Tip Tuesday: Park etiquette - part 2

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

It is my sad duty to again call to your attention some additional bits of etiquette, especially when it comes to touring the parks. I previously talked about etiquette for dark rides, parades and smoking.

What's even more sad, is that I personally had to deal with these issues during my most recent trip in June (in addition to some of the issues previously discussed).

With that, let's move forward:

Move all the way to the end of the row
How many times have you walked into Philharmagic, Country Bears, Muppets 3D, pretty much any show in which guests exit to one side (usually right) and enter from the opposite? We've all heard the instructions from the cast member, "Please move all the way to the end of the row to allow for guests entering behind you." Sam Eagle put it more succinctly in the Muppets 3D pre-show: "Move all the way to the end of the row. Stopping the in the middle is distinctly un-American."

This tip is simple. JUST DO IT!
(The term "Just Do It" is a registered trademark of the Nike Corporation. The use of this phrase in no way implies Nike endorses or even knows about the fact that I used it. If you are from Nike, please don't sue me!!)

Yet time and time again, I run into guests who insist on stopping in the middle, or, worse right at the beginning of the row, forcing other guests to cross in front of them.

Case in point: we were at the Carousel of Progress, where guests enter from the left side and exit to the right. One woman decided she HAD to sit at the entrance to the row and refused to stand to allow us to into the row. After a few heated looks, we moved down a row and proceeded to the far side (as instructed by the cast member).

Now I understand there weren't many people in this attraction and we could have (and did) moved to another row, but the principal remains the same - it's just polite to make room for others. Sadly this person just didn't get the politeness memo.

There is a line at the buffet
My family and I enjoy character dining. Most of these meals are buffet-style. As usually happens, there are a lot of people it the restaurant. This means there usually is a line to go through the buffet. Usually the buffet starts with the salad items (or breads/pastries for breakfast buffets), followed by the kids offerings, the main courses and then the carving (or made-to-order omelet) station(s).

Now I understand that kids, especially younger kids, have a hard time waiting in line (they are at Walt Disney World, a great place to practice waiting in lines!), especially when they're hungry. This does not, however, give a parent the license to cut into the line just to get something for their children. I'm an understanding person and I'll sometimes allow parents to do this if I'm asked nicely ("Excuse me, can I cut in for a second to get a few chicken nuggets?"). However, it seems like (again), the concept of politeness is a dying art. Several times I've had guests just jump in line to get something for the kids, or just to slip in to the carving station, without one word of apology and sometime with a dirty look like I'm the one who cut in front of them.

If there's not a line and one person is taking their time making a salad, it's perfectly fine to jump ahead. It's not fine to jump in front of someone else who is waiting in line. This is simple grade-school rules. Wait your turn (that is, unless they have snow crab legs at Cape May - in that case, get out of my way!!).

Do you really need a seat?
This is one of those you-know-you-should tips. Often times, the monorail (or bus) is very crowded to the point where guests have to stand. If you can, please try to allow those who can't stand for long periods of time to have a seat while you stand (that is, unless you are someone who can't stand that long - I'll leave that decision up to you). It's not a requirement, but it a nice way to make a little Disney magic.

Be mindful of others around you, especially those with disabilities
I'm very thankful that I have the ability to walk and talk and see and hear. Not everyone does. Yet these people have every right to enjoy the magic just as I do. Therefore, it's my responsibility to make sure to be as accommodating to these individuals as possible (see the previous tip). This also means walking around in the parks. Please don't cut in front of guests in wheelchairs or ECV's. That's the same as someone cutting in front of you on the road. You'd be upset if that happened to you. Just be mindful of your surroundings. However, ECV people aren't blameless...

Why do ECV's have horns?
Oh yes, I'm going there. Lay off those blasted horns! I understand guests in ECV's are trying to make their way through the parks, but if I can't make my way easily through a throng of guests in front of me, what makes you think you're going to have any different result by constantly honking that little horn? The parks get crowded. That means it's sometimes hard to move around. Have a little patience and be understanding. Most importantly, please don't bump into the guest in front of you trying to get them to move out of your way (when there's no where to move to). This happened several times to myself and my wife in June. The ECV driver just didn't understand that there was nowhere to go, or didn't care.

Hopefully you haven't committed these park sins. If you have, hopefully you'll act differently next time.

Remember, be polite - it's another way to keep the Disney magic going!