How to handle crazies?

[Suellen]

Is anyone even reading the entire first post? They didn't take their chairs or move their stuff. As far as I can tell from the post nothing of theirs was even touched except "their" picnic table.

The post in fact says that the dad and dd were dragging in chairs to use.

The dispute here is if you lay claim to an entire cabana by putting your stuff on chairs under it.

 

[Poohchum]

She did move our things and sit at the picnic table. There was an extremely large area of chairs, cabanas,space,etc. Within minutes of polite conversation from me, she and her husband were yelling at me. She yelled at my teenage daughter. She didn't just want the space, she wanted to start a fight. Don't give people like this attention. Hopefully, they will find a way to gain attention in a more positive way.

Disney is a place for magical fun. If you "step on someone's toes", resolve it politely. At BB, there are plenty of seats. When you move into someone else's area, you are choosing to start a fight-

Don't do it!!

 

[RMulieri]

I am stunned this wasn't shut down last night

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

I could not in good conscience go to a water park & start moving someones stuff & set up mine in their place. Let alone yell at them about it, gee

But I am wondering how this is different than saving space for a parade? I have read posts where a family will set up "camp" at a prime parade viewing position, then some of the group will go to get food or use the RR & then other posters will insist that if everyone in the group is not there that they have the right to invade the curb space. I don't get this logic, it seems to contradict what I've read in this post.

BTW, I would not invade either space, waterpark or someone's parade area Just trying to understand the common courtesy thing expressed by the DisBoards. Thanks!

 

[leebee]

God's honest truth, and this is nasty, but I think I would have sat down for a bit, and tried my hardest (and it isn't that hard for me) to work up a nice loud stinky fart. I'm pretty sure that would have cleared them out of my space. Of course, on the down side, it might have forced US to leave the space too, but it would have been well worth it

DH immediately comes to mind! Too bad we weren't there to help you!

 

[2Tiggies]

I am stunned this wasn't shut down last night

Well you have some stunned company - see my post a page or two back. I thought the clock was ticking in seconds on this one at one point.

 

[Tomh]

DH immediately comes to mind! Too bad we weren't there to help you!

I very much appreciate the offer. Your husband sounds like the kind of man I could be friends with

It's quite likely though, that the only help I would need is perhaps some oxygen for my DW and kids after I do the deed

 

[ntsammy5]

I would have pulled off their heads and placed them on poles outside the cabana as a warning to other potential ne'er-do-wells.

That attracts flies though!

 

[Disneyrsh]

.

 

[afwdwfan]

I would have moved, far enough away so I didn't have to see them.

Then when they went to the pool I'd pee all over their stuff. It'd be easy, I'd just sit down on their stuff in my bathing suit and let go.

Then go rinse off in the pool. You can't get that stink out of shoes

Wrong... but hilarious.

On second thought though... please shower before re-entering the pool

 

[DisDayz]

So, this started getting a little heated and I decided to do some research. I found an article published by MSNBC where they had actually hired an Etiquette Consultant along with two pool concierges at well known resorts. Here is what the article stated.

"So, with thanks to Jodi R.R. Smith of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, Erin Scheinost at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak, and Lisa Choate, the pool concierge at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz., here are 10 basic rules to keep in mind when you and your family head to the water."

"4. Don’t be a lounge or chair hog. If you're going to leave your pool chair for an extended period of time, take your stuff with you and let someone else enjoy the sun."

If three so called experts in manners and pool etiquette state this is breaking a basic rule then who am I to argue. The real question to me is what is an extended period of time. If you are returning in, say, half an hour I have no problem with you saving the area. If you are going to be gone for 3 or 4 hours then I do think this is wrong.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

So, this started getting a little heated and I decided to do some research. I found an article published by MSNBC where they had actually hired an Etiquette Consultant along with two pool concierges at well known resorts. Here is what the article stated.

"So, with thanks to Jodi R.R. Smith of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, Erin Scheinost at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak, and Lisa Choate, the pool concierge at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz., here are 10 basic rules to keep in mind when you and your family head to the water."

