Kids on shoulders

[ArwenMarie]

Yeah like don't cram your theme park with so many people

 

[ccgirl]

I go early and stake out a spot. If an adult in front of me puts their child on their shoulders I would say something since that means my child can't see. The whole we paid a lot of money doesn't fly with me. We all did. My personal philosophy is that when my actions have a negative reaction on others, that's when they're unacceptable. Ymmv. Then again, I always stake out a spot upfront early and will encourage other children to sit with mine if they can't see so I've never had a problem.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Nothing you can do about it. That parent has determined that their kid is going to see, and if you're behind them that's it.

There was an article somewhere, think some guy in the Orlando Sentinel wrote it, which called out the parents who put the kids on their shoulders without regard for those behind them, and said kids should be able to see but should be held at head level and not above. The parents will say that it's more comfortable to hold a child on shoulders so that's what they are going to do. Disney won't stop them and there is nothing you can do about it except move.

It is kind of annoying when there are parents in the first row of something who STILL put the child on their shoulders even though the child could see without being up there.

 

[mom2rtk]

If you want to put your kid on your shoulders, or hold your ipad over your head, that's fine. Just do so when you get to your spot so others can plan around you and find a different spot while there are spots to be had.

But we all know they won't do that. Too much effort on their part.

I wouldn't say anything during a show. But I did tap someone on the shoulder right after the castle lighting ceremony. He put his kid on his shoulders at the last minute right in front of us. I knew he didn't care. But I figured maybe next time he'd think twice.

 

[disnut8]

During the parades, fireworks, etc. I imagine there are plenty of children on their parent's shoulders. If you have one in front of you do you say something? Or just try to move to a better location? Just wondering.

I'm five foot nothing and my husband is five feet six. If we are standing behind a family and the kids are ON THE GROUND, we are fine. However, if, right at the parade start, the parents lift the kids onto their shoulders so now we cannot see, we will say something. At this point, we cannot move due to the crowds around us and if we do move, we could put another family out of view of the parade.

This has happened to us and we have asked the parents to put the kids down. That request has been refused not once but twice. The kids could have seen the entire parade from a standing or even sitting spot but the shoulders needed to be had.

And this is why we don't view Disney parades anymore.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

I was very annoyed because of our experience this year. People were already staking their spots on the kerbs 2½ hours before the electrical parade was due to go through causing major access problems - and I'm in a scooter.

DD desperately wanted to see the fireworks, but there was not one inch of space to be found. We were told by some very rude CMs who simply would not let me stop but insisted we kept moving continuously, that there is no longer a wheelchair viewing spot for wheelchairs and scooters. DD got very upset because I wouldn't let her split up from me (well, we'd never have found each other again afterwards) and we ended up at the other end of the bridge where DD found a very small space between a noticeboard and a pillar at the beginning of the 'bridge'. I parked up and stood with her peering through a very narrow gap: a man in front of us put his daughter up on his shoulders which was okay but not brilliant - they weren't actually right in front of us, but we'd have had a much better if they'd not been there. I really wanted to lean against something for support, but there was nothing.

The 11pm showing of the electrical parade was best, though - already most families had gone home, so DD and I had tons of space to sit and watch.

 

[Kristine316]

Let's be really frank here... we live in a "me me me" world right now and even though I am sure many people are very kind and considerate of others, just as many are selfish and only think of themselves.

Blocking someone's view of parade or fireworks with a camera or child on the shoulders is rude.. some can try to explain it away but, it is infringing on another's enjoyment so no matter what the excuse it is just wrong in my opinion.

