It saddens me I have to write this I was looking forward to my trip so much with a female member of my family, Ill start from the beginning of the trip and work my way through,,, just the two of us left on Tuesday 29th April and arrived at the Holiday Inn hotel, check in was fast and we were given an executive room when we booked standard this was great for us the room was massive, spotless and really nice so we were very happy we then decided to go to Disney for the evening we went to the studios park first which although was very small some great rides like Tower Of terror and Aerosmith Rockin Roller Coaster. We then went the DLP which has the same layout as Magic Kingdom in Florida but a lot smaller has a lovely time just walking around and going on a few rides like POTC. That night we ate in Planet Hollywood food and service were both great.
Wednesday 30th Was spent in Paris, Usual things like shopping sight seeing etc etc weather was beautiful and spent the day walking around there. Its easy enough to get from Disney to Paris as the station there has trains every 10 minutes and takes half an hour. We had a late lunch in Paris and went back to the Disney Village to watch the Liverpool Chelsea game in the sports bar we were meant to go to Annette%26#39;s Diner but as the game went on we had a snack there which was fine for us.
Thursday 1st May and absolutely the worst day of my life so far which may seem extreme but here goes, spent the morning in the Studios it was busy as it was bank holiday in France but we got a lot done. Then over to DLP for lunch and about 3 pm headed to Phantom Mannor. There was a 20 minute queue so we waited and as we went in to the room that begins the ride a french lady was pushing me out of the way and had her elbow in my stomach which was really hurting i asked the woman to stop as she hurt me and she looked away and pretended she couldn%26#39;t hear me her husband who was behind then proceeded to punch my 30 year old female family member in the back hard in shock we shouted what on earth are you doing he then punched her in the back of the head very hard so she pushed him away, he then punched her full fist in her right eye as hard as he could. I being 20 alone with her started to scream and shout for help and cast members the ride had not started yet and it was obvious they knew outside something was going on as the ride hadn%26#39;t began. No one else in the room helped us even thought the man and his family stood there with her screaming in agony an instant swollen eye and couldn%26#39;t see out of it, the whole room stood and watched which angers and upsets me now. The doors then opened a cast member came in and took us out I told them i wanted them off the ride and security called which he said no to security but I insisted, this man was going to carry on the ride! we were taken to the waiting area with the wife screaming at us in french and according to my translations calling us %26#39;dirty English%26#39; this was after had hit a woman. security came ten minutes later with a medic who took my aunt away to first aid and said i have to wait to give my statement to security. Basically they didn%26#39;t ask me what happened only the french family and all staff were talking in french in front of me even though they spoke English they would not listen to my side I had to force it upon them and I was walked across the park with the family shouting abuse at me. I was incredible shocked and kept shaking yet security allowed them to do this. I was taken to first aid to be with my aunt who had very high blood pressure and could not see out of her right eye the medic said we had to go to hospital to check it and duty manager told us a Disney driver would take us and bring us back duty manager also told us the police would be there once we got back so we could make statements.
The hospital was a one hour drive away and we were seen immediately and the eye doctor said she had a bruised and scratched eye ball that she may not be able to see out of for a week.
We were taken back to Disney and the Duty manager said oh right you are back. She said we would have to go the police when we asked where they were and would not give us any details of what happened to the man for all we know he wasn%26#39;t even taken out the park the duty manager was rude and laughed at us when we said we had wasted 250 euros on tickets and time etc as we didn%26#39;t feel safe in the park she said not my problem and walked off. We went to city hall to lodge a formal complaint of the incident and staffs rudeness, attitude and lack of any competence. City hall cast members asked why we wanted to complain so we told them ad they were genuinely shocked and concerned they took us to a private room to fill out the forms and gave us some vouchers for free drinks and front of line passes for some major rides to try and make us feel better. It didn%26#39;t really work but that%26#39;s not there fault.
I understand the situation was out of Disney%26#39;s control but staff attitudes and walking me across the park a young woman distressed, shocked and shaken allowing a family who had assaulted and attacked us shout abuse at me and everything that went with this was a joke and we will be taking this as high as we can. I have been going to WDW since I was 6 and know this would not happen there they can not do enough for you at WDW here they wanted us out and away from them and didn%26#39;t care a bit. I%26#39;m appalled and disgusted at Disneyland and can never see myself going back. Disney is a place you go for enjoyment and safety. NOT be assaulted on holiday.
We were flying home the next day and didn%26#39;t go to Disney that day as we felt sad and unsafe and my aunt also has a huge swollen black eye she can only see a little out of.
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What an awful story. I%26#39;m so sorry this happened to you and your Aunt. I too would have been shaking mad.
It is of no help now, but for anyone who may find themselves in a similar situation, call the Police immediately. Don%26#39;t settle for dealing with staff members or staff security, don%26#39;t even wait for them.
Here are the emergency phone numbers used in FRANCE.
Service Tel:
Medical / Samu 15
Police / Gendarmerie 17
Fire / Pompier 18
Pan-European 112
Drugs/Alcohol Hotline 113
Homeless Hotline 115
Child abuse Hotline 119
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I hope you write the Disney Head Office corporation and tell them about your terrible experience. Also include a detail report about all the rude people.
I would suggest you demanded from Disney the total fund of your hotel and tickets.
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I agree, that%26#39;s shockingly inappropriate behavior on the part of the staff. Obviously, they had no first hand knowledge of what happened and weren%26#39;t in a position to prevent it in the first place, but the response is apalling. I agree you should complain, and keep complaining.
