Kids on shoulders comments

[willis37862]

So do I - Me and DBF happened to be right at the front of the MK Parade in Frontierland in August. A lady in a wheelchair had come to sit right next to us. This was fine until a mom saw there was a tiny gap near the rope and pushed her kids in and in front of the lady in the wheelchair. I was appalled, DBF moved away and let the lady take his place so she could actually see and enjoy the parade. Just because she wasn't a kid or had any kids doesn't mean she couldn't enjoy the parade either.

Wow I just don't know whats wrong with some people. What is that teaching your children when you let them do things like that or even encourage them to do things like that. That was very nice of your DBF to let her have his place so she could see.

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

Respectfully, I will disagree. Asking a visitor to wait 1-2 hours prior to a parade in order to be able to see it, is unfair.

But it is reality.

 

[Minnie Lor]

I totally agree. I am 6'1 and yes I get there early and sit at the rope and wait for the parade to start and yes I stand during them . I also let people know that come up behind me that I plan to stand and they may not be able to see. We have let children stand in front of us , if the parents asked nicely and weren't rude about it. I don't mind that at all I would much rather let your kid stand in front of me than have you put them on your shoulders and block everyone behind you from seeing.

Sorry this is a sore subject with me. I like kids , I really do but after a couple of days at Disney and people shoving their kids in front of you or thinking that their kids happiness is more important than anyone else's ....well that gets old and very annoying.

Very well said. My husband is 6'3" and he's extremely considerate of others who are (his words) 'vertically challenged'. I'm 5'3" and stand in front of him. I have had parents ask me nicely if their kids could stand in front. No problem.

I really have to agree that putting kids on shoulders moments before the start of a parade or fireworks while standing in front of others is extremely rude. What happened to common courtesy? So many are out for me and mine and who cares about anybody else.

 

[lilyv]

But it is reality.

There are other options. You'll never, ever see me front and center hanging onto a seat in front of the castle. I look for places down the way along the parade route, if most of the crowd is on one side, I choose the other. If you're not sure of the route, ask a CM. It is possible to see a parade without having to save seats hours in advance, especially if you're open to viewing from other locations than what most of the guests think are the "best".

 

[Shasta]

Several of you are throwing out overly rude and socialy poor behavior as examples to make your points. If I saw someone cut in line to get in front of a person in a wheel chair, I'd most definitly say something to that person. If I saw someone on the front lines with a child on thier shoulders, that person too would be wrong. If there are what you think I'm describing as acceptable, I am either not making my point well enough or you are misunderstanding my point.

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Wow I just don't know whats wrong with some people. What is that teaching your children when you let them do things like that or even encourage them to do things like that. That was very nice of your DBF to let her have his place so she could see.

Secretly I think he was pleased he could go sit in the shade, it was so hot that day!! But seriously though, I totally think you're right.

 

[ADP]

Thanks Kevin for briniging this topic up. It needed to be said and discussed because it is happening way too often.

I experienced it first-hand at the castle forcourt stage back in January 2007. A father picked up his girl and put him on his shoulders. This guy was 5 rows back from the stage and probably didn't even need to raise his daughter above everyone else. It completely obliterated our view. We couldn't move one way or another because the crowd was thick. What started happening was others began doing the same thing. It turned into a chain reaction. It basically made the show unwatchable for us and many around us.

 

[DisneyKevin]

There are other options. You'll never, ever see me front and center hanging onto a seat in front of the castle. I look for places down the way along the parade route, if most of the crowd is on one side, I choose the other. If you're not sure of the route, ask a CM. It is possible to see a parade without having to save seats hours in advance, especially if you're open to viewing from other locations than what most of the guests think are the "best".

This is true. There are other options. The parades start in either the back or front of the park and wend through a good deal of the park. There are usually multiple shows.

But...if seeing the parade or show in question from the
"very best seat" is a priority...and it is for some people....then the 1-2 hour wait is reality.

I also would not have a problem with a child on your shoulders if you do that as soon as you choose your seat and/or your viewing location. So, if you are there 2 hours early and already have a kid on your shoulders...I will know that this is your priority and will not stand behind you.

Again...I'm not asking that anyone deny a child a chance to see a parade/ show/ fireworks etc. I am asking for common coutesy.

If you decide to wait until x number of minutes before said event.....please understand that you will deny another child (or adult as the case may be) that very same opportunity by placing a child on your shoulders.

I have another example.....what if you paid for a theater seat and the mother in front of you let their kid stand in their seat "because he/she couldn't see very well". Would you find that acceptable? There are times when you have to buy theater tickets a year in advance.

Again....I think common courtesy is the best way to go.

