Another pool issue - Reserving chairs

[Bostonfamily]

My family and I will be making our first ever trip to OKW in a few weeks as new owners (purchased through resale late last year). I'm somewhat concerned about a pratice I have encountered at many, if not all, of the other resorts (Disney and otherwise) that I have visited. Specifically, when other guests "reserve" poolside chairs early in the day only to use them many hours later. In the meantime, I am forced to sit in a distant location, if I am able to find a chair at all! Is this a practice that I should be prepared to see at OKW and other DVC locations? If so, do others also feel this is an issue or am I just too damn picky!

[This message was edited by Bostonfamily on 04-25-01 at 07:47 AM.]

[ripleysmom]

It's not an issue for me. If no one is on the chair in a half hour or so, then it's mine. Nuff said :D

Kimberly-Lucas and Ripley's Mom

http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/dvcjoke.gif http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/loveairdvc2.jpg

[CaptainMidnight]

I don't know what OKW practices are, but I don't think it is too picky of an issue to raise.

It is a valid concern that people are placing towels on chairs to reserve them, when they are not in the pool area and actually will not be using the chairs for several hours. I have heard of CM's removing those towels to free up the pool chairs for people who are actually present in the pool area at the Vero Beach resort, although I have not experienced it. I guess this is another case of the 'me first and foremost, heck with everyone else, and I don't care how much I take advantage of the Disney customer service and other vacationer's "attitude"' that we seem to run across now and then. Personally, I applaud those CM's for jumping in there and trying to rectify this abusive practice. They have a tough job.

A few taking advantage and making it hard for the majority,..... if only common courtesy had a more prominent place.

[bres@westernMA]

OKW has a main pool and three neighborhood pools. At the neighborhood pools, there are generally more empty chairs than ones in use. During the day, it is not uncommon to be the only people at the pool. This is not the case in the afternoon (after park dips are very popular). Unless you have young kids, I strongly recommend that you try your local neighborhood pool and enjoy the solitude.

[Renee']

We've experienced towels on chairs many times at Vero. I must admit I was surprised to come down to the pool at 8:30am and find all the "front row" chairs nicely taken already. We've always respected that they were taken and found other chairs. Possibly in the future I'll inquire with the CM and see if in fact they are reserved and go from there. I guess I'm naive....I would have never thought to stake-out the chairs beginning at sunrise.

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="165" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth

[Chuck S]

Geez, now people are reserving pool chairs? I usually don't stay near the main pool at OKW. Even so, if there aren't any people around and there is a towel on a chair I've always assumed that someone was too lazy to put it in the dirty towel bin. I usually pick it up, drop it in the bin, and use the chair. Now, if it is somewhat obvious that it belongs to someone in the pool or nearby (at the snackbar or something), I'll leave it for them, of course. I seldom see towels on chairs early in the morning at OKW, and if so and no-one is there, I automatically drop it in the bin.

Chuck
DVC '92 (OKW)
http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/rainbow.gif

[familyfun86]

We have been members of OKW for 8 years and never had a problem getting a chair at any pool at any time. If you arrive with a party of 10 during a peak time it might be a problem getting 10 chairs together but as a family of 5 we have never had any problems. We typically only look for a chair for me and DH since the kids do not want to sit at a pool, they want to be in the water. IMHO I think OKW is not as easy to reserve chairs as other resorts since it is so spread out. Alot of folks would have to work pretty hard to get some towels put on chairs early in the morning, especially if they did not drive.

:cool: :cool:

[mrsdon]

Family Fun man
Hi, we just left ST Mary's 2 years ago. DH rertired from the Navy.
To try to keep this on topic we would never think about reserving a pool chair if we werent at the pool. The only time we ever reserve a chair is at the water parks and I think you're supossed to there.

