Is it just me….

[MinnieMouse64]

I just remembered a recent review I read on another site where the poster was mad that any adults only areas even existed on the Disney ships

My hubby went over to the adult area and he said a bunch of adults over there were complaining about all the kids being in there.

 

[hubbard53]

i guess i'm just a mean person b/c when the older kids in Nemo's Reef knocked my 3 year old down, I told the older kid to not do it again. When the an older kid directed the water stream at my kid, I said "ok, your turn" and let my 3 yr old shoot him. . . they both thought it was funny. Sometimes being an adult and not being passive aggressive is the way to go.

 

[Quellman]

. As far as mentioning the older kids in the nemo reef area in the survey, I did it last year and nothing was done about it. So why mention it again. I honestly believe they don't want to make anyone mad because it is all about the experience.

Because you need to keep mentioning it as still a concern. Maybe they didn't have lifeguards looking over the area. But instead of placing someone there, htey have someone walk by every 15 minutes to "police" the area. Well if you don't let them know that it isn't good enough then they think their change was effective.

In addition to the survey cards, you can also walk to guest services and let them know. Not necessarily looking for pixie dust or restitution, but to inform them of what you perceive to be an issue.

My hubby went over to the adult area and he said a bunch of adults over there were complaining about all the kids being in there.

Fair enough and deserving. Granted if it's before the muster drill they can't complain. When we travel without the kid the adult areas are great. I also appreciate they don't allow them into the adult spaces at night either. We've seen them deny entry to teens before, who either didn't know or were trying to be sneaky.

 

[MinnieMouse64]

Granted if it's before the muster drill they can't complain.

This was on the last day of our 5 day cruise. He said some of the adults in the adult area were saying that kids were always in there. I agree if it was before the muster drill they can't complain. People are wanting to check out everything they can and what better time to do this while waiting on your cabin to open up.

 

[JW9DVC]

My husband and I along with our 3 yr old grandson, just got off the Disney Dream. This is our third Disney Dream cruise in the past 3 years. Does it bother anyone else that has smaller children that they allow older children up to the age of 8 years of age into the Nemo Reef? These older children were knocking down little toddlers on the water slide trying to beat them up to stairs to get in front of them. I feel that the little ones have no other place to go except this area. These older children have the Mickey Slide and if their tall enough the can go on the aqua duck with a parent. Some parents just let their children run like crazy kids without any supervision at all. There are signs in the Nemo Reef that says there must be parent supervision and you look around and there is NO ONE is watching these kids. Even in the children's pool area, NO ONE watching these children (some kids looked to be only 3 or 4 yrs old here). Now if one of them got hurt, these parents would be the first to try to sue Disney Cruise Line. Me and my hubby was constantly watching our grandson. Okay, I know I will get some flack for this but since I am on a roll I am going to put this out there too. I really thought this was a family oriented cruise ship, why in the world do some women find it necessary to wear thongs to the children's pool area? Really? One lady had a thong on and her top barely covered her breast. I know that all the other women's hubbys were enjoying the view but honestly this is a cash free ship (no dollar bills to tuck in your thong), you could have left it at home.

No one is stopping you from wearing a thong. Are you saying the mothers shouldn't wear this type of clothing. As long as private parts are covered. Not sure the issue you may have. If you got it, or don't. Flaunt what you want.

JW

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

"Next time maybe just talk to the kids? Help them? Instead of reverting to childhood *to kids*, be an adult and help them. "

I am not sure how I can help an 8 year old not slide down the slide as fast as they can so that they slide as far as possible until being stopped by a toddler or a jet of fish. I appreciate that you want to help kids, but like I said these were mean boys taking advantage of the fact that they were bigger than the under 2 crowd. And I admitted that it was passive aggressive, but I wasn't in the mood to get into a fight with another parent who I was stuck on a boat with....

