The Disney theme parks are must-visit attractions for anyone that loves Disney - whether you're an adult or a child. But one man has admitted he accidentally ruined the experience for one little girl after he left her in tears during a firework display.
The man, from the UK, explained he proposed to his fiancée during a recent trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, USA, and as part of their romantic trip, they had planned to see the fireworks display that takes place at the theme park. The man also said that since his partner is only 4'11", they knew they'd have to get there early to be guaranteed a front-row position.
After waiting for hours for the fireworks to begin, the man and his partner were shoved to one side by a family and were loudly criticised by the dad for not moving out of the way to allow his kids to be at the front.
And while the man had sympathy for the family, he refused to move - leaving the smallest of the children in tears because she couldn't see the fireworks once the display started.
In a post on Reddit, the man said: "My fiancée and I had just gotten engaged at DisneyWorld in Orlando. We're from the UK and this trip was expensive. It was my fiancée's first time and she'd always dreamed of going.
"Naturally, my fiancée was so excited to see the fireworks at the magic kingdom. I've been going since I was a kid, so I knew that we needed to get to the front of the castle early. It's the kind of show where projections play over the castle, and she's 4'11".
"A cast member arrived and asked us to step back until we had our toes on a line on the ground. She informed us that this was for safety reasons and that under no circumstances should we cross the line during the show.
"We had about 5 minutes to go when a family started shoving through behind us. I felt them shove my back and I hobbled over the line, so quickly stepped back. They were sort of squished against us and the people behind them. Just then, I heard a sigh and a mutter of 'a**holes' coming from behind me. I looked around to check it out.
"The dad caught my eye when I turned around, [and he said], 'Maybe you folks could let the kids enjoy the show? They can't see the castle from behind all of these adults'."
The man insisted he would normally have moved to let the family go in front of him, but after waiting for the show to start for two hours and knowing how much the display meant to his fiancée, he refused.
He also claimed to have offered to let the youngest child join them up front, but when they made space for her, her dad pushed through with her and was immediately sent back by the staff - leaving the little girl in tears.
He added: "I told him that no one could get in front. That there was maybe room for his kid if she stood back far enough, but that there was a line on the floor. I also told him we had been here for a long time to get a good view and he should do the same. This enraged him. He started to say things like 'people are cruel' and 'what lovely people you folks are, I hope you're very pleased with yourselves.'
"When the show started, his kid started saying 'daddy I can't see'.I made a gap for her alone to come through but her dad barged through with her and over the line. He was immediately sent back through by a cast member and this only angered him further.
"His kid started crying. Dad spent the next 5 minutes loudly telling us that we were the reason she was upset and demanding we look at her. It was awful."
Commenters on the post were on the man's side, as many said the family should have arrived earlier if they wanted the best spot, and it wasn't up to the man to move for them.
One person said: "If they wanted to be at the front why don't they go early? Why didn't the father put the kid on his shoulders? They clearly were entitled people trying to use their kids as an excuse to steal your places."
While another added: "You guys paid for a good time too. You waited and followed the rules. It sucks that the kid couldn’t see, but you even went out of your way to create a space for her. But the dad ruined that by barreling through too!
"You two didn’t do anything wrong and I hope this incident didn’t spoil your trip. The dad was in the wrong big time, for swearing at you and acting so entitled to complete strangers."
And a third wrote: "You and your partner also deserve to see the show. Magic is for everyone. Dad should have planned better if this was important to him and his daughter."
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