Kevin

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Several of you are throwing out overly rude and socialy poor behavior as examples to make your points. If I saw someone cut in line to get in front of a person in a wheel chair, I'd most definitly say something to that person. If I saw someone on the front lines with a child on thier shoulders, that person too would be wrong. If there are what you think I'm describing as acceptable, I am either not making my point well enough or you are misunderstanding my point.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing standing in front of a wheelchair to a kid being on his parents shoulders - yes both are in the wrong, but at opposite ends of the scale. I don't think that you condone it. The point I was trying to illustrate with that is that everyone has a right to enjoy Disney - be they with or without kids. But it seems that some people (not here on the DIS) think it is socially acceptable to do these things.

 

[LilGMom]

Dh & I are both tall (6'2 & 5'11 respectively) and we have two small boys (ages 6 & 2). On the rare occaision that we stop for a parade or show we will either get off to the side so that DH & I don't block people and so that if we need to put our kids on our shoulders we can do so without blocking other people. Even before we had kids if DH & I wanted to catch a parade or show we'd either sit in the front few rows or stand off to the side or as far back as we could because we didn't want to block others. It comes down to common courtesy and unfortunately rudeness runs rampant when people adopt a "me, me, me" attitude.

We experienced a woman with a case of the "me, me" and "my child is more important than all" attitude at the Jedi Training show. She was sitting in the front with her DS, which was fine. Other kids lined up behind her so that they could see and possibly be picked. When the Jedi Master came out to pick kids for the show she stood up, blocked about five children and refused to move so that the kids that she hadn't previously been blocking could actually see and possibly have a chance at being picked. When I asked my DS6 if he could still see she did nothing more than shoot me a dirty look.

I have no problems with kids on shoulders and fully understand it but people really need to be more curteous since everyone in WDW is there to enjoy the same things, there is no age limit.

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

I have no problems with kids on shoulders

I don't either, as long as they stand at the back of the crowd or off to the side and don't block anyone else's view. As stated before, if this does not sound acceptable to them, then they need to arrive early enough to get a front row spot. It really is that simple, although many of the it's-my-world-all-the-rest-of-you-just-live-in-it persuasion will have a problem with this, because it might--*shudder*--require them making some hard choices/sacrifices. As Kevin previously stated, it really boils down to whether you give a rat's behind about the people around you, or not.

 

[NYDisneyGal]

A successful theme park visit requires lots of planning and attention to detail. If I know that I want to get a good view of a specific event, it's up to me to plan to get to a good location early enough to secure a spot. When I don't do this, I can sometimes get lucky and get a good view, other times I'm out of luck. But if I take the time out of my park day to just sit and wait (while others are enjoying rides, eating, etc.) I've invested in that location and shouldn't be crammed out or blocked by some wandering soul who didn't invest the same amount of time and planning.

We've often had to really "fight" to hold our position for parades and fireworks - it is ridiculous how some people think they deserve a good view just because they want it, not because they sacrificed some park time to reserve it.

And, I might point out, sometimes waiting is part of the fun. At MGM studios, for example, the 45-60 minute stake-out prior to the parade is a hoot. There's a ton of street entertainment taking place. The pre-parade fun is often just as worthwhile as the parade itself.

So, if you want your kid to have a great, unobstructed view of a specific event, you have to plan for it and make it happen. You have to give up that "one more ride" or late lunch reservation to stake out a spot and just quietly sit there for a bit. I might add that a stroller with sharp edges can often be very helpful in keeping a comfortable amount of space for your little one!

 

[Nom]

You had me up until this point, Kevin:

I have another example.....what if you paid for a theater seat and the mother in front of you let their kid stand in their seat "because he/she couldn't see very well". Would you find that acceptable? There are times when you have to buy theater tickets a year in advance.

Buying theatre tickets a year in advance does not at all compare to waiting 1-2 hours for a parade with a toddler! Anyone who makes a statement like that has never been though that hell. It really it unrealistic that most families with small children can wait in a parade spot for 1-2 hours.

Not saying I am advocating rudeness... with my dd being 3 we, like ppers have said, don't do the parades anymore. But my dh does put dd on his shoulders during the MK opening ceremony, and I don't see a problem with it... we are usually near the back, and people can feel free to move around us and move up front if they like. Other than the park opening ceremonies, we dont do parades because dd is too young to stay up for the nighttime ones, and we are usually not around for the daytime ones.

