How to Deal With…Rudeness From Other Disney Guests

Let’s face it, as magical as Disney is, there will also be people that try to put a damper on the moment. Like our Moms always told us… you can’t change people, but you can change the way YOU handle the situation. Here are our top five tips that may help guide through dealing with rude Disney Guests.

1 – Let It Go

If you have a young daughter, “Let It Go,” sung by Elsa from Disney’s Frozen is likely sung daily in your household. Whether you are driving on Disney property, walking through the parks, or shopping at Disney Springs, we recommend you keep the “Let It Go” phrase on repeat in your head! An example situation – it’s inevitable that you are going to run into a Disney Guest that decides he or she will run around you to get an open table at a quick-service restaurant when you were obviously headed to that table and only a few feet from sitting down. A baby on your hip, a child, tugging on your shirt behind you, and balancing a food tray with your other hand – but no, you must not look like you are in desperate need of that table. Take a deep breath – and let it go! We don’t mean let the language go that you have going through your head at that moment… but rather let the table go in this situation and move on. Another table is likely open just around the corner, and this guest is just not worth the hassle.

2 – Hakuna Matata

One of our favorite sayings from The Lion King – Hakuna Matata means no worries! We’ll be honest; this is one of our biggest pet peeves, and if we could post signs throughout Disney with this request, we would! Disney Guests that find it convenient to stop in the middle of the path. They may be reading a map, adjusting their stroller, or they may just be talking – but for the love of pete… we need signs that say, “please move to the side”. So, what do you do in this situation? Bump or nudge the guest? Speak LOUDLY about how you hate when people stand in the middle of the path? Shout MOVE!? The answer is none of the above. Hakuna Matata! Save your worries for something that really matters. Yes, this may be irritating, but if you let it bother you, what good does it do after all? Simply go around them and try to understand what they may be experiencing at the moment. We, for instance, know the parks like the back of our hand, but for a first-timer, it can be confusing! Sure, sometimes that’s not the case – but again, Hakuna Matata! Go around and focus on your destination as you dodge people traffic.

3 – Just Keep Swimming

Florida’s heat isn’t pleasant to put it nicely. In fact, at times, the mixture of humidity, sweat, and Splash Mountain’s water remnants leave you feeling like you are under a fireball containing steamy fog! We’ve noticed a pattern – when people get hot, so do their tempers! For example, you finally spot one of those mist machines at Epcot, and you decide you need a refreshing moment under the mist. But, during the crowded summer months, anything that seems to provide some sort of coolness is packed (mist machines, fountains, ice cream, and lemonade stands). You’ll likely find a Disney Guest that finds their favorite mist spot and plants their feet with no evidence of future movement. We suggest you keep your “cool” and in Dory’s words from Finding Nemo – just keep swimming! A cool breeze, another mist machine, and/or refreshment stand is likely in your near future.

4 – Always Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide

Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio had it right! Making the right decision can be tricky at times, even in as magical of a place as Disney. You may see a Disney Guest show their lack of conscience when abusing the Rider Switch Pass, cutting in line, or even trying to put a fast one over on a Cast Member. We aren’t saying you shouldn’t say anything to a Cast Member if one of these situations arises. However, think it through first. Is there more to the situation than you know? We may think we know the whole story, but are we missing a key component? Cast Members are willing to help in any capacity they can, and we don’t want that taken advantage of by rude guests. We also don’t want a scene made if it is unnecessary. You’ll make the right decision if you let your conscience be your guide.

5 – May The Force Be With You

That’s right – a calming force! The moment may arise at Disney when your good side vs. dark side will be tested. For example, maybe you and your family are at odds about something that really should be discussed behind closed doors and not in the middle of Main Street U.S.A. Regardless, you realize the situation is going sour. Do your best to keep the peace between the opposing parties and encourage the discussion to come to an end until you are in the appropriate place. Don’t go to the dark side and join in the argument, but rather remain collective and calm in an overwhelming situation as a Jedi would! Rude humor, grumpy attitude, and villain language is present regardless of family-friendly locations. Doing your part to help tame that is appreciated by all onlookers (especially those with little, innocent ears). Thank you in advance, Jedi, for your calming force!

We don’t always know what others may be going through at the moment. We hope these five tips to keep Disney a peaceful place are helpful! We’ll give the last words to Pocahontas – “You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you. But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you never knew, you never knew.”