Diaper change at poolside..would you say something?

[auntie]

While at the Wilderness Lodge last week, we enjoyed eating our breakfast poolside. There are five of us. Anyway, one morning while we were eating our breakfast and planning the day...we look to our right, because frankly..there was this odor..and what do we see? A woman changing her baby on the next table. I mean these are not the lounge chairs(which were right next to her table)...but an actual table you would sit and eat at. I know what it's like to have a baby..and there is a sort of say an emergency and you have to make do where you are...but this was simply a case of the baby obviously needed changing, and the mom apparently didn't see anything wrong with changing the little one on the table. No...towel under it..NOTHING. Didn't do much for the appetite, and all I could think about was that the day before we had eaten right there! Made me realize I should carry wipes with me and give all tables a quick cleaning before sitting down. There are two bathrooms nearby..both equipped with changing tables..or for that matter, if she had a child in the pool that she felt she couldn't leave, I think at the very least she could have laid a towel down on a lounge chair off to the side and changed the baby. I know for a fact she was there with other adults..but they were in the pool. I think she was just totally clueless. We quickly finished up and gathered our trays and left. My husband turned to me and said he almost wanted to say something. What would you say.."Excuse me..that's really kind of nasty??" I don't know, if someone didn't see any problem with this..there probably wasn't much you could say without starting a confrontation. Sure made us think twice about dining pool side again. I just wondered...am I so far removed from this now..that I'm being overly sensitive..after all my youngest is 15..so it's been a long time. I just feel that Disney is so family friendly that there were any number of things she could have done.

 

[Princess Stitch]

When I worked at a bookstore we had a lady change her baby right in the middle of the children's section, and our bookstore was in a mall RIGHT beside the bathroom. I don't know why people feel it's ok to do this. It's not even an issue of it being nasty or not, it's an issue of health and safety. All kinds of diseases are spread by feces.

When I was at the bookstore we didn't say anything because there was no manager around and we only saw her when she was finishing up. If I wasn't an employee you can bet I would have said something. At the least, I hope you let a CM know so that they could sanitize the table. I probably would have made a big deal of it an called the CM while mom was still changing the baby so that they could deal with it (last thing you want is to get into a confrontation with a lady who has a diaper full of poop in her hands!)

 

[labst60]

When I read the title of your post - I thought - oh geeze - I would change DD poolside (figuring you meant in the baby's stroller or discreetly on a chair that was well covered with a towel/changing pad). But I agree - on the table - that's a whole different story!

Personally, I avoid changing tables for DD - but that being said, it's because we have perfected the art of changing in her stroller - either in the restroom or pulled into a corner near the restrooms (unless it is an emergency of course), so I can understand an "on the go" change - but on a dining table - that's nuts!

Just curious - how old was the baby?

Also - I wouldn't have said anything - there's many rude/cluless people out there and I used to get worked up at crazy things I saw - but now, I just try not to notice and go about my business (and I always use a lysol wipe to wipe down the tables before we eat at the pool- but more bc I was worried about bird poop!!!!)

 

[auntie]

The little girl was at least a year old ..maybe older..I mean she wasn't that little. It was a fairly decent sized butt..and what would accompany that..if you get my meaning. We first got the "wiff"..and then of course we looked to see it was right next to us. I mean..frankly..you didn't know what to do..we were so close we could have reach out and touched the table. There was no attempt to place the child in a stroller...and she did have one. For the life of me..I couldn't figure why the mom would do this. It appeared to me she didn't want to be bending..and the table was more waist height? I don't know..that's all I can figure, since obviously there were other options. Especially given that they were traveling with other adults that were in the pool.

 

[Hannathy]

I would have said something. I probably would have said do you mind we are eating here and that is really disgusting. If she didn't like it to bad I don't like what she was doing.

 

[tanyaandallie]

Holy cow!!! They changed a poopy dipe on a table????? If there was absolutely no other place to change her I would understand it but they could have at least put a towel or something under her. Yuck. I would never change my kids on a table where people eat unless it was an absolute emergency and no other option existed. Obviously other options existed if there was a bathroom close by and some perfectly good floor space.

I also like to change my kids in the stroller but have never changed a poopy dipe in the stroller. I need more room and I'm afraid of getting something on the stroller.

 

[annie1995]

Now I have never seen the layout of the Wilderness Lodge pool area, but isn't there a grassy area around? If I couldn't go into the bathroom, I would at the very least go to a out of the way grassy area so not to offend others. Some people can be sooo disgusting sometimes

 

[robinb]

I saw the same thing happen at a McDonald's and I said something to the mom. I said "There are changing tables in the bathroom for changing baby's diaper. These table are for eating." She gave me a dirty look and hrumphed off. I then found an employee and asked them to sanitize the table and told them why. Two other people nearby came up to me and thanked me. So, yes. I wouldn't hesitate to say something.

