Do you remove the towel?

[Dana49]

When visiting your resort's pool area and all of the chairs are taken, around mid-afternoon, do you remove the towels from chairs that look abandoned? If not, what do you do? Where do you sit?

 

[Rhonda]

If it's truly abandoned, then yes I would remove it. Sometimes people use towels and hang them over a chair and forget about them.

 

[dg39]

Usually the lifeguard comes around every once in awhile and removes the towels if the chairs looks abandoned. I always hate doing that myself as you never know if the person is in the pool. But if its fairly late in the afternoon and the chair looks like it hasn't been sat in then yes, I move it.

 

[Kimberle]

Just leave a paperback book or a pair of flip flops on your chair.

 

[noopy]

Warning: Proceed with caution! While staying at the Contemporary in April, I watched a woman walk away from her chair leaving one of the pool towels behind. My daughter and I did not have a chair, so we spent the time waiting for one in the pool and getting snacks. I waited 45 minutes - I timed it - then took the chair. Honestly, I watched the time carefully, and I thought that this woman was not coming back after that long. After 15 minutes of sharing the lounge chair with my daughter, the woman returned and loudly proclaimed that she couldn't believe someone stole her chair. Since I hadn't moved it, she knew it was me, but chose to continue complaining loudly so that everyone around her could hear. People were watching me, probably to see how I would respond, and it was really uncomfortable. It was obvious that she wasn't going to leave. I politely told this person that I didn't think she was coming back after such a long period, but she said she only left long enough to gather her family members together so that they could all return to the pool. I gave her back the chair and we left, our afternoon of swimming ruined.

I love the CR, but I wish they could control this. Perhaps a sign that says towels left on chairs for longer than 15 minutes will be removed by a lifeguard.


Our little family

 

[travellady]

I usually ask people sitting around the chairs in question if they've noticed anyone sitting there. If people have been gone for a long time, their neighbors usually notice and will let you know.

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by noopy
I love the CR, but I wish they could control this. Perhaps a sign that says towels left on chairs for longer than 15 minutes will be removed by a lifeguard.

I like that idea. I usually put a paperback, hat, or a beach cover up on a chair that I am still using, while I take a dip in the pool or go get a snack or something.

I would have assumed she was not using that chair either after such a long time.

 

[auntpolly]

People are so goofy! Nobody should expect a towl to save a chair for an hour!! How are you supposed to tell the rude people who try to save chairs all day from the rude people who don't discard their towels properly -- c'mon rude people! Give me a clue!

I, too, ask the people around if it seems like the person is coming back and if they say no one's been there for awhile; sorry, it's mine

 

[ducklite]

At SAB I can be in the lazy river on my tube for an hour or more. My towel is on my chair, but of course so are my beach hat, reading material, coverup, and sandals underneath. Now, if someone took my chair with that stuff piled on it, I'd be mightly PO'ed regardless of how long I hadn't been in it (I wouldn't leave the pool area and hold the chair!). But a chair with nothing on it but a towel? I agree, after about half an hour it's fair game.

Anne

 

[SCgoofy64]

Here is one we just saw at the Boardwalk Villas on saving pool chairs. It was approximately 8:15 in the morning and we were walking to MGM and walked thru the pool area. Someone had already put out towels, a bag, shoes and the token book/magazines on a choice table and chairs right next to the pool and about 4 lounge chairs next to the table. There was absolutely no one around not swimming or anything except for the 3 ducks in the pool, I didn't ask them if the stuff was theirs. It was obvious they had went to a park but put all their crap out to save a good spot till later. I was going to move all their crap to mess with them because I hate this practice and almost did but felt I would be doing something wrong. I wish I would have moved their stuff just to see the look on their face when all the stuff was moved to a different location.

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by SCgoofy64
Here is one we just saw at the Boardwalk Villas on saving pool chairs. It was approximately 8:15 in the morning and we were walking to MGM and walked thru the pool area. Someone had already put out towels, a bag, shoes and the token book/magazines on a choice table and chairs right next to the pool and about 4 lounge chairs next to the table. There was absolutely no one around not swimming or anything except for the 3 ducks in the pool, I didn't ask them if the stuff was theirs. It was obvious they had went to a park but put all their crap out to save a good spot till later. I was going to move all their crap to mess with them because I hate this practice and almost did but felt I would be doing something wrong. I wish I would have moved their stuff just to see the look on their face when all the stuff was moved to a different location.

If they went to a park, that would be extremely rude, however, there have been times when we have set all our things out at the pool & then proceeded to go get a bagel & coffee & then eat it poolside.

I am sure others believed we were "hoarding" the chairs & table for the day but we were only leaving for a few minutes.

No one can be sure where someone else is when a chair is unoccupied but has "stuff" laying all over it. I totally disagree with saving chairs for hours, but it could be that the party went to get a coffee or something that early in the morning (at least I would hope that was the case!)