[dianthus]

I see people just leave their towels on the chairs when they leave & not deposit them into the used bin all the time... I'll usually ask the person closest to the chair if someone was in the pool or is it vacant, especially if I don't see shoes or tshirts in the vicinity... Usually, they are gone

On the Magic, CMs come by & take towels away frequently if there are no other belongings around to cut down on "chair saving". It can get pretty cut throat for chairs down by that Mickey slide pool & Goofy pool!It's like trying to get a parking space at the Mall at Christmas!

I think the 1/2 hour rule mentioned above is a good one!

[Galahad]

We are also long time OKW owners and have never seen a lack of available pool chairs at any pool. You should be fine. They are probably all out getting kicked out of another resort's pool. :rolleyes:

[normr]

It's no different from the problem I had with one person using EVERY washer and dryer in the laundry room the one time we stayed in a studio, some people cannot do the polite thing and share, they think that because they show up first, that gives them the right to monoploize EVERYTHING.

[Renee']

Galahad.....LOL

Norm.....Agreed, those who spread-out and monopolize the washers & dryers are truly inconsiderate and lack common sense and common courtesy.

When I posted above about the pool chairs at Vero being taken at 8:30am I was referring to fresh new towels placed on the chairs. When I see used, wet towels on chairs for quite sometime you can assume they've simply left their mess for someone else to pick-up.

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="165" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth

[Mic]

I had to post a reply to this, as I had a lesson in "pool etiquette" Easter Sunday at the Boardwalk. We arrived at 9:40, a few minutes before the slide opened, to find all the "good spots" taken by people who left only towels on the chair. Now that I think about it, there were more chairs "reserved" than there was people at the pool! We ended up sitting in a place where I could not see my younger daughter playing in the pool unless I stood up. We left the pool to have lunch in Epcot, and came back that afternoon to a much more crowded pool, and NO chairs. I found a CM who found 2 chairs next to each other that had only towels on them, and he removed them. I was told that a chair with only towels on it is fair game, but any personal item can not be touched by a CM. Sure wish I had known about that rule earlier in the day, since no one used 90% of the reserved chairs the entire 2 hours we were there.

[pluto109]

there was chair saving at the boardwalk adult pool this past april...they left towels and a store bag for three hours..sent a 5 year old at 8 am ..set up chairs right in front of the pool... this pratice should stop..its getting crazy!!!!!

[dvcdudes]

I wouldn't even wait a half hour as ripleysmom has stated. A towel on a chair does not constitute possession. I would however get up if someone came over and said they had that chair. I have sat on a regular chair for 1-2 hours and not taken two lounge chairs that had towels on them. We finally took over the lounge chairs after my back was cramping up and stayed another hour and guess what... no one ever came back to the lounge chairs.
From now on, I will take the towel off and plant myself immediately. that was a couple of hours of serious relaxation I missed out on.
If there is a bag or personal belongings I wouldn't remove them but a resort towel... c'mon.

DVCDUDES
Owner BWV Feb 2000
http://home.earthlink.net/~bobdgraves/animdis.gif

[JerseyJanice]

This is a pet peeve of mine, and I've seen it at every resort I've ever stayed in.

[Bostonfamily]

Thank's everyone for your input. As you can imagine, this is also an issue that really bothers me as well. I am very much looking forward to my upcoming visit and I hope this issue will not arise. If it does, however, I will not hesitate to enlise the help of a CM to remove any towels that have been left in an attempt to reserve a chair. Quite frankly, I wish DVC and all resorts would leave a "kind" well-worded note in all rooms requesting (demanding!) that guests not employ this practice. The resorts need to make it clear that this is unacceptable! We, as guests, should not have to be placed in a potentially confrontational situation with other guests. B]Thanks again everyone.[/B]

[DisneyMim]

WOW!!! I guess I am really naive too. I can't imagine tying up chairs for hours. We always just go for about 2 hours, would love to stay longer, but feel that is enough in the Florida sun. I would never even think of "reserving" chairs. We use the chairs when we are there and when we leave bring everything with us.

HOW RUDE!!!!!