For reference, all of the not 8 year old boys were being caught by Daddy at the bottom of the 2 foot slide while mommy pushed them down. It was ridiculous for them to be rushing past small toddlers climbing up those stairs with their moms to slip and slide across the jetties into other small toddlers waddling around.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

i guess i'm just a mean person b/c when the older kids in Nemo's Reef knocked my 3 year old down, I told the older kid to not do it again. When the an older kid directed the water stream at my kid, I said "ok, your turn" and let my 3 yr old shoot him. . . they both thought it was funny. Sometimes being an adult and not being passive aggressive is the way to go.

Sometimes being an adult gets you into an argument with another parent that you are stuck on the boat with for another couple days. Not always worth it. Also, it depends on the dynamics on different days. When I had an issue, ALL of the kids were under 2 except a group of 3 8ish year old boys. 8 vs 18 months is a very different dynamic than what you seem to have experienced.

 

[Donna3271]

Sometimes being an adult gets you into an argument with another parent that you are stuck on the boat with for another couple days. Not always worth it.

....Minnie.... I Totally agree!!! This can RUIN your vacation. I tend to just walk away with my kids and tell them we will come back later. It is NOT WORTH IT!

 

[MissMet]

If they'e now closing the adult hot tubs at 10pm for "safety reasons" (because they're having trouble keeping kids out of them since the parents aren't parenting) why shouldn't Nemo's Reef be only for diapered children as that is the ONLY place they are allowed to play in the water as it would be much safer for them?? The nursery is for 3 & under, children not yet potty trained, why can't Nemo's Reef be the same? Adults have their own pool. Kids have their own pool, let babies have their own "pool". DCL's really missing the mark lately.

 

[natesmama]

I will say that as mom to an 8 year old and a 2 year old, my son is super close with his toddler sister and often sticks to her like glue. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined us at Nemo's Reef on our upcoming cruise to play with her and just hang out. That being said, I'd be there the whole time and he is fully aware of how to behave with little ones around and that he needs to be mindful of tiny kids. He's used to not using certain items in areas designed for small kids (like the slide), so it shouldn't be a problem. He'd be pretty bummed if he wasn't allowed to be near his sister.

 

[MissMet]

I will say that as mom to an 8 year old and a 2 year old, my son is super close with his toddler sister and often sticks to her like glue. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined us at Nemo's Reef on our upcoming cruise to play with her and just hang out. That being said, I'd be there the whole time and he is fully aware of how to behave with little ones around and that he needs to be mindful of tiny kids. He's used to not using certain items in areas designed for small kids (like the slide), so it shouldn't be a problem. He'd be pretty bummed if he wasn't allowed to be near his sister.

I understand what you're saying, but you could turn it around & say your two year old would be really sad not to be able to play with her older brother while he's in the clubs, but the reality is it's safer for two year olds not to be allowed in the kids clubs. I will be traveling with my 1 year old son, 1 year old nephew & 3 year old nephew. I love my nephew & he is use to being around two one year old babies, but he's still too rough with them when he gets excited or around other children his age. It's just normal kid behavior (for the most part...some parents need to wake up & parent).

No matter what the rules are people will be disappointed but the fact is, what they're doing now isn't working & I don't feel an area that is meant for diapered babies and toddlers should have to be shared with older kids. The nursery doesn't allow older kids, Nemo's Reef shouldn't either...unless they lift the "no diapers" rule in the family pools. Just my opinion.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

unless they lift the "no diapers" rule in the family pools. Just my opinion.

Not likely to happen. It's not a DCL rule about the "no diapers in the pool" it's a health code thing, AFAIK.

 

[SwimMom2]

Hm, I didn't notice this on the Magic. The toddler water play area was so sequestered from the Mickey pool/twist and spout area that a kid would have to do some crazy maneuvering to get back there.

A word about the adult areas: kids were allowed in the hall of After Hours during the day. At some point in the evening, it was closed to kids. Also, I never saw anyone under 18 in the adult pool area. It was bliss.

I will say that as mom to an 8 year old and a 2 year old, my son is super close with his toddler sister and often sticks to her like glue. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined us at Nemo's Reef on our upcoming cruise to play with her and just hang out. That being said, I'd be there the whole time and he is fully aware of how to behave with little ones around and that he needs to be mindful of tiny kids. He's used to not using certain items in areas designed for small kids (like the slide), so it shouldn't be a problem. He'd be pretty bummed if he wasn't allowed to be near his sister.

