Disney Ethics - another WWYD? Thread

[Marionnette]

Taking a cue from another thread, I thought that I would pose some Disney-related ethical questions. Feel free to add your own. But please be respectful of one another's opinions.

Is it ethical to:

• Lie about your child's age in order to get a cheaper ticket? Or cheaper dining? Or *free* adult dining? Or to avoid paying the extra adult fee for the room? Or to be able to have a 5th person in the room without having to move up a resort level?
• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? What if it's a DVC villa that allows more people for DVC members but not for people staying on cash?
• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? How about more than one phantom?
• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? Or using a second MDE account for your current reservation so that you can use the MBs from a previous visit to make a second set of 3 FP+ on the day of?
• Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? If you don't agree, would it make a difference if the person doing this bought a soda at the QS location? Does it make a difference if the restaurant is crowded and the people who purchased meals there cannot find a seat?
• Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? Does it make a difference whether it's a group of Brazilian teenagers or a mother who took her toddler to the bathroom?
  
• Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? What if it's only one other person for whom you are saving a seat? Or two? If you're okay with saving some seats but not a lot, how many is too much?
• Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet? What if it's because they were riding another attraction while you saved the spots? Is it a different answer if it's because a parent was taking a child to the restroom or dealing with some other need? What if it's because the family has a child who would become disruptive while waiting, so the parent left with them to keep them distracted until closer to show time so that they didn't negatively impact the people around them?
  
• Pool hop? Ever? Or only if you're a DVC member and only specific resort pool? What if you have friends/family staying at the resort you're hopping to?
  
• Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? What if you have an ADR at the resort? Or if you're an onsite guest but that resort's lot is more convenient (i.e. CR's lot is great for getting out after Wishes or YC/BC lots are great when IllumiNations is done)? Does paying for valet parking make it okay?

 

[davper]

• Lie about your child's age - If the child is small and won't be able to participate on height restricted rides and eats like a small child...I see no problem with doing this.
• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? Why would you want to? The rooms are small enough already.
• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? I might and recently had this conversation with someone else. Don't forget the extra FP+ you will get as well. But this is not a freebie, you are paying for that extra phantom.
• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? Not worth my time and effort
• Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? I see no problem with this if it is outdoor seating and may have done this myself in the past.
• Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? If it is one person catching up to their group, OK. Otherwise no.
• Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? No
• Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet? Yes, but only a couple of spots. Not one person holding 5 more.
• Pool hop? I don't see pool hopping worth my time and effort
• Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? No, Time and effort again

 

[TwoMisfits]

Is it ethical to:

• (No) Lie about your child's age in order to get a cheaper ticket? Or cheaper dining? Or *free* adult dining? Or to avoid paying the extra adult fee for the room? Or to be able to have a 5th person in the room without having to move up a resort level?
• (No) Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? What if it's a DVC villa that allows more people for DVC members but not for people staying on cash?
• (No) To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? How about more than one phantom?
• (Depends - if you pay for the room, then yes. If you cancel it last minute, then no. 2nd MBs from old trip - No ) Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? Or using a second MDE account for your current reservation so that you can use the MBs from a previous visit to make a second set of 3 FP+ on the day of?
• (If you order ANYTHING there, then yes. If there is no wait for seats, then yes, since there are so few seats in the MK. If there's a wait for seats and you're not buying anything, you should move on, especially if you're a big party taking a lot of seats) Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? If you don't agree, would it make a difference if the person doing this bought a soda at the QS location? Does it make a difference if the restaurant is crowded and the people who purchased meals there cannot find a seat?
• (One person or two with a small child - like a stroller parker or bathroom runner - yes. Otherwise, no) or a Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? Does it make a difference whether it's a group of Brazilian teenagers or a mother who took her toddler to the bathroom?
• (No answer - I haven't flown SW recently Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? What if it's only one other person for whom you are saving a seat? Or two? If you're okay with saving some seats but not a lot, how many is too much?
• (Yes, but not for 50. One extra spot to your left and right is probably it for 1 person). Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet? What if it's because they were riding another attraction while you saved the spots? Is it a different answer if it's because a parent was taking a child to the restroom or dealing with some other need? What if it's because the family has a child who would become disruptive while waiting, so the parent left with them to keep them distracted until closer to show time so that they didn't negatively impact the people around them?
• (No answer - I don't stay onsite anymore, and haven't in years, so I don't even know what they allow and what they don't anymore) Pool hop? Ever? Or only if you're a DVC member and only specific resort pool? What if you have friends/family staying at the resort you're hopping to?
• (No) Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? What if you have an ADR at the resort? Or if you're an onsite guest but that resort's lot is more convenient (i.e. CR's lot is great for getting out after Wishes or YC/BC lots are great when IllumiNations is done)? Does paying for valet parking make it okay?

 

[EvieBug]

Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? Does it make a difference whether it's a group of Brazilian teenagers or a mother who took her toddler to the bathroom?

I am really curious about folks thoughts on this. I will be traveling in a party of four - husband, me, and two kids. Eldest is 7, youngest 3 (I only mention ages as we will be making our bathroom breaks with escorts - I won't be telling my seven year old to go find a bathroom on her own, for example.) So if two of us get in line for a ride/attraction/whatever, are people seriously going to be ticked if the other two join us? I am not planning on making this a habit ala divide and conquer or anything, but I can see littlest needing surprise potty breaks despite our planning. Also if daughter and I can run like hell and get in line for a meet and greet and Dad is following with littlest, should they not be able to join us whereever we landed in the line?

I'm curious too about the parade/fireworks spot saving question. Are we really saying it's rude for a family to split up like that? I would certainly not blink at that happening anywhere in the 'real world' - is it actually viewed differently at Disney? I see how this could be more of an issue for folks, since 'first come first served' sort of applies for seating.. but still - expecting little kids to stay patiently sitting for an hour just so they can have a spot without grown ups in front of them seems a challenge.

To me, the other things are pretty clear. Lying about a kid's age, adding extra people to room capacity, adding "fake" people to the room (I am clearly missing the benefit here - you pay for that person, right? And wouldn't you need park tickets? Or would they not raise an eyebrow at that?) -- not ok. Same with the pool hopping and parking.

 

[HM]

I don't think I've ever been tempted to do any of those things. I think the answers are No.

The only one I might do would be the sitting at a CS table...but I've never brought food in. I've bought at Mexico and ate it in China once, does that count?

I can't believe I've never heard of adding a phantom person on a free dining reservation.

 

[Marionnette]

Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? Does it make a difference whether it's a group of Brazilian teenagers or a mother who took her toddler to the bathroom?

I am really curious about folks thoughts on this. I will be traveling in a party of four - husband, me, and two kids. Eldest is 7, youngest 3 (I only mention ages as we will be making our bathroom breaks with escorts - I won't be telling my seven year old to go find a bathroom on her own, for example.) So if two of us get in line for a ride/attraction/whatever, are people seriously going to be ticked if the other two join us? I am not planning on making this a habit ala divide and conquer or anything, but I can see littlest needing surprise potty breaks despite our planning. Also if daughter and I can run like hell and get in line for a meet and greet and Dad is following with littlest, should they not be able to join us whereever we landed in the line?

I'm curious too about the parade/fireworks spot saving question. Are we really saying it's rude for a family to split up like that? I would certainly not blink at that happening anywhere in the 'real world' - is it actually viewed differently at Disney? I see how this could be more of an issue for folks, since 'first come first served' sort of applies for seating.. but still - expecting little kids to stay patiently sitting for an hour just so they can have a spot without grown ups in front of them seems a challenge.