[ckr]

I don't understand the comments about the washers/dryers. But before you blast me -- it wasn't me!! I don't even know where the laundry is at BWV! And I'll probably never find out!! :0)

If I were to go to the laundry room and all the washers were empty why would I be expected to only use one washer and leave the rest empty? How am I to know that 10 minutes after I start up my loads someone else is going to want to use that washer? Then after everything is washed, am I supposed to leave some of my wet clothes sitting in a basket and leave some of the dryers empty? Just doesn't make sense to me....

Can someone explain to me why using the available washers and dryers and making this yucky task more efficient on my vacation is such a rude thing for me to think of doing? I'm obviously missing the point here.... ???? Thanks!

[Renee']

If I were to go to the laundry room and all the washers were empty why would I be expected to only use one washer and leave the rest empty? How am I to know that 10 minutes after I start up my loads someone else is going to want to use that washer? Then after everything is washed, am I supposed to leave some of my wet clothes sitting in a basket and leave some of the dryers empty? Just doesn't make sense to me....

Can someone explain to me why using the available washers and dryers and making this yucky task more efficient on my vacation is such a rude thing for me to think of doing? I'm obviously missing the point here.... ????

ckr,

I'll try to demonstrate why it is rude and inconsiderate.

Since you mentioned BW I'll use that as my example. You're coming back from WDW and running up to your room for a few minutes before leaving again for a restaurant. Using your logic.....would you lock the busy elevator on your floor since you'll be using it again in a few minutes to go back down???? Those washers & dryers are for everyone in the hotel just as those elevators are. If you enter an empty laundry room good for you - usually they're busy. It would be the courteous thing not to monopolize the washers & dryers for those other people who also have that arduous task of laundry while on vacation. You don't know that 10 minutes later someone may show up to do laundry but you could assume in a busy hotel others may like to use the facilities too.

HTH,

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="165" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth

[Chuck S]

I don't get the washer/dryer thing either. Let's say I have 2 loads of clothes to do...I haul it over to one of the laundry rooms at OKW, thay have 2 washers and 4 dryers - usually. Now, if both washers are empty should I only use 1, in case someone shows up 15 minutes later? The load would be over half done by then...if you can't wait 10 or 15 minutes to do your clothes, do them later. Isn't that kind of dumb? What if no one shows up? Aren't all laundromats first come first washed?

Chuck
DVC '92 (OKW)
http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/rainbow.gif

[BethA]

At the VWL over Easter people put towels out before 8:30 and disappeared til late afternoon hogging all the chairs and tables. There were 2 days you couldn't get a chair and one day with no towels available for several hours. I wasn't brave enough to remove towels from unoccupied chairs, but it sounds like I should have.

[Love Tigger]

On the subject of pool chairs, if I see chairs with just towels on them & nothing personal either on or near them, I have no problem with taking them over. As for the laundry, I too believe it's first come first served. What I can't stand are the people who put a load of laundry in the washer & don't come back for a few hours. Once found laundry in the washer & waited for over five hours for the owner to come back and put it in the dryer. The owner left again...wasn't waiting to see how long it took for her to return. BTW, this did not happen at any DVC resort.
Tammy

Tammy
http://houseofdisney.homestead.com/files/vacclub01.gif

[KNWVIKING]

I really appreciate people who come out first thing in the morning & lay out fresh towels on prime chairs. Saves me the trouble of getting the towels for myself:-)

[normr]

I feel it was pretty rude to use ALL the dryers for their stuff, but even IF I ever did something rude like that (can't imagine I ever would though), at least I would have the common courtesy to consolodate my things into less machines for any other people who came to use the facilities even before they asked me.

This person I encountered felt she didn't have to be at all courteous when asked nicely.

But as I pointed out, some people could care less about their fellow owners and have this first come first serve attitude.

