Kids on your shoulders

[ashnjam]

When is putting your kid on your shoulders accectable? Of course not during parades or woc and such and probably not in lines. But what about just walking down main st. etc? My dd loves to be on my shoulders so i was just wondering.

 

[bumbershoot]

For my family, it's never acceptable.

A piggy back ride, thereby making DS the *exact* height that the carrier is, IS acceptable for us, however.

 

[nannyz]

I really don't like to see this.
I was in a shop on Main Street one time and a father walked into the store with his little boy on his shoulders. He obviously was not paying attention and forgot to duck. The poor little guy wacked right into the door and started wailing.

 

[SomeDude78]

Not entirely sure about the intent of the question ... do you mean when it's socially acceptable, or do you mean when it's acceptable per Disney policies?

If you mean the former, then personally I don't see it as an issue. If it doesn't affect me personally then I'm not concerned. But that's my personal opinion as an apathetic live-and-let-live dude

If you mean per Disney policies, then no idea

 

[Argento]

Acceptable to me is everywhere EXCEPT when it would obscure someone else's vision at a show like WOC, parades, etc.

If you happen to run your kid's head into something, it's clearly none of my business.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Acceptable to me is everywhere EXCEPT when it would obscure someone else's vision at a show like WOC, parades, etc.

If you happen to run your kid's head into something, it's clearly none of my business.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

I really don't like to see this.
I was in a shop on Main Street one time and a father walked into the store with his little boy on his shoulders. He obviously was not paying attention and forgot to duck. The poor little guy wacked right into the door and started wailing.

I hope that kid was able to exploit his head bang for some excellent souvenir shopping.

 

[coaches24]

Before our trip last week I was in the you shouldn't do it during shows group. Now I completely understand the need for WOC. Disney needs to do something about the viewing area. I didn't put my DD on my shoulders but I did hold her at my height so she could see and I was miserable trying to hold a 40 lb child for 25 minutes at the end of a long day. There were several parents with kids on their shoulders and I'm sorry but next time I'm going to be one of them. I am 6 ft tall and I couldn't see everything myself. DW swears shes going on rides next time instead of trying to watch WOC because she couldn't see much of anything. The only chance a child has to see the show without getting one of the very few spots by the rails is to be on a parents shoulders.

I wish they did WOC more like F! (I can't believe I'm saying that). But we have found it MUCH easier to get a good spot for F! than for WOC. I can understand people deciding that if they have to decide between their child seeing the show and possibly blocking part of others views or they keep the view clear and their kid can't see the show its not a hard choice for me. The only part that bothers me about that is that Disