Disney World ‘Bill of NON-Rights’ Created in Response to Growing Anger, Unrest in the Parks

These days, everyone’s talking about their rights. Whether it’s politics, religious practices and beliefs, home ownership, or hair color, people in the United States largely demand that their rights be respected and upheld, and most Americans will go along with that. But sometimes those demands go beyond actual rights and dance on the line of entitlement–an unbecoming accessory no matter the outfit. And sadly, the same is often true of Guests who visit the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida (and possibly Universal Orlando, but that’s another story).

RELATED: Dear Disney Guests: You’re Not Above the Rules, So Stop Acting Like You Are

Fans of the parks want their rights upheld when it comes to the ways in which they access and enjoy the magic of their Disney vacations. Fair enough–or so it would seem, except that for some Guests, those “rights” include the ability to get drunk and deal with the aftermath of the inebriation in whichever way they please, taking another family’s place in the queue, screaming at Cast Members when they don’t get their way, or lying on the ground and throwing a fit–despite the fact that they are grown adults. (Yes, it really happened.)

RELATED: Here’s How to Drink Around the World at EPCOT and NOT End Up in the Headlines Tomorrow

But the truth is that lately, an increasing amount of awful, enraging, and sometimes altogether disgusting Guest behavior in the parks indicates that some fans just can’t handle that kind of power and control. And when you consider that power and control often top the list of unruly and inconsiderate Guests’ demands, it’s no wonder that incidences of bad Guest behavior–including fights, verbal assaults, “fountain surfing,” jumping out of ride vehicles mid-ride, and other terrible things–are on the rise.

Though the number of Guests acting like respectable humans far exceeds the number of Guests acting like fools, there’s enough of a problem at Disney World that additional measures must be taken to ensure the safest, most enjoyable experience for Guests and Cast Members alike, day in and day out. Recently, Disney World issued a stern warning (with associated consequences for failure to comply) to Guests who find it difficult to treat other Guests and Cast Members with respect and common courtesy, indicating that Disney recognizes the changing climate among some Guests in the parks.

But it’s not enough. To that end, this writer has created the “Disney World Guests Bill of NON-Rights,” which details some of the rights  You’ve heard of the Bill of Rights, yes? This, then, will be a bill of rights that Guests at Disney World do not have, despite the fact that many of them act as though they do.

Disney World Guests Bill of Non-Rights

Everyone wants to have his or her rights respected, and it seems that Disney World Cast Members do a good job of respecting not only Guests’ rights but their wishes as well. And because recently demanding people are catered to more than ever–even at the expense of other paying Guests–it’s time fans look at the rights Guests do not have when visiting the Walt Disney World Resort, even though many think that they do.

At Disney World, You DO NOT Have the Right to:

Bring Your Family “Friction” to the Parks

Look, every family has its ups and downs, but if being in the same queue with your family brings out the Disney villain in you, it’s time to reconsider your choice of vacation destinations (and traveling party). Friction between family members arises from time to time, but at Disney World, you DO NOT have the right to air your grievances about Aunt Maude being invited to Thanksgiving, and no one wants to hear verbatim what your sister Jackie said to your step-cousin Ginger when she met her new fiance. Automatic three strikes for spewing that discord decorated with metaphors and expletives that aren’t even appropriately placed.

When you’re standing in front of the Norway pavilion at EPCOT’s World Showcase, and Guests over at the American Adventure pavilion can hear everything you’re saying to your teenage daughter because you don’t approve of her clothing, you’re out of bounds, and you need to ban yourself from the parks–at least until your mood improves and you learn how (and where) to address issues between yourself and your family members. Don’t sully the experience for other Guests.

Act on Your Highly-Developed (but False) Sense of Superiority Over Other Guests

Your mom may tell you every day that you’re better than everyone else, and should you choose to live under that guise, so be it. But NOT at Disney World. In his welcome address to thousands of Guests who attended Disneyland Resort on Opening Day, Walt Disney said the iconic phrase, “To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land.” Pretty sure he intended the same to be true at his East Coast theme park resort as well.

Every single Guest in each Disney theme park is there because he or she purchased a ticket as well–the very fact which means there is no hierarchy of Guests visiting Disney World (even if your mom tells you so). There are no special treatments or rules-abandoning reserved for you because of the clout you dream you have over others. You’ll always be more fulfilled in life (and at Disney World) when kindness and consideration are the tools you use in dealing with others. The rules do apply to you, whether you’re enjoying rides, a Broadway-style show, or a Dole Whip, and if you just can’t “function” in a place where the rules demand that you act with compassion and respect toward others, you need to call American Airlines first thing in the morning and get an earlier flight home. Better yet, see if there are any red-eye flights tonight.

