What was the biggest Disney meltdown you've witnessed?

[Gradeadork]

Maybe you witnessed my daughter's meltdown at age 5 on the Winnie the Pooh ride. She is 13 now. We go every year. She has been obsessed with Pooh and friends since birth. On her second trip, at just over a year old, she ran screaming with happiness in to Pooh's arms at Pooh corner. Every year, the first ride HAD to be Pooh. When she was 5, she stood on line the entire tim, anxiously awaiting our turn. As soon as the cast member beckons us to the next available honey pot, she freaks out, starts thrashing in my arms, screaming bloody murder that she doesn't want to go on. Now, I am not THAT mom who makes her kid get on the ride - and like I said, she had already been on it at least twice per trip, but I tried to reason with my 5 year old (I know, you can laugh at me, hah, "reason" with a 5 year old") before she regretted this decision. Squirming in my arms for about 30 seconds, which felt like an hour, sweat pouring down both of us, everyone on line looks frozen in terror at me...and we get off the line...I have never felt so judged or embarassed in my life. With the exception of 2008, we continue to ride Pooh first, and I still don't know what got into her at that moment.

 

[DisneyGeekyParadise]

Been a little while since the last reply- keep this thing a-goin'! Love to hear all these meltdown stories, so I thought I would give this a little boost.

 

[Vijoge]

DGD, then 3. We were at MK the last day ToonTown was open, and we were waiting for the monorail to take us back to BLT to catch DME to the airport. Just as the monorail pulls up DGD remembers she "forgot" to get her face painted at the kiosk in ToonTown. DH threw her up on his shoulders and made a mad dash across the park. I proceeded, in my WC, to BLT to check in for ME. DH and DGD arrived at the ME bus stop with about 10 minutes to spare, and she did look awfully cute. We got on the bus, and that's when it hit her-we're going home! She started to wail, kick, sob, scram. . .tears were streaming down her pretty painted face. . .as the paint begins to run in one muddy mess. By the time she settled down one side of her face looked pristine-the other side looked like a massive bruise.

 

[kbmartin]

I hope you all don't think we are terrible people, but my DH and I love seeing the meltdowns. They make for funny stories and often are quotable... So here are some of the ones we have enjoyed. I think most meltdowns are better in the moment, but I figured I would share.

1.

- I hope it's okay to post a video! This is a video of a cast member freaking out because guests keep getting up and leaving while the Carousel of Progress is running. We didn't post this, but we think it's hilarious.

2. We had a dinner reservation for Cape May Cafe one night and had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated, so we decided to spend some of it on the beach. I think there was a hammock or a swing, and we decided to people watch. A mom was pushing a double stroller while her husband was on the phone. Suddenly she screamed at him, "Can't we just have a HALF HOUR of FAMILY TIME?!"

3. At Epcot, we were walking towards Mission: Space behind a British mom and her teenage daughter. The daughter was acting pouty about something, so the mom said, "Jessa, I've had ENOUGH of your jealousy!" We followed them onto the ride, where the rest of their family was waiting, but nothing more happened.

4. When I was in middle school, my family decided to vacation with my aunt and uncle and our two cousins. My sister, who was 11 at the time, can get crabby from time to time, and my uncle just pushed her buttons a little too far on our day at AK. We went on Dinosaur, which was a brand new ride at the time. My sister apparently had been terrified on the ride, as evident on the photo you get to view after the ride. It was taken when the giant dinosaur (can't remember its name...) pops out at the ride vehicle. She was screaming and looked like she legitimately thought she was about to be eaten. Everyone kept teasing her about it, and she just got more and more angry. An hour later, my uncle somehow wandered off and purchased the photo. He presented it to her, and she basically reacted like this: . My mom had to take her away from our group for a while to calm down. My uncle just never learns when it's time to stop stirring the pot.

5. My sister cried for an hour when she was taken on Alien Encounter that year. I guess that wasn't really such a great trip for her. As the big sister, I thought it was great.

