qruthie attacked in Haunted Mansion last night!

[FlyingPegasus]

Well qruthie and I are at WDW.

Last night we met up with Martydog and Alice for dinner at the Poly.

We decided to go ride pirates and mansion.

When we were in the Stretching Room, we screamed during the part when it gets dark and the skeleton is hanging from the roof.

It was dark and we did not realize that this idiot woman next to q hit her in the face. q said "thanks for assaulting me" and the idiot said "you scared my kid, he is only 3".

So then as we were walking to the ride, q said, "well there are a lot of scary things in the mansion, maybe you should not take your kid in there if he gets sacred that easy."

Then the idiot's husband, who was carrying the kid pushed q up against the wall and I thought he was going to hit her. I jumped in and said "get your hands off of her!" and was about to knock the guy upside the head, when Marty grabbed my arm, pulled me back, and told the guy he better back off. (For those who don't know, I have a second degree black belt, and nobody hurts my friends!)

The guy backed off of q and she ran to go get security. The people decided not to get on the ride with their kid, and left out of the emergency exit.

By then security was asking me where they went and I pointed to the door, and they went and caught the people.

After a lengthy discussion with security q decided not to press charges, but she wanted security to tell the people what they did was wrong and she would have had every right to press charges. She also wanted them to know that the room screams in the recording during that part of the scene.

It was after midnight by then, and the security guy went and got some passes for us so we could stay for extra magic hours.

q is fine, she is just very upset. The woman did not leave a mark when she hit her in the face.

Hopefully the rest of our trip will be uneventfull!

Fly & q

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

OMG!!

I'm so sorry to hear that happened! I'm glad you both are alright. It must have been really scary. I hope all goes well for the rest of your trip. Tell Mickey Mouse that I'm coming see him very soon!

 

[LilyTheBootQueen]

Oh my.. I add extra screams every time in the elevator.. and recite the entire spooky monologue in more creepy tone. It's part of the ride. If you're bringing scardy cat kids on the rides. Don't go with me LOL Actually I have been known to take some scardy cat kids and teach them how to enjoy the fun of it. It's all in the attitude you bring to it.

Sorry you had to deal with lame guests.

 

[SnowyJingleBells]

Eeek!


Sorry for the idiotic guests
Hope the rest of your trip is wonderful!

 

[whs_singingrose]

I'm so sorry you had to deal with those stupid people. They should have known not to get on the ride if it would scare thier child.

I hope the rest of your trip is wonderful, and that you won't have to deal with anymore of that.

 

[aengus]

Sorry to hear this happened to Q! Glad things worked out and got some EMH in as well. Rest of your trip will be smooth sailing for sure

 

[Belle1997]

Hugs Q. Did they not know you are one of the most caring nice indviduals around. So sorry to hear this. I hope they at least escorted those people out of the park. Hope the rest of your trip goes well.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Wow! Well the next we go to WDW and need a bodyguard I know who we call! lol Fly girl I didn't know about the black belt.

Hope Qruthie gets to feeling better and enjoys the rest of the trip!

After all who needs bullies at WDW of all places!

Kim

 

[qruthie]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your kind words. I was shaken up by this incident but I'm okay.

Here's my report about what happened.

I did my usual scream along with the soundtrack thing in the stretching room and got punched in the face for it. It was not a head on punch, the punch came from my right side and slightly behind me. I was able to feel the individual curled fingers and the palm of the hand that hit me. The person who hit me used their right hand.

Before I screamed, while the lights were still on, I stepped away from the people around me so I wouldn't be screaming in anyone's ear. I was hit after I finished screaming but before the lights came back on. I initially thought Fly or Martydog had snuck around behind me and tried to scare me as a joke, something like putting their hand over my mouth but ended up hitting me by accident. When the lights came on, Fly and Martydog were still standing in front of me, just where they had been before the lights went out. I looked to my right and saw a woman who immediately started scolding me for screaming. She said it was totally unnecessary (DUH, but we all do it) and I had ruined the ride for her small child. I calmly said to her, "Thank you for assaulting me." Her husband who was holding the child responded with, "Thank you for scaring our three-year-old son." Meanwhile the banshee was still scolding me. I asked in an agitated voice (hey, I'd just been physically assaulted and now was being verbally assaulted) why they were bringing a child who is so easily scared on this ride. I said, "It's a Haunted Mansion. It's scary." Both the husband and wife continued to shout at me. My plan was to ignore them, continue through the line and report the punching incident to the cast member loading the ride.

