5. The moment you almost bulldoze someone’s kid

Kids really play a wonderful role making the Most Magical Place on Earth magical. Everything is new and exciting to them, from rides to characters to their first Mickey Ice Cream bar.

Unfortunately, kids are also, by nature, small, squirrelly, and often aloof of the movements of the big folk around them. Like Tolkien’s hobbits, they can go completely unseen if they wish. Usually, it’s possible to spot a little one wandering through the crowd in time to change course…

…but then the day arrives that you’re walking through Epcot only to be distracted by Pooh bear romping through a garden catching butterflies. In the midst of your childlike wonder (and the uncontrollable urge to shout “BEAR!”), you lose track of your surroundings and nearly squash some poor kid.

Yup—you’re not alone if you’ve accidentally ended up in this most embarrassing of Disney scenarios.

I recognize anything involving kids is a touchy subject. There is a sense of community responsibility to ensure kids are kept safe. It’s important to stay attentive to your surroundings at theme parks, particularly since little ones can wander into awkward places in crowds. As a parent, I would definitely be upset if someone callously plowed into my kid (particularly if we’re talking about Mr. Juggernaut from #3), but often these incidents are total accidents.

A particularly forgiving parent who realizes Junior wandered off might be willing to let the incident slide, but these moments can get particularly awkward if the little one was startled enough to panic or cry. Profuse apologies with a heavy dose of kindness and courtesy are usually the best remedy, but don’t feel too bad if you’ve ended up in this situation despite the best of intentions. Just do your best to keep your eyes open and alert for the next little one who dashes through the crowd directly in the path of your lumbering knees.

6. The stroller derby

If you’re a Disney regular, you knew this one was coming.

I will admit, I once held deep wells of frustration when it came to strollers at Walt Disney World. It seemed like every vacation, someone decided to use their little bundle of joy as a battering ram to mow through a crowd, shove their way into the final spot on the monorail, or plow their way through my person into an ideal parade spot. Stroller shenanigans became a significant pet peeve, one only worsened every time I heard a report of guests actually being injured by overzealous stroller (or scooter) drivers.

It didn’t take long into my time writing for Theme Park Tourist for my attitude to soften towards stroller families—I quickly came to realize the issue was double-edged, just as awkward for parents trying to enjoy the parks with their youngest little ones without crashing into anyone as it was for those who found themselves bumped by rogue strollers. Indeed, for the first time, we are getting ready to join the ranks of new parents likely to need a stroller for Disney jaunts, and I’ve total respect for the plight of moms and dads who have to keep their calm when guests repeatedly cut them off.

It is true that there are some parents who absolutely go mad with power when harnessing the power of a fully armed and operational baby stroller. The Fury Road instinct takes over, and in the throes of adrenaline, they go full Thunderdome on fellow guests, your ankles be darned. My experience is these enigmatic Nutter-Butters fall in the minority, but their aggressive instincts end up giving all stroller and scooter drivers a bad name.

In most cases, the stroller dance occurs due to no particular fault of either parents or pedestrians. It’s extremely hard to stop some strollers fast enough to avoid a collision when someone in front of you comes to a sudden halt or cuts you off. The repeated near-clashes can wear even the most patient parents’ nerves thin. At the same time, no one likes having an aluminum toddler-carriage plow into their shins—particularly if Mr. and Mrs. Juggernaut are at the helm with the hunger for martial combat in their eyes.

What other awkward (and inevitable) moments do you seem to experience every Disney vacation? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook! Thanks for reading!