"4. Don’t be a lounge or chair hog. If you're going to leave your pool chair for an extended period of time, take your stuff with you and let someone else enjoy the sun."

If three so called experts in manners and pool etiquette state this is breaking a basic rule then who am I to argue. The real question to me is what is an extended period of time. If you are returning in, say, half an hour I have no problem with you saving the area. If you are going to be gone for 3 or 4 hours then I do think this is wrong.

I think they mean if you are leaving the pool area to take your stuff with you. If you are in the pool, you cannot take your stuff with you. That's what the chairs are for.
They are discouraging the practice of claiming chairs, leaving the pool's towels on them, and going to the room for a few hours but wanting that spot later. We often go down to the pool at the beach or on a cruise around 8 and many chairs are reserved. Someone in a group must go to set towels out for the party and then go back to bed. No shoes or personal belongings are there, and no one is in the pool. I think we all agree that is inconsiderate.
The discussion here is whether it is rude or not for someone to come to the park later and take a reserved chair while the one there first is in the pools.
And, while this is stated at many resorts, Disney does not have such a policy at the waterparks because people use the chairs to store towels, shoes, coolers, food, etc. that cannot all fit in a locker.
The time limit does not really work at the waterparks either. We could be right next to each other but say I come back to apply sunscreen at 11, get a coke at 12, eat at 1. You do those things but on the half hour intervals. We could go through the whole day without seeing each other and judge that you are a rude clod tying up a chair all day that you are not using when really we are not around enough to know.
It is important to note that the waterparks do not have any signs as you discuss about chair saving. They expect coolers and personal belongings and provide enough chairs that everyone has access. Some people just don't want to walk to find one but would rather steal someone else's.

 

[Disneyrsh]

ok

 

[afwdwfan]

I hate to tell you this, but there are a LOT of people peeing in the pools at Disney. A little residue's not going to make a difference.

Yeah, I realize that, but anything helps. Just as long as we don't find a Baby Ruth floating in the pool....

 

[Disneyrsh]

ok

 

[bluejasmine]

Holy cow this thread is ridiculous! Come on ppl we are all WDW lovers on the same side! I dont know why the threads always turn so ugly! Cant we all just get along?

To CMHusband..poke a hole in their floaty toys?? HILARIOUS!

I haev NEVER and would never move someone things, or invade their space without asking them, I have a feeling the OPs family would have graciously let the other family share the cabana if they had only asked!

Its just my DH and I that travel to WDW atleast every other yr and so at that time we have no one to sit and guard our chairs while we swim, are you saying we have no right to put our stuff on a chair and swim and expect to still have that chair? Thats ridiculous! It sounds like jealous ppl who just dont want to come early enough to get their own chairs or tables..

Reserving a table or chair and returning hours later is different and wrong.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Holy cow this thread is ridiculous! Come on ppl we are all WDW lovers on the same side! I dont know why the threads always turn so ugly! Cant we all just get along?

To CMHusband..poke a hole in their floaty toys?? HILARIOUS! ....

You can't bring floaty toys to the water parks. Not permitted.

...But I am wondering how this is different than saving space for a parade? I have read posts where a family will set up "camp" at a prime parade viewing position, then some of the group will go to get food or use the RR & then other posters will insist that if everyone in the group is not there that they have the right to invade the curb space. I don't get this logic, it seems to contradict what I've read in this post. ...!

The difference is between a chair and a sidewalk. All sorts of people walk on the side walk and you can't just leave something out on the sidewalk and not expect it to be gone. Now if someone wants to sit with their stuff on the curb to have a prime parade view spot, more power to them. They just may have to get up and move every so often to let people by. If one person is there, it is difficult to save a whole lot of space to view the parade. They really need to have someone at both ends of the space they are trying to save. But if they try to put a blanket down on the curb and expect to come back to it two hours later, it's not going to happen.

 

[DisDayz]

Reserving a table or chair and returning hours later is different and wrong.

We are basically arguing the same point and yet we appear to disagree. If you are going to be gone a short period of time then I see no problem with you leaving your items and holding a chair or picnic area. If you are going to be gone for an extended period then I feel it is rude to hold a chair or picnic area that someone else could be enjoying while you are gone.