But the two just wouldn't shut up and were doing stuff like shaking their fingers in my face. So I shouted back in an angry voice that there are skeletons that pop up and such, the ride is scary. They still wouldn't let up. I said in an angrier voice, "I'm serious. There are skeletons that pop up in the graveyard scene and the ride IS scary." That's when the husband lunged at me and Fly and Martydog jumped in to physically defend me. The husband appeared to be attempting to punch me but his wife restrained his right arm. His left arm was busy holding the child. Meanwhile the banshee was still screaming at me. At that point I had had enough of these people, said I was going to get security and ran back into the stretching room. The door shut behind me and I was in the stretching room all by myself while it reset. That at least put me in a safe place away from people who were physically and verbally attacking me. I then told the cast member greeting guests at the ride entrance that I needed security.

Then lots of cast members showed up, took me backstage and asked me all about what happened. They said I did nothing wrong by screaming. People do it every time. I got to repeat my story a gazillion times while the various cast members doted on me and repeatedly apologized as if it were Disney's fault the banshee hit me. I made a point of explaining my negative behavior - screaming and then shouting back at the family. The cast members were wonderful. At this point we were in three different groups. Fly, Martydog and Alyce were in the ride loading area I believe, I was backstage with cast members and the family was somewhere else.

Security explained to me that it would be a while but my story, my party's story and the family's story all matched up. After the various cast members and security members did a lot of running around (I assume between the three different parties involved) I was asked the big question, did I want to press charges? I would have been pressing charges against the woman and really had to think about what to do. In the end, I decided not to press charges but asked security to tell the family four things. It was MY choice not to press charges, I was sorry I scared their child, the room itself screams and I wasn't the only person screaming. I assume they did that.

My fight or flight adrenaline was rushing through my system the entire time so I was shaking a lot and burst into tears a few times. Once everything with security was taken care of and I calmed down, we continued with our night.

So, that's pretty much what happened. I may have been a bit rattled but I learned something very wonderful as a result of the incident. I have great friends who will step up to protect me no matter what.

If it's not obvious, I have a very low opinion of the family. I don't care who was screaming, it was totally inappropriate to hit the screamer. The mother set a fine example by physically assaulting a stranger who posed no physical threat to her child. The father who most likely believes he was protecting his child, put his child in physical danger by attempting to physically assault me. He led with his left side, the child was essentially a shield. If Fly, Martydog, Alyce or any other guest had decided to get physical with the guy, most likely the child would have been harmed. A totally stellar example of parenting - NOT!

It amazes me that it was MY screaming that scared the child. Many people screamed. The room screamed. In addition, we were plunged into complete darkness then surprised by what seemed to be thunder and lightning. Anyone who looked in the direction of the noise and light had a lovely view of death hanging from a rope. But in that family's pea sized brains, it was my screaming that scared their child. I'd call them morons but that would be an insult to morons.

In any event, I'm okay and I learned my friends love me enough to come to my defense. I'm guessing the family learned nothing positive from the experience and will continue on living their lives ignorantly and arrogantly.

Thank you again for your kind words and support.

Ruth

 

[MomsGoneGoofy]

Hugs Q Sorry to hear what happened to you and glad to hear you are doing okay. You do have wonderful friends.

 

[FlyingPegasus]

Thank you for all of your support. Rest of trip is going great!

Wow! Well the next we go to WDW and need a bodyguard I know who we call! lol Fly girl I didn't know about the black belt.

Hope Qruthie gets to feeling better and enjoys the rest of the trip!

After all who needs bullies at WDW of all places!

Kim

You can call me anytime!

Fly

 

[ChocoKat]

I am so sorry q!
That was totally uncalled for, I am so glad your friends were there for you and that the CM's were sympathetic and handled things properly!

I really don't know what is wrong with some people!

A friend of mine nearly got decked once in a bathroom by some lady. She was using a stall and the lady's little girl was running around pushing and pulling on random stall doors trying to open them even though the bathroom was nearly full.

People kept saying stuff like "Occupied!" "Theres someone here!" and she nearly got clipped by doors being pushed shot several times. The mom just ignored it since she was talking to another of her kids in a stall. When the little girl came by my friend's stall she instinctively pushed the door shot scared that someone would open it.

The kids fingers got caught on the gap she was trying to pull through and let out a blood curling scream. The mom suddenly snapped back and started cursing my friend out at the top of her lungs even after my friend apologized immediately when she heard the scream, she didn't even know it was a kid doing the pulling and pushing.

The mother just kept screaming calling her every name on the book and threatening to actually kill her. The other ladies in the restroom asked her to please pipe down because there were kids on the room and that she should keep an eye on her daughter. Well that just made her go insane on the rest of the ladies. My friend slinked away scared to death and I just stared in shock, couldn't believe it.

