Disney Ethics - another WWYD? Thread

[dpswift]

What about a 10 year old at a table service restaurant who really insists on the chicken nuggets/fries from the kids menu and refuses to eat grown up food (like at some of the EPCOT international restaurants)?

Honestly there are foods at most of WDW restaurants that I will not eat. It is wrong on their part to have the only plain enjoyable food be a $35 steak. They should allow anyone to order off the kids menu even if there is an adult surcharge.

For a 10 yearold it is one time I would say they were 9 if paying OOP or ask for a substitution if on DDP.

 

[dpswift]

Most restaurants allow anyone to order from the kids menu.

That was not my experiance at BOG and Sanaa. At BOG I was offered the steak or a plain porkchop. I must admit that another time I will be more forceful. I would be happy just ordering a drink but DH will not allow it.

 

[mistysue]

I was thinking of this thread today as I was waiting for the parade in my town. We arrived 30 minutes early which here means there's is still a lot of space, but within 15 minutes you don't get a front spot. Our sons got bored and were starting to bicker so I was standing in our spot on the grass and DH took them for a walk to keep them busy. 2 mins before scheduled start some woman approached walking the parade route and started unfolding her blanket when she saw I was taking up room for more than 1. I said "no no, my kids and I are sitting here and she proceeded to try to put her blanket on my feet, before backing up and loudly starting in " you can't save a spot when you have all these people who are waiting ". I was completely flabbergasted, as if thousands of other people (who were now about 6 deep the entire route) had just left this perfect space so she and her teen sons could come swoop in at the last second. I would have felt sympathy if I hadn't just been making my 4 and 6 year olds stand there baking in the sun with nothing to do as she slept in. I think I said something like " no, we are sitting here" and she glared and huffed like I was completely wrong but there is no issue with pushing in on other people. It was the sort of incident where you want to crawl in a hole because somebody just makes you feel terrible.

 

[dpswift]

I was thinking of this thread today as I was waiting for the parade in my town. We arrived 30 minutes early which here means there's is still a lot of space, but within 15 minutes you don't get a front spot. Our sons got bored and were starting to bicker so I was standing in our spot on the grass and DH took them for a walk to keep them busy. 2 mins before scheduled start some woman approached walking the parade route and started unfolding her blanket when she saw I was taking up room for more than 1. I said "no no, my kids and I are sitting here and she proceeded to try to put her blanket on my feet, before backing up and loudly starting in " you can't save a spot when you have all these people who are waiting ". I was completely flabbergasted, as if thousands of other people (who were now about 6 deep the entire route) had just left this perfect space so she and her teen sons could come swoop in at the last second. I would have felt sympathy if I hadn't just been making my 4 and 6 year olds stand there baking in the sun with nothing to do as she slept in. I think I said something like " no, we are sitting here" and she glared and huffed like I was completely wrong but there is no issue with pushing in on other people. It was the sort of incident where you want to crawl in a hole because somebody just makes you feel terrible.

You should not feel terrible. Your situation reminds me of our elementary school shows we would arrive an hour early to be in one of the first 3 rows yet people would show up 10 minutes early and expect front row. I honestly do not have a problem with a parent walking away with a child for 10 minutes or so. It is more the families of 5 or 6 who will have mom or grandma steak out seats for an hour and then push to the front.

 

[sersee05]

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?

Eh.. this doesn't bother me. My friend went and when she booked her child was 9. She didn't pay for an adult ticket even though her daughter would be 10 by the time she went . Why do I care? It's not like she is trying to pass her 16yr old off as 10. It's not like you can continuously do this. Everyone's situation is different and Disney is expensive. My sister did it because her daughter doesn't ride any rides because she is scared. I wouldn't have a problem with a person making their 9 yr old 10 for fd either. The child could be a very good eater. Plus they will pay more in the package anyway. Maybe I'm unethical but this doesn't bother me.

• 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?

I don't know about the DVC thing. But I do sympathize with families over 4. I'm one of them. It's tough when there aren't many choices. Sometimes if you call you find out they allow an extra cot. I call to make sure on max occ. I have been told it's a fire code thing . I don't think it's right if the max occ I'd 5 for DVC but not for others.

• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? How about more than one phantom?

I didn't know you could do this or that people do.

• 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?

I am barely getting the concept of fastpass as it is...this is over my head..lol

• 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?

I don't know if I would even notice others eating their own food for this to bother me. I would be annoyed if someone was sitting there NOT eating but sitting just to relax. Find a bench or a curb.

• 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?

If it's a huge group..that is asinine because it effects others..imo. But a mom whose child has to go to the bathroom? Naw. Kids pick the worst times to have to pee. You can schedule all the bathroom breaks you want. When a child has to go that's it. I don't know why this would upset anyone. I also understand someone who has an injury, elderly, etc.

