Disney Ethics - another WWYD? Thread

[fbb]

• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? From what I've heard this can be a fire hazard. Should there be a fire Disney knows how many people are supposed to be in each room, if there are extra people not on the list then they may not be rescued. Nothing is more important that safety, so I don't think this is a good idea at all

I'm not a fireman, but I doubt a rescue works by roll call.

 

[BagOLaughs]

I'm not a fireman, but I doubt a rescue works by roll call

I understand that, come on give me a bit of credit. However if you ask any school worker why class registers are so important they'll say a) to ensure that students are going to class and b) to make sure all students are out of the buildings in case of a fire.

The same goes for hotels. Of course they'll check the building but they'll still have a rough idea of the number of guests that should be in the building. If you're staying in a room that you're not booked to stay in you're running a slightly higher risk of being forgotten about. Anyway the original point i was trying to make is why tempt fate?

 

[CdnKayDee]

What I found most interesting was the in the original post the part about respecting each others opinions. Really in a post about debating whether or not we respect the rules put forth by Disney you expect people to respect your rule.
Well then I respect peoples opinion who said it is not ethical to lie.

 

[maxiesmom]

What I found most interesting was the in the original post the part about respecting each others opinions. Really in a post about debating whether or not we respect the rules put forth by Disney you expect people to respect your rule.
Well then I respect peoples opinion who said it is not ethical to lie.

I agree with you. Unfortunately there are many posters who believe that if they can get away with doing something then Disney must not really care, or they would force people to follow the rules.

If Disney gets tired of a behavior, they will take steps to force guests to behave. People claimed for years that Disney didn't care how many people filled 7-11 cups at the pop stations, that it wasn't a big deal that people were stealing pop, as it is "only" pop. Now we have cups with chips in them. People claimed Disney didn't care if you didn't show for your ADR, that it wasn't a big deal to make a bunch for the same time and pick which one you wanted to go to. Now we have the $10 per person no show fee.

If Disney gets sick enough of guests finding a way around a rule, they will do something about it. And the good will be inconvenienced (punished) along with the bad.

 

[Dakota731]

I agree with you. Unfortunately there are many posters who believe that if they can get away with doing something then Disney must not really care, or they would force people to follow the rules.

A lot of people think it's not cheating or stealing if they do it to a "big, evil corporation" but what they don't realize is that companies don't take the loss, they pass it on to the honest full-paying consumers.
I guess it depends how you were raised. We were taught that stealing $5 is no better than stealing $1000 and stealing from a billion dollar corporation is no better than stealing from your grandma. In Sunday school we learned that to God a sin is a sin, there are no little or big sins. They are all equal in the eyes of the Lord.

 

[marinejjh]

What about the people that abused the handicap line jumping that caused Disney to change there policy a few years back?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm not a fireman, but I doubt a rescue works by roll call.

It doesn't. But exits are designed based on the number of people required to use that exit. So if every room added a person, in an emergency, it could be difficult getting out via the hallway and stairway. That's why one child under the age of three doesn't count towards occupancy. It is expected an adult would carry that child to safety.

 

[ojeight]

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.

I have to disagree with you there. Yes seating may be limited but would you go to to Be Our Guest or Le Cellier at dinner time to eat food you brought into the park? Quick Service or not those table are for paying customers. I can not tell you how frustrating it to get food at quick service restaurant and not be able to find a table to sit at because they are filled with guest who packed their own food and are not patrons of the restaurant.

 

[Madteaparty001]

I have to disagree with you there. Yes seating may be limited but would you go to to Be Our Guest or Le Cellier at dinner time to eat food you brought into the park? Quick Service or not those table are for paying customers. I can not tell you how frustrating it to get food at quick service restaurant and not be able to find a table to sit at because they are filled with guest who packed their own food and are not patrons of the restaurant.

I would agree with this if Disney had picnic areas anywhere in their parks, but they don't. In my city there are indoor play centers for kids, you have to pay to get in and there are tables and chairs throughout. They sell food and discourage bringing outside food but don't forbid it. Whether I buy food or not I'm allowed to sit at the tables. Disney is the same way, you pay to go in and are not required to buy something, Be Our Guest and Le Cellier requires you buy something to stay, Quick Service areas do not.

 

[PracticallyPerfect2015]

• Lie about your child's age I don't agree with this, although I know it's a common practice.
• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? Not if it's a regular room, but if the room can accommodate more (e.g., has a pull-out couch OR if one of the people is a child/infant and can sleep in a pack-n-play or crib) then I think it's fine.
• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? Never heard of this and don't agree with it. At some point other people are going to have to "eat" that cost, and that's not fair.
• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? Again, there are policies in place and you may be taking up a room that is one that a family could have used.
• Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? I don't think it's a problem if the people bought something. However, if they didn't buy anything then it's just rude.
• Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? One of my biggest pet peeves. I would overlook it if there was a child involved. If there are teens/adults doing this, then they just are inconsiderate.
• Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? I have no clue how that works...
• Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet?I think this is okay...as long as the other people show up before the show/parade starts.
• Pool hop? Not unless you're at the All Stars!
• Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? I think if you have an ADR it's ok. Otherwise, don't do it.