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What a horrible experience. I%26#39;m sorry that you had to go through this and I hope that your aunt%26#39;s vision is fully restored. I agree, you need to get answers. Do you know anyone who speaks French fluently who can serve as a liaison for you?
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I am also shocked and horrified, but your aunt was assaulted and you should have DEMANDED the police were called immediately, being 20 does not mean you can%26#39;t do something!!
The DL staff are ONLY interesting in clearing their own butts, they are not going to be helpful. They basically got the %26quot; unpleasant situation%26quot; out of the public eye, that was their only concern.
I hope you complain long and loud on this but I am afraid if you did not file a police report you are going to be out of luck. The man is gone and so is his name dear.
PS I am appalled no one helped, and surprised too, since I am sure most people were also tourists, but they may have been afraid that a %26quot; diversion%26quot; was just being created so their pockets could be picked, in fact that may have been what actually happened, may this %26quot; family%26quot; had a few %26quot; assiciates%26quot; in the group who were busy helping themselves to peoples purses while everyone watched the action!
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Joan has a point - that does happen (the pickpocket stuff) although I would have thought that in that case the whole incident would just be staged (i.e, it wouldn%26#39;t involve you being attacked when you weren%26#39;t in on it - on the other hand, your reactions may have been a lot more real that a staged incident!) Do keep complaiing, and try to get satisfaction from the company. If you don%26#39;t get a good response, try the Conde Nast Traveler magazine%26#39;s %26quot;Ombudsman%26quot; section and see if they might be willing to step in. This incident handling is really a black eye for DLP, and some hefty backup like that could help your position enormously.
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I feel terrible for you that 1) you had to endure this EVER 2) you were on vacation when it happened 3) you were at a place where you might have least expected something like being attacked--Disneyland.
I agree that you should ask to get a refund on all the money you spent for hotel, rides, food and everything else you paid for through Disneyland. If they say no, then tell them you are going to the press and you will put editorials/articles in every magazine and newspaper you can. Unfortunately, money talks. The best way to get people to respond is threatening to affect their revenue.
Since you are only 20, they might think you will eventually give up. Don%26#39;t stop until you get satisfaction. This is outrageous. They need to have a different protocol if it happens to anyone else and you deserve to be compensated.
Lastly, in the future, if you ever need help. Talk to the people around you for help. Perhaps someone would have spoken french for you, called the police for you, witnessed the event, or might have helped you get the name of the %26quot;crazy%26quot; guy or even kept him there until the police could arrive. There are lots of reasons why this guy might have done what he did. To pickpocket is certainly one reason. Others are that he might have been on drugs, maybe he is manic or manic/depressive and was in his %26quot;manic%26quot; phase, he gets angry against one person and takes it out on everyone around him, he is schizophrenic, or perhaps he is just %26quot;evil.%26quot; Just as there are good people in the world, there are also bad people. I am so sorry you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I hope you will take another opportunity someday to go back to Paris (if you so desire) and enjoy the city--without Disneyland.
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Can I just clarify a few issues here please...
1. The situation as described by the OP is common enough to have a title %26quot;The Bystander Effect%26quot; where people do not act in a situation because they assume everyone else knows better. The most well known case is that of Kitty Genovese in New York in the 1960s.
If you DO find yourself in this situation, scream, shout but also issue direct instructions to the bystanders... i.e. You in the black t-shirt call the police etc.
2.The fact that the type of situation has a specific term does not take from the fact that what happened to you was horrible, however the people involved are not representative of the French as a nation. They are extreme exceptions rather than the rule. You may find it difficult, but I suggest you return to France to experience the kindness and generosity of the majority of French people.
3. In Love with Paris, another clarification. The majority of people suffering from psychological/psychiatric disorders are NOT violent. Those with BiPolar Disorder are more likely to go on a major spending spree than become violent during an episode of Hypermania. Furthermore, you cite the incidence of Schizophrenia. The only variant of schizophrenia that potentially matches your description is that of paranoid schizophrenia - which is far rarer than the media would allow us believe. Given that the woman was involved in the behavioural episode, it is far more likely to have been a group of thugs rather than people who are ill.
Furthermore, such negative stereotyping of those with psychological/psychiatric disorders reinforces the difficulties in life functioning of those unfortunate to be afflicted by them.
I apologise for sounding so pedantic, this is not meant to chastise anyone but merely to correct information that I believe may perpetuate negative stereotypes.
xvicx, I hope your aunt makes a full recovery and that in the near future you have the opportunity to experience the more positive side of the wonderful French people and their country.
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It appears a women has been convicted in Florida for a similar incident at Disney World.
http://www.wftv.com/news/15860543/detail.html
I understand that following the conviction the woman who was assaulted now plans to sue Disney. It is quite probable that this particular case was on the minds of the Disneyland Paris employees (they would almost certainly have been aware of it) when they acted as they did. By not detaining the alleged assailant they have virtually ensured that a conviction is not possible in this case. I think it would look terrible for Disney if they don%26#39;t now address this matter seriously.
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beanalainn: my point was merely that this incident might have merely been caused by bad guys or by people %26quot;with issues.%26quot; I don%26#39;t think it is necessary to clarify that there aren%26#39;t as many violent schizophrenics and the media would have us believe. I am not saying that anyway. And besides, it is usually the schizophrenics who go off their meds, rather than the schizophrenics who are on their meds, who are likely to cause problems--like drown their children or other equally horrifying events. I am definitely not saying people with these issues all do bad things. I am just saying occasionally one does and we don%26#39;t know for sure that pickpocketing was the intent. It very possibly could have been--we just don%26#39;t know. There are other possibilities--several. I didn%26#39;t mean to malign anyone.
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