You can spend a ton of time planning your Disney World vacation — making sure you have the best restaurant reservations and are maximizing your time in the parks — but some things are still out of your control.
No matter how much you plan, the weather can still not cooperate, rides can shut down with no explanation, or you could not be able to grab the Genie+ reservations you wanted. Another thing that can affect your Disney vacation that is out of your control is other guests.
To help you be prepared, these are 12 types of people you’ll most likely see on your trip!
The People with No Social Awareness
Now, these people can come in different shapes and forms. There’s the person who has no concept of personal space and stands way too close to you in line, there’s the super loud talker…
…or there are the people who listen to videos/music out loud while in line. Seriously, why do people do this? We don’t want to hear your podcast while in line for Haunted Mansion!
Then you have people who walk incredible slow in the very middle of a walkway. Move to one side, please!
And we have to talk about fireworks. There are usually those people who put their young kids on their shoulders, blocking a bunch of peoples’ view of the fireworks. We get your little one wants to see the show, but so do we, and some of us are short! Maybe find a viewing area for them where they won’t be blocking someone else’s view.
Speaking of kids and parents, there are also those people who let their kids behave however they want, running amuck through the parks or climbing on top of things they shouldn’t. Remember that other people are trying to enjoy the parks, too!
And finally, there is THAT person who recites the pre-show spiel word for word during the pre-show of a ride. Many of us have encountered THAT person. We get that you’re a big fan and you’ve been on the ride a lot, but there are often people experiencing rides for the very first time EVER, and they should get to experience it without you pretending you’re the Ghost Host in the Stretching Room.
Tour Groups
It is very likely that you will encounter a tour group during your time in Disney World. They’re usually easy to spot, because they’re all wearing the same exact shirt, and there’s a leader with a giant flag moving them from place to place.
We love that people get to experience Disney with a bunch of their loved ones or classmates, but sometimes they can fall into the “no social awareness” category we were just talking about. They can and will take up entire walkways. If you see a herd of the same color shirt moving toward you, beware!
It’s also not uncommon to hear the tour group singing very loud chants while waiting in line or walking around. Again, other people are trying to enjoy the parks, too! It’s not the most magical feeling to hear a chant every 10 minutes when you’re trying to enjoy the fun music in Tomorrowland.
Family Reunion
Similar to tour groups, we have the family reunion. A lot of people choose to have their family reunions at Disney World, and you can tell, again, by the matching shirts usually.
But families are…difficult sometimes, and we have seen a bunch of family reunions around Disney where everyone just looks like they’re mad at each other. And we don’t blame them! Stick a family together in a hot, busy theme park, and tensions can easily get high.
Proposals
It’s no surprise that Disney World is a popular place for people to pop the question. And, of course, one of the main spots for proposals is in front of Cinderella Castle!
It’s usually super exciting to get to witness a proposal; we may or may not have cried several times seeing random strangers getting engaged around the parks.
Just try to be aware if you see a proposal happening; don’t shout anything, try and stay out of their pictures, etc. Nobody wants their special moment interrupted!
Giant Stroller People
You know them, you’ve seen them, you’ve had your ankles run into by them. Some families come prepared with GIANT strollers in the parks.
These take up a lot of room, so try not to get stuck behind one if you need to power walk to your dining reservation!
These strollers can also double, apparently, as large storage units for anything a family might need. Seriously, we’ve seen some strollers that have a ton of supplies in them — jackets, snacks, toys, shoes, a mini-fridge — you name it, it’s in there!
Angry Families
Now, this is different than the family reunions, because these are usually smaller groups, and family reunions aren’t always angry. We’re talking about the family you see yelling at each other walking around the World Showcase.
Again, tensions can easily get high in Disney World, we get it. You’re hot and tired, your feet hurt, you’re hungry — all of those things can lead to these blow ups.
But seeing parents yell at their kids isn’t very Disney magic vibes, you know? A lot of these kids likely go from rope drop to close without a break — yikes! You’re just asking for a worn out toddler temper tantrum (or a hangry one!).
When the parents are equally as exhausted, that’s when you get the family yelling at each other on Sunset Boulevard. It’s sad to watch and likely a big bummer to be part of.
Fast Walkers
Ever see those people who look like they’re in a big hurry? Yeah, those are the ones we’re talking about. And no shame — we can be like this, too!
Many people will speed walk around Disney because you’ve got to maximize that precious park time. You can often see them quickly maneuvering around people who are walking too slowly.