 

[SCgoofy64]

I know for a fact they were not getting anything, everything they laid out was junk and you could tell it was stuff they didn't care was taken or not. We also were in the area for a good 15-20 minutes, and I didn't see a group of 6-8 walking around only the 3 ducks.

 

[grammagail]

They say the early bird gets the worm. Sounds to me like someone knew it would get filled up soon - so went down to reserve a spot early. Maybe even went back up to room to get family to go eat breakfast - knowing they'd be back soon (?)

I believe it IS hard to tell what is currently being used, what is maybe gonna be used and what is just plain - stick a towel for the day and come back later.

I know there are only so many spots - but I'd be upset if I had been using the spot - with my stuff on it - and either decided to go get something to eat, maybe even go back to the room for a while - knowing I'd be back in a short while (even up to an hour) later and my stuff was gone.

I guess the bottom line is consideration for others - but like everything else - we can't control others, only our own actions.

But if I do plan on going down and using our pool - and there is literally nothing around - I guess I would "ask" the people in charge what to do - rather than take it upon myself to decide that someone is done using it. Just MHO

 

[CarolA]

Sorry, but if you are not in the POOL area, your chair should be fair game!


Holding prime spots while you eat meals, nap, go to the park etc. is just rude. Would you like it if you came down and there were not chairs? I don't think it is considerate to block the chair while you are out running around.

The last time this came up someone posted that they were at a resort (not Disney) where people went down before bed and marked their territority. One night the poster and someone else went down to the beach, piled all the stuff up and posted a sign "lost and found" . That stopped it for a while

And yes, I remove the towels. I know for a fact that at the YC/BC people put towels down early in the AM for later use and I figure the towels are fair game. (I have also seen pool staff remove towels there.) I was once asked and I said " I thought the hotel staff put them out for our use" (Makes sense since this family had reserved about 10 chairs all of which were not in use by someone else) Yes, they were rude, but if they had continued I would have gone and gotten a CM.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I move them.

 

[grammagail]

I agree with not saving chairs for a whole day and not being there. But I think sometimes people get frustrated when something isn't available for them. I cannot believe how hard it would be for ME to determine what chair was actually currently being used by someone - other than them sitting in it (?)

How do I know if they are in the POOL area????? I don't know who they are?

The pool area has a lot of amenities - and just because you don't see a physical body sitting in the chair - doesn't mean someone isn't using the facilities.

Now - if I found towels on chairs at midnight - yes, they are saving them. But just because there isn't a chair waiting to be used by me - doesn't give me the right to second-guess it's use.

MHO only!!!

 

[DisneyWisher]

Recently on our trip to CR my 11 yr old wanted to go swimming. I took my book, my room key and we headed to the pool. All the loungers were taken along with all the chairs. But only about 15-20 actually had people sitting on them. The rest had towels and other personal items. I found a plastic chair close to where you get towels and moved it to the shade. I sat and watched people leave the pool, go to the chairs or loungers, pick up their belongings and leave. It looked like they never used the chairs. I moved to one of the loungers to get a better view of my daughter going on the slide. While I was sitting there another family came and picked up their belongings. The towels were still folded. I think they should have cubbies for people to store their things but who might not use the seating area. Leave the chairs for people who either want to lay out or watch their family in the pool. Is CR one of the hardest places to find seating around the pool? I've never had this problem at WL or any of the All-Stars.

Also, isn't a pool rule "no food or drinks on pool deck"? So how can people use that excuse. What about waiting after eating to swim? I know its a old wives tale but i figure why chance it. LOL

Shirley

 

[ducklite]

I wish WDW woiuld take the lead of many luxury hotels and offer a pool concierge or valet. When you arrive, you will be asked if you want poolside, shade, sun, etc., then escorted to a chair in the area you are looking for. End of problem.

Anne

 

[Demosthenes]

This is one reason that DW and I prefer quiet pools to theme pools. We go in value season (almost always), and while the Theme Pools can till get crowded anytime, it seems that the quiet pools stay pretty calm in off-season.

DW is one to lay out for a while, but I can't stand to bake in the sun. If I'm at the pool, it's to swim. We always take my stuff and stick it under her chair. I constantly see people who reserve a chair and then never use them to sit. And families reserve chairs for the entire family, even though the kids will stay in the pool until the last possible minute their parents will let them. I think a system of free lockers (not unlike Universal Studios free lockers for their wet rides) would help this a lot. If people had a free locker to use, very close to the pool, I think many would just use chairs to sit,not hold their stuff. I think this would help a lot.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by DisneyWisher
snip
Also, isn't a pool rule "no food or drinks on pool deck"? So how can people use that excuse. What about waiting after eating to swim? I know its a old wives tale but i figure why chance it. LOL

Shirley

Actually the pool deck is just a narrow band of concrete immedietely around the pool. It is about 3-4 foot wide and is referred to as the deck. The lifeguards don't even like chairs in that small part. You can have all the food and drink you want at the pool if you sit at the tables, loungers, or chairs. The rest of the concrete where all the chairs and such are postioned are not considered the pool deck.