Yoo Hoo, Bruce!
On June 5th '97 you wrote to Carol Koster:
 BM> Yoo Hoo, Carol!
 BM>
 BM> One small note to add to your report on taking the very youngest guests
 BM> to Disney World: As best I can tell, every Men's Restroom on the
 BM> property has a baby changing table, so moms, don't take any guff from
 BM> dad about helping out in this area. (Sorry dads, but fair's fair.)
From Rich:  Well, the restroom in the Liberty Tree Tavern that men use
does not have a changing table, but it is a tiny little room on the
second floor.  For all I know, the women's equivalent there doesn't have
a changing table either.
From Carol:  In my original reply to the original poster (how
original! ;-)) I referred people to Brian Bennett's DVClubber@aol.com's
WDW TRip Planning WWW site where a trip report I wrote about taking my
8 month old son to WDW is.  That trip report offers tips as we experienced
WDW with an infant.  Among those tips is the fact that many men's rooms
at WDW have changing tables.  :-)  Instead of posting the whole report
here, I am just referring people to it if they have Internet accesss, or
I can E-mail a copy of it to anyone without Internet access.  Use an
Internet search engine to find DVClubber's WWW site.
 BM> OK, two small notes: I know it's hard to keep track of everything going
 BM> on at once, but one problem happens to me so often that I'm moved to
 BM> mention it: Please don't ram your stroller into the back of my ankles.
 BM> It's the fastest way I know to get me out of the disnical mood I came
 BM> for--even faster than screaming babies. It can also lead to your kid
 BM> learning new non-disnical vocabulary.
The following is from Carol:
To be fair:  Any places where there are crowds are going to be treacherous
travelling for strollers and ankles:  Malls, festivals, crowded buildings,
whatever and whereever.  If you are childless, have some "body awareness"
and simply be aware that maybe families are around you with and without
strollers (sometimes toddlers run around).  Don't just "stop" in the middle
of where pedestrians are trying to go one way or another.  Be aware that
looking all around you at the great sights a Disney theme park has to offer
is not only visually stimulating but can cause one to lose track of the fact
there are people around you (adults, families, stroller-people, LOTS of
people and not just one class of people) trying to get by as well.  If you
have a stroller, be aware that those things in crowds are very difficult
to steer precisely, and the more crowded it is (crowds plus store displays
and shelving are _really_ tough to navigate) the more likely it is you
are going to nick someone.  Take an umbrella stroller that is easy to fold
up and carry your kid when possible.  Try to get a "Snuggli" or a back
pack for carrying the kid around instead of a stroller.  And both sides:
Understand that where families gather and there are crowds there are going
to be kids and parents and maybe strollers.  Know this in advance, and be
prepared to be polite about it while taking some common sense precautions
for yourself as described above.
From Rich:  And remember: Walt created Disneyland (which led to the
other Disney theme parks) as a way that entire families could go
and enjoy a park together.  He wanted to have fun as an adult as well
as for his young daughters to have fun.  So, let's appreciate this and
remember that the Disney parks are a place for all ages, whether you
need a stroller or not!  8=o)
As Carol-the-Moderator:  It's OK to discuss strollers and etiquette at
Disney theme parks on the Fidonet Disney Echo. :-)  Please be forewarned
that on Usenet Disney newsgroups such a topic is a "hot one" that _does_
degenerate into flame wars and name-calling.  IF that happens here we as
Moderators will step in and end the thread.  So discuss the pros and cons
and experiences of strollers at Disney theme parks politely.  Both sides
_can_ get some good insights from each other, so post politely and with
open minds.  :-)
-Rich Koster             Moderator, FidoNet Disney Echo   ()_()
            ()_()  ()~()     FDC Mickey     Mickey on EntertainMuck    (_)
  Moderator, FANtasEARS Disney Fan Club on CalWeb.com 
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