• 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?

I always.pay for all my party to check in early.

• 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?

Naw I don't care about this either. It doesn't matter to me what the other members if the person family is doing. If mom volunteered to sit for an hour and save the spots...who cares? The spots would have been taken either way. Who knows why they did it..bathroom, getting a drink..whatever.

• 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?

My opinion is that if your paying to stay at the poly, someone from a value should not be able to use the pool. Someone who is offsite should not be able to use the resort pools either. I'm ok if your friends are staying in the resort and invite you over for a couple hours. I don't know enough about DVC to answer that part.

• 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?

You should park in the resort you paid for. If you are eating dinner at a resort, you should be able to park. You are a patron. I stay offsite because it's less expensive. I have to pay to park. I shouldn't be able to park at a resort to skip on parking. The people who stay at the resort are paying much more for that perk. It would really stink for a person who paid to stay at a resort to not be able to find parking. ​

 

[NJMomto2]

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.

I agree 100%. As a single mom, if my toddler needs to go potty, I have to leave the line and go to the end when we return. Why would a two parent family be any different? How is that fair?

 

[Judique]

I agree 100%. As a single mom, if my toddler needs to go potty, I have to leave the line and go to the end when we return. Why would a two parent family be any different? How is that fair?

I agree also. No line cutting.

I once had a couple of women in front of me while I was standing waiting to get on Buzz Lightyear with my young child. Two men showed up and stepped right in front of us to join the two women. I said something about it and they were rude back to me. They didn't care - they were a self serving group.

 

[sersee05]

So if I was in front of you with my three kids and husband. One of my kids had to go to the bathroom so I leave with my child and come back and get in line.

Your saying you would be upset with me?

 

[Marionnette]

So if I was in front of you with my three kids and husband. One of my kids had to go to the bathroom so I leave with my child and come back and get in line.

Your saying you would be upset with me?

What age is the cut-off for "potty forgiveness"? Is it okay for a parent and 4-year-old? What if the child is 8? What if it's a teenager leaving the line by himself and then wanting to rejoin his friends? Is it okay if you're a pregnant woman but not for a grown man?

Again, we're talking situational ethics. Is it always okay to leave the line and then be able to rejoin your party, regardless of the age or circumstance? Or is only okay for some people?

 

[NJMomto2]

So if I was in front of you with my three kids and husband. One of my kids had to go to the bathroom so I leave with my child and come back and get in line.

Your saying you would be upset with me?

Would you let me and my daughter back in line ahead of you if I left to take her potty? If no one was holding my spot because her father died and she doesn't have that option? Why or why not?

What if you did not see me leave the line but I said we did? What if everyone did this and a 5 min queue grew to 30min very quickly?

What if I timed the ride and an ADR and then people jumped in line and now we miss dinner?

Is there a Disney policy on "holding spots"? There is - they do not allow it.

 

[sersee05]

I don't see the problem with it. They were in line in front of you anyway. So they left to go do whatever and came back. What's the difference .

 

[sersee05]

Would you let me and my daughter back in line ahead of you if I left to take her potty? If no one was holding my spot because her father died and she doesn't have that option? Why or why not?

What if you did not see me leave the line but I said we did? What if everyone did this and a 5 min queue grew to 30min very quickly?

What if I timed the ride and an ADR and then people jumped in line and now we miss dinner?

Is there a Disney policy on "holding spots"? There is - they do not allow it.

Actually..I would if you said that to me. I have been in line before at a grocery store where someone forgot something, and i let them back in....they were in front of me anyway.

Then if there is a disney policy..then there is a rule . So there is nothing to talk about.

Like I said I get it if it's people who aren't in your party and you happen to see them and invite them in line. ... but people who all already in line and get out to use the bathroom ..I don't have a problem with them getting back in line.

 

[Marionnette]

I don't see the problem with it. They were in line in front of you anyway. So they left to go do whatever and came back. What's the difference .

The difference is that these are queues and not a placeholder system. While you're in the restroom, a large number of people who were never behind you will have entered the queue. You are expecting them to step aside and allow you to jump ahead of them in line, not just the people who were present when you left the line.

 

[sersee05]

I really don't understand how anyone would be mad at someone who was in line with their group, left to go to the bathroom and came back.

So we will just have to agree to disagree

 

[Jing]

If anyone with young kids is in front of me in a line, I will be happy to let you back in line if you need to duck out for a bathroom/tantrum break. I have never viewed that as cutting. Cutting for me is saving a place in line for someone who was never there in the first place.

 

[Isatricia]

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?

I don't like it when theme parks base ticket prices on age. I would rather see it as height since there are so many height restrictions. With that said, I have a new 10 yr old that is tall enough to ride all rides. To get my kids cheaper tickets, we have chosen to participate in the YES program where we can get child prices up to 17 yrs old. My girls are looking forward to the Disney educational program and it is worth it to spend 3 hours in a small educational learning group.

