OutKick Readers Sound Off On Their Biggest Disney World Gripes

It’s Tuesday once again, which means it’s time for another edition of The Gripe Report, your one-stop shop for moaning and whining about life’s smallest inconveniences.

Last week’s edition is already being heralded as an instant classic, and in it, I described my biggest complaints about the most magical place on Earth, Walt Disney World.

Have a gripe? Send it in!: matthew.reigle@outkick.com

That list led to a bunch of emails from lovely readers like yourself telling me your gripes about hitting Walt Disney World or any theme park for that matter.

So, I figured this week I’d turn over the keys to this week’s Gripe Report to you guys so we can go on a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (RIP) through some of the best gripes that didn’t get touched on in last week’s edition.

It’s like an epilogue of complaints. What more could you ask for?

So, without further ado, let’s throw on some Sorcerer Mickey hats and start griping.

Standing in lines is already awful, so leave it to your fellow park visitors to make it even worse for you. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Waiting In Line Gripes

Kevin sent in a gripe about some things that happen while waiting in line, which is about 50-75% of what you do any time you go to Disney World, or any theme park for that matter:

I wanted to add to your 9 worst things about Disney. I live in Jacksonville, FL, and have gone at least 2 times a month for the last 12 years. I like going too. You're spot on with your 9, but here are 2 more. 

People that play games in line for a ride, the one when you hold your phone on your forehead drives me crazy lol. 

Also, when you're in line for a ride and part of the group is waiting in line and the people that go get food, or to the bathroom or whatever skip through the line past you.

…

Kevin hit the nail on the head with these because both situations are infuriating.

If you’re not sure what he’s talking about, some people decide to kill time while waiting by playing a game, and the most common one is the one Kevin described, which involves someone putting a phone on their forehead with the screen facing out, and a word shows up on it. Then it just turns into The $25,000 Pyramid with other people giving clues, so the person can guess what’s on their head.

While that may sound harmless, I have never seen a group do this quietly. It always turns into a major production, like they want everyone else who is stuck in line waiting to ride a pretend banshee from the Avatar movies for two minutes to pay attention to them.

I’m with Kevin, this is so annoying. No one wants to be standing in lin and the last thing you want is to have people yelling random words trying to guess what their phone says.

The other one he mentioned is a real scourge, too. An entire family gets in line for a ride, but one straggler, who was having some intestinal trouble after snagging lunch at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, comes late to the part and decides to just cut everyone else in line to catch up with their family.

Now, this is one of two things, and both are infuriating: they’re either terrible planners who could’ve just waited for the straggler and saved everyone the frustration, or — and I have my suspicions that this is more common than people realize — they’re pulling a fast one to cut the line.

These people are the worst because they’re doing whatever they can to make an already terrible situation even more insufferable.

Wired Kids

Last week, I told a story about going to a nice restaurant on Valentine’s Day and having it ruined by a family with kids who were running around and screaming.

Gary may have come up with a possible explanation:

Many years ago, my mom and I were on vacation in Utah, touring the 5 national parks that the state has. Yes 5. Maybe put that on your bucket list if you like Mother Nature at its finest. We stopped at a restaurant for breakfast, and a large family was there with 5 or 6 small kids. These kids were well-behaved and acted like adults. My Mom says, "Look at those kids; they are so well behaved." 

Mom, this is a Mormon family. They don't consume sugar; that's why they aren't wired. It's that damn sugar. I don't care much for Disney World if I'm gonna be in the company of that many people; there better be stock cars with 800-horsepower engines getting ready to race. No need to respond just thought you should know it's that damn sugar.

…

Gary has a great point here. If ever there was a place where kids could mainline sugar from the time they wake up until the time they pass out, it’s a theme park.

Everywhere you look, there’s some colorful snack with more sugar in it than you’d find on Tony Montana’s desk.

I mean, by the time my fiancée and I rolled into the restaurant for our nice dinner, I bet that family had gone through several Mickey-shaped ice cream bars, a few sacks of cotton candy, and some Pixie sticks, and that likely came after they spent the day up I-4 at Universl Studios housing cookies shaped like the Minions and shot-gunning butterbeers in the Wizarding World of Harry potter.

Again, this comes with the territory. It's Disney World. It's meant for kids and families to have a good time.

All I ask is that if you know you're going to be eating at a restaurant where every entrée costs north of $50, maybe have the youngsters skip a round of Mickey ice cream bars for those around you, including the very handsome, talented, and funny writer there for a night out with his fiancée…

…Also, do it for me.

"Ruin strangers' vacations on three…" (Getty Images)

Cheerleaders Trashing Places

While we're on the topic of restaurants, let's tie this to another gripe we discussed last week, and that was the scourge of cheerleading competitions.

That may sound odd, but for those who know, it brings up some serious trauma.

Just ask Susan, who wrote about one of her experiences:

OMG the cheerleaders and parents are the worst! Trashed a restaurant, and I'm the lucky one who got to clean up the mess. Not only did I clean it up, but I also got COVID as a lovely parting gift.

…

Susan, thank you for your service because that was one rough day at the office.

I don't know what it is about cheerleading competitions because the mere mention of teams coming to town triggers horror stories in ways that baseball, softball, and soccer teams never could.

My theory is that a lot of these kids are getting their first taste of sweet, sweet freedom away from the watchful, helicopter-parenting eyes of mom and dad. 

We've all been there. I remember the first time I went on a trip like that; I just didn't do anything obnoxious because I was raised right.

But unfortunately, not everyone was, which is why you've got bands of rogue pom-pom wielders running amok through Lake Buena Vista.

Sad.

…

That's all for this week! Thanks again to everyone who wrote in, and be sure to send in your gripes for a future edition of The Gripe Report: matthew.reigle@outkick.com