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Credit: ITMParents are a particular problem in recent reports from the Disney Parks. From letting unruly children run wild and kick character performers to outright berating and assaulting Cast Members, they haven’t exactly been behaving like responsible adults. Things take a much darker turn when their kids’ lives are put at risk.
Being a Disney Cast Member can be one of the most magical opportunities in the company, but it’s not all Mickey Bars and Dapper Dans. Sometimes CMs have to drop the magical facade and put themselves in harm’s way in order to save a life.
Related: Disneyland Named One of “The Most Dangerous Theme Parks” In U.S.
Reddit user, u/mycupofearlgreytea identified themselves as a Disney lifeguard and recently came forward on r/WaltDisneyWorld with a message for parents concerning negligent behavior that put their kids in danger of drowning. The full post can be read here, but there were some sections of note that were quite unsettling.
The user writes,
“If a lifeguard has to jump in after your child in the pool, please listen to the lifeguard and put a lifejacket on your kiddo. Please don’t argue that your kid is actually a good swimmer and then release them back into the pool, only to make the lifeguard jump again…
“If we jump in after your kid, it is because we are trained to recognize the signs of a struggling swimmer and want to keep everyone safe. We are not trying to make you look like a bad parent or embarrass you or your child.”
What begins as a general warning for Guests not putting life jackets on their kids soon takes an infuriating turn as the user reports the verbal abuse received from inattentive parents. They continue by adding,
“I have been astonished with how many rude and unappreciative parents I have run into down here. Just the other day, I was chewed out by a parent who claimed I overreacted by jumping in after their child who was clearly struggling to swim. I have come to realize that some parents are too embarrassed to put their child in a lifejacket because they fear it will make them look like a bad parent who hasn’t taught their kids how to swim.”
If the abhorrent behavior towards the lifeguard doing their job wasn’t enough to raise some hackles, the phrase “too embarrassed to put their child in a lifejacket” definitely should. Not only is this treatment of the Cast Member despicable, think of the child that was knowingly put in danger from their actions.
The lifeguard ends their post by stating,
“I know we are not perfect. Sometimes, we do overreact and jump when we shouldn’t. And I know there are so many wonderful parents at WDW who do respect the lifeguards, and I greatly appreciate you folks. But I just wanted to put this on here for you all to keep in mind next time you’re at the pool deck at a Disney Resort.”
Sincerely,
A WDW Lifeguard.
Related: Disney World Closing Theme Park Indefinitely in 2023
The Cast Member who wrote this is one of many who face conditions and insensitive Guests like this everyday, and this letter to future visitors should serve as a reminder for fans to treat them kindly for simply doing their job. Bad Guest behavior in the Parks is already bad enough, it shouldn’t take a child drowning to give them a wakeup call.
Have you seen this sort of behavior at the Disney Park or resort? Tell us at Inside the Magic in the comments below!
The opinions expressed in this article by Guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Inside the Magic as a whole. No Guest Experience is alike and Disney Cast Members attempt to make every trip to Walt Disney World magical.