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

i have a pool story from WL that i'm sure you would be interested to hear. We were at WDW May 12-19. We were at the pool for our "day off" and it was semi busy with lots of small children running around and the Trout Pass was pretty busy as well. I just got back to my lounge with my wonderful fruity drink and look at the bar and see this woman in a string bikini top with a G string bottom-plain as day standing right in front of the bar. My mom just went off and said that if her children were as young as the others running around (i'm 22 my brother is 20) that she would have given that lady a piece of her mind (with it being disney and all). I'm pretty sure a CM had a talk with her about proper attire b/c she stood there for a bit then took her drink and quickly left but I was shocked to see that at a WDW family resort at the main pool but maybe it happens more than I think??

 

[robinb]

You mean a "thong" bottom? For the most part, the people who wear thongs and skimpy speedos are from other countries and simply don't understand our American puritan instincts.

 

[tjmw2727]

Yech -yes I would have asked them to find an appropriate place to change the diaper and alerted a CM.

I also don't understand the comparison between a bikini or thong or speedo and changing a diaper on a table meant for eating. It isn't about the possible sighting of a naked baby but rather the germs and general distaste of that situation.

TJ

 

[PJinNYC]

Yuck! I could see her changing the baby there if there were other kids and no other adults, but even then, use a towel. I mean come on, it is not like she would have to be the one to wash the towel.

 

[LisaFB]

If there was a CM there, I would have asked him/ her to say something, otherwise I would have. If there were towels and lounge chairs right there, change the baby there! I mean I've changed my kids on towels on the ground if there was no where appropriate! EWWW!!!

 

[SeptemberGirl]

I am closer to the baby-changing stage - DD turning 3. I would not have said anything, because it's vacation and I don't like to get into it on vacation. However...a table is disgusting, poor manners, inconsiderate, and unsanitary. Lounge chair, the ground, the stroller, are all fine if there's a reason the bathroom is not an option.

I did change her many places but never, ever on a table or in an eating area, and always went to the bathroom if that was an option. Even at local parks I go faraway or in my car!

 

[MamaOfTwoPrincesses]

I saw the same thing happen at a McDonald's and I said something to the mom. I said "There are changing tables in the bathroom for changing baby's diaper. These table are for eating." She gave me a dirty look and hrumphed off. I then found an employee and asked them to sanitize the table and told them why. Two other people nearby came up to me and thanked me. So, yes. I wouldn't hesitate to say something.

I saw something similar at McD's too. A woman changed her toddler on a table NEXT TO THE BATHROOM. And it was a messy dipe too. I was so horrified!! I didn't say anything to her, though in restrospect I should have. I did catch another patron's eye, and she looked disgusted too. I did ask the management to make sure they bleached the table.

 

[Mickey-4-Me]

Yech -yes I would have asked them to find an appropriate place to change the diaper and alerted a CM.

I also don't understand the comparison between a bikini or thong or speedo and changing a diaper on a table meant for eating. It isn't about the possible sighting of a naked baby but rather the germs and general distaste of that situation.

TJ

I think the comment wasn't meant to be a comparison of naked baby vs. naked lady. It was meant to compare the lack of concern for others. The diaper for cleanliness and the g-string for children.

OP - I would have definitely said something to her. That is so gross. I feel sick.

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

bikinis i think have more material. A "G" which this lady had on we refer to as butt floss because it basically is nothing but a simple string attempting to cover various parts so I'm guessing she was from another country b/c I have never seen that at a WDW pool before but I'm sure it happens all the time.

 

[auntie]

I think we were so caught off guard..that it didn't even occur to us to get a castmember ..we pretty much just cleaned up and left. Now that I think of it..we probably should have, given that I'm sure someone else ate at the table later the same day.

 

[nopdwife]

We were staying at the Port Orleans Riverside last week and one morning as we we approached the bus stop, a lady was changing her kids diaper on one of the bench's. Her family was not the only family at the bus stop when we approached either. I thought it was disgusting! She could've walked back to her room (or made sure to change him before leaving the room) and caught the next bus if need be. Some of us don't want to see the private parts of another kid, let alone do I want MY kids to see them!

 

[emma'smom]

My DH has changed our dd's in fast food restaurant booths plenty of times. Often, there aren't any changing tables in men's rooms (and in some places...like some Burger Kings and Wendy's) there aren't any at all. So....if they don't want to offer a place, he makes his own.