[ckr]

But I still don't get it. I would think that when someone goes to the laundry room, he should be able to use any and all of the machines available at that time. However, it would be expected that the clothes be removed as soon as possible after they are finished.

As far as the elevator analogy goes, are you suggesting that if I am getting into an empty or even partially full elevator with my family of 10 (relatives included -- not just offspring! he he!) we should take the elevator in shifts just so that we do not monopolize the elevator in case someone on a subsequent floor would like to get on? I don't see it.... Sorry.... But still willing to see the light, if you can shed it.......

[Renee']

By all means...if the 10 of you can load-up on the elevator and not be over weight capacity, go for it. It wouldn't be polite to lock it on your floor though to save some time upon your return trip down.

:)

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="165" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth

[PamOKW]

I can see the reasoning about wanting to use all the machines to do your clothes in the shortest time. However, it is a public facility with the idea that each person uses one of the machines at a time. Chances are that two people won't arrive in the laundry room at exactly the same time. However, chances are good that more than one person will come in to do laundry during a 20 minute period. So, the guy who comes at 11:00 gets all the machines. The gal who comes at 11:02 must wait 20-30 minutes to begin washing and then (with the wonderful dryers) another hour or so for her turn at a dryer? No, that isn't the way things should run. If it were to be one person at a time in the laundry, there would be one washer and one dryer. If they were charging $1.50 a load I'm not so sure people would be so quick to monopolize the machines. (Speaking of pool crashers....have the non-DVC'ers figured out they can save a few cents with our free machines? Hate to bring it up since it may give someone an idea.)

I think the elevator analogy was this. Your family of 10 fill up the elevator and head to your floor. This is fine. However, having one of you stay on the elevator to hold it while the rest of you return to your rooms to change into swim clothes and grab snacks isn't. The elevator is there for everyone, just like the laundry.

[Mama2sean]

Amazing, I guess I'm naive too. Looking back now at past visits to WDW (and other hotels), I can remember seeing many towels on chairs early in the morning, with very few people around. I never would have thought of "reserving" chairs in advance of my arrival at the pool. Sounds like this is getting out of control. Disney reads this board, right? Maybe they can address this situation.

[sweetp0618]

I agree with the others here...people who save pool chairs for hours without using them are selfish. We were at OKW April 4-11. Everyday tons of people put towels on chairs in the morning at the main pool to save them. We arrived mid-morning and mid-afternoon on two separate days and couldn't find one chair--however, many of the chairs were unoccupied with unused towels on them. We spent 5 nights at HH right after. Saw the same thing happening at the resort and beach club pools. The CMs were great though! Mindful of the chair saving strategy, they removed towels from saved chairs when people didn't come back within a few minutes.

The other behavior I witnessed this trip was people saving more chairs than they needed and using the extras for beach bags, trash, wet towels, etc. The two times I asked people if I could use the extra chair they were very sheepish and immediately moved their stuff so I could have a chair.

I'm glad this issue came up. You've all given me the courage to take over obviously unused pool chairs on future visits. Thanks!

[normr]

I'm amazed, some people just don't get it.

Doesn't it seem very piggish and rude to occupy all 4 dryers at once, I bet if they were cash only dryers, those same people would only be using one NOT FOUR.


Why can't people live by the golden rule, do unto others as they would like people to do unto them.

[DownNeckBoy]

The washer/dryers are free? This is why this board is so good! I never imagined that you could wash for free! Thanks for the info.

[rbuzzotta]

The only place we encountered problems with getting a chair at the pool was VB. We usually get to the pool at 9:30 and all the tables with umbrellas are taken, or should I say people place their "possessions" on the tables and chairs and kind of "reserve" them in their own way.

It does get frustrating especially at lunch time when the kids want to sit at the table to eat instead of on a towel on the ground. We usually just (try) to get 2 lounge chairs and my DD's usually sit on the ground on a towel, if at all (they usually don't get out of the pool). My youngest DD has the luxury of using her stroller to eat, sit and nap in!!!!!!!!