To me, the other things are pretty clear. Lying about a kid's age, adding extra people to room capacity, adding "fake" people to the room (I am clearly missing the benefit here - you pay for that person, right? And wouldn't you need park tickets? Or would they not raise an eyebrow at that?) -- not ok. Same with the pool hopping and parking.

My feeling is that if you need to take a child to the restroom prior to entering the queue, then your party should wait for you while one parent takes care of that child and you should all enter the queue together. The same goes for stragglers. You don't send a runner ahead to mark your place in line in order to beat out one or two families. Your entire party should enter queues together.

If your child has a bathroom "emergency" while in line, then a parent exits the line with that child and takes care of things. The rest of the party can choose to leave the queue as well or continue on to ride the attraction. The parent and child who left the line for the bathroom can either get into the queue when they are done taking care of things or meet their party at the exit and skip the attraction. If it's important to all of you that you ride together, then members of your party who are ahead in the line can wave on everyone behind them until the whole group is once again together. The rest of the world should not be inconvenienced and be expected to move aside and backwards because of you.

 

[Marionnette]

I don't think I've ever been tempted to do any of those things. I think the answers are No.

The only one I might do would be the sitting at a CS table...but I've never brought food in. I've bought at Mexico and ate it in China once, does that count?

I can't believe I've never heard of adding a phantom person on a free dining reservation.

There was a lot more discussion about it back when you only needed to purchase 1-day tickets in order to qualify for *free* dining. It got so bad that some resorts were asking families to check in together so that the CM could see the whole group. Once it became necessary to purchase 2-day tickets, I think there was less incentive to add the phantom "age 10 and over" child(ren) to their rooms.

 

[davper]

Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? Does it make a difference whether it's a group of Brazilian teenagers or a mother who took her toddler to the bathroom?

I am really curious about folks thoughts on this. I will be traveling in a party of four - husband, me, and two kids. Eldest is 7, youngest 3 (I only mention ages as we will be making our bathroom breaks with escorts - I won't be telling my seven year old to go find a bathroom on her own, for example.) So if two of us get in line for a ride/attraction/whatever, are people seriously going to be ticked if the other two join us? I am not planning on making this a habit ala divide and conquer or anything, but I can see littlest needing surprise potty breaks despite our planning. Also if daughter and I can run like hell and get in line for a meet and greet and Dad is following with littlest, should they not be able to join us whereever we landed in the line?

I'm curious too about the parade/fireworks spot saving question. Are we really saying it's rude for a family to split up like that? I would certainly not blink at that happening anywhere in the 'real world' - is it actually viewed differently at Disney? I see how this could be more of an issue for folks, since 'first come first served' sort of applies for seating.. but still - expecting little kids to stay patiently sitting for an hour just so they can have a spot without grown ups in front of them seems a challenge.

To me, the other things are pretty clear. Lying about a kid's age, adding extra people to room capacity, adding "fake" people to the room (I am clearly missing the benefit here - you pay for that person, right? And wouldn't you need park tickets? Or would they not raise an eyebrow at that?) -- not ok. Same with the pool hopping and parking.

If you have an inline bathroom emergency, and you exit muttering 'bathroom emergency excuse us'. I see no reason why they wouldn't let rejoin your family. I know I would have no problem with it. Sure, a few people who joined the line while you were in the bathroom may be upset. But they will get over it. Just make your apologies and explain what you are doing.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would answer NO to all of those.

As far as the in line bathroom emergency goes, I do understand those. However, the people who leave the line also need to understand that it may be difficult to get back to where they left the line. Some of the queues are not that wide, and I would be irritated if someone had to shove me in order to get by me.

 

[EvieBug]

My feeling is that if you need to take a child to the restroom prior to entering the queue, then your party should wait for you while one parent takes care of that child and you should all enter the queue together. The same goes for stragglers. You don't send a runner ahead to mark your place in line in order to beat out one or two families. Your entire party should enter queues together.