The kid BTW had stopped crying within seconds! She had just gotten more startled than anything.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

If it's not obvious, I have a very low opinion of the family. I don't care who was screaming, it was totally inappropriate to hit the screamer. The mother set a fine example by physically assaulting a stranger who posed no physical threat to her child. The father who most likely believes he was protecting his child, put his child in physical danger by attempting to physically assault me. He led with his left side, the child was essentially a shield. If Fly, Martydog, Alyce or any other guest had decided to get physical with the guy, most likely the child would have been harmed. A totally stellar example of parenting - NOT!

It amazes me that it was MY screaming that scared the child. Many people screamed. The room screamed. In addition, we were plunged into complete darkness then surprised by what seemed to be thunder and lightning. Anyone who looked in the direction of the noise and light had a lovely view of death hanging from a rope. But in that family's pea sized brains, it was my screaming that scared their child. I'd call them morons but that would be an insult to morons.

Ruth

Ruth, as I read this thread and the other one and then your post- that's exactly how I felt about that family. There is no reason a 3yr old that scares easily should have even been there or going to ride that ride! And there is MUCH MORE than you (one person) screaming that could have (did) scare her!
but what bothers me is that people are setting examples for their children that it's okay to just HIT people if you don't like what they do, say, etc.? What is this world coming to and why would they want to teach their child that? They and possibly their child are going to end up in jail one day for assaulting (or worse) someone because they think it's "okay" to hit someone if they scream when they don't like it and they are teaching their child that! Violence physically or verbally is never the answer! I mean I know I'm not perfect and although I wouldn't have put myself in this situation with my 3yr old if I was offended by something someone else did- I might SAY something like under my breath "that wasn't called for and scared my daughter" but to reach out and hit someone? And then act like that was okay and continue scolding YOU? As if you screaming was worse than her hitting you? OmG what is this world coming to.

They were completely in the wrong in all ways- starting with bringing their 3yr old child on that ride if they thought they might be scared! Then assaulting you physically then verbally. Why oh why can't people like that see how wrong that is?

I am so sorry q!
That was totally uncalled for, I am so glad your friends were there for you and that the CM's were sympathetic and handled things properly!

I really don't know what is wrong with some people!

A friend of mine nearly got decked once in a bathroom by some lady. She was using a stall and the lady's little girl was running around pushing and pulling on random stall doors trying to open them even though the bathroom was nearly full.

People kept saying stuff like "Occupied!" "Theres someone here!" and she nearly got clipped by doors being pushed shot several times. The mom just ignored it since she was talking to another of her kids in a stall. When the little girl came by my friend's stall she instinctively pushed the door shot scared that someone would open it.

The kids fingers got caught on the gap she was trying to pull through and let out a blood curling scream. The mom suddenly snapped back and started cursing my friend out at the top of her lungs even after my friend apologized immediately when she heard the scream, she didn't even know it was a kid doing the pulling and pushing.

The mother just kept screaming calling her every name on the book and threatening to actually kill her. The other ladies in the restroom asked her to please pipe down because there were kids on the room and that she should keep an eye on her daughter. Well that just made her go insane on the rest of the ladies. My friend slinked away scared to death and I just stared in shock, couldn't believe it.

The kid BTW had stopped crying within seconds! She had just gotten more startled than anything.

I agree with those ladies and would have said the same thing- WATCH YOUR CHILD. She wouldn't have got hurt if her mother wasn't letting her get in a situation where she might get hurt and what were people supposed to do? Let the child open the door while they were sitting on the toilet? UHUH no way -not cool. Another example of "my precious can do whatever she wants even if it bothers the rest of the world" -WHILE ON THE TOILET no less. For crying out loud......

 

[Jobie]

That person is soooooooo lucky it was not me that they hit. I have a pretty short temper when it comes to thoes things, and both of them would have been on the ground, and I would probably have been escorted out of WDW. If they thought their kid was scared by a scream, imagaine how scared he/she would have been when mommy and daddy was lying on the floor of the streching room bloody and out cold.

I am a nice guy, but no one hits me and if the would touch my wife, well I just hope they have good life insurance.

 

[BriarRosie]

Wow, I would have been jumping in to protect you, too, Q! I can be pretty intimidating when I want to be.

My first instinct would have been a smack back at whoever hit me.

 

[qruthie]

Thank you all again for your kind words and support. I'm quite proud that I didn't raise a hand to either parent and I didn't swear or use any sort of vulgar language.

I was confused about how security and the Haunted Mansion cast members could so confidently tell me I had done nothing wrong just based on my word. I was confused by the various cast members and security people (wearing yellow and white outfits) running around so much and taking so long before they came to talk to me. It didn't dawn on me until the next day or so that everything in the mansion is taped and most likely security had spent that time viewing the tapes before they came to talk to me so they already knew what had really happened before I said anything.

