Bad Experience in HM...

This area is terrible! We usually try and guess which door w I'll open from the stretching room so we can get right up front, or hang back and fall in behind everyone. I hate getting in the middle of that mess. I don't care how it would look, I wish they'd put the cattle queues in there.

You did the right thing. Shame on those other people.

Although it's one of my favorite rides, the loading area is not !!

You did the right thing by keeping quiet. Those who spoke out only revealed their ignorance and poor attitudes to not only you, but the kids they were supervising.

Don't let ignorant people ever ruin your day. It's they who are miserable and want to see others around them suffer....you did great !!:thumbsup:

Melanie;2424434 wrote: This area is terrible! We usually try and guess which door w I'll open from the stretching room so we can get right up front, or hang back and fall in behind everyone. I hate getting in the middle of that mess. I don't care how it would look, I wish they'd put the cattle queues in there.

I think it is the door under the girl with the umbrella portrait....

You did nothing wrong. people are so rude. I have developed a tough skin against rude people because I encounter a lot of them everyday at work. I don't know why people shove and push and I dislike getting on that ride also. We hang back but I have had the NEXT group come up behind us and start pushing ahead so there is no easy solution. I don't remember that happening as much when our girls were little. The CM need to work on the entrance timing to avoid the large crowd stuffed in together!

cer;2424448 wrote: I think it is the door under the girl with the umbrella portrait....

It is. We were with our V.I.P. tour guide when this "incident" occurred. She instructed us to stand right under the portrait of the girl with the umbrella. Unfortunately, like other posters have mentioned, we were forced into an area where the group before us had far from boarded the ride. I wish they could implement better timing and queue organization. It is one of my favorite rides, save getting on it.

I think the door that opens depends on the stretching room. Aren't there 3?

Melanie;2424470 wrote: I think the door that opens depends on the stretching room. Aren't there 3?

There are 2 stretching rooms, as far as I know. In both rooms the door to the loading area is under the portrait of the girl with the parasol.

Your experience sounds terrible, I am so sorry other people were so rude. The only time I've had a problem here was during a spring break week visit and the ride had stopped. We exited the stretching room and were waiting behind a large group. No one was moving forward but more and more groups were coming out of both packed stretching rooms and finally it was so crowded the concept of 'personal space' was a distant memory. Ultimately the ride was evacuated and we never made past the first set of ropes before leaving.

BriarRose0708;2424487 wrote: We exited the stretching room and were waiting behind a large group. No one was moving forward but more and more groups were coming out of both packed stretching rooms and finally it was so crowded the concept of 'personal space' was a distant memory. Ultimately the ride was evacuated and we never made past the first set of ropes before leaving.

That's just awful.

BriarRose0708;2424487 wrote: There are 2 stretching rooms, as far as I know. In both rooms the door to the loading area is under the portrait of the girl with the parasol.

Your experience sounds terrible, I am so sorry other people were so rude. The only time I've had a problem here was during a spring break week visit and the ride had stopped. We exited the stretching room and were waiting behind a large group. No one was moving forward but more and more groups were coming out of both packed stretching rooms and finally it was so crowded the concept of 'personal space' was a distant memory. Ultimately the ride was evacuated and we never made past the first set of ropes before leaving.

Thank you. And your experience sounds nightmarish. I have to remind myself that is not the norm. As another Intercotee posted, the mob situation is compounded by the dark/ dimness. :(

BriarRose0708;2424487 wrote: There are 2 stretching rooms, as far as I know. In both rooms the door to the loading area is under the portrait of the girl with the parasol.

Awesome! Learned something new! I'll keep,that in mind at WDW, and remember to see if it's the same at DL.

Our strategy for HM is to wait until the last family out of the stretching room then stay together 2-by-2 (we're a family of 4) along the far left-hand wall. When the next group emerges, we just try to inch our way forward with the pressing masses until we reach the roped section where we body block for our family to get in this part of the line together. I really hate it as well.

As far as chaperoning, we allow our kids (8th to 12th grade marching band) to go do their own thing as long as they at least stay in pairs - there are serious repercussions if they are caught alone. They have designated check-in times but we don't force them to go together as a huge group as that's far too obnoxious for everyone, including the people around them. I would never treat anyone the way those women treated you. Sorry you experienced that!

Apparently these folks were chosen as chaperones because they are such wonderful role models for the children.

I wouldn't worry about it. Most people would have understood you were simply trying to reconnect with your family from whom you had inadvertently been separated.

Melanie;2424492 wrote: Awesome! Learned something new! I'll keep,that in mind at WDW, and remember to see if it's the same at DL.

I always just looked for the red light on the wall!

Best thing to do...let your family know *before* you exit the stretch room that everyone will gather on the *far right-hand side* (away from the wall) after exiting. Just *wait* for everyone to get together....everyon'es getting into a DoomBuggy anyways, so no need to *rush* and *trample*. The stretch rooms are *usually* timed so that both rooms don't exit at the same time.