If your child has a bathroom "emergency" while in line, then a parent exits the line with that child and takes care of things. The rest of the party can choose to leave the queue as well or continue on to ride the attraction. The parent and child who left the line for the bathroom can either get into the queue when they are done taking care of things or meet their party at the exit and skip the attraction. If it's important to all of you that you ride together, then members of your party who are ahead in the line can wave on everyone behind them until the whole group is once again together. The rest of the world should not be inconvenienced and be expected to move aside and backwards because of you.

Thank you for your perspective. That 'waiting until your entire party is assembled and enter the line together' can in fact mean that we don't get to meet and greet, which I think is unfortunate. It's less about beating out one of two families and more about not missing the chance to meet Anna and Elsa while at the Magic Kingdom as these events are not running all day like a ride. I think it's possible these expectations also lead to the way people now 'game the system' as outlined above, trying to secure their 'must do's' by hook or by crook.

I can't say I agree, though I am appreciative of your response!

 

[EvieBug]

I would answer NO to all of those.

As far as the in line bathroom emergency goes, I do understand those. However, the people who leave the line also need to understand that it may be difficult to get back to where they left the line. Some of the queues are not that wide, and I would be irritated if someone had to shove me in order to get by me.

Well for sure that I agree with. Shoving people against walls to squeeze family members by is not cool. I'm hoping we don't really have to find out the answer to this, because our goal IS to tour as a family. Fingers crossed!

 

[EvieBug]

There was a lot more discussion about it back when you only needed to purchase 1-day tickets in order to qualify for *free* dining. It got so bad that some resorts were asking families to check in together so that the CM could see the whole group. Once it became necessary to purchase 2-day tickets, I think there was less incentive to add the phantom "age 10 and over" child(ren) to their rooms.

Aha, thanks for explaining this. I was utterly failing to see how one came out winning in that equation.

 

[HM]

Bathroom stops should be set into your touring plan every couple of hours. Our rule is, if anyone needs to go, every goes to the restroom and tries even if they don't feel like they need to go. We never had to leave a line with our kids.

 

[Pkltm]

My thoughts::

• Lie about your child's age - not right to lie just to save a few bucks..
• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? Would hate to get caught...not worth the risk
• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? Cheaper just to buy a few extra meals in my opinion.
• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? Seems like a waste of time
• Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? To me this would depend on how busy it is, are there many empty tables??
• Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? I have been in the position where people have cut us in line, I has been frustrating, and I could live without it happening again. They only time I lost my patience was when it was to get on a bus to get back to the resort and a tour group thought it was olay for 5 to hold the line for 50, caused to ne unable to get on the bus. I was pretty angry.
  
• Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? Not okay, If you want to guarantee the seats together, all should pay!
• Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet? I would say if you are saving for one or two okay, 10 no way
  
• Pool hop? Disney says it is a no, so no
  
• Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? Aren't there time limits to parking at resorts when you have an adr? We don't stay off site often so I don't know...

My one to add as I have had an issue before.

We were asked by a family to give up our parade spots (we were sitting there for 30 minutes already) because we did not have any "kids" with us and don't I know that WDW is just for kids...​

 

[Madteaparty001]

My answer to a lot of these is, moderation, bend don't break.

• Lie about your child's age if you're within a couple of months I don't see the harm, want you're 9 1/2 yea old to count as 10? Meh. Saying your 3 and 3 month year old is 2? Meh. Any more then a few months and I would say that it's wrong.
• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? Honestly I wouldn't do this because I don't want to be crammed some where, but if a family of 5 is staying in a room for 4? Meh. Any more then that and then I think they should pony up for an extra room.
• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? I didn't know you could do this, and am honestly not sure how I feel about it since the dinning plan is so inflated anyways.
• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? I think this is wrong, if it's that important pay for a camp site.
• Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? Disney has limited seating, even more limited table seating, I paid to be in the park, if I see an open table in the park and I want to eat at it, I will.
• Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? again, if it's one person, or a mother who took her kid to the bathroom, sure go ahead. A group of 4 can get in the back of the line.
  
• Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? If you're going to purchase for one person, purchase for them all, I'm not going to side eye saving a seat for one person, but a row? Pony up.
• Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet? Moderation, moderation, moderation. If a dad and son are meeting up with a mom and daughter, or Grandma Susie who just wanted to sit for a while, go ahead. One person saving 8 spots? Fill it or lose it.
  
• Pool hop? If you're staying in Pop and the parents are staying in Grand Floridian? Sure. If you're in Pop and you want to go to Deluxe? To bad, pony up.
  
• Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? Parking lot is a Parking lot, what you're saving in money you're spending in time, be my guest. Unless of course this make someone at the resort unable to park there.

 

[Marionnette]

Thank you for your perspective. That 'waiting until your entire party is assembled and enter the line together' can in fact mean that we don't get to meet and greet, which I think is unfortunate. It's less about beating out one of two families and more about not missing the chance to meet Anna and Elsa while at the Magic Kingdom as these events are not running all day like a ride. I think it's possible these expectations also lead to the way people now 'game the system' as outlined above, trying to secure their 'must do's' by hook or by crook.

I can't say I agree, though I am appreciative of your response!

I understand that A&E are extremely popular right now and missing a chance to meet them would be a huge disappointment to a young fan. Every kid that enters that queue is excited to see them. Since I have no one for whom A&E is a "must do", I wonder how their M&G is handled differently from other princess M&Gs? Assuming that you could not get that awesome FP+ at 60 or 30 days, if you were to get in the SB line, you would eventually see them, no? Is there a cutoff for the SB line that means if you're not in it shortly after rope drop, you've missed your chance?

 

[EvieBug]

I understand that A&E are extremely popular right now and missing a chance to meet them would be a huge disappointment to a young fan. Every kid that enters that queue is excited to see them. Since I have no one for whom A&E is a "must do", I wonder how their M&G is handled differently from other princess M&Gs? Assuming that you could not get that awesome FP+ at 60 or 30 days, if you were to get in the SB line, you would eventually see them, no? Is there a cutoff for the SB line that means if you're not in it shortly after rope drop, you've missed your chance?

I would hope so - I am not sure how they cut the lines though. We stood in a relatively beefy line last trip for Tinkerbell (she was inside a building, that I think now is being remodeled, so I have no idea where she is now!) and after a certain point they just closed the doors and that was that - everyone inside was going to meet, everyone who hadn't fit/made it to the doors in time was cut. Of course by cut I just mean told to check back for the next session whenever it was, but you know. M&Gs are just tough.

I'm hoping we get the fast pass and this all becomes academic. Littlest is really good about pottying when we are out, so I actually think we won't get to test the ethos of the theory at all. It just sort of bums me out that people could view the line situation as bad behavior/cheating. Maybe it's the scale of Disney, as around here for fairs and what not no one would really see that as odd or rude.

 

[EvieBug]

My thoughts::

We were asked by a family to give up our parade spots (we were sitting there for 30 minutes already) because we did not have any "kids" with us and don't I know that WDW is just for kids...​

NOT OK. I am sorry someone suggested that. The majority of my trips to WDW were as an adult with no kids! (hence my questions now that I am dealing with this new wrinkle, hahaha!)

 

[Mel522]

Pool hopping is allowed at most resorts for dvc members staying on points if the pool is not at capacity, so I don't see what could possibly be wrong with that one.

No to all others.

 

[Marionnette]

Pool hopping is allowed at most resorts for dvc members staying on points if the pool is not at capacity, so I don't see what could possibly be wrong with that one.

No to all others.

My point was more along the line of it being okay for DVC members to hop to, let's say GF's pool, but other onsite guests are not permitted to do the same. Just like it's okay for DVC members to have more than 5 people in a 1-bedroom villa but not guests who are staying on cash reservations.