Act on Your Feelings of Hate Toward Any Other Guest 

If your aforementioned superiority complex is spurred by your hatred for others in any way, for any reason, you do not belong at the Walt Disney World Resort. End of story.

Push, Shove, “Steamroll,” or Otherwise Mimic the Behaviors of a Herd of Cattle

When visiting any theme park at Disney World, be reminded that you do not have the right to force your way through an established line of Guests within the ride queue or through crowds of people heading down Main Street, U. S. A. toward Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park. Despite what you might have heard on TikTok, there is no prize for getting to the forecourt first, seriously. And be prepared, because if you move about the parks by pushing, shoving, and forcing your way through crowds of Guests, you’re likely to be met with opposition of varying degrees–possibly in the form of a more forceful push or shove, or worse–resulting in a cataclysmic escalation of tempers that neither you nor any other Guest saw coming.

RELATED: The 12-Foot Wide Guest, Cattle on Main Street, and Rogue Sunglasses: Just a Few of the Many Phenomena We’ve Seen at Disney World With Our Own Eyes

And to all of the ferry-loving Guests leaving Magic Kingdom Park at midnight, please understand the following: Disney World owns more than one ferry boat, and each boat carries hundreds of Guests at a time. You absolutely will get your shot at stepping aboard the Admiral Joe Fowler (or one of the other ferry boats), as no Cast Member will deny you passage and force you to rough it out at Magic Kingdom overnight. You can look up from your smartphone long enough to see that if you didn’t make it on this boat, chances are you’ll probably make it on the next one.

 Use a Baby Stroller as Your Own Personal Means of Crowd Control

Every Disney World Guest who doubles as a parent with children who have graduated from the stroller years will tell you–you can’t use your stroller as a weapon or a means of personal crowd control, no matter where you are. While we parents of now-older children will agree that strollers do have a certain ability for parting the waters like Moses and the Red Sea, there’s one main difference: Moses was making a pathway for himself and all those traveling with him. A stroller barreling tray-first through a crowd of 1,000 Guests lining up for Magic Kingdom Park’s Happily Ever After nighttime show will not end well. For anyone. Trust us.

RELATED: Enraged Guest Makes a Scene With Cast Member Over Where She Can Park Her Stroller

Recite the Entire Haunted Mansion Script, Word-For-Word, So That Everyone Hears You and Looks Upon You as the Famed Disney Parks Expert You Proclaim to Be

We got it. You visit the parks a lot. And that’s a wonderful, beautiful thing. But so do thousands of other Guests who enjoy the Central Florida Disney theme parks as well. And no one wants to hear your best impression of the Ghost Host inside the Haunted Mansion attraction at Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom–even if your maniacal laugh is eerily spot-on.

It’s not that we diehard fans don’t understand; we do, really, we do. The obsession with memorizing the scripts in every iconic Disney World attraction is part of the fandom. (Shout out to all the Guests who’ve finally mastered the Spaceship Earth script at EPCOT!) But for many Guests–some riding in the doom buggy behind you, some in the doom buggy in front of you–today is their first-ever visit to Magic Kingdom. They’ve saved for years for this trip, and they haven’t had the experience yet. Though your performance is probably just as stellar as can be, leave the magic to Disney World, especially for those first-timers. (And for us all-the-timers who simply love it so much, just the way it is!)

Treat Cast Members as Your Personal Servants and Handmaids

This is another one around which there’s no wiggle room. Cast Members are the magic makers, the team players that never quit, the tension-busters, the situation-diffusers, and at times, the emergency handlers. In truth, 99% of them are the kindest, most generously helpful people in the Kingdom of Fandom, and the other 1% won’t last long in the parks, so don’t worry about it. The majority of them love Disney World just like you do–maybe even more–and the terms and conditions of your park ticket purchase did not include your prescribed right to treat Cast Members with disrespect or to make demands of them in any way. Respect is a two-way street, and it is always earned, never just deserved.

If you’re visiting any one of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World this year, why not be a part of the good change we all want to see? Be the kindness someone needs–whether you know they need it or not? Be the friendly voice, extend the friendly gesture, lend the helping hand. Heck, let a family with little ones who are clearly on their first visit step ahead of you in the queue (so long as there aren’t 35 of them and 100 Guests in line behind you, as that will start a cacophony of an entirely different kind). Do something good and kind and magical for another Guest on your visit.

This writer can assure you it would make Walt exceedingly proud, indeed.