Bikinis, British and Blizzard Beach

[eliza61]

Some random ramblings from Thursday spent at the water parks:

The temperature at WDW has been hovering around 94 degrees with 80% humidity all week so my family and I decided to spend our mornings at Blizzard beach. I’m not a big water ride fan, so I generally laze on a chair with a cool drink and a good book = lots of opportunity to “people watch”

The British have got to be the most polite people on the planet (say that 3 times fast ). A very nice family from London ask to squeeze under my palm tree to get a little shade. hey no problem with me. They apologized profusely every time they passed by my chair. I finally told them that I’m a native NY’er which means I spend a lot of time riding a subway car packed with people who think deodorant is optional in the summer.
Gotta love anybody who can prevent kid meltdowns with just the word “Bloody”.

Bikinis: I rarely criticize fashion choices, mainly because I probably could be a candidate for an extra hour of “What not to wear” but unfortunately string bikinis seem to be making a come back. So ladies I’m going to break my code of silence and say that in general there are only 2 groups of people who look good in string Bikinis:
Giselle Bundcher and her Victoria secret’s classmates
Little girls 7 and under.
The rest of us mere mortals….. Not so much.

You still have to be a parent. I know how easy it is to over indulge our kids while at the world. We spend so much time trying to create the perfect vacation, we forget that even at the world we are responsible for our kids.
At blizzard beach they have an obstacle course with rope netting and fake “ice cubes” The object is to get to the other side of the pool on the ice cubes with out falling off into the water. Unfortunately you must be a bit tall to grab the ropes and hold on. Today a mom insisted her "too short" little girl could do the challenge even while the life guard continually told her she was too short. Well, the first time the little girl slid off the ice cube, fell into the water and nearly drowned. Mom fishes her out, once again ignores the warnings of the life guard that the child was too little and plops the kid back onto the “ice cube” 2nd time kid slips on the ice cube, slams her face on the ice cube and ends up with a split lip and a bloody nose. Now every one has to get out of the pool because there is blood in it and some poor kids is screaming in pain.
*** sighs**** Some times the word “NO” really is the right response.

 

[Chuck S]

It does make one wonder, after being told she was too little by a life guard, why the parent "knew better." I mean, the life guards are there almost every day, they likelysee it all the time. Personally, for safety reasons I'm a little surprised she was allowed to try it a second time, or that she didn't see after the first try that her daughter really was too little.

However, as this post isn't DVC related, I need to move it to the Community Board.

 

[Granny]

Eliza...thanks for your commentary. That mother sounds like parents we've often heard at WDW whose mantra to their kids is "YOUR GOING TO HAVE FUN OR ELSE!!".

And I'm glad you mentioned some very polite people as well. For the most part, we've found people at WDW to be pretty civil and polite and we often strike up a nice conversation with strangers. But it is those few line-jumpers or overbearing folks that can spoil so much of the fun.

If nothing else, it provides for interesting people watching.

 

[JimMIA]

I agree wholeheartedly that parents still have to be parents, but lifeguards also have to be lifeguards. The Disney lifeguards are great young kids, and they're pretty well-trained for someone working a 3-month job. But they really don't stop any untoward behavior.

There is a time for a lifeguard to say "No" as well, and that lifeguard should have done so after the first fall. When Mom persisted, he/she should have said, "I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm going to have to ask you to get out of the pool."

On the bikinis, a co-worker and I have discovered that there is a real lack of full-length mirrors in the US. We often see tourists dressed in a manner than makes us ask, "What was she thinking when she got dressed this morning???" And we're not even at a waterpark!

 

[Disney Doll]

It does make one wonder, after being told she was too little by a life guard, why the parent "knew better." I mean, the life guards are there almost every day, they likelysee it all the time. Personally, for safety reasons I'm a little surprised she was allowed to try it a second time, or that she didn't see after the first try that her daughter really was too little.

However, as this post isn't DVC related, I need to move it to the Community Board.

When the mother went to put the kid on the cubes the 2nd time, the lifeguard should have tossed her out. Now Disney will get sued because of the "dangerous" ice cubes, and I guarantee you that they'll be gone soon.

 

[Disney Doll]

I agree wholeheartedly that parents still have to be parents, but lifeguards also have to be lifeguards. The Disney lifeguards are great young kids, and they're pretty well-trained for someone working a 3-month job. But they really don't stop any untoward behavior.

There is a time for a lifeguard to say "No" as well, and that lifeguard should have done so after the first fall. When Mom persisted, he/she should have said, "I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm going to have to ask you to get out of the pool."

On the bikinis, a co-worker and I have discovered that there is a real lack of full-length mirrors in the US. We often see tourists dressed in a manner than makes us ask, "What was she thinking when she got dressed this morning???" And we're not even at a waterpark!

My DH & I say "no mirrors in their hotel room". And no, neither of us are any specimens of physical fitness, but we also don't dress in spandex, crop tops or bikinis either.

 

[figment52]

a co-worker and I have discovered that there is a real lack of full-length mirrors in the US. We often see tourists dressed in a manner than makes us ask, "What was she thinking when she got dressed this morning???"

"I won't see anyone I know so who cares what I look like."

I'm on vacation, I am not going to spend all that time primping"

My family knows how I really look and they don't care, we have to get to the parks"

what did I forget....

 

[Chuck S]

My DH & I say "no mirrors in their hotel room". And no neither of us are any specimens of physical fitness, but we also don't dress in spandex, crop tops or bikinis either.

Well, you're no fun! Spandex in the Florida summers...you know that's gotta be soooo comfy.

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, you're no fun! Spandex in the Florida summers...you know that's gotta be soooo comfy.

Well, that's my other thought about Spandex in Florida...ewww...

 

[eliza61]

"I won't see anyone I know so who cares what I look like."

I'm on vacation, I am not going to spend all that time primping"

My family knows how I really look and they don't care, we have to get to the parks"

what did I forget....

I dunno Fig,
my family would probably go into the witness protection plan if I tried to squeeze my pooh size frame into a string bikini and then leave the room.....

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Well, you're no fun! Spandex in the Florida summers...you know that's gotta be soooo comfy.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

You still have to be a parent.

I actually came very close to applauding a parent today at Stormalong Bay. We were at the top of the pirate ship waiting in line for the slide. The lifeguard told a little boy not to get in the slide loading area until she gave him the signal. He kept trying to get in, and dad kept pulling him back. This led to him starting a mini-tantrum. Dad finally said, "stop you're not going to ride the slide."

Oh sure, I thought. How many times have I heard parents using those same types of threats this week.

The boy put his foot back in, dad grabbed him, and carried him back down the steps.

 

[culli]

I actually came very close to applauding a parent today at Stormalong Bay. We were at the top of the pirate ship waiting in line for the slide. The lifeguard told a little boy not to get in the slide loading area until she gave him the signal. He kept trying to get in, and dad kept pulling him back. This led to him starting a mini-tantrum. Dad finally said, "stop you're not going to ride the slide."

Oh sure, I thought. How many times have I heard parents using those same types of threats this week.

The boy put his foot back in, dad grabbed him, and carried him back down the steps.

don't see that enough

 

[DawnCt1]

Let me add sunscreen to the list. I have seen our "fair friends from the UK" standing in the scorching, tropical sun in line at Blizzard Beach. Now I don't care what adults do, but if you can see a sunburn while you are still in the sun, it could easily be a second degree burn by the time you get back into the hotel room. Parents have a responsibility to protect their children from drowning but what about second degree blistering burns? How about even a tee shirt if the sunscreen isn't working?