My understanding is Martydog and Alyce kind of followed the family as they escaped through an emergency exit. They wanted to make sure the family didn't disappear into the crowd. My understanding is the family was quickly pulled aside by park security and was then carefully watched by two uniformed security guards throughout the entire ordeal. Nothing like that went on backstage with me. I could have walked out at any time. When it came time to ask me if I wanted to press charges, a woman in a blue uniform was present. She was handing me tissues. My guess is she was part of the park security team but she was in no way preventing me from leaving.

I have no idea if the family was escorted from the park. My group was warned that we might want to walk in another direction if we saw the family again. The same was going to be said to the family about us. But I think security would have been wrong to tell me if they did escort the family out of the park. Once the family was in their hands, it was really none of my business what was done. Nor was it any of the family's business what was being done with me and my party.

The cast members and security handled my group by putting us on the ride a couple of times while they were waiting for the special passes for extra magic hours to arrive. So, I can assure you that Fly, Martydog, Alyce and I were NOT escorted from the park. None of us saw what happened with the family but we all received tickets that allowed us to stay for extra magic hours. We received no sort of reprimand.

Now for some comments from the evil q. Evil q hopes the family was escorted from the park of course but she also hopes it was the first day of the family's vacation and their entire vacation was ruined. Evil q hopes there was enough evidence on tape for Walt Disney World to report the parents for endangering their child.

The not evil q feels bad for the child and wonders if he gets hit in the face if he screams. The not evil q would be very kind to the child if she saw him again. The not evil q would gladly talk to the child and let him know what to expect on the ride and would remind the child that he could always bury his face against his parents if he became too frightened. The not evil q would gladly explain the ride to the parents and tell the parents about the child swap option for riding. The not evil q pities the child for being stuck with those "parents".

I think the most important lesson to be learned from this incident is if someone at a Disney theme park assaults you, don't try to resolve anything by yourself. Speak to a cast member as soon as possible and have them get security. Then let security do their job. In my opinion, the smartest thing I did was to run from the family, back into the stretching room. That put me in a safe place where they couldn't get to me.

Ruth

 

[cteddiesgirl]

OMG! Q, I'm so sorry to hear about the assault.

I hope the rest of your stay there was happy. I know I certainly would have said something. It might have gotten ugly if that had happened to me or my friend. When it comes to things like that, I have a fuse as short as my stature.

It's unfortunate and truly sad that the child is learning this type of behavior from his/her parents. I guess it really does take all kinds.

Hugs to you Q!

 

[mom2cookies]

hugs my friend ( miss you guys terribly )

 

[qruthie]

Hello again,

The rest of our visit/vacation was great. We pulled off some amazing antics in the parks and made lots of jokes about the mansion morons (I apologize to any other morons I may have offended by lumping that family in with you ).

Fly made a flip comment on Thursday or Friday about how I should stay an extra day. So I changed my flight to Sunday , sent an email to my very understanding husband and stayed an extra day with Fly . We also did some online shopping (note to self: don't do any sort of shopping after consuming even one mai tai). I tend to like to spend even more money than usual after a drink or two but we will have a nicer dvd player for our next trip (I was sober enough to buy an upconverting, progressive scan player) and Fly will probably enjoy the movie and books we also bought.

The only bad news from the rest of the trip is I had a bit of a belly ache on Saturday (not alcohol related ) so we weren't able to visit the parks or hang out with Martydog and Alyce. I was fine by late evening but we postponed our hanging out until Sunday.

We had a great time at Downtown Disney with Martydog and Alyce on Sunday! Martydog has turned into my personal guard dog, he's more protective of me than my own family. Alyce is just wonderful to spend time with. She has some amazing stories to tell, is a very positive person and is definitely a hottie. Is there an emote for "hottie"? For now I'll use this instead.

Once it was time to leave, sweet Fly took me to the airport and then sat with me for a while for some quality Twisted Sister time before it was time for me to go through the security checkpoint.

Note to everyone: Pay attention to which shuttle you are taking. Take the correct one for your departure gate. If you mess up, there is no way to get to the correct area of the airport without taking the same shuttle back and going through security again. They would not let me go to the other shuttles despite still being on the "already went through security" side of security. The sad thing is, I was 100% sober. Usually I have a mai tai at lunch before I head to the airport.

In summary, I had a great time despite the mansion incident. Spending time with dear friends who love you just as much as you love them tends to make the mansion incident a minor ordeal. Truthfully, for me, the entire experience is changing from something to obsess about to becoming a very memorable and even funny story. It's closer to the funny story end of the scale for sure so be sure to have a good laugh!

Ruth - If you would like to find me in another game, I'm CryingHippo in Maple Story. I'm taking a short break from the game right now to crochet an afghan for my nephew but expect to be living there again soon.

 

[Imagineer_Tech]

Great to hear you had an awesome time! Sorry for the attack, I hope the mother and father are punished. You seemed to have made up for it and enjoyed the rest of your time!

Good for you!