 

[jcjen519]

• Lie about your child's age -- no I wouldn't lie about my kid's age
• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? -- no aside from the obvious, I would imagine this would cause problems with getting magic bands, linking park tickets, using magical express, using extra magic hours etc...
• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? --I don't really care on this one. You'd have to pay for the tickets they require and the $25 (or whatever) fee for having extra adults in the room. we never use free dining anyways and I doubt we'd do it but i don't really care about it.
• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? This stuff is more effort then i'm willing to make.
• Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? If it isn't crowded then I wouldn't care and if they buy a soda well then I think they are entitled to the table. If the restaurant is crowded and you aren't buying food or drink the tables should be left for those who are. That is my opinion on how it should be but I don't know what Disney's rule is. If there isn't a rule against eating food from home there then I don't blame anyone who does.
• Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? I wouldn't do this myself. we wait for each other and then get in line because you don't know how long the line will take or how long the bathroom will take. If a mom with a little kid had to get out of line to take them to the bathroom I'd have no problem letting them back in but thats about it.
• Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? We have never flown southwest or any airline that didn't have dedicated seats. I have to assume there are rules about this. How full does the plane get with the people with early bird check in? I don't know how I feel about this.
• Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet? this wouldn't bother me unless the person is saving a very large area and is telling others the area is taken.
• Pool hop? only within the rules, but i'm not interested in this anyways although we are DVC
• Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? I'm all about convenience and would just pay to park at the closest area I could. I don't know that I care what others do here but

 

[ryansstitch]

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'm pretty sure 90% of park attendees would be glad to let you leave the line. It has nothing to do with having 2 parents. I understand some people have very strong feelings about wanting everyone to stsnd in line the whole time, never, ever, ever leaving. Those people are in the severe minority, and they've probably all posted on this thread. I have never blinked an eyelash at a parent and child, or even a teenager or adult saying they needed to get back to their family from the restroom. I've never seen anyone else upset either. We all know the lines are long. We all know you're supposed to stay hydrated, especially in the summer. So if you're in a 2 hour long line what do you want people to do? I certainly don't want to be the person who gets seated in the ride vehicle after the kid who peed her pants because she didn't want to make her siblings go to the end of the line. I also don't want to be in line with someone who is about to pass out or start vomiting from heat exhaustion because they didn't leave the line and get water. People need to just relax, use a little empathy and understand that sometimes you can't stand in line for hours at a time and not leave. Off these boards, the general public is mostly happy to accommodate you and make the wait doable. If you have an ADR timed such that one family, or even 20 families having a change in line would cause you to miss it, perhaps you need to plan your time differently. Most rides at wdw load a whole lot of people rather quickly. You would need dozens, if not hundreds of people to somehow get ahead of you to push a 5 minute wait to 30 minutes.

 

[BagOLaughs]

I think its misleading if you use a statement such as "why was the child left alone" = assumption. Rather than, "I wonder if the child was left alone." = question

I'm pretty sure 90% of park attendees would be glad to let you leave the line. It has nothing to do with having 2 parents. I understand some people have very strong feelings about wanting everyone to stsnd in line the whole time, never, ever, ever leaving. Those people are in the severe minority, and they've probably all posted on this thread. I have never blinked an eyelash at a parent and child, or even a teenager or adult saying they needed to get back to their family from the restroom. I've never seen anyone else upset either. We all know the lines are long. We all know you're supposed to stay hydrated, especially in the summer. So if you're in a 2 hour long line what do you want people to do? I certainly don't want to be the person who gets seated in the ride vehicle after the kid who peed her pants because she didn't want to make her siblings go to the end of the line. I also don't want to be in line with someone who is about to pass out or start vomiting from heat exhaustion because they didn't leave the line and get water. People need to just relax, use a little empathy and understand that sometimes you can't stand in line for hours at a time and not leave. Off these boards, the general public is mostly happy to accommodate you and make the wait doable. If you have an ADR timed such that one family, or even 20 families having a change in line would cause you to miss it, perhaps you need to plan your time differently. Most rides at wdw load a whole lot of people rather quickly. You would need dozens, if not hundreds of people to somehow get ahead of you to push a 5 minute wait to 30 minutes.

I agree with what you've said and I have a very similar view of this however I was interested in knowing what you opinions would be if a group, of say 5, teenage kids was pushing down the line to meet their friend who was standing ahead of you in line?