As mom to a 9 and 3 year old, I feel your pain, I really do. Last year, I felt like my husband and I were constantly splitting up so each kid could do age appropriate things. It gets SO much better once the little one is 3.

With that said, I learned early on that I had to explain that sometimes they had to choose between together time and age appropriate things, even on vacation. We just try to balance each. Maybe you could take your little one to the reef while your older one is in the Club or Lab. It isn't hard at all to follow the rules on a Disney ship even when they don't seem fair. It makes the cruise more pleasant for everyone.

 

[MissMet]

Not likely to happen. It's not a DCL rule about the "no diapers in the pool" it's a health code thing, AFAIK.

I know, I wasn't serious.

 

[Jsoenning]

I have a hard time imagining a three year old that is as tall as an eight year old.

Being a parent means being a parent all of the time. If you see your kid of any age knocking over two year olds on purpose pool time is over after you force them to apologize for acting inappropriately.

 

[natesmama]

I suppose I should note that my son most definitely stayed out of the baby splash area on the Magic when we went two years ago (they were 6yrs and 6 months at the time). I said he would bummed and of course he's most likely going to be occupied elsewhere. However, on the off chance that he came and stood with me to check-in or chat for a few minutes while I had her in the Reef, no one would make a fuss Trust me, he already has grand plans for the Aquaduck and kids club. He is looking forward to a vacation from his sister lol

 

[NEGeekymama]

I have no shame whatsoever in telling off kids who play too rough in a smaller kid's area, and then giving their parents a telling off as well. Especially parents who let their kids roam free in an area they know they shouldn't be in. Just like a play area in a mall isn't a drop off zone, something like Nemo's Reef isn't either.

 

[natesmama]

I have no shame whatsoever in telling off kids who play too rough in a smaller kid's area, and then giving their parents a telling off as well. Especially parents who let their kids roam free in an area they know they shouldn't be in. Just like a play area in a mall isn't a drop off zone, something like Nemo's Reef isn't either.

Oh the mall drop offs kill me!

 

[Aurora's Mommy]

OK, full disclosure, I am a rule follower. Don't save seats in the theater or pool area? You got it! No kids in the adult area? I won't even let the kids walk through to get on the elevator. And...I'm raising my kids to be rule followers.

I think the Disney ships are a great place for a kid to have some autonomy. Once they are a certain age, they should have some freedom to roam, but in order to gain that freedom, they must understand and follow the rules! And, understand the consequences of not following said rules. My DS experienced his first DCL cruise when he was 7, and the last time he was 13. At 7 he was allowed to go to the beverage station by himself, but starting an ending with us (i.e., he could only be gone as long as it would take him to get there and back). He broke the rules once (wandered over to the arcade before coming back) and was confined to the cabin for the evening. Over the successive cruises, he was given more freedom, but more rules (i.e., at 10 he could check himself out of the club, but if he was not with us he had to be in the club or our cabin. At 13, he had a bit more range, but that time we made him sign a contract with a list of rules, for example he needed to back in the cabin at a certain time, no rowdy behavior in the hallways, etc. If we got even an inkling that he was not behaving (and it is amazing how many times you run into your kid on a cruise ship) his privileges would be rescinded).

When he was 7, there was no Nemo's Reef, and likely he would not have been there by himself (although I'm not sure how Nemo's Reef is situated, it is possible if we were at the Mickey Pool we might have let him go over by himself), but if he bowled over any toddlers coming off the slide?! Lordy, we would have been sitting in the cabin the rest of the afternoon!

All that being said, I agree there is a huge difference between the age of 8 and a toddler, and that age range needs to be rethought, or parental supervision needs to be mandatory.

Now, as for the thongs. I don't get that either. But, frankly, I find old men in speedos to be more offensive (especially when the speedo is paired with socks and sandals!)