Is it me or are is Disney taking out benches and seating?

[wannabatwdw]

We went to Disney Last September with my 88 and 87 year old inlaws. Thats when my husband and I noticed that there appears to be a lot less seating scattered through the parks. We went back this Feb. with two other couples and even though it was not crowded it was challenging to find any place to sit and eat when picking up counter service at Epcot. I looked for benches to sit and relax and there really were not many. Has any one else noticed this? Also we may be going back this summer and with the crowds, I would appreciate any suggestions of places to sit and relax.

 

[JanaDee]

We went to Disney Last September with my 88 and 87 year old inlaws. Thats when my husband and I noticed that there appears to be a lot less seating scattered through the parks. We went back this Feb. with two other couples and even though it was not crowded it was challenging to find any place to sit and eat when picking up counter service at Epcot. I looked for benches to sit and relax and there really were not many. Has any one else noticed this? Also we may be going back this summer and with the crowds, I would appreciate any suggestions of places to sit and relax.

We noticed the lack of benches, too, especially in Epcot.

 

[Sandy Fisher]

As two folks who need to stop and sit from time to time, DH and I became aware more than 5 years ago that benches were "disappearing". It's sad, really. Some people offer excuses that it hampers traffic during crowded times, etc.
I say that it's a money issue. If you're sitting somewhere resting, you aren't spending money.
The way I figure it, we spent more than enough on tickets, transportation, gifts, clothing, souveniers, meals, etc., and we deserve a place to sit. We try to avoid the hottest months and the humid times too (even when we lived down there) but we do need to stop and take a break. We do that by going to attractions when we can, on rides when we can, but there still comes a time to stop.
It's been a complaint/issue that shows up every now and then on the forums, but there doesn't seem to be any "pity" from the Disney people making the decisions. And I'll add to that, that not everone sitting is an elderly person. I've seen parents sitting holding sleeping children or minding a sleeping child in a stroller, etc.
Oh, well, I guess you aren't supposed to need a break at Disney??

 

[TDC Nala]

it's not you. They are systematically removing seating. It's especially noticeable at Epcot but it's not just Epcot.

Just the other day noticed that one set of benches at the International Gateway entrance is now gone. There were two sets in December.

They either want guests to move along, or they want them to choose seating attached to restaurants so maybe they will buy something.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

I think it's more about "making people tired".

I lot of people think that Disney wants you to stay in the park all day and spend money. But it's much more likely that they discovered "most people spend almost the same amount whether they are in the park for 4 hours or 8 hours".

What I mean by that is...they will still buy a meal or two, plus souvenirs, and probably a snack. If people are going to "hang out" on benches to take a rest and stay at the park all day....and all the do is buy 1 extra sncak....then it's not worth the maintenance cost of the benches, or the increased wait time at rides.

 

[bumbershoot]

As two folks who need to stop and sit from time to time, DH and I became aware more than 5 years ago that benches were "disappearing".

Yep.

If anyone here has seen the awesome planning video sent out around the the year of the 50th Disneyland anniversary, they know there's a guide to leisure in it. (the actor then made it to commercials for satellite TV, go him!) The whole point of his character was to point out all of the ways you can relax (and use photopass..."you're in the photo!") in the parks and resorts.

And then a couple years later they started taking out the places where you can relax.

Silly Disney.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think it's more about "making people tired".

I lot of people think that Disney wants you to stay in the park all day and spend money. But it's much more likely that they discovered "most people spend almost the same amount whether they are in the park for 4 hours or 8 hours".

What I mean by that is...they will still buy a meal or two, plus souvenirs, and probably a snack. If people are going to "hang out" on benches to take a rest and stay at the park all day....and all the do is buy 1 extra sncak....then it's not worth the maintenance cost of the benches, or the increased wait time at rides.

I agree with this. I think they don't want people sitting around and resting. They'd prefer you go back to your resort to rest.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

I noticed this too! MK is where it stood out most to DH and I. Anytime we thought we would be coming across some nice shaded seating for a quick rest it almost always tended to be a smoking section (I'm asthmatic) While I have been noticing in trip reports and easywdw updates that they have been adding back some seating it almost always is in the blasting sun.

My plan is to take note of the qs with the a/c. But then maybe THATS their goal.

As for Epcot, the innovations buildings have some good benches in the a/c and we noticed a lot of the world showcase pavilions had exhibits that are interesting and have benches in them.

