In any Disney theme park around the global there are basic rules and regulations that provide a safe and fun environment for every guest. Rules like no flash photography on dark rides, or staying in your vehicle while the ride is in motion are pretty basic instructions that are clearly stated many times throughout a Disney vacation. Some rules of being in a Disney park are not official, but should be taken just as seriously. These unofficial rules are important to keep the Disney parks a fun place for everyone!
1) Don’t Put Your Kids On Your Shoulders
Putting your child on your shoulders seems like an innocent idea because everyone wants what’s best for their child, but unfortunately this creates a 7-foot structure that families behind them cannot see over. While putting your child on your shoulder allows them to get the best possible view of the castle show or the fireworks, it prevents everyone else from such a view.
This doesn’t mean you can’t pick your child up. It is very important for them to see, but if at all possible holding your child at normal adult eye level is the best way for them to see the action without blocking everyone else behind you.
2) Don’t Leave Your Stroller Anywhere You Please
There is no valet service for your stroller in the Disney parks. Placing the stroller in the middle of walkways, and even entrances to attractions are a bad habit for some guests in the parks. With stroller parking areas throughout every Disney park there is simply no excuse for the guests who decide to make up their own parking spots. When the park becomes extremely crowded this becomes an even bigger problem; mob mentality builds as guests start clumping strollers together in non-stroller parking areas, this can block walkways that are already crowded from the high volume of guests in the park.
As a cast member you are told to move strollers that are not in stroller parking to the closest designated stroller parking area. Many guests are bewildered when they return to where they left their stroller to find that is has been moved. That’s why the best course of action is to just leave the stroller where you were told to leave it.
3) Watching Your Profanity
The Disney parks are family friendly parks. Profanity is something that is simply not acceptable in a Disney park. Inquisitive children will listen to every conversation going on around them, so even if you are in a group of adults you should still watch your mouth. The Disney parks are not somewhere where children should be discovering new swear words, so please leave the potty mouth at home.
4) Be Nice To Cast Members
Working in a Disney Park means guests treat you one of two ways. The first option is when guests treat cast members with mutual respect, but the second option is when guests treat cast members like they are worthless. A few times while working in Walt Disney World I treated like I was garbage, typically by guests who I told they couldn’t do something, like get in the FastPass line with an expired FastPass. These guests yell and scream and make an unpleasant scene for everyone around them, and do this to make the cast members feel pressured to give in to their demands. Treating cast members this way will not only not get you what you want, but could end up with security getting called.
5) Don’t Abandon Your Children
This rule seems obvious, but sadly it is broken every single day. Cast members are not babysitters, and it isn’t their job to watch your child while you ride an attraction. If your child is not tall enough for an attraction this is no excuse to leave them behind. The Rider Switch Service allows one adult in your party to wait with your child as the rest of your party rides the attraction, and then the waiting adult can get right on the attraction by going through the FastPass line while the rest of the party supervises the child that wasn’t tall enough. Even without this system, basic parental instincts should tell these parents not to abandon their children, but sadly it still happens all the time.