To me it isn't a matter of early versus late arrivers. We are at rope drop just about every day and if we are going to a water park we arrive about 5 minutes prior to park opening. If we are planning on staying in one area we will put our things in that area but we do return often or someone remains there sunbathing and the like. If we are planning on doing the slides we rent a locker and keep our items there until we are done with the slides. When we break for a snack or lunch we seek out a picnic area but often these are covered with towels and personal items.

Could we place our things on a picnic table and hold them all day? Yes. However, in my mind that would keep several other families from being able to use the table while it is doing nothing but holding our things. Because of this I can identify with the "crazies" in this scenario. Maybe they had gotten there early; maybe they weren't jealous late-arrivers. Maybe the other shaded areas appeared empty but were being held by towels and personal items. This family saw a shaded area that was not being used and pulled a couple of chairs into it so that they could get out of the heat. Maybe their intent was to let their daughter enjoy a quick lunch out of the heat and this area was as "empty" as the rest of the areas that were being reserved. I completely disagree if the other family moved OP's personal items and I disagree if the conversation got heated.

 

[LILOLO]

We were in Disney last week and had an awesome time. Most of the people that you meet are great, but we ran into a bizarre family. How would you handle this?

We arrived at Blizzard Beach at rope drop. We found a nice cabana in the Ski Patrol area,then we set up camp. The park was not full at all. In fact, there were empty cabanas all around us. The five of us put our towels on five chairs and put our lunch items on a table. Then we went off for some fun!

When we got back an hour later, a lady was sitting at our picnic table and her husband and daughter were moving chairs into our cabana. I politely said "Do you realize that we have already set up our things in this area?" At first she ignored me, then she said, "Are you talking to me?"

She was an odd one. She told me that this was public place and anyone could be there. True, but there were plenty of available spots. I politely suggested that she move to a different space. Then she and her husband started yelling at me that I should move. At this point I told them that I was going to get a manager to help with the situation. Unfortuately, a manager never came. While I was gone my teenage daughter tried to reason with them, but they yelled at her, too.

What would you have done?

All I can say is if this lady yelled at my daughter, what I would have done would not be pretty (or acceptable by WDW)

 

[ScrapperBelle]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I would have tried another tactic with them. We had a family "move in" on us at TL once. We were just in the chairs by the wave pool. There were 4 of us and we had a beach towel, xtra clothes, etc. on 4 chairs.

We were gone for about 30 mins and came back to find people sitting ON our clothes!!! It's not like there was no where else to sit and it wouldn't have been so bad if they had moved everything into 1 chair and used the others, but they were sitting in their WET suits on top of our clothes and towels.

I was just super sweet and asked them politely to move. They wouldn't get up! They just leaned over to the side so we could pull our towels out from under them! They didn't really say anything, but they were being obnoxious. Our son was getting upset and I just kept saying, "Be sweet, now. These poor people must have been raised without manners. Bless their hearts."

Seats right next to them were empty(so I'm wondering WHY they just HAD to sit ON our stuff?) We just moved our stuff over. Their kids kept whining about something to eat/drink/etc. and they kept complaining about how they didn't have any money. They were very loudly giving a blow-by-blow of every dime they had spent in the last couple of days. Whenever one of us had an ice cream or drink, they would talk loudly about "how it must be nice to have money to blow like that".

DH and I would just talk about how we were so grateful that we had been blessed and were so fortunate in our lives. Once DH did make a comment about why you would spend a day in a park when you couldn't afford a $3 drink.

These people were strange. They sat right there in those chairs and only let their children play in the edge of the wave pool by them. They kept telling the kids they couldn't get up and go anywhere because someone would take their chairs. There were several chairs all around us unoccupied.

The Dad finally just blew up at us and had a screaming tirade about how it "wasn't right for us to sit right on top of them like that" (we had actually moved the chairs AWAY from them) and we shouldn't "be having drinks in front of his family 'cause they had let us know they didn't have any money". I just kept saying "Bless your heart, maybe things will turn around for you soon." They left after that.