Disney World is known for being the most magical place on earth. But…did you know it could also be the most chaotic?

Yup, even good ‘ol Disney World suffers from chaos and mayhem. From souvenir throw-downs to toe-crushing strollers (ouch!), we had our readers tell us all about their most chaotic moments at the parks, and here’s what they said.

The TTC when one park closes early and everyone is trying to get to the other park

I think everyone can agree that the TTC (Transportation & Ticket Center) is chaotic in general. Whether it’s at park opening or park close, it can be overwhelming with the amount of people trying to shuffle into into line for a monorail. But what’s a little worse? The TTC when one of the parks is closing early and EVERYONE is trying to get to another park.

Parks can close for a number of reasons, like exclusive events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, or for Cast Member events. Whatever the reason, you can expect a massive crowd, maybe even more than the ones at the park opening or closing, since people enter and leave the parks at different times. But if the park closes early, then you can expect a flock of people to be herded out all at once. To avoid this, we suggest checking to see when a park will close earlier than usual and perhaps choosing to go to another park that day instead to avoid the chaos.

Three words… New Year’s Eve

Holidays are a BIG DEAL at Disney World, but arguably one of the biggest is New Year’s Eve. And understandably so, because who wouldn’t want to ring in the new year at the most magical place on earth? And that’s exactly where the issues lie, according to some of our readers.

New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest days at the parks, especially at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. From Silent discos to fireworks over Cinderella Castle, there are so many spectacular things going on (and so many people don’t want to risk the FOMO!). So of course, crowds are going to be HUGE, causing the parks to reach capacity quickly. You can expect to wait in long lines for attractions, Genie+ can sell out in an instant, and some people stake out spots for parades and fireworks hours in advance. New Year’s is not for the faint of heart, especially if you’re a first-time parkgoer. But if you really want to participate in the New Year festivities at Disney World (we get it, the heart wants what it wants), then we suggest you make a game plan: Get to the parks early, purchase Genie+ at midnight, and make a list of all the things you want to prioritize most. If you go in with a plan, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve been thrown to the New-Year-Party wolves.

October 1st, 2021. Emporium at Magic Kingdom

You’re probably thinking “Well that’s really specific”, but one of our readers, Chris from South Carolina, details the day to a T. “It was like a sliding puzzle of 50th-anniversary merchandise. Items breaking as they got bumped off shelves. I finally got out and just gave up on finding a souvenir.”

Well, Chris, we’re sorry you didn’t get to take a 50th-anniversary souvenir home, but we truly felt your pain. When Disney released the 50th-anniversary collection at their parks, it was like PANDEMONIUM (I specifically remember witnessing people clawing over one another for the collection’s Starbucks tumbler). Disney merch is beloved by many, and if it’s a part of a one-of-a-kind collection, you can expect chaos when going through the shelves. Our way of avoiding this? The Disney Store‘s official website typically releases many park exclusive merch items online (and sometimes, even with a discount!). So, to avoid any potential scuffles for a t-shirt, we recommend purchasing online for a smoother experience, and a guarantee of getting that item you were eyeing.

A stroller unsupervised with a baby sleeping in it

When we read what our reader, Jerie, commented, we. were. SHOCKED.“A stroller with a sleeping baby in it while parents were on Splash Mountain. The stroller was left along the stroller area with only rope net separating you from the river water.” Umm…WHAT?We think it should go without saying that small children should never be left unsupervised at the parks. There are a lot of potentially dangerous situations that can occur if an adult isn’t supervising the child. We do recognize that in some cultures, children are left unsupervised in situations that aren’t deemed acceptable in the United States and that can sometimes cause confusion. But know that your young children should always be supervised in Disney World. The rules are that children under 14 should not be unaccompanied in the parks — and children under 7 are not allowed to ride attractions alone.

If you’re at Disney World and want to ride an attraction that your child can’t ride yet, we heavily suggest trying Rider Switch. With this option, one adult can stay with the child while the rest of the group enjoys the attraction. When the other adult returns, they can take over supervising the child, allowing the waiting adult to ride the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again. This is available at all 4 parks, just make sure to let a Cast Member know before entering the queue so they can confirm if the option is available at that specific attraction.

Strollers. AHHHHHHH.

The amount of comments we got about strollers running people over was astronomical. And although we got a good chuckle out of them, we do, in fact, have a new fear of strollers.

Strollers can easily go from being an aid to becoming a menace. We recommend always keeping an eye on where you’re leading your stroller and never walking with it mindlessly. You can end up being in very crowded areas and your stroller can easily hit someone’s ankles or crush a toe or two, so just be mindful of where you’re strolling, and the same applies if you’re walking and see a stroller by you. That way everyone can live happily ever after with no stroller incidents.

And there you go, some of the most chaotic things our readers have ever seen at Disney World! A BIG thanks to all our readers for letting us know their thoughts and personal stories, you definitely made our day. Stay tuned for all the latest and greatest updates and Disney news.

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What’s something chaotic you’ve experienced at Disney World? We’d love to read about it in the comments!

The post STROLLERS. FULL STOP. and 4 More of the Most CHAOTIC Things We’ve Ever Seen in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.