Walt Disney World Resort is known as the Most Magical Place on Earth, and Disneyland Resort is the Happy Place on Earth. So, why do guests appear to be anything but happy and the experience less than magical?
It seems that guest behavior at Disney theme parks has reached an all-time low ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. We frequently hear about people getting into fights and police arresting and escorting people out of the parks. Trespass notices are being issued left and right, and a lot of people have forgotten how to behave in public.
While a lot of people might be quick to blame the guests themselves, some think that the blame lies elsewhere — on Disney itself.
Reddit user SpenceAlmighty says that, because of all the changes Disney has made recently, guests are more frazzled than ever. While that kind of behavior should not be tolerated, he could understand why guests are so quick to react in an angry manner.
Disney isn’t specifically making people behave poorly but their current practices are setting people up to be frustrated, on edge, and in some cases ready to boil over.
We are all told about how magical Disneyland is and the marketing is slick – we are promised a magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience but then.
- Imagine you saved your money to afford the ever-increasing ticket prices for a typical family of four to visit the Disneyland parks for a few days.
- Magnify this even more if you are from out of town/state and paying top dollar to stay in Anaheim.
- Park tickets are being oversold and crowds are heaving.
- You realise that you need to spend even more for Genie+/Multipass so that you have even the tiniest chance of riding more than two or three of the “good” rides. (remembering that not everyone researches a Disney trip exhaustively or even visits this subreddit)
- Or worse – realise you should have purchased Multipass with your ticket or on entry but it’s too late now.
- And, even if you have Multipass you still can’t ride Rise or Cars without paying even more or waiting for well over an hour.
- Food is expensive and the lines are just as bad as the popular rides around lunch and dinner rushes.
- There is barely any shade anywhere and the summer heat is cooking you and your family
- There are limited places to sit down.
- The “Magic” is increasingly hard to experience
While not condoning any poor behaviour, I could understand how a regular person could find themselves on their last straw, ready to act out of character.
I think Disney needs to take more responsibility for the increase in "bad behaviour" at the parks
byu/SpenceAlmighty inDisneyland
Related: Fight Breaks Out on Pirates of the Caribbean as Family Screams at Disney Cast Member
While the Original Poster (OP) made some valid points, a lot of commenters pointed out that bad behavior was not limited to Disney parks. Commenters who worked at restaurants said that they have also noticed a massive increase in bad behavior at their jobs. Tipping culture has become a point of contention, and that also adds to the trouble a good deal of waitstaff deals with.
I work in the service industry. You can blame Genie+ and ticket prices all you want, but ever since the pandemic people are just ruder and more entitled and more brazen about trying to get one over the business they’re at. It’s an everywhere thing.
Others quickly defended Disney cast members, who are on the front lines when it comes to dealing with unruly guests. Cast members can only do so much, and they must try to keep themselves safe. It is important for guests to remember that cast members do not set the rules or the prices, and it is not their fault if they feel Disney is not what it used to be.
We were there for two days a few weeks ago and for the most part I didn’t see any significant bad guest behavior with the exception of someone line cutting us at webslingers. Can’t speak for other guests but I always make it a point to remind my family to treat others especially the CMs with respect and appreciation so we can all have a better time. I usually ask my wife of names of CMs so I can note in my notepad to send compliments on the app at the end of the day.
At least for me magic is what you make of it. Magic for me is seeing the joy in my sons face when we get to go on his favorite rides or meet the characters he wants to meet
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However, a fair number of commenters agreed that Disney CEO Bob Iger and others at the executive level have made Disney the place it is today—and not in a good way. Things are, indeed, more expensive than ever, and many guests don’t feel like they are getting a good deal for their money. This has definitely led to a decrease in the magic and a lot of frayed nerves.
Since the theme parks reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen some truly violent incidents break out. In May 2023, Disney cast members were forced to clean blood off the pavement in front of the Magic Kingdom after an altercation over a photo spot. To make things worse, the bloody brawl happened in front of small children.
And who could forget the massive fight that broke out in Mickey’s ToonTown at Disneyland Park? Again, punches were thrown, and young children were forced to watch from the sidelines. What makes this fight particularly awful is that it was between members of the same family. What was supposed to be a day full of making memories became a day full of arrests and jail bookings.
Listen, we understand that Disney theme parks might not seem as magical as they once were. But guests can make their own magic and create their own unforgettable vacation. Bad things can certainly happen, but it’s important to remain calm, and reach out to a cast member if necessary. Disney has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to violence, and you don’t to be banned because you lost your temper.
Do you think Disney is partly to blame for bad guest behavior? Let us know in the comments!