[ckr]

I am so very sorry that my perspective that is different from yours is "piggish and rude". I never knew there was a "1 at a time rule" as PamOKW KINDLY explained. I do try to live by the Golden Rule and frankly I would never ask/tell someone to remove their items from the dryer or that they were hogging the machines. They were there first and they could not foresee that you would be coming in next!! Seems like waiting for your turn is something people at WDW would know a lot about...... And that's what I would do, wait my turn.

As far as the elevator analogy goes, I still don't see it. Yes, it'd be wrong to hold the elevator and wait for someone, just as it would be wrong to hold a washing machine for someone else. But to use the available machines for your own use and remove your items as soon as they are done -- I still don't see that as being piggish or rude. Just like filling the elevator to capacity and using it for your entire group on one trip.

Am I really this un-schooled in proper laundry room ettiquette?

Signed,
Trying to Play by the Rules, but please be kind when teaching them to me........ :0)

[normr]

I didn't attack anyone personally, but apparently some felt they fit into that category of people that don't know how to share or be considerate to their fellow members.

Like I said in an earlier post, if people felt like they HAD to use all 4 dryers when one or two would do, wouldn't the considerate thing to do would be to move your things into less machines if someone else came to use them.

I'm sorry if I'm such a nice honest person and care about other people and their feelings and not the screw the other guy type.

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by normr
Like I said in an earlier post, if people felt like they HAD to use all 4 dryers when one or two would do, wouldn't the considerate thing to do would be to move your things into less machines if someone else came to use them.


I think there is a misunderstanding and perhaps two different scenarios here.

You walk into the laundry room. You have two loads of wash to do and there are two washers and four dryers. No one else is using the laundry room when you walk in so you put both of your loads in at once (I don't see this as a big deal at all, personally).

Someone walks in 10 minutes later and has to wait 10 or 15 minutes to do a wash. Also not a big deal.

Scenario 1: You finish washing your clothes and you put each load into a dryer knowing that the person after you will need to dry their clothes at the same time as your clothes are drying.

Scenario 2: You finish washing your clothes and spread them over all 4 dryers knowing that in 20 minutes (before your clothes are done) someone else will need the dryer and will have to wait another 40 minutes to use them because you are hogging them all.

I think these are two very different scenarios and that scenario 1 is what most people would do to "follow the golden rule" while scenario 2 is what someone who didn't care about anyone else would do. I don't think there is a "1 washer at a time" rule (at least there hasn't been at any laundromat type facility I've ever been in) and if there laundry room were THAT crowded that I'd have to fight just to get one washer, I'd do my laundry later.

I don't see the elevator analogy either. In the case of the elevator you're not using it, but preventing others from using it so that it will be available to you immediately. In the case of the washers you are actually using them and willing to turn them over to someone else as soon as you are finished.

My husband and I also don't "sit out" by the pool but rather we prefer to swim. I wish Disney had some kind of place (maybe they do and we don't know about it?) for us to leave our stuff so that we have a place to sit down and dry off and leave our stuff within viewing range of the pool so that we can both go swimming. I'm sorry if we are taking a chair away from someone who could be sitting in it, but at least we consolidate all of our stuff into one chair (then again I've never been at the pool when it's been terribly crowded)

Lisa

[mikek]

the washer thing really intrigues me...

I gotta say- I'm lucky enough to have never been to a laundrymat or have had to use the public washers at DVC.

From my inexperienced view, it seems like it would make the MOST sense to use as many availible machines as possible and get my stuff out of others way ASAP.

If you Dont use all availible machines, you arent using the system to its best efficiency. You wind up with alot of 10- 15 minute unused periods that way. If its so busy that there is always someone doing laundey (as it sounds)- At the end of the day thats a few more loads that just couldnt get done because of all the free time the machines sat idle. If the machines are used for a long period- the poor person at the end winds up waiting that much longer because the first few people didnt use the machines most efficiently.