Personally, when talking about parades and small children, a much bigger pet peeve of mine is seeing young, exhausted kids being forced to stay up super late for these evening parades. I have seen kids sleeping on pavements as their parents 'stake out their spots'. That's 1000 times worse to me than people putting kids on their shoulders.

eta: the more I think about this, the more I think that I think most people that do this may not even know that they are doing something wrong. People who are not WDW fanatics may not know that they need to stake out a parade spot hours in advance. Just like people who are not WDW fanatics may not know to make ADRs 6 mo in advance. So let's just say joe blow, who is on his first trip to wdw, just happens upon the parade. He lifts suzie up on his shoulders so she can see better, thinking how much she is going to love this. He does not realize that the people around him have waited for 2 hours to see this. All he knows is that he happened upon something he wants his dd to see. I think this is the most common reason that you see people lifting kids up on their shoulders- not because they are trying to 'pull one over' on the people who have waited two hours, and get the advantage of both riding rides and seeing the parade. Rather, they just innocently want their kids to be able to see. They are swept up in the moment and the beauty they are seeing, and the don't think about what they are doing.

Think about the first time you got onto main street and saw cinderella's castle- its beauty may have stopped you in your tracks. Were you purposely being rude to the people right behind you by stopping short? No, you just got caught up in the magic of WDW and forgot those around you for a minute. I think that is why the majority of parents put their kids up on their shoulders- in innocence. And I would bet that in most cases, if you politely told them they were blocking a view you waited two hours to see, most people would apologize and take their kids down.

As George constanza would say 'we're living in a society here!'

 

[DisneyKevin]

You had me up until this point, Kevin:



Buying theatre tickets a year in advance does not at all compare to waiting 1-2 hours for a parade with a toddler! Anyone who makes a statement like that has never been though that hell! It really it unrealistic that most families with small children can wait in a parade spot for 1-2 hours.

The discussion at hand was not centerd around a toddler or any specific age.

The discussion was regarding people blocking your view moments before an event began.

Someone mentioned having to choose a seat 1 - 2 hours early and that not every could or wanted to do that but everyone wanted to be able to see. I believe the example given was a four foot child.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

eta: the more I think about this, the more I think that I think most people that do this may not even know that they are doing something wrong. People who are not WDW fanatics may not know that they need to stake out a parade spot hours in advance. Just like people who are not WDW fanatics may not know to make ADRs 6 mo in advance. So let's just say joe blow, who is on his first trip to wdw, just happens upon the parade. He lifts suzie up on his shoulders so she can see better, thinking how much she is going to love this. He does not realize that the people around him have waited for 2 hours to see this. All he knows is that he happened upon something he wants his dd to see. I think this is the most common reason that you see people lifting kids up on their shoulders- not because they are trying to 'pull one over' on the people who have waited two hours, and get the advantage of both riding rides and seeing the parade. Rather, they just innocently want their kids to be able to see. They are swept up in the moment and the beauty they are seeing, and the don't think about what they are doing.

Think about the first time you got onto main street and saw cinderella's castle- its beauty may have stopped you in your tracks. Were you purposely being rude to the people right behind you by stopping short? No, you just got caught up in the magic of WDW and forgot those around you for a minute. I think that is why the majority of parents put their kids up on their shoulders- in innocence. And I would bet that in most cases, if you politely told them they were blocking a view you waited two hours to see, most people would apologize and take their kids down.

As George constanza would say 'we're living in a society here!'

I fully agree with your points here. People do not do these things to be malicious, IMO...they do these things because their priority is to enjoy the moment, and make certain their child enjoys the moment as well. They may well be thoughtless and inconsiderate...or they may just see no other way to attain their goals. It can be extremely difficult in the terribly crowded conditions you see around shows and parades to thoughtfully choose a placement that will both allow you to enjoy the show and cause no distress to the people around you. If you aren't accustomed to being in this situation, your ignorance can come off as inconsiderateness (is that a word?).

Certainly, there's enough people around who have the "me first, and damn the rest of the world" mentality...and they're very visible. But I think more are of the "I'm sorry, but I see no other way" variety. I like to have a little sympathy for them.

 

[Shasta]

The discussion at hand was not centerd around a toddler or any specific age.

The discussion was regarding people blocking your view moments before an event began.

Someone mentioned having to choose a seat 1 - 2 hours early and that not every could or wanted to do that but everyone wanted to be able to see. I believe the example given was a four foot child.

I never knew we were talking about blocking views BEFORE an event began. When did that come up?

Also, I did describe my daughter of four feet but I don't see what the differnce is. If a child, without regard of height is too short to see above the an adult, he/she would be in the same perverbial boat.

EDITED: This is becomming a dead horse issue. I respect everyone's opinion and hope that you respect mine. I don't see the benifit of hashing it out any longer so thank you all for sharing your view. I'm out.

 

[Nom]

The discussion at hand was not centerd around a toddler or any specific age.

The discussion was regarding people blocking your view moments before an event began.