There are also a bunch of benches between Test Track and Mission Space. (At least this is the case as of October '13)

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Crazy. I'm not going back to my resort to sit.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I noticed it at Hollywood Studios. My husband and daughter love Star Tours, but those types of rides make me queasy. Usually, when he is/they are riding, I will take a seat on Commissary Lane and listen to the music and people watch. Then, when they ride it a second time, I like to sit outside Muppets and listen to that music and people watch. I went to Muppets and there were no benches left, it seemed. There used to be more, but when I was there I only saw one.

 

[BonnieA]

They have been eliminating benches for years. I've even complained to Disney a couple times. Didn't do any good. They just took out more benches. I cannot walk around for that long a time. So now I rent a scooter.

 

[Donut23]

It will make the Marginal Limpy People rent scooters now to rest tired legs! I'm a "Limper". Accident in 2007 and multiple surgeries later. Looks like next I'm going to get a brand new knee. Maybe I'll graduate and will no longer be a "Limper" on a scooter.

Lack of places to sit is a big thing for some of us.

Look out folks. No benches?

Scooters for all!

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

We should all just carry these things around:

Then we can sit whenever/wherever we want, plus use the backpack part to store food to have a little picnic.

 

[wilma-bride]

The one thing we did discover (particularly at Epcot) is that there is nowhere to shelter when it rains (other than shops, rides and restaurants obviously). We were just walking into World Showcase on St Patrick's Day when the rain started really coming down. We had just bought food at Refreshment Port and we walked as far as International Gateway without finding anywhere at all to stop and eat or take shelter. We ended up throwing our food in the trash (since it was soaked by then) and leaving to go back to our resort earlier than planned.

 

[staceyeileen]

Lack of benches doesn't stop me; I don't hesitate to take a break on the sidewalk and/or lawn. At least Disney still keeps the place pretty clean.

 

[maxiesmom]

We should all just carry these things around:

Then we can sit whenever/wherever we want, plus use the backpack part to store food to have a little picnic.

Unfortunately carrying in your own seat is on Disney's no-no list.

I'm not sure how true it is, but I had heard before that part of the reason for removing the benches was because of people using them to try and claim firework viewing spots. They would claim the bench and the space in front of them too, which leads to scuffles.

 

[Davey Jones II]

What a shameful disservice to guests. Theme parks are already hard on the feet, and now they take away benches? It makes you wonder if there's anything they won't do in the endless pursuit of the almighty dollar. A move like this just shows contempt for guests.

 

[xie]

No, it's not just you. Back in the 90's and early 00's we didn't usually have difficulty find a spot to rest for a few minutes (that didn't involve sitting on the ground or sitting in a restaurant without eating).

I think it's partly that some seating has disappeared in recent years, and partly that there are simply a lot more people in the parks these days competing for the limited amount of seating available. (I heard somewhere that attendance is up from 12m/yr to 18m/yr in the last decade?)

FP+ isn't helping; rather than standing in lines, there seem to be more people wandering the walkways looking for places to wait for their next FP window. I swear the parks look like an overcrowded airport when bad weather has cancelled 60% of the flights.

One of the biggest problems Disney has, and they don't seem to care, is people camping out in eating areas (who aren't eating). There is nothing more frustrating than getting a plate of food in World Showcase and finding 30-50% of the tables occupied by clearly exhausted but not-eating families.

I think Universal handled this so well in the Three Broomsticks - you only get a table when you have paid for your food. There is no "table camping" in that place.

We started taking one of those blankets that folds into a bag, and when we need to rest awhile, we go find a spot to sit on the ground. DHS and MK are the worst for finding a spot; Epcot is the easiest, as there are a lot of permanently open grassy areas around Future World. We've even used it to rest in an empty corner of Innoventions when the weather gets too nasty to stay outside.

 

[xie]

I should also say - IMHO the relative scarcity of benches has contributed GREATLY to the number of electric scooters all over the place. I suspect there are a number of people who would walk some distances if they could sit for awhile when they get there - but there's hardly anyplace to sit, so bringing your own portable/drivable chair is seen by some as the only alternative.

 

[JanaDee]

Lack of benches doesn't stop me; I don't hesitate to take a break on the sidewalk and/or lawn. At least Disney still keeps the place pretty clean.

In the parks, the majority of the "lawns" are fenced off.