Stupid Guest Tricks

Ms. Matterhorn wrote:February! Where have you been? You have been missed!

Aww thanks! I'm not quite sure where I went really I didn't like it so I came back here :) *hugs*!

OMG, those prices are unreal!

It seems to me that a lot of families who don't plan their trips online and such are going to be in for a huge case of sticker shock. I feel so bad for the poor CM's who have to tell them.

I mean, I thought the ECV rental prices were getting out of control- but those I can understand much more than 30some bucks a day for a double stroller! I guess they really want people to bring their own- which is going to be interesting considering all the restrictions that the airlines are now putting on people about checking baggage - one bag or you pay through the nose!

But that's another thread LOL

I have mixed feelings about this. I love the fact that maybe at least some kids will have to *gasp* walk! There are way too many children in this country who do not get exercise and I've seen parents pushing children WAAAAY to old in those strollers. Your 8 year old is perfectly capable of walking. Having worked in strollerland, I also like the possibility there will be fewer of them. Stroller positions are the biggest pain. I hate when I'm greeting or doing FP Return at Pooh and have to leave my position because some Ya-hoo just put their stroller in a walkway. I hate being yelled at because I moved their stroller to make room or put it in the right position. I hate finding the strollers chained to railings where they are a definite fire hazard and then getting yelled at when we tell them why they can't do it or have security cut the chain. Your kids are FAT and LAZY and maybe if you make junior walk he won't grow up to be 500 lbs! (Man that felt good)!

On the other hand, the strollers are a godsend for some families. Toddlers are too young walk all day and the parents are going to get tired if they have to carry them. I would never bring my own stroller into the park. I have seen way too many strollers get taken by people whose stroller looks just like yours. I've seen way too many strollers misplaced, or placed in an unusual area by a disgruntled CM (which is never okay in my book.) If it is a park stroller we can get you a new one and as long as you didn't keep valuables in there you're fine. If it's your own expensive stroller that goes missing you're spending a good chunk of time talking to security, and while we'll give you a replacement in the meantime, you'll spend most of the day stressing. Plus, from a stroller parking persepctive, it is much easier to park the park strollers since they all have the same types of wheels and dimensions.

Finally, I too worry about people using a wheelchair as a stroller. Not only will this make them less available for the people who need them, it will also start to clog the wheelchair entrances that we need for people who have a legitimate reason to bypass the regular line (like wish kids, kids with autism, etc.) The only way to combat that is to raise the price of wheelchairs. I'm not totally opposed to that. It sucks that it would raise the price for people who genuinely need them, but it would help to cut down on the people renting them just to get into the wheelchair lines. Nothing gets my goat more than parents using them as a stroller just so little jr. doesn't have to wait. Thank God for parks like DAK where all the entrances are WC accessible. Now if only the other parks will follow suit we could keep the price low and people will stop renting them just to get on the ride.

I hate the price increase, but will suck it up. My boys (5 and 6) are too big for their old double stroller, and the park ones manuever so much better than a standard stroller. They are both VERY fit - not an ounce of fat on either of them - and they do a lot of walking. But because we criss-cross the parks, we need to be able to corral them and move quickly - faster than their little legs can carry them. So we use a stroller, park it, walk to different rides, then go across the park. This will probably be our last trip to use a storller - one they 7 and 8, I think they can walk.
As usual, the few ruin it for the many. I can't tell you how many fat kids over the age of 8 I saw stuffed into strollers - or strollers being used to carry stuff. Sheez.

SWTexasBelle wrote: As usual, the few ruin it for the many. I can't tell you how many fat kids over the age of 8 I saw stuffed into strollers - or strollers being used to carry stuff. Sheez.

I seen ADULTS squeezed into strollers! It's quite comical and am urged to take pictures of all the ones I see and post them online.

Won't the price increase just encourage people to rent 2 single strollers?

acourtwdw wrote:Won't the price increase just encourage people to rent 2 single strollers?

I would think that, or it will encourage people to steal others strollers. Or it will encourage people to rent a single, claim it was taken, and turn their ticket in for another one. Bam! Two strollers for the price of one!

You will lose a lot of time trying to get a stroller replaced. Been there, done that.

Yeah, we try to discourage people from asking for a replacement if theirs is taken. ;) Actually, it's just because normally the back-up places are out of the way and there's not always guarantees that a stroller will be available. Plus, you normally have to report to security.

Sarah Magdalene wrote:I seen ADULTS squeezed into strollers! It's quite comical and am urged to take pictures of all the ones I see and post them online.

You mean like this one? ;)



This was about an hour after Illuminations. The park was virtually empty and we were walking from the back of World Showcase.
My friends found an abandoned stroller along the walkway and commandeered it for a little while.
(We were nice and brought it back near the front of the park and left it with a bunch of other abandoned strollers)

-Rob

GRUMPY PIRATE wrote:I guess they don't think that the cost increases over time like other things?

I would imagine that the cost of upkeep and cleaning them on a daily basis is very high! Not to mention that replacing parts or repair for damaged ones from SG's!

(warn, no inside info, only speculation.)

It may be possible that due to limited numbers of strollers, limited parking space for strollers that influences how many strollers can be in use at any one time in the parks, etc, by raising the price, more people may decide against renting a stroller for the more marginal children who could easily walk if the parents move at child speed. This would reduce the number of strollers and increase the number of strollers available for rent by those who actually need them. This is in addition to the increasing costs of repair/replacement parts, replacement of entire units when they have been destroyed by careless use. And finally, yes, if there is a way to climb a bit further into the wallet of the guests, with appropriate excuses, it'll happen eventually.

JMHO

Randy