Drunk People in EPCOT
It wouldn’t be EPCOT if you didn’t encounter some intoxicated people! Drinking around the world has become a HUGE draw for the park, often being the only reason some people even visit EPCOT.
It’s a common place to see bachelorette or bachelor parties, 21st birthday parties, or just friends in matching T-shirts that say something along the lines of “conquering the world one drink at a time.”
Now, Disney doesn’t really let people get wildly out of hand. It is not common to see a person passed out on a bench in Canada — Disney makes sure of that! But there are still some pretty tipsy people you can find wandering around World Showcase. Remember to drink responsibly — and drink water, too!
Honeymooners
Disney is obviously a very popular place for newlyweds to go on their honeymoons.
You can usually spot these couples because they’ll be wearing “Just Married” shirts or buttons or sometimes the bridal Minnie ears with the veil. We love seeing people making their own happily ever after!
Fun Parents
By fun parents, we mean the parents who are full on embracing the Disney magic and acting like a kid again with their kids. Playing around, laughing, getting super into PhotoPass shoots — these people are SO fun to see!
Disney is a place where you are free to feel young again and let your imagination run wild. After all, Walt wanted Disney to be a place where adults and kids could have fun together, so it’s awesome to see that in real life.
First Timers
These are some of the best people you can encounter — people who have never been to Disney World before. It’s truly wonderful to see a Disney newbie’s face light up when they see Cinderella Castle for the first time.
Or when a little kid sees their favorite Disney character for the first time in real life and freaks out — yeah, we’ve cried over that before! It’s just so darn cute. Whether they’re kids or adults, seeing Disney magic wash over people doesn’t get old.
The BEST Cast Members
Disney World is what it is because of amazing Cast Members! We’ve encountered many awesome CMs over the years, from those who have been there since opening day in 1971 to the ones who are singing and dancing outside of Casey’s Corner.
Cast Members can sometimes even sprinkle a little Pixie Dust on your vacation to make it extra special! These CMs deserve the world, so if you encounter some great ones during your trip, make sure to give them a Cast Compliment!
Those are all the kinds of people you’ll likely encounter in Disney World! Stay tuned to All Ears for more Disney tips, info, and news.
Click here to see 15 tips we’ve learned by going to Disney World every day
Do you think any other types of Disney World guests should’ve made our list? Let us know in the comments!
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I actually had a person sit down on my leg while I was sitting waiting for a parade to start. I was sitting crossed legged, and she tried to squeeze between me and the person next to me and sat on my knee. Now that’s what I call disrespecting personal space!!
And I’m definitely a FUN parent/grandparent.
to be fair, it’s hot, it’s humid, kids are kids, and parents are entitled to a meltdown on vacation once in awhile. anyone who claims it’s never happened to them is lying.
On my last trip there was a dad with two kids ahead of us in line for mine train and they were dancing and singing the whole time. And the tiniest little girl bravely “shooting” Kylo Ren with her bubble wand – until he spotted her and she ran to hide behind mom! Sometimes the people are the most magical part!
Here’s another two.
People who create a line waiting to use just one door when there’s a perfectly good pair of opening doors available!
People who insist on walking as if it was a highway, ie keeping to the right when there’s a perfect amount of space to move in, all around!
My all time favorite is, the people who for no reason, come to a dead stop in a crowd while walking, or a group does.
Or the adult stroller riders who feel, they have the right of way.
Or riders who lie, and say their family is just up ahead in line, could they get by.
Parents who have their face in the phone, and don’t watch where their kids are.
Parents who let kids kick seats in a theater, or on a ride, and just ignore their actions.
So their are more than 13 types !!!!!!
People who come to a dead stop, and their close cousins the oblivious guest. They stop in the middle of anywhere with traffic or suddenly back up or change direction without checking where they are going, then running into people, or strollers & ECVs who are trying to be kind and avoid people in the first place. They force others to have to react to them and move around them or in the case of strollers and ECVs crash into them or suddenly stop and then someone crashes into the stroller or ECV because they can’t change direction on a dime.
Can you tell that I’m a bit salty about oblivious guests?
I recently saw Breedlove at Animal Kingdom, creating content and fast walking at the same time. I wanted to stop and say hello but he was moving too fast for me. 😎
Yes
You missed the people who choose to eat vile foods while on line during a hot summer day.
Things like all manner of fish jerky and other foreign oderus foods. Then there foreigners who have not yet learned about deodorant. You are either stuck in front or behind them but neither provides any better relief. The lucky ones only have to endure it for a short each time the line criss-crosses and you are in the opposite lane.