass you as you wait for your party to return, that way the members of your party who stepped out of line can simply wait in the line when they return until they reach you, rather than having them push past a ton of guests in line.
Click here to learn about 5 weirdly GROSS things in Disney World and why they’re there
2 — Get in front of people for parades and fireworks
If you want the perfect seat for the fireworks or a parade, you might get to the area really early and sit down for HOURS, making sure to hold your spot ahead of the big moment. When the parade or fireworks begin, some guests (who did not wait for a spot) might be eager to see the entertainment as well. But it can be very frustrating when a guest who just pulled up to the area pushes past guests who have been waiting, and manages to squeeze themselves into a spot near the front.
We beg you, please do NOT be that person.
Imagine if you had waited 2 hours to get that perfect fireworks spot only to have it ruined at the last second by someone who swoops in, pushes themselves into a spot in front of you, and totally blocks your view. Not fun.
Another thing — if you’ll be holding a spot, have your group there with you. It can be frustrating for people in the area if a single person sits down “holding” a small spot and then suddenly 5 minutes before the fireworks begin a group of 20 comes to join them.
You could also consider viewing the fireworks or parades from some more “obscure” or out-of-the-way spots that are less crowded. Behind Cinderella Castle can sometimes be a good spot, or you can head to a nearby resort, or even catch the fireworks from a ride!
Click here to learn about the Disney World hotels with the BEST fireworks views!
3 — Hold up a phone or iPad and block everyone
Phones are, in many ways, critical to the Disney World experience and we know that people love to whip out those phones or iPads to take photos of all the excitement. But please (please, please, please) be mindful of where your device is and how it is behind held.
We’re all about snapping the perfect photo or grabbing awesome footage of the parade, but holding up a GIANT iPad in front of tons of other guests and totally blocking their view is less than ideal.
If you know that you want to capture some really special footage, try to keep your device at the level of your own eyes/head. That way, you won’t be blocking the people around you any more than you already are with your own body.
If you know that you’ll want to use a larger device, like an iPad, to get footage, consider grabbing a spot where there aren’t as many guests behind you, so you can hold it up as much as you want.
And if you know you’ll be lifting something slightly above your head (like a phone, iPad, or child!) place it there well ahead of the show. That’ll give the people around you a heads-up that you’ll be blocking things a little bit more than expected, and it’ll give them time to find a new viewing spot or shift around if they want to.
Click here to get a look at the Festival of Fantasy parade!
4 — Be mean to Cast Members
We get it. Sometimes people can have a HORRIFIC day in Disney World — everything goes wrong, the ride you waited a year to get on breaks for the whole day, your Mobile Order takes ages to get ready, and they sell out of the one item you wanted to buy. Sometimes the answer a guest might get from a Cast Member won’t be what the guest was hoping or expecting. But it’s important to remember that the Cast Members are just doing their jobs.
One of the worst things people do is act in a rude fashion toward Cast Members who are simply doing the best they can.
Typically, Cast Members can make some magic to make your bad day get a bit (or a whole LOT) better, but being rude to them isn’t going to make that happen.
These Cast Members work tirelessly to help guests have the best experience, but sometimes there are things that are out of their control, rules they have to follow, etc. that might not be exactly what a guest wants.
When tempers flare and a guest feels like they’re on their last nerve, our best advice is to step back from the situation, take a breather, and picture themselves in the Cast Member’s shoes and how they’d want someone to talk to them. Remember you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar! 🍯
Carefully listen to all Cast Member instructions (which are provided to keep you safe and having a good time in the parks!), ask for help when you need it, and treat Cast Members with respect — you’d be surprised how far that’ll get you sometimes or just how special YOU can make a Cast Member feel by simply showing some kindness.
Click here to see a special way you can thank Cast members
5 — Take flash photos or use a cellphone light on a dark ride
Yes, the Jack Sparrow animatronic looks awesome in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but using a tremendously BRIGHT cellphone light or flash will NOT help anyone enjoy the ride. Disney Cast Members or ride audio will often advise guests when flash photography is NOT permitted on a ride and that’s done for a reason!