6. The craziest meltdown we have EVER seen was at the Orlando airport, waiting for our luggage. We always come in on a night flight; it was about 10:30 pm. We somehow ended up next to a woman in her late 20s who was cussing out her mom and dad on the phone about her brother who was going to be an hour late picking her up from the airport. She kept complaining about how they always took her brother's side. Her phone's volume was so loud that we could hear her parents' responses. They said that if this is such a problem, maybe she should move out. "Well you know I can't afford that!" she snapped back. There was a mom and her young son next to us who heard the whole thing, too, and my DH couldn't resist making a comment. "Well, this is the land of magic and dreams, after all!" he said. They chuckled, but the woman having the tantrum glared at him, grabbed her luggage, and probably continued her verbal assault elsewhere in the airport while waiting an entire hour.


I'll certainly return to this thread after our trip in August and post new stories!

 

[85glht]

I hope you all don't think we are terrible people, but my DH and I love seeing the meltdowns. They make for funny stories and often are quotable... So here are some of the ones we have enjoyed. I think most meltdowns are better in the moment, but I figured I would share.


I'll certainly return to this thread after our trip in August and post new stories!

Nope, my wife and I do people watch while visiting the World. It's a fun thing to do.

Going down there soon.... Hopefully to add to this thread also.

 

[Tresmama]

My grandson had a meltdown at Wilderness Lodge. He was a little over 2, and a Disney veteran. We had a nice day, broken up by going back to the hotel for a swim, food and nap. He was excited to go back to Magic Kingdom to see fireworks. We waited on the dock for the boat this time, he loved looking at the water. He was always an angel, and so well behaved, someone even gave him a quarter because he accidentally dropped his own nickel and it fell thru the dock slats, and didn't get upset. He was so impressive with his 2 year old good manners, and we must have gotten a little smug. The boat came, and he went to step on the deck, and the boat moved. He shook his head, and said NO! His mother picked him up, and stepped on to the boat and said YES! -The screams that poured out of that child curled my hair. I have never heard anything like it especially from HIM!!! We just knew the minute the boat got under way he would be fine-and quiet. He always was!! NOPE. He screamed for 17 long minutes. Longest minutes of our lives, and everyone else who had to hear him. He stopped crying the instant his feet touched ground. Wiped his tears and walked down Main Street to see fireworks. Ever since that day-we have NEVER judged another mother/father/grandma with a screaming kid. You just never know. We took the bus back to the hotel that night.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I don't have melt downs anymore since I go alone mostly. I don't have to whine and cry I don't want to leave when my family does
It use to be my DH pulling me out hahahaha

 

[heaven2dc]

DGD, then 3. We were at MK the last day ToonTown was open, and we were waiting for the monorail to take us back to BLT to catch DME to the airport. Just as the monorail pulls up DGD remembers she "forgot" to get her face painted at the kiosk in ToonTown. DH threw her up on his shoulders and made a mad dash across the park. I proceeded, in my WC, to BLT to check in for ME. DH and DGD arrived at the ME bus stop with about 10 minutes to spare, and she did look awfully cute. We got on the bus, and that's when it hit her-we're going home! She started to wail, kick, sob, scram. . .tears were streaming down her pretty painted face. . .as the paint begins to run in one muddy mess. By the time she settled down one side of her face looked pristine-the other side looked like a massive bruise.

Aww.....that is probably the saddest story I've heard! I hope she got to visit WDW again to relive her happy times!

 

[Vijoge]

Aww.....that is probably the saddest story I've heard! I hope she got to visit WDW again to relive her happy times!

She'll be there for her 9th birthday in February. I just splurged and booked a one bedroom Savannah View at AKV . You're only 9 once, right?

