Walt Disney World aims to transplant you neatly from the realistic world outside the gates and place you in an immersive fantasy where you can explore the world, step into the movies, or meet your favorite animated characters in the flesh. With so much fantasy surrounding you, it’s easy to forget about the more mundane aspects of running a successful theme park.
Neatly interspersed among the beautiful facades and eye-catching attractions are several important signs with information you really should read. The signage aims to point guests in the right direction and give them helpful tips to avoid issues in their day. It’s also meant to help nearby Cast Members who really don’t want to have to remind you of these important messages. Unfortunately, the carefully themed signs can blend in a little too well and often go completely unread.
1. “Supervise children at all times”
You’re probably thinking “I don’t need a sign to tell me to watch my kids,” or “I TRY to keep my eyes on him but it takes half a second to lose him in the crowd!” Every Cast Member understands the challenges of keeping children under control, and they know better than most how easy it is to lose track of a child.
The more troubling lack of supervision that happens in the theme parks is the “I told you so” kind. Cast Members run into this all the time when they have to warn a child away from a dangerous situation only to have the parent say “See, I told you not to do that.” Cast Members have hundreds of people to supervise at one time. It’s really much better to be a little rigid with your own supervision and have your child get off the chains or pull her hand out of the attraction water before something worse happens. CMs won’t always be able to reinforce your warnings in time.
2. “Please No Smoking”
Walt Disney World allows smoking in designated areas only. These are clearly marked in the parks as well as on the maps. Ask any Cast Member and they’ll direct you to the nearest one. What Cast Members hate doing is tracking you down and telling you to put a lit cigarette out. Please no smoking. Anywhere it doesn’t specifically tell you that you CAN smoke, pretty please, no smoking.
3. “Cast Members Only”
You’ll find Cast Members Only signs all over in the Walt Disney World parks. I know it may seem like there’s another magical world hidden away behind these doors just begging to be explored, but I assure you there is not. There’s just a Cast Member on break trying to eat a sandwich and hoping no guests will pop in and start wandering around in the middle of lunch.
Whether these guests head into Cast Member areas on purpose hoping to glimpse something fun, or simply walk through without realizing it’s a restricted area, this is something that happens quite often. Very rarely will you have to walk through a closed windowless door for anything in the theme parks. You’re missing out on nothing by heeding these signs and staying to the guest areas only.
4. “Please No Stroller Parking”
When you see a sign that specifically says NO stroller parking, you can be sure this is an area where people frequently feel they should park their strollers. It may look like a fine parking spot to you, too. Perhaps it’s shaded or in a nice secluded corner. Stroller parking areas are always designated with a sign. They’re included in the very design of the theme park to keep things running efficiently and prevent the streets from becoming (more) congested.
If you park your stroller in front of a sign like this, it will probably be gone when you get back. Save yourself the trouble of tracking down a Cast Member and asking where they moved your stroller and watch for these signs, as well as their helpful counterparts that specify “Stroller Parking.”
5. “Bottles and Cans Only”
Disney consumes a lot of everything, but they do their best to stay green. These cans aren’t trying to make it more difficult for you to throw away your trash. They’re just trying to promote recycling. Unfortunately, many people miss the point of the handy round hole and ignore the clear instructions, throwing their gum, napkins, and other trash into this can instead.
Take note, these recycling cans are always next to a regular trash can. It’s really only a matter of a foot or two to put trash in the right place.
6. “Please Do Not Feed the Animals”
Yes, there are a lot of wild animals around Walt Disney World. The American white ibis gets a lot of attention because it has a rather unique appearance to guests who aren’t from the south. These birds are white with a long red beak and legs. They’re like the pigeons of Florida and they are everywhere. They’re not too scared of humans, either, so they’ll come right up to take food from your hand. I know it seems cute but please don’t feed them.
When you feed these wild animals, it just reinforces their idea that they should hassle tourists for bites off their plates. The squirrels at Universal Studios Orlando became so accustomed to eating from guests that one even bit a guest trying to get something to snack on. Rest assured that these animals will not starve because you didn’t throw them crackers. Please leave the wildlife alone.
7. “No Climbing”
While everything at Walt Disney World is meticulously designed to look real, many things aren’t really authentic. Excessive climbing on faux rocks can wear away the rock-like surface and reveal the wire frame underneath. Slender walls aren’t designed with flat even tops for you to walk on. Many props that you’d really like to climb on aren’t even built to support your weight. Climbing on these items can damage them and hurt you. Keep everyone safe and stay down.
The signs most often ignored are naturally the ones that seem like they’ll prevent you from having fun, but all these rules are in place for good reason. Keep your eyes open and try to follow the local rules at Disney and you’ll have a much better experience, with fewer admonitions from Cast Members, in the end.