On dark rides, in particular, bright lights can disrupt the setting and expose some of the behind-the-scenes secrets that make things work. Plus they can disturb guests by flashing an unexpected and surprising bright light in an otherwise dark space.
If you want to grab photos while on a ride that does not permit flash photography, be sure to turn OFF that flash before you even attempt to take a picture. And know that there are LOTS of apps and software options that can help you brighten photos to make them light and beautiful without the need for a flash.
Click here to see some of the best SECRET photo spots in Disney World!
6 — Break basic rules
There are a number of rules you need to follow in Disney World — don’t stand up on a ride when you’re instructed to stay seated, move all the way across a row when instructed to do so, etc. Following these rules is pretty easy, and breaking them can have some frustrating and dangerous effects.
If a guest stands up when a ride is in motion, they run the risk of getting hurt, and likely will cause the ride to come to a halt as Cast Members evaluate the situation and see what needs to be done before the ride can safely resume.
Those who break the basic rules can cause frustrating situations and potentially unsafe ones for themselves and those around them. So be sure to listen to and follow all rules given as you’re entering and riding on an attraction. Those can help keep you and everyone around you safe, and ensure that your ride continues swiftly and as intended.
Click here to read about some of Disney World’s UNSPOKEN rules!
7 — Interrupt other guests’ enjoyment of an attraction
If you’ve been on The Haunted Mansion 500 times, you can probably recite the pre-show by heart. And, we’re not going to lie, that is an impressive skill to have, but it’s a trick that’s best left for the comfort of your home.
Loudly reciting The Haunted Mansion pre-show while IN the pre-show might be fun for the particular guest reciting it, but it can totally RUIN the experience for others who are going on the ride for the first time or simply want to enjoy the audio as it was intended to be heard.
Reciting any part of an attraction loud enough for others to hear, singing loudly with a ride’s song (unless specifically called for or encouraged), and chanting at random times during attractions can all disrupt the experience for others. Imagine if, during your first ride on some of these iconic attractions, you couldn’t hear the ride audio at all and, instead, could only hear Bob shouting the script loudly. Thanks, Bob. (No offense to any Disney-loving Bobs out there. 😆 )
If you’ll be going to the parks, just be mindful of those around you and allow them to experience the parks as they were meant to be enjoyed. Once you’ve exited the attraction and are hanging out with friends, then feel free to recreate the rides as you skip along to your next attraction!
Oh, and one other thing, for those out there who are Disney experts, sharing behind-the-scenes magic with others might be a favorite pastime. But be cautious of those around you! Make sure you don’t ruin any of the magic for little ones (or adults!) in the area who might not want to hear how the sausage gets made. Instead, save those secret details for quiet moments away from others where you can truly show off your Disney knowledge without destroying another person’s view of the parks.
Click here to read about the hidden secrets of Magic Kingdom!
8 — Walk without looking
We’ve all been there — it’s tempting to, as you walk to your next attraction, place a Mobile Order, make the next Genie+ reservation, and chat with your family all at the same time. But be careful! Guests who walk around the parks distracted can bump into others, cause other guests to trip and fall, or even hurt themselves (and others around them).
Equally as dangerous and frustrating are guests who are walking normally and then suddenly STOP unexpectedly and without warning in the middle of a pathway. This can cause other guests to have to suddenly pivot around the stopped guest or can create quite the traffic jam.
There are a LOT of things to do all at once at Disney World, we get it — but be careful when doing them! If you know you’ll need to be on your phone for quite a bit to get some things done, step to the side where you won’t block other guests. You can also potentially use Siri or other functions (like text-to-type) to send some messages on the go but still keep those eyes looking up and at the crowds around you.
Click here to see how BAD the crowds are in EPCOT
9 — Push kiddos to do things they really don’t want to do
If you’ve got a little one who is a teeny bit afraid of rides, it might take some prodding to get them on a few attractions and help them understand that they’ll be totally safe, which is understandable. But if a guest has a small child who is screaming at the top of their lungs and crying about being forced to go on a ride they find to be too frightening, it creates an awkward scenario for that kiddo and everyone around.
Trying to bend the rules and make a child “appear” to meet the height requirement when they really don’t is also a dangerous thing to do. It places the child at risk of being on an attraction that is not safely built for them and can put them in a scary situation.
