Epcot Fountain Becomes a Hot Tub

[ronandannette]

I agree. Were they just parents there to watch their kids or were they coaches? Maybe that makes a difference.

I'm in Alberta myself (it wasn't me - honest) and I just googled. There's absolutely no mention of this other than this twitter post by a Disney travel agent. Nothing at all in "real" news. https://www.****************/cheerl...ly-disqualified-after-virial-epcot-video-jb1/

 

[anniemae]

This behaviour is ridiculous - no question, but is there more to the story? Did they resist immediately getting out once confronted? Did an altercation ensue? Did they damage the property somehow? Was violence or illegality at play? Three people violating a rule (and to me, honestly it looks like a booze-fueled photo op) would warrant ejection from the park and maybe those individuals being forced to vacate a Disney hotel. But for the entire team to be disqualified for something no actual member of it did, seems unfair and extreme.

Yeah, especially since it was only 3 people. I agree ejection from the park and from the hotel. Make an example of the 3 rule breakers. Those poor kids worked so hard and now they are humiliated. The article said the kids were getting bashed on social media.

 

[declansdad]

Outed? Aren’t they wearing team t-shirts?

Yes, somebody was able to figure out what the tshirts said and figure out what team they were and where they were from.

 

[ronandannette]

I would like to see them permanently banned from WDW. But I have a very very low tolerance for idiots.

Just these three? Or them, their kids, and all the people in the identified group they were travelling with? There is no news coverage of this. It doesn't exactly rise to the status of an international incident; news-wise and I'd imagine jack *** things of this nature happen there all the time. We don't know that Disney punished them at all. There are no cast-members in the photo, no way to know how long it lasted or what happened next. I think a ban from Disney properties would be in order (with Disney forgoing any future revenue) - Disney's house; Disney's rules. It's the team disqualification from the cheer competition that seems unfair.

 

[RedAngie]

Well, the guy is wearing a backwards baseball cap so you automatically know he’s a dilwad.

 

[declansdad]

This behaviour is ridiculous - no question, but is there more to the story? Did they resist immediately getting out once confronted? Did an altercation ensue? Did they damage the property somehow? Was violence or illegality at play? Three people violating a rule (and to me, honestly it looks like a booze-fueled photo op) would warrant ejection from the park and maybe those individuals being forced to vacate a Disney hotel. But for the entire team to be disqualified for something no actual member of it did, seems unfair and extreme.

There doesn't need to be anymore to the story. There are strict behaviour rules in place for these groups, these parents are part of that group and violated the rules. It bites for the rest of the team but they are all part of the group.

 

[The Mayor]

Like Ron White says…you can’t fix stupid.

 

[Mysterian]

Gimme a B! Gimme an A! Gimme two Ns! Gimme an E! Gimme a D!

 

[Mysterian]

Well, the guy is wearing a backwards baseball cap so you automatically know he’s a dilwad.

Especially as it's probably a Nickelback cap. He IS Canadian, after all.

 

[Disneylover99]

I feel bad for the teens.

 

[1420Elexismc]

I could never see WANTING to get in that water in the first place

 

[PalmettoPath]

Just these three? Or them, their kids, and all the people in the identified group they were travelling with? There is no news coverage of this. It doesn't exactly rise to the status of an international incident; news-wise and I'd imagine jack *** things of this nature happen there all the time. We don't know that Disney punished them at all. There are no cast-members in the photo, no way to know how long it lasted or what happened next. I think a ban from Disney properties would be in order (with Disney forgoing any future revenue) - Disney's house; Disney's rules. It's the team disqualification from the cheer competition that seems unfair.

There are likely clear rule that state violation of decorum by the competitors, coaches, parents etc. will result in disqualification. My daughter's dance is like that. So that would be why if that's how it went down. And yes, a ban of the immediate ones involved.

 

[emmabelle]

What in god's name were they thinking???? So gross. I wonder if afterwards they took a dip in the Seven Seas Lagoon?

 

[emmabelle]

Like Ron White says…you can’t fix stupid.

Tater Salad best story ever.

 

[Turn the Page]

Yea, I mean I guess I am unfamiliar with the high standards of Canadian cheerleading and decorum required at all times. Parents on their own time acting like morons, who aren't even at the event, can disqualify the whole team? This seems harsh.

I'm not sure how you have any cheer competitions if parents can't ever act like idiots.

I haven't read any articles about it but the entire team may not have been technically disqualified. Disney coudl have only disqualified the athletes of those particular parents but it's not like a basketball team where they have second string players and such they can replace them with. If the team was doing any kind of stunt in their routine you can't just pull a kid from the back and put them up front and tell them"just jump real high and smile, don't worry they'll catch you!"

Disqualifying a couple girls would have likely effectively disqualified the entire team.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There are likely clear rule that state violation of decorum by the competitors, coaches, parents etc. will result in disqualification. My daughter's dance is like that. So that would be why if that's how it went down. And yes, a ban of the immediate ones involved.

I'm fairly certain that's also standard for many organizations or groups. People forget about the "representing" part but that's what you're doing and why things often extend to more than just the individual competing.

I also don't know if it's been explicitly clear whether it was just the teens whose parents were directly involved that were no longer allowed to compete.

 

[HopperFan]

I would say they were disqualified by the Dance Competition, not Disney. Now Disney could have asked for the team to leave property, move out of their hotels.

Hopefully Disney gave the swimmer's a lifetime trespass from Disney properties. This isn't an oopsy, this is an obvious violation.

Those poor kids who worked so hard were disqualified because parents (maybe not even their own), decided to act like this in public. Beyond not ok.

Only three parents in the water ~ plenty more kids on a team means many kids were disqualified. Of course maybe some standing there appearing okay with it were also kids on that team. If I were the respectful parent of a child disqualified I would be furious! And I would not be accepting the Club's statement that they are looking in to it. There is photo evidence. I would be asking that the families involved in water activities be expelled from the Club. I would also be VERY upset by the amount of money I spent to attend now wasted. I know folks will say it's not their kid's faults but hey "play stupid games get stupid prizes". In this case the kid's prize is their parents.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

And I would not be accepting the Club's statement that they are looking in to it. There is photo evidence.

I agree on that. It's a blanket statement to just say investigating but at the same time I don't think their statement was enough either.

It was "We will be addressing our code of conduct forms these parents signed about behaviour involving anything Perfect Storm Athletics is a part of." Addressing doesn't sound like much other than like "we will will remind them of what they signed" Sometimes things are more of a gray area but pretty sure this is not gray at all so I'm not sure why there's tip toeing around things in their statement

 

[fly girl]

It's the team disqualification from the cheer competition that seems unfair.

I absolutely feel for the team, they didn’t do anything wrong.

But as PP’s whom have gone to WDW for competitions, there’s a code of conduct given to them they must abide that includes parents. I think Disney has to follow through on the protocol they set.

Definitely stinks for the team, and particularly those members who family members are in the fountain. I cannot fathom their embarrassment.

 

[ronandannette]

There doesn't need to be anymore to the story. There are strict behaviour rules in place for these groups, these parents are part of that group and violated the rules. It bites for the rest of the team but they are all part of the group.

Well, it is what it it, but there are endless numbers of threads on the WDW boards about annoying/disruptive/rule-breaking behaviour by cheer team members themselves that maybe haven't resulted in such a stern response. Impossible to know, I guess. This hasn't made any "Disney News" that I can find.