I had a weird experience at Epcot during Illuminations on our last trip. It was a Sunday night in September and the park was not busy at all, there was a ton of room for people to stand and watch. We were standing right outside of Future World, sort of near where I believe the FP for Illuminations is now. We were right next to the wall, so we were right in front. We had staked out that place for about an hour, even though it wasn't necessary to do so that night, we were killing time waiting for the fireworks to begin.
Right before the fireworks started a mother dragging two kids behind her zig zagged through the small crowd of people waiting and literally plopped both her kids on the wall right in front of us. She moved us out of the way and had her kids stand on the wall directly in front of us, my husband and I got pushed off as she did this. I was sort of stunned. We are not parade people so, I was not used to dealing with being shoved out of our spot... I found it so incredibly rude I was literally almost speechless.
The thing was that if she would have been nice and considerate and asked us if she could stand her kids at that spot I know I would have gladly moved for her. It wasn't that busy and if that is the best spot for her kids to watch, I would have been considerate enough to find another spot. It was the idea that she didn't even ask, that she just bowled her way into our spot and never said excuse me, sorry or nothing.

I just think there are a certain segment of WDW guests who think their kids are all that matters and the heck with everyone else. It just goes back to the rudeness of our society today and how people are very self focused.

I am sympathetic to the idea that kids needs better vantage points to see parades and fireworks... but, if you put your kid on your shoulders then most certainly people behind you will have a blocked view and that hardly seems right or fair that those people now can't see in order so your child can see... seems sort of hypocritical don't you think?

 

[20yBWDW]

I think it is a me me me world, but I don't think the blame lies only on the parents. When I was a kid, there is no way a kid would be blocked from seeing a parade/fireworks because all of the spots were taken two hours in advance by adults who wanted to see the parade and refused to give up the spot they waited for to appease a child. My memories of parades in childhood were always of adults standing back and allowing the kids to have the prime viewing locations. We are not kids on shoulders people, but if it came down to standing behind three rows of adults, and either putting my kid on my shoulders or accepting another parade/fireworks show of him not seeing (we had a lot of those on our last trip because one of my three just cannot sit for two hours without annoying everyone around him), then I'm putting him on my shoulders. I really see it as being no different than the people who are sitting on the pavement, and then stand up when the show starts. Are we being selfish? Yeah, we pretty much both are, but the person lining up at two hours pre-show is not exactly doing it for the convenience of others, either.

 

[BugsDaddy]

I think it is a me me me world, but I don't think the blame lies only on the parents. When I was a kid, there is no way a kid would be blocked from seeing a parade/fireworks because all of the spots were taken two hours in advance by adults who wanted to see the parade and refused to give up the spot they waited for to appease a child. My memories of parades in childhood were always of adults standing back and allowing the kids to have the prime viewing locations. We are not kids on shoulders people, but if it came down to standing behind three rows of adults, and either putting my kid on my shoulders or accepting another parade/fireworks show of him not seeing (we had a lot of those on our last trip because one of my three just cannot sit for two hours without annoying everyone around him), then I'm putting him on my shoulders. I really see it as being no different than the people who are sitting on the pavement, and then stand up when the show starts. Are we being selfish? Yeah, we pretty much both are, but the person lining up at two hours pre-show is not exactly doing it for the convenience of others, either.

I tend to agree with this. Maybe I am old school but I think parades like this are primarily for the children. I know some will disagree and throw out that "children of all ages" stuff but I personally think adults standing in the first row, especially those without any kids, should be ashamed of themselves and back off so that more little kids can move up. I would even make my teenage kids move back for smaller children. If there was just a little more common sense and courtesy, this thread would not need to exist.

 

[Mrsjvb]

I tend to agree with this. Maybe I am old school but I think parades like this are primarily for the children. I know some will disagree and throw out that "children of all ages" stuff but I personally think adults standing in the first row, especially those without any kids, should be ashamed of themselves and back off so that more little kids can move up. I would even make my teenage kids move back for smaller children. If there was just a little more common sense and courtesy, this thread would not need to exist.

I'll be sure and slink away to the back row in my wheelchair since I don't have kids and thus apparently my husband( who would be standing) and I are not entitled to watch the parade from the front row.

it is attitudes like this: 'it's all about the kids and adults don't matter' that is the main reason that for the last 5 trips we never even TRIED to see the parades despite my really wanting to revisit MY CHILDHOOD and reminisce .

the world DOES NOT revolve around kids, not even at Disney. maybe if both parents and kids remembered this there'd be less selfishness all around.

