If you’ve been to a theme park then chances are that someone flustered you during the day. There are thousands of people all over the place vying for the best places to watch a show, ride an attraction and eat a meal at. After getting flustered, I naturally wonder, “Do I do the same thing as that person?” Inevitably, I have at some point. In this post, I’ll write about the top ten things to not do during a theme park day.

There’s no doubting that theme parks are overwhelming. I love them very much but they can even wear me down. When that happens, everyone becomes less aware of their surroundings. That leads to plenty of issues. I don’t write this post to shame anybody, as I mentioned I’ve been guilty of most of what I list below. This is simply a post about the issues I see the most in theme parks and something to be mindful of going forward. We’re all just striving for a perfect utopian (Walt’s vision of EPCOT) experience. We’re definitely not striving for a World Showcase during a Food & Wine weekend experience.

In that same vein, I’m not going to rank these from the worst offense on up. That seems a little cruel. Instead, there’s a few pairings and a few standalone issues. I’m sure I’ve left some things off the list that bother others and included ones that people disagree with. That’s okay! Let me know in the comments what you think. I haven’t included anything that’s actually illegal. Not punching Mickey Mouse seems pretty obvious. Don’t go swimming in the Rivers of America. You will get banned! These are all guest behavioral issues that are common occurrences and don’t involve physical violence, trespassing and bodily fluids.

Without further ado, here’s what guests should not do at a theme park!

Stand in the Middle of a Walkway

We’ve all had it happen to us, we’ve all done it ourselves. There’s no avoiding strolling through a somewhat busy path at a theme park. You’re keeping a respectful distance from the people in front of you but all of a sudden they stop on a dime and there’s no way to go. All of a sudden traffic is stuck like an LA rush hour – there’s a logjam, backups, collisions. Everyone’s lucky to make it out without any blood being shed. Yes, I’m being dramatic. But we should all train ourselves to be more aware while walking and stopping. Pull off to the side if you have to stop. If you don’t think about that right away but realize that halfway through a conversation your group is in the middle of the walkway, just calmly suggest a move to the side. I’m convinced that the world would be a much happier place if this happened!

Run Over People

While we’re on the subject, we’ve all been on the other side of this. Sometimes you forget where you’re stopping or you’re doing the best to get out of the way in limited space but still partially block the path. That does not give someone clearance to run a group over! This isn’t the running of the bulls, we can be halfway civilized here. Keep your head on a swivel. If you’re on an electric scooter, please don’t run over people even if they’re going slower than you. I know it’s difficult to navigate a stroller through a theme park but all of our ankles thank you for treating these paths as yellow lights instead of the Daytona Speedway.

Run

Call this a trifecta! An easy way to not run people over is by not running. Yes, rope drop speed walking to an attraction should be an Olympic sport. No arguing that! But it’s truly against the park rules to actually run.

Get Angry at Cast Members

Things that every day Cast Members can’t generally control:

• How long a line is
• A ride not working
• The lack of planning guests did
• The weather
• Ratio of people let in from the Lightning Lane versus the standby line
• The lack of sleep you’re running on
• Hundreds of other issues

Cast Members are amazing and working to make your day the best it can be. They are also under orders on how to do their jobs. Don’t take out your frustrations on them. Having a complaint is totally normal and valid, I recommend having a website to address those large complaints (this is a joke). A much smarter and more common way to go is to visit guest relations and let them know what’s gone wrong. They’re kind and will help guests if they can!

Refuse help

I’ll pair this with the previous one because I think there’s a thick line there. No, Cast Members can’t solve your every problem but they are there to help. Walking around confused wastes your time and can lead to some other things to not do on this list. If searching for an answer, find the nearest Cast Member and ask. If they don’t have an answer, they will find someone who does! I also hope that websites like this one can help. You know the old saying, “There are no dumb questions just people that wander around theme parks confused.”

Leave the Camera Phone’s Flash On

Look, some of these are just pet peeves. I think this one’s applicable to all of life, not just inside of a theme park. A flash will make someone’s picture look pretty bad 99% of the time. It will also blind the subject and everyone else around them. Please don’t do this one during a show or ride especially, it’s very noticeable to all other guests.

Film an Entire Fireworks Show

This is a double whammy if you do this with the flash on! I get some of the appeal here, commemorating part of the trip by having the show saved into the camera roll makes sense. But allow me to advocate for taking a few video clips or a few photos and then just enjoying the show. If you happen to love it, there are extremely high quality videos of every Disney nighttime spectacular on YouTube. Maybe recording or photographing things is a hobby of yours. If so, disregard this step but please do not do the next one!

Put or Hold Something Above Your Head During a Show

That is too long of a subheading but we’re running with it! Guests look great in their Mickey Ears. Balloons cost a bunch of money and are a pain to hold down. Kids want to see fireworks shows. Abe Lincoln, you really do look great in your top hat! Speaking for all of the people sitting or standing behind someone, we appreciate a level of awareness in blocking someone’s view. Chances are that if someone is directly behind you then they got there just after you and have been waiting almost as long. Just try to be considerate of those people and keep anything with you at your normal height.

Save Multiple Spots

I’ve been guilty of this one too but before you skim past while rolling your eyes allow me to propose a rule! Saving spots is alright (in attraction lines it’s a little more frowned upon) if the number of people saving spots is equal or more than the amount they’re saving it for. For example, 2 spot savers for a group total of 4 or less. When we run into 2 people saving spots for 6 more is where the problem resides. I understand that things come up and people need to run to the restroom or other slight emergencies happen. That’s okay! But applying this rule is courteous to everyone around you.

Talk Through (or Recite) A Ride or Show

It’s wonderful to have the Ghost Host’s stretching elevator spiel memorized. I understand that hearing that amazing voice can make someone involuntarily start to speak along with him. But don’t let it be you! Talking loudly through attractions where you’re near other guests is a big no for me, dawg. The one exception is during a loud sing-along moment in fireworks shows. We can all be connected in that one!

Could I have boiled this post down to be kind and considerate of others? Possibly, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Have a great vacation and don’t Hulk Smash anyone in your way!

What are other thing guests shouldn’t do while at a Disney Park? Planning a Disney trip? Check out our Travel Guides to help get you there! Here’s a link to discount tickets at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney please subscribe to the blog via email or WordPress and like our social media pages. You can find all of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you very much for reading, we appreciate it!