This personally annoys me.

 

[ryansstitch]

I agree with what you've said and I have a very similar view of this however I was interested in knowing what you opinions would be if a group, of say 5, teenage kids was pushing down the line to meet their friend who was standing ahead of you in line?

This personally annoys me.

That is a way different situation! That annoys me because they are deliberately disregarding others waiting. Interestingly that hadn't happened to me at wdw, but it has happened MANY times at universal. Especially with the big sports groups. Unruly teens with no adult supervision...

 

[BagOLaughs]

MANY times at universal. Especially with the big sports groups

Me too.

 

[Bigwands]

The only ones that really struck me as douchey were the throwaway reservations, the free dining plan (I think that's straight up theft at that point), and the early check in on SW.

We were a family of 6, so my parents would "sneak" one of us into a room nearly every time we traveled (Mom would check in with 2 or 3 of us kids and dad and I or whomever would follow with luggage. I don't think most hotels even cared that much tbh). One kid with a sleeping bag isn't going to be a hazard and you're actually freeing up a room for another person so I don't see a problem with it. Same with the lying about ages. I looked pretty young for my age growing up (I still bought clothes from the kid's section into high school), but my sister who looked older than her age didn't like rides. Like at all, so it would have evened out in the end (though I don't think my parents ever bought kids tickets for any of us over 10). There's a pretty small window in which you can do that anyway. I think I got kids meals until I was about 15 (or two of us split an adult meal). Keep in mind, when it comes to food, it's not just the price that's different. It's a smaller portion size, so it's not like you're getting something for free.

As for parking, as long as you're not taking up the "good" spots, I don't see a problem with it. Basically, if you're not taking something from someone who paid for it or is otherwise entitled, it's not really doing a lot of damage.

 

[maxiesmom]

You are not freeing up a room by having more people than allowed in your room. You are paying for less space than you should be. You should be paying for that other room, it shouldn't be "freed up." That to me is indeed "douchey". Not paying for what you should, be it a room or paying for a child's portion at a buffet when you are a adult is theft. Also, a child in a sleeping bag would be a hazard if there was a fire.

 

[Boopuff]

• Lie about your child's age - I think it's one of those "ok within a few months" but not saying 20 yr old is 15!

• Have more people in the room than what Disney allows? - Hands up - quilty!
• To have a phantom person registered in your room in order to get more *free* dining credits? - too much like work
• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out? - see above
• Take a seat at a QS location but eat the food that you brought into the park? - ok if you wheel your cooler of PBJ down main street to a QS place (OUTDOORS) don't take up a paying customers spot in the ac! also camp out far away from the counter and be quick about it!
• Cut the line to meet up with the rest of your party? - bane of my existence! but for a tiny kid I'm understanding but 5 teenagers... wait in line!
• Purchase one Early Bird Check In on Southwest and then save seats for the rest of your party? - It's a dog-eat-dog world on SW! If you're traveling with a small group fine get on sit in the isle seat and try to "hold the other two seats in your row" but don't sit in row 1 and try to hold an entire row of 6 seats!
• Save spots at Fantasmic! or a parade for members of your party that haven't arrived yet? - HAHAHA! nope. everyone plants it and hangs around within 2 feet of the spot.
• Pool hop? - Really? you're going to schlep your crap on a bus to the TTC and take a monorail to the "fancy" resorts just to swim? Way too much work for me and IMO if you want to play with the big boys pay like the big boys!
• Park at DtD or a resort parking lot in order to avoid paying for parking? - don't the resorts check to see if you have a valid ADR before they let you drive onto the lot? But no again way too much work.

 

[ryansstitch]

Lol, love the personality in your post! Just wanted to mention that most of the time the resorts don't check to see if you have an ADR. I've never stayed on site, but we do eat at the resorts, and only once has it been a problem for me to drive up and park without an ADR. That was at Grand Floridian a few nights before Christmas. So because I really wanted to checkout the gingerbread house and buy cookies, we parked at poly and took a monorail over.

 

[ValpoCory]

Is it ethical to:

• Make throwaway room reservations so that you can book FP+ at 60 days out?

The more common variant of this ethical dilemma is with ADR's. One where the person makes the throwaway 10 day ressie at some value resort (so as not to take a room at a sold out resort) with an arrival date of ~7 days before their arrival date, paying for one night of the trip as a down payment. Then 187 days before their real arrival date, the person is allowed to make ADR's for the first 4 real days of their trip, grabbing key Be Our Guest dinner reservations, etc. Once the reservations are made, cancel the throwaway room reservation, get full refund of your down payment. But the ADR's remain.

Can't believe Disney hasn't closed that loophole.

I personally think Disney will eventually sell exclusive ADR capability at the 7 month mark for $50 or more.​