 

[aebeauregard]

I was pregnant on our last trip so I was sitting at some tables in the shade while the rest of my party was doing some of the Mountains. There was a Mom there with a couple kids probably ages 4 and 6. The kids were acting a little crazy and the mom was trying to get her young boy to sit down and eat something. The boy got upset and hit his mom in the face and screamed "no", then the mom proceeded to scream at her kid "We don't hit people." and then she slapped him across his face HARD and the kid started bawling. It made me uncomfortable to watch. I just kept thinking "if you tell him not to hit but his punishment is getting slapped in the face I think you have some contradicting rules." Wasn't fun to see...it was a big reality check that I was still in the real world and not in a magical bubble.

 

[DisneyGeekyParadise]

Been quite awhile since the last reply, so here's a bump up on this in hopes the meltdown stories will keep coming!

 

[DisAli Mom]

On my last trip, my SIL and I almost got in to a fist fight with a loon at the BBB photo area because, according to this nutbar, we had the audacity to not applaud when this crazy woman's baby was announced by the Fairy Godmother in Training/hair dresser after their makeover. How dare we be focusing on our own children lol. This woman was ranting and raving and threatening our kids that she was going to jump in front of their pictures to ruin their time like we all did to her child. I ignored her up until she made my daughter and niece cry, and then it was ON.

Oh my G-d, that is terrible. I hope you gave it to her good. But I feel bad for her daughter for having a nut job for a mother

 

[DisAli Mom]

I had an epic meltdown in line and across the park when I was like 9 or 10 because my brother put and smashed gum in my hair while we were in line for splash mountain after we had been waiting for like 90 minutes. I was more mad at first that my dad made us leave the line to head to first aid and we didn't get to ride, up until we got to first aid and they gave my dad scissors to cut the clump out of my hair. I was pretty inconsolable after he cut a big chunk out (think dramatic sobbing and refusing to leave first aid) and even when the CM at first aid gave my dad fast passes we could use wherever we wanted I was screaming "FAST PASSES WON'T MAKE MY HAIR COME BACK!" all the way back to the resort.

Now whenever one of us see a meltdown in the parks, we say that at one another and laugh.

Sheesh - that's dads for you. Peanut butter would have gotten the gum out. I've had to use it several times, on myself... Once when my cousin decided to do the same as your brother, and the other when I fell asleep with gum in my mouth.

My husband would have cut my daughter's hair as well.

 

[anneboleyn]

Oh my G-d, that is terrible. I hope you gave it to her good. But I feel bad for her daughter for having a nut job for a mother

Yeah it was insane. I avoid confrontation at all costs so the fact that I went off shocked everyone but that nutbar deserved it lol

 

[DisAli Mom]

So this is not as much a meltdown as a situation. My sister-in-law is a little claustrophobic, but I convinced her to ride test track as it is not that enclosed and the car is open.

She agreed and had a great time, until... At the very end of the ride, after entering the building after the last part of the ride on the outdoor track, the ride stalls. Mind you, although we are inside the building, the ceilings are tall and the space is wide and open, but my SIL starts to freak out. She starts panicking and yelling for help. Her daughter who is sitting next to her in the front row, next to my daughter, starts panicking and crying as well, bc of her mother's situation.

Now usually at this point you would expect someone from the ride to come over to us, as my SIL at this point is in full out panic mode, as is her daughter, and they are screaming"Help". Not only does no one come over, none of the other cars on the ride are reacting either. My SIL was in no danger, but what if someone was having a heart attack... Nothing.

At one point a custodian peaked out to see what was going on, but did nothing. Unbelievable.

This went on for a good 10 minutes. At one point they were frenzied. I felt really terrible but all I could do was try to calm my SIL down.

I was just truly disappointed at the (non)reaction from ride attendants. We were waving at the cameras and yelling for a good 10 minutes if not longer

Needless to say, after we finally got out, I went over to Guest Relations and gave them a piece of my mind. In my mind, this was completely negligent behavior on their part. They tried to appease me with some fastpasses of course (which I accepted) but still logged the complaint. Not what I would have expected from Disney.