 

[Mome Rath]

One major problem with that is that kids now don't seem to mind as well as we did, so they misbehave and their parents misbehave. I'm relatively tall for a female, but my mom isn't. It really does annoy me when parents suddenly whisk their kids up on their shoulders right when the event starts. If the kids are up there for ten minutes or so before hand, it sends the signal that they will be up there when it starts, so that's fine.

I've also seen where the kids are nowhere to be seen right up until the event starts, and then come running up, and then right up on the shoulders they go. It's just like driving; if everyone is paying attention and thinking about others too, it would all go smoothly... but we know what the chances of that are. Parents need to wake up to the fact that how they act is teaching their own children how to act.

 

[natalieguy]

My husband always puts our son on his shoulders at parades ( we live in New Orleans so this is at Mardi Gras parades). With disney I'm sure he will do the same. The parades and fireworks are for the kids and if he is blocking another child's view (or wheelchair bound) he would move over or I will be happy to let the child stand in front of me and I'll move to the back or side whatever need be. But if a grownup whines that they can't see I'd probably laugh. We all paid to be here. There is no assigned seating. If you can't see move. It's about the kids and the fact that they can't help being small and not seeing. That's just my opinion. I'm not going to have a child not be able to see to not offend a grown adult.

 

[BugsDaddy]

I'll be sure and slink away to the back row in my wheelchair since I don't have kids and thus apparently my husband( who would be standing) and I are not entitled to watch the parade from the front row.

it is attitudes like this: 'it's all about the kids and adults don't matter' that is the main reason that for the last 5 trips we never even TRIED to see the parades despite my really wanting to revisit MY CHILDHOOD and reminisce .

the world DOES NOT revolve around kids, not even at Disney. maybe if both parents and kids remembered this there'd be less selfishness all around.

I am sorry if all those annoying kids (at a kids parade) trying to LIVE their childhood is distracting you from revisiting yours. And, as much as you don't want to admit it, Disney DOES revolve around kids. Are you kidding me? Without kids and parents, there would be no Disney and certainly no Disneyworld.

 

[20yBWDW]

One major problem with that is that kids now don't seem to mind as well as we did, so they misbehave and their parents misbehave. I'm relatively tall for a female, but my mom isn't. It really does annoy me when parents suddenly whisk their kids up on their shoulders right when the event starts. If the kids are up there for ten minutes or so before hand, it sends the signal that they will be up there when it starts, so that's fine.

I've also seen where the kids are nowhere to be seen right up until the event starts, and then come running up, and then right up on the shoulders they go. It's just like driving; if everyone is paying attention and thinking about others too, it would all go smoothly... but we know what the chances of that are. Parents need to wake up to the fact that how they act is teaching their own children how to act.

I completely disagree that kids don't mind as well. I actually think the increase in people who choose to never have children has resulted in increased expectations for children, and less consideration for kids. I also think the media making information about violent events available has led to a special fear of what children could grow into, which has contributed to increased expectations for children. When we were kids, there was a whole range of behavior that was just part of childhood. We could play outside freely. We solved our own disputes. We could pretend to make our fingers into guns and shoot each other. Calling names did not make us a bully, it made us a child who still had to be taught and guided into kind and respectful behavior. We had until second grade to learn to read fluently. Today's kids--they have to be reading fluently by kindergarten or first grade, they are pressured to do well on standardized tests by first grade. They are allowed to play only on scheduled playdates and everything has to be used the way it was intended--forget climbing up a slide or making up your own game with the baseball field. They get kicked out of school for putting their fingers in the shape of a gun. They have to do active shooter drills in kindergarten, but they cannot possibly talk about active shooters or pretend to be an active shooter, or they may end up with medication, counseling, and social isolation. Nobody better play cops and robbers, because if anyone chooses to be on the robbers side, they will get the side-eye from every other parent on the block. And forget cowboys and Indians--besides the evil of the shooting, the discrimination and ethnic insensitivity of that game could surely get you off the party invitation list. They are expected to act like mini-adults, and if they don't, the adults around them go on and on about how poorly behaved they are. They are labeled as "bad" if they use the word "stupid" and are expected to be nice to everyone, even though the adults around them are not doing so.