I don't like hotels charging extra for extra adults. My kids aren't that old yet, so I don't know how we will handle those circumstances.

Kids meals....my kids still order kids meals everywhere. They eat like 7 yr olds with small apetites. Why should they have to pay for adult meals.

• 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?

If I had 3 kids, we would likely figure out a way to get us all in 1 room.

• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? How about more than one phantom?

I'm not sure how this would be any advantage. I couldn't even calculate an advantage to paying full price or a room just to get "free dining".

• 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?

No opinion

• 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?

I don't mind if the seating is not packed.

• 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?

We have always taught our kids that we cannot get out of line. We have had instances where 2 of us got into a line faster than the other 2 an other people got in between us. Usually the people in between let us go or the front 2 hold back. I have let people join their group.

• 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?

I would never pay for EB check i on SW. We actually prefer to sit at the back of the plane where there is more overhead space, it is less packed and it is more likely to have unfilled middle seats. Even when we got to board early with young children, we would go directly to the back of the plane. Yes, it takes longer to get off the plane, but we wait less at the baggage pickup. It is also helpful if you gate check a stroller that you have to wait for because your family isn't taking up space on the jetway waiting for the stroller.

• 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?

I do have issues with people holding space for things like this. For a couple people to go to the bathroom or get snacks it is ok, but for entire groups, not ok. We recently bought tickets to local ice skating show. We got there early because it was open seating. All of the prime seats were "saved" with blankets by the families of those in the show. We found a small space that was not really large enough for 3, but my 11 yr old was going to sit on my lap. Many paying people had to sit in places that they couldn't see well. At the time of the show start, the saved places were still EMPTY and sat empty the entire show. IMO, that was rude and inconsiderate.

• 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?

We rarely take the time to use the pool so I see no reason to do this.

• 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?

This seems like a hassle.​

 

[Jaime4004]

What age is the cut-off for "potty forgiveness"? Is it okay for a parent and 4-year-old? What if the child is 8? What if it's a teenager leaving the line by himself and then wanting to rejoin his friends? Is it okay if you're a pregnant woman but not for a grown man?

Again, we're talking situational ethics. Is it always okay to leave the line and then be able to rejoin your party, regardless of the age or circumstance? Or is only okay for some people?

i'm good with all of the above. So not a big deal...

 

[dpswift]

Would you let me and my daughter back in line ahead of you if I left to take her potty? If no one was holding my spot because her father died and she doesn't have that option? Why or why not?

What if you did not see me leave the line but I said we did? What if everyone did this and a 5 min queue grew to 30min very quickly?

What if I timed the ride and an ADR and then people jumped in line and now we miss dinner?

Is there a Disney policy on "holding spots"? There is - they do not allow it.

You offer a very good point. There are many of us who for one reason or another go to Disney with a young child alone. Despite many trips alone with DS I was on the fence about this until I heard your point now I agree with you. Like others have said potty before you get in line.

I still believe that overall people are understanding with small children, however it is still not fair to the single parents. On one trip I took DS to MNSSHP we waited over half an hour for the parade. Right as the parade was due to start there was a rain delay. DS had a meltdown I had no choice but to leave.

Your point about how quickly a 5 minute queue could grow is a good one as well. Many times I have jumped into a line with about 10 people in it only to have it double by friends joining them.

 

[scrapquitler]

What about a 10 year old at a table service restaurant who really insists on the chicken nuggets/fries from the kids menu and refuses to eat grown up food (like at some of the EPCOT international restaurants)?

No less ethical than an adult that orders only an appetizer instead of a full meal. Ordering more food than you want is wasteful, wasting food is not ethical.

Ordering from the children's menu is NOT against Disney's rules. I asked flat out at a CS restaurant and was told that anyone can order a kids meal.

 

[NJMomto2]

You offer a very good point. There are many of us who for one reason or another go to Disney with a young child alone. Despite many trips alone with DS I was on the fence about this until I heard your point now I agree with you. Like others have said potty before you get in line.

I still believe that overall people are understanding with small children, however it is still not fair to the single parents. On one trip I took DS to MNSSHP we waited over half an hour for the parade. Right as the parade was due to start there was a rain delay. DS had a meltdown I had no choice but to leave.

Your point about how quickly a 5 minute queue could grow is a good one as well. Many times I have jumped into a line with about 10 people in it only to have it double by friends joining them.

Thanks. I respect everyone's opinions regardless. I never say anything to people if I perceive something to be a choice that I would not make.

I teach my kids how I would choose to act/react and what I feel are fair actions. It is the best I can do. Other than that, we ignore others actions, smile, and say good afternoon etc.