It's a Look At Me World

"Small World" in 2016, my last time at Disneyland

Fellow patrons can ruin group experiences like movies in theaters and classical music concerts. The obnoxious behavior has even spread to Disneyland. [bold added]

As the lights dim in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, the famous Paul Frees narration begins.

“Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion,” he intones. “I am your host — your ghost host. Kindly step all the way in please, and make room for everyone. There’s no turning back now.”

If you are lucky, you can listen to Frees’ chilling voice as it was intended. But nine times out of 10, someone talks along, mimicking Frees’ iconic cadence. This isn’t a new phenomenon — but we’re long past the point of calling out Disney guests who selfishly do this.

No one comes to Disneyland with a dream of hearing random strangers recite voice-overs. Just because you’ve been on a ride enough times to memorize the spiel doesn’t mean others have. It’s one thing to laugh, clap or otherwise quietly enjoy an attraction. It’s quite another to become a distraction.

For some, Disneyland could be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so you may be tainting someone’s first and only opportunity to enjoy the theme park.

Talking on rides doesn’t just extend to mimicking voice-overs. It’s been years since I’ve enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean in silence. There’s always a party in one of the rows chatting about dinner plans or catching up on Sharon’s latest dating drama. First-timers are at the mercy of regulars who apparently view the experience as a moving park bench. If your conversation can’t wait 15 minutes, you shouldn’t be getting on a ride.

On a recent trip, the group behind me — full-grown adults who had met up after work — spent the bayou scene arguing about how loud they should scream on the ride’s upcoming drop. Later, on “it’s a small world,” a dad with his kids began aggressively shifting his weight back and forth to make the boat rock. Another adult in his party laughed along as he proceeded to ruin the ride for everyone else — and model terrible behavior for the next generation of Disney guests sitting beside him.

Look at me because I know the words to "small world" or what comes next on the ride. It only takes a few bad apples to spoil the barrel.

There will be no resurgence of humility and civility, as Pride, which is often regarded as the worst of the seven deadly sins, is not only accepted but celebrated in the month of June.