Something new to us at GF last week and seems the same today given the pic, but they were not using a lifeguard for the kids splash area. This is different than our prior GF stays, where one has always been there.
Nothing particularly negative about this change, but with no one there to enforce rules we saw a few times where kids were doing what kids will do.... climbing up the slides, going head first, etc. Also an occasional bigger kid who would normally be told they can’t be there. I didn’t find any of this a problem, just different than the normal rather stringent rule enforcement you usually see at Disney.
I don’t know if this is accurate but I’ve heard a couple of people say it’s hard to fill lifeguard positions in Orlando right now given water parks reopening, a lack of trained guards, etc, so I wonder if they’re tinkering with positions at the moment in places that aren’t deemed as critical life safety spots, such as the splash pad. Again, no basis in that statement, just speculating.