I think people who see kids as being less respectful these days are probably seeing kids who are more frustrated these days at not being allowed to be kids, and failing to see the real problem.

ETA: because it's relevant here. Our last time at Disney, we were waiting to watch a parade when my 2-year-old had to use the potty. When she and I got back from the bathroom, the group of adults who had been standing behind us had moved into our seats. My 6-year-old saw this, and gave my 2-year-old his spot. A child beside him (a tween boy), then pulled my 6-year-old up on the bench where he was standing, and stepped down behind him, giving up HIS view for my kid. Those kids understood a degree of kindness that a lot of the "I staked out my spot, it's not my fault some kid's parents did not plan well enough" folks do not. If those folks are not getting the respect from these kids that they think they deserve, maybe they should question whether they deserve that respect.

 

[Mome Rath]

I completely disagree that kids don't mind as well. I actually think the increase in people who choose to never have children has resulted in increased expectations for children, and less consideration for kids. I also think the media making information about violent events available has led to a special fear of what children could grow into, which has contributed to increased expectations for children. When we were kids, there was a whole range of behavior that was just part of childhood. We could play outside freely. We solved our own disputes. We could pretend to make our fingers into guns and shoot each other. Calling names did not make us a bully, it made us a child who still had to be taught and guided into kind and respectful behavior. We had until second grade to learn to read fluently. Today's kids--they have to be reading fluently by kindergarten or first grade, they are pressured to do well on standardized tests by first grade. They are allowed to play only on scheduled playdates and everything has to be used the way it was intended--forget climbing up a slide or making up your own game with the baseball field. They get kicked out of school for putting their fingers in the shape of a gun. They have to do active shooter drills in kindergarten, but they cannot possibly talk about active shooters or pretend to be an active shooter, or they may end up with medication, counseling, and social isolation. Nobody better play cops and robbers, because if anyone chooses to be on the robbers side, they will get the side-eye from every other parent on the block. And forget cowboys and Indians--besides the evil of the shooting, the discrimination and ethnic insensitivity of that game could surely get you off the party invitation list. They are expected to act like mini-adults, and if they don't, the adults around them go on and on about how poorly behaved they are. They are labeled as "bad" if they use the word "stupid" and are expected to be nice to everyone, even though the adults around them are not doing so.

I think people who see kids as being less respectful these days are probably seeing kids who are more frustrated these days at not being allowed to be kids, and failing to see the real problem.

The things you list aren't mutually exclusive, they are actually correlated; you and I having more freedom and responsibility growing up would tend to help moderate behavior. Now parents emphasize the wrong things and the kids aren't allowed to be kids... but being kids does not mean you get to hit people, step on their feet, not be respectful to the elderly, etc... which is all things that have become more and more "acceptable" to parents in public. Sociologically speaking, children's behavior tends to change in patterns over time, just like fashion, morality and the like.

I have to respectfully disagree about kids' actual behaviors as I've studied it in grad school (psychology/sociology), and lived it for over 10 years teaching "kids" fresh out of high school. But as you hint at, the problem is indeed the parents, not the little kids.

When I was a child at Disney, others' comfort was just as important as my own, or actually more so to my parents, thank goodness.

 

[siskaren]

The parades and fireworks are for the kids and if he is blocking another child's view (or wheelchair bound) he would move over or I will be happy to let the child stand in front of me and I'll move to the back or side whatever need be. But if a grownup whines that they can't see I'd probably laugh. We all paid to be here. There is no assigned seating. If you can't see move. It's about the kids and the fact that they can't help being small and not seeing. That's just my opinion. I'm not going to have a child not be able to see to not offend a grown adult.

Sorry, but I disagree. I don't have kids and I think I have just as much right to see a parade or fireworks as the kids do. And if an adult waits until the last minute to put a kid on his or her shoulders, where am I supposed to move to?

