5. Ignoring signage and cast member instructions

Just read this slowly...

Some of the warning signs at Walt Disney World can really get your head scratching. How many people are hopping off the Living with the Land boat, for example? Are people just plucking vegetables from the shore straight off the ride? And, by Goofy’s ears, what poo-tastrophe inspired the warning signs at the Liquid Layer fountains in Epcot?

Most warning signs at Walt Disney World are common sense, but it can prove frustrating fast when people outright ignore them and cast member instructions. We’ve talked before about things people need to stop trying to sneak into Walt Disney World, like selfie sticks and bottles of wine—half of these things could be avoided by just paying attention to signage and listening to cast members.

If a cast member tells you that your child can’t climb on an object, they’re not picking on your kid. They’re preventing your kids from getting injured or from damaging equipment and scenery. If a cast member says you need to move all the way along a row, just do so—staunchly planting your butt in the center of the theater is just going to delay the show for everyone else. This one isn’t complicated. There’s a reason Walt Disney World guests are called just that—guests.

Remedy:

This one’s not hard. Stay aware of your surroundings and pay attention to signage. Treat cast members with respect and teach your kids to do the same.

6. Photopass fumbles

Image: Disney

We could probably do an entire article about Photopass etiquette, but there are a few key behaviors that really drive Disney fans batty. The good news is they are all easy to avoid.

I think almost every Walt Disney World regular has experienced the dreaded post-ride Photopass rush. Guests hurry from the ride to the Photopass screens to scan their MagicBands—only you can’t get to the button because a family has camped out in front of it. Usually this isn’t an issue as Disney has some great technology to pair Photopass photos with riders without bands ever needing to be scanned, but it is always better to be sure as photos can be lost, and it can sometimes be a pain to get a picture pulled back up just to add it to your account.

Photopass fits are another cringeworthy behavior. These are rarer, but every once in a while, you run into a family who just isn’t happy with their Photopass photo. Maybe they were sharing a car with another party who wanted to do something fun in their photo, like make funny faces or pose. If you’re a Walt Disney World regular, you’re probably used to the fact that not all Photopass photos are gems, but things can get awkward very quickly when people take Photopass fumbles as a personal affront and make a scene.

Remedy:

Stay courteous at Photopass stops. Share the space with other guests and make way quickly for others to scan their Magic Bands. As for ruined pictures, if someone does something genuinely offensive in a Photopass photo (such as making a rude gesture), talk to a cast member and see if anything can be done. They might be able to get you a ride pass or refer you to Guest Relations for help. If the issue is just that a different party had different tastes than you, in the words of Elsa, learn how to “Let it go”. Laugh it off and remember that Walt Disney World is a shared experience. There will be more Photopass opportunities on your vacation.

7. Treating cast members poorly

The Walt Disney World experience isn’t possible without the cast members who work hard every day to make guest visits magical. It can be easy to forget that even the most “fun” Disney jobs are not always sunshine and rainbows. Cast members are fellow humans with feelings, good days, and bad days.

The most cringeworthy faux pas of all is to ever mistreat them.

Now, we’ve talked before about what to do if you have a legitimate issue crop up with a Disney cast member. Unfortunately, most issues where cast members are mistreated do not fall into this category. The cast member letting people know a ride has been temporarily closed has no power to reopen it. The cast member in character at Haunted Mansion or the Tower of Terror isn’t actually a brooding weirdo—they are actors in character who bring laughter to guests who get the joke. Your Photopass photographer is not an automaton to be ordered about.

Remedy:

Treat cast members kindly and courteously. The world becomes a better place when we stop seeing people we interact with just as functionaries, and we remember to see them as human beings. This goes for cast members and fellow guests. Walt Disney World truly becomes the Most Magical Place on Earth when we learn how to be courteous to each other. Kindness and patience are truly the best remedy, and we can make a cast member or fellow guest’s day by sharing it.