The lesson here is to be mindful. If a little one feels a tiny bit scared but is overall ready to take on the ride, then push ahead! But if riding Space Mountain is causing them to have a full-on meltdown, it is probably time to turn to rider-switch so the adults can enjoy the ride while the little one takes a rest.
Click here to see how rider switch works with Disney Genie+
10 — Hoard things when it comes to dining
And finally, one of the worst things people do is HOARD things when it comes to dining. What do we mean? Well, it could be a variety of things. Maybe a person makes 10 dining reservations, half of which they don’t intend to use and don’t end up canceling until the very last second. That fills up a spot that could have been taken by a family who had that restaurant as their #1 pick but couldn’t grab a reservation.
Another frustrating thing people do is hoard a whole bunch of tables and chairs for a LONG time at a quick-service restaurant on a busy day, making it incredibly difficult for other families to grab a seat to eat their food.
Again, the key here is to be mindful of others. If you have reservations that you know you won’t use, cancel them as early as you can, so you give others the chance to snatch them up! And if it’s a busy day and people are fighting to get a seat just to eat their chicken tenders, consider picking up your things once you’re done eating so that you can make room for others.
Click here to see our ranking of ALL the quick-service restaurants in EPCOT
And that’s our list of the WORST things people do in Disney World! What do you think is the WORST thing you’ve seen someone do in the park? Tell us in the comments.
Stay tuned for more Disney planning tips, tricks, and info.
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What do you think are the worst things people do in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!
Putting kids on your shoulders during fireworks!!! Crazy pet peeve of mine!!
99% of the people reading this are already considerate about these matters. We need to communicate these common courtesies to the unread masses.
A solution to the line cutting problem is already in place at other theme/amusement parks. All members of a party must be together before entering a que – then enforce it. It wouldn’t take long before word gets out. Six Flags does it and it seems successful. It might require a few more cast members in the parks but the money is there to pay them.
There is no reason to be rude or nasty to a cast member. If someone can’t solve your issue, move up in the chain or go to guest services/or the experience teams. Rudeness to the cast members only builds resentment and makes their job more difficult for no good reason and doesn’t get the issue resolved. Think of how you would feel if the same thing happened to you.
Whenever I go to Disney, I expect there will be some people (and it is a minority) who have this sense of entitlement (“I paid a lot for this vacation and no one is going to….” or “It’s my first visit”, etc, etc). You can’t make selfish people become considerate because you are at Disney. These folks live in the “I Me Mine” world no matter where they are. Simply put….don’t let them make you behave like they do. Because that will not change them and it will make you feel lousy. Take solace in knowing that these folks get diluted by the goodness you see in the other people who are trying to enjoy their time like you are.
Yeah i feel that in pont Nr.2 waiting for an event for some people is just not possible since they only have limited time, cant be in the parks almost every day since they are from somewhere else, so they want to get everthing they can into the time they have available. And i feel those people deserve a good view too, since they cant experience this very often.
My biggest complaint the last few years have been parents who use their oversized strollers to bully a pathway.
Another thing that frustrates me is when people cut me off when I’m in a scooter and then glare if I bump into them. I try be a defensive driver, but the scooters just can’t stop on a dime!
I just returned from two weeks at DW, in a scooter, and cannot agree more. I don’t know how many times people cut me off without paying attention. I keep the scooter at a low, walking speed, and stay on the same route as those in front of me. Too often, people cut across a path without looking. Scooters do stop quickly, but not immediately, and several times I almost hit a person who was cutting across. It’s rude to cut anyone off, but not bright to walk in front of a moving vehicle, even one as small as a scooter.
I love this list, particularly number one! I have some beef with number two in a way…we show up for fireworks 45 min before start and grab the most decent open area without stepping on sitters. I have more than once had someone say to me to the affect “excuse me, we have been here 30 min already and we won’t be able to see over you”. And I’m like, “what, you want us to all line up like school pictures!? Everyone over 6ft in the back by Casey’s, average height by statue, short people up front!?”. I don’t get that attitude…there was open concrete, we didn’t push. You shouldn’t have left room. My wife is shorter than average and consciously take that into account when scouting a spot.