Without kids and parents, there would be no Disney and certainly no Disneyworld.

Not true. Walt Disney created Disneyland as a place where parents and children could have fun together. He came up with the idea while sitting on a bench watching his daughters ride a merry-go-round.

 

[mom2rtk]

I guess we know now who are the ones putting the kids on their shoulders.


If you want to do that, it's fine. Just put them up when you arrive there so I know when I arrive whether I need to move. It's the people doing it at the last minute I have no patience with. It is completely self-centered, done by people who think their experience is more important than anyone else's.

You know darn good and well that by the time you hoist your kids up there isn't any room for most people to move to a new spot.

 

[20yBWDW]

The things you list aren't mutually exclusive, they are actually correlated; you and I having more freedom and responsibility growing up would tend to help moderate behavior. Now parents emphasize the wrong things and the kids aren't allowed to be kids... but being kids does not mean you get to hit people, step on their feet, not be respectful to the elderly, etc... which is all things that have become more and more "acceptable" to parents in public. Sociologically speaking, children's behavior tends to change in patterns over time, just like fashion, morality and the like.

I have to respectfully disagree about kids' actual behaviors as I've studied it in grad school (psychology/sociology), and lived it for over 10 years teaching "kids" fresh out of high school. But as you hint at, the problem is indeed the parents, not the little kids.

When I was a child at Disney, others' comfort was just as important as my own, or actually more so to my parents, thank goodness.

I have a degree in sociology and have studied psychology as well, could you expand on the data that proves that kids do not behave as well? How was this measured? Who were the researchers? Where can I read the studies?

I'm not talking about young adults out of high school. I'm talking about children. And I think you missed my point. My point WAS that the freedom children were allowed to have in generations passed helped them work off the energy, and that today's children are frustrated and acting out from that frustration. It's not that they are not as well behaved. It's that they do not have an outlet where they can behave in ways that are now considered misbehavior.

My children range from 4 to 8. I am around children in that age range every single day of my life, not just mine, but multiple children. I volunteer in the schools, we go out into public, I have coached sports, and I have never once seen a child "allowed" to hit an adult intentionally.

When you were a child at Disney, others' comfort was just as important or more so to your parents, because the world we lived in then was that everyone put others' equal or above themselves. Those "others" were putting your comfort first, and your parents responded by putting theirs first. In today's world, people have absolutely no desire to put other people's children first, unless they themselves have children and understand. So it's left to the parents--if random stranger is putting random stranger first, and I put randoms stranger first, my kid gets the shaft. So if random stranger is putting himself first, then I can put my kid first to balance it out.

 

[mbgrace]

When adults trying to "reminisce about their childhood" step on/run the tires of their ECV over the fingers of my children who have been sitting patiently for over an hour for a parade/show/fireworks, my kids absolutely go up on shoulders. And I don't feel bad about it. Not one bit. If the offense was particularly egregious, (like the time my son had his fingers stepped on and head kicked as an adult walked over him trying to get a better view) I'll even make a loud comment and try to block the offenders view. If there are signs forbidding dancing on the People Mover, I'm sure there would be signs prohibiting "shoulder viewing" too, if that is what was desired.

I do make sure to try and get other children in front of me once my kids are up.

 

[mom2rtk]

When adults trying to "reminisce about their childhood" step on/run the tires of their ECV over the fingers of my children who have been sitting patiently for over an hour for a parade/show/fireworks, my kids absolutely go up on shoulders. And I don't feel bad about it. Not one bit. If the offense was particularly egregious, (like the time my son had his fingers stepped on and head kicked as an adult walked over him trying to get a better view) I'll even make a loud comment and try to block the offenders view. If there are signs forbidding dancing on the People Mover, I'm sure there would be signs prohibiting "shoulder viewing" too, if that is what was desired.

I do make sure to try and get other children in front of me once my kids are up.

So you get to decide who gets to see?

And I'm a little lost. Because some adult ran over your kids' fingers, you're going to block the view of some other random adult?