Obnoxious Disneyland and Walt Disney World Pass Holder Behavior

As an annual pass holder and Parent of a Cast Member some things I have read in AP’s discussion groups are bothering me. A hot topic is how our fellow AP’s are acting. Most pass holders are nice, but the rude behavior is out of control.

Before I became a stay at-home parent, I worked in retail management. Most of my adult life I handled rude people at work. Once someone has decided they are unhappy, it’s tough to make them happy. Sometimes even the most helpful worker is accused of rudeness.

Many people are complaining online in pass holder groups about cast members. Most stories make the AP look bad. Other pass holders will dive in and troll them.

I’ve had plenty of practice dealing with negativity. I try my hardest not to pass judgement. In all honesty, even I’ve been rude before too. We are all guilty of being rude at least once.

The thing is when we interact a Cast Member we forget we don’t know them in real life. What we perceive as a rude tone of voice could be their actual voice.

I notice people who think the Cast Member is at fault was the one being rude. When someone’s offended, they can overreact.

A small fraction of people feel a sense of entitlement at Disney because the trip or pass can be expensive.

We all pay admission though so no one’s entitled to special treatment. If you want special treatment, hire a guide for the day. 

I’ve seen children not tall enough to go for a ride and Cast Member trying to explain this to the parent. Who says but I’m a pass holder let my child on. A woman got mad at a Space Mountain Cast Member when she told her that her child was not tall enough to ride. The woman picked up her child and ignored the Cast Member and went through the queue. The child was at most three. When she approached the second checkpoint, she was told the same.

People spew the line I’m a pass holder as a validation to get what they want. If they run out of something they use the pass holder line as if that will make the item appear.

If an attraction or restaurant is closing people use the pass as a bargaining chip. Like, they won’t renew the pass or will complain if they do not get what they want.

The ride ran out of FastPasses? But I am a pass holder get me one. I have to get off? Can I go around once more? I’m a pass holder.

The phrase becomes a threat. An annual pass does not grant you exclusive rights. A Cast Member is not fearful of reprisals because of a complaint but a complaint from an annual pass holder.

This has to stop. A Disney annual pass is not a status symbol. Most people do not care what kind of pass you or if you paid in full. Why does your pass matter enough to be a part of your Instagram bio?

I do not care if I make people mad. Spend enough time at Disney you see behavior like this often. Some Disney bloggers need to stick their neck out and focus on issues no one discusses.

People expect Disney Bloggers and Vloggers always to be positive. The fact is, we are human too, and we get annoyed.

As pass holders take for granted we are privileged to go to Disney. We go whenever we want and get exclusive perks a few times a year. Having a pass does not mean you get to do whatever you want.

This behavior does not occur at Knotts Berry Farm at all. I do not hear these stories about Knott’s. This is a Disney issue.  

On a side note someone has asked me several times to address an issue. I am told people are screaming on the Haunted Mansion elevator. It’s rude. People yell to be annoying. It’s worth mentioning. Because I board these rides with a FastPass, I see many of the screamers are AP’s. Because they scan their passes before mine. In the Haunted Mansion, it’s easy to spot an AP. They line up in front of the elevator door and scream when the scream happens on the ride. I wish people would stop doing this. They scare the kids, and it’s annoying. It is not funny or cool cut it out.

I dislike being negative. So if you want to read a unique and positive perspective on the crowds read my post on the plus side of the crowds. You can read my post about that here.