Someone mentioned having to choose a seat 1 - 2 hours early and that not every could or wanted to do that but everyone wanted to be able to see. I believe the example given was a four foot child.

I think I misunderstood your example- I thought you were saying that buying tickets a year in advance was the same as waiting at a curb for 1-2 hours.

As for age vs height, my dd is 3.5 ft tall (I'm 5 10), so it is possible to have a young child who is too young to wait the 1-2 hours at the curb that is in the height range of the OP's child.

 

[mikkiwikki]

See it is for this very discussion that we avoid parades at WDW. If we happen on one we'll stop, but it's not something we put on our agenda. The "logical" answer I have been given is to either split off of my party 2 hours in advance and scope out seats, or drag everyone away from the attractions to sit on a curb for two hours. I just don't see either of these fitting in with our vacation styles. If other folks want to do that, go right ahead. I don't feel like I am depriving my kids of anything by not seeing a parade or two. Especially with all of the things the lull in the crowds allow us to do.

As for people putting kids on their shoulders I usually don't have a problem provided you are standing at the edges or in the back of the crowd. Like on Main Street if you are the guys pushed up against the buildings and this is the only way possible for your child to see the parade I don't have a problem with it. However if you are standing even one row back and feel "that's the only way they'll see" I do. I guess with me it is a gray area. I can see the need in some cases, but in others it's just as a PP put it "putting their child's happiness first in front of thousands of other people".

**For Wishes we have a child who is sensitive to loud noises, so we traditionally remove ourselves to the resorts for viewing. Believe it or not it was the most enjoyable Wishes experience I have ever had. Because once all of those people turn in unison to leave IT GETS CRAZY! Especially with a double stroller. We watch from the Poly or Contemporary and enjoy the show immensely.

My two cents, do what makes you and yours happy on your vacation!

I totally agree with you Amy -

There is nothing in the parade worth 2 hours of sitting around (for our family anyways..others obviously feel differently)...I am definitely not following the masses to be trampled on main street. Did that once never again. Im amazed more people dont get hurt.

 

[DisDarling]

This is true. There are other options. The parades start in either the back or front of the park and wend through a good deal of the park. There are usually multiple shows.

But...if seeing the parade or show in question from the
"very best seat" is a priority...and it is for some people....then the 1-2 hour wait is reality.

I also would not have a problem with a child on your shoulders if you do that as soon as you choose your seat and/or your viewing location. So, if you are there 2 hours early and already have a kid on your shoulders...I will know that this is your priority and will not stand behind you.

Again...I'm not asking that anyone deny a child a chance to see a parade/ show/ fireworks etc. I am asking for common coutesy.

If you decide to wait until x number of minutes before said event.....please understand that you will deny another child (or adult as the case may be) that very same opportunity by placing a child on your shoulders.

I have another example.....what if you paid for a theater seat and the mother in front of you let their kid stand in their seat "because he/she couldn't see very well". Would you find that acceptable? There are times when you have to buy theater tickets a year in advance.

Again....I think common courtesy is the best way to go.

Kevin

I couldnt agree with you more Kevin!
I have found it incredibly annoying when I have staked my spot out at a parade for an hour or more, and someone decides that because they just walked up, 5 mins prior to it starting, that they should be "permitted" to SIT or STAND in front of my family!

This just happened to us at Spectro last month- a family was sitting in front of us, and I kindly asked if they would mind us standing behind them, they said "no problem." We got to talking to this lady and her girls and a mother and older daughter (10 or older) decides to SIT her daughter seriously IN FRONT of these ladies girls! The mom I had been talking too said "Sorry you can't sit there, my daughter can't see" and the older kid who just sat down said "Oh well." We just stood there with our mouths open!!

Common courtesy and kindness will get you VERY far at Disney World and in life... period.

 

[mikkiwikki]

I fully agree with your points here. People do not do these things to be malicious, IMO...they do these things because their priority is to enjoy the moment, and make certain their child enjoys the moment as well. They may well be thoughtless and inconsiderate...or they may just see no other way to attain their goals. It can be extremely difficult in the terribly crowded conditions you see around shows and parades to thoughtfully choose a placement that will both allow you to enjoy the show and cause no distress to the people around you. If you aren't accustomed to being in this situation, your ignorance can come off as inconsiderateness (is that a word?).

Certainly, there's enough people around who have the "me first, and damn the rest of the world" mentality...and they're very visible. But I think more are of the "I'm sorry, but I see no other way" variety. I like to have a little sympathy for them.

It's very difficult to put *yourself* in others shoes though - right?!? We ask our children to do it all the time, but adults?!? Deep and thoughtful consideration of your fellow man is truly life kill, and one that all adults would do well excercising frequently and often.