Most theme park guests are respectful, fun to chat with, and reasonably well-behaved. They are simply trying to have a good time with their families, and are receptive to what the employees have to say. Some guests, however, are not so great. While we all have our pet peeves, the ones that consistently top employee frustration lists are the ones that keep us from doing our jobs. So here are the 4 worst guests from a park operations perspective.
1. The selfie taker
We get it. You’re at one of the coolest places on Earth, and you want to document every moment for posterity, or at least for your Facebook friends. Go ahead and take all the selfies you like as you’re enjoying the park. But please, turn off the camera or phone and pay attention when you get to a ride or show.
Attractions employees are expected to hit specific hourly counts for the number of ride vehicles dispatched or shows run, and the number of guests per ride vehicle or show theater. In addition, a ride dispatch that is late by even a few seconds can throw the entire system off, forcing vehicles already on the tracks to come to a sudden halt and causing a lengthy reset procedure.
Nothing is more frustrating to an employee who needs to dispatch a vehicle than someone who refuses to participate. Selfie Takers who insist on taking photos as they board are among the worst offenders. The time that it takes to set up and take your photo, put your camera or phone away, and then look around to figure out what to do next, such as putting on your safety belt, can easily cause a safety shutdown.
Of course, selfies during the ride are equally problematic for different reasons. Flash photography distracts other guests, ruining the ride for them and sticking your hands and arms out of the vehicle to get a photo can be dangerous.
2. The non-counter
Like the Selfie Taker, the Non-Counter is a major thorn in the side of attractions employees. All day long, at every attraction, you will be asked how many people are in your party. That employee will then assign your group to one or more rows. This process ensures that each ride vehicle goes out full but not overstuffed.
The Non-Counter has no idea how many people are in his party. When asked, he has one of three responses: “I don’t know,” a random number that is seldom accurate, or a quick head count that is also usually inaccurate. Unless the employee catches the mistake immediately, this generally leads to a delayed dispatch as the load employees try to rearrange guests. We understand that some people hit the parks in big groups, and not everyone goes on every ride, but please try to figure out how many of you are riding before you join the queue.
Related to the Non-Counter is the Row Ignorer. This person wants to sit wherever he wants to sit, and has no problem moving around to make sure he sits there. Row Ignorers often show up in big groups and try to squeeze everyone into one row, even if there aren’t enough seats. The irony is that if you want a specific row, all you need to do is ask. You might have to wait through one or two ride cycles, but you can generally get what you want. However, even the most eager employee can’t create more seats in the same row.
3. The clueless parent
Clueless Parents are easy to find all over the theme parks. They are often spotted yelling at Space Mountain employees for not allowing their two inches too short child to ride, or hanging out on their phones while their kids wreak havoc on a merchandise display. But the worst offenders are those who take their children into an environment that was never designed for them.
Fans of Disney’s Pleasure Island point to this tendency as one of the factors in the nightspot’s 2008 demise. At one time, Pleasure Island was fully enclosed and guests had to be at least 18 to enter. With the addition of Downtown Disney West Side, however, families weren’t too happy about having to walk all the way around Pleasure Island to move between shopping districts. So Disney opened up a walkway through Pleasure Island. Although the clubs themselves remained 18+, the adult party atmosphere was lost.
Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights is rated PG-13, and no children’s tickets are sold. But Universal leaves it up to parents to determine whether the event is suitable for a particular child. While this works well in most cases, with brave 10-year-olds enjoying the haunted houses and scared teenagers staying home, some parents don’t pack their common sense. It is both disheartening and annoying to see a stroller roll into the Rocky Horror Picture Show Tribute or a handheld infant screaming through a haunted house. Even worse, some of those clueless parents file complaints at Guest Services, claiming that they deserve compensation for their kids being traumatized!
4. The fake non-English speaker
We understand that theme park guests come from all over the world, and many do not know any English. We will go out of our way to communicate by whatever means necessary. But if you are chatting a mile a minute with your family in English, and then suddenly forget the language when we ask you for something, it is extremely frustrating. Interestingly, the other three types of worst guests often turn into Fake Non-English Speakers when confronted.
We expect you to relax and focus on enjoying your vacation, but we need your cooperation. Please listen and pay attention to the employees who are trying to help you out, and follow some basic rules of common sense. It will make everyone’s day just a little bit better.