 

[DisAli Mom]

While waiting in line for Toy Story, we were preceded by a family that included an older lady riding an electric cart. The cart was loaded with all of their packages, including a couple of drinks with straws in front cup holders. At some point, one of the drinks gets spilled on the floor. In the ensuing argument between family members regarding the mess, the lady got up from her electric cart and walked away, leaving the cart and spill remaining. My husband and I still joke about the miracle healing of the lady in the Toy Story line.

Hahahahahahaha!

 

[DisAli Mom]

Well...I've got something to add...again, sadly.
About 2 days ago at Tusker house, I was peacefully dining when suddenly, this ear-piercing banshee screech erupts from the table across from me. I felt like I was going deaf. I looked over, and it was this small girl, having a screaming meltdown every 3 minutes for no reason, and then going back to normal after 20 seconds of ear-bleeding shrills of screams came out of her mouth. Needless to say, I left early...just couldn't stand it! I actually couldn't hear the background music for the park I went to the day after that well because my ears were still in shock of those screams. Whenever I heard another pterodactyl screech come out of that girl's mouth, I would freeze up because of it...funny thing is, I don't think any of the characters went over to do a meet with that family left. I think they were scared too.

I know I shouldn't judge other families, but in situations like that, which are rare in my family, I would take my child out of the restaurant and have a good talking to her. Even at 3 yrs, our children understand, and they know how to manipulate us at 3 months.

It's just not fair to others who are trying to enjoy themselves. Sometimes these situations can't be helped, like when a child out of nowhere throws a tantrum and just can't be consoled. But other times, especially when I see parents just ignoring the child and letting them go on like that, it just tells me they don't care about the people around them.

This is not everyone, but there are many people like that. Very irksome.

 

[goofyernmost]

So this is not as much a meltdown as a situation. My sister-in-law is a little claustrophobic, but I convinced her to ride test track as it is not that enclosed and the car is open.

She agreed and had a great time, until... At the very end of the ride, after entering the building after the last part of the ride on the outdoor track, the ride stalls. Mind you, although we are inside the building, the ceilings are tall and the space is wide and open, but my SIL starts to freak out. She starts panicking and yelling for help. Her daughter who is sitting next to her in the front row, next to my daughter, starts panicking and crying as well, bc of her mother's situation.

Now usually at this point you would expect someone from the ride to come over to us, as my SIL at this point is in full out panic mode, as is her daughter, and they are screaming"Help". Not only does no one come over, none of the other cars on the ride are reacting either. My SIL was in no danger, but what if someone was having a heart attack... Nothing.

At one point a custodian peaked out to see what was going on, but did nothing. Unbelievable.

This went on for a good 10 minutes. At one point they were frenzied. I felt really terrible but all I could do was try to calm my SIL down.

I was just truly disappointed at the (non)reaction from ride attendants. We were waving at the cameras and yelling for a good 10 minutes if not longer

Needless to say, after we finally got out, I went over to Guest Relations and gave them a piece of my mind. In my mind, this was completely negligent behavior on their part. They tried to appease me with some fastpasses of course (which I accepted) but still logged the complaint. Not what I would have expected from Disney.

Suppose they had reacted, what do you think they could have done about someone having a reaction to nothing. That is a personal problem, not Disney's, her problem was well beyond Claustrophobia. That was downright mental illness.

 

[princessbee]

Suppose they had reacted, what do you think they could have done about someone having a reaction to nothing. That is a personal problem, not Disney's, her problem was well beyond Claustrophobia. That was downright mental illness.

As someone with a panic disorder, I'm really bummed out about this attitude! It was probably a panic attack, and many people who work with the public are trained to help de-escalate those. At the very least they could have helped de-escalate the daughter. Also, a phobia IS a mental health problem.

 

[chelynnah]

Suppose they had reacted, what do you think they could have done about someone having a reaction to nothing. That is a personal problem, not Disney's, her problem was well beyond Claustrophobia. That was downright mental illness.

They could have helped talk her down, or given some more information to help de-escalate the panic attack, or they may even have been able to get that one car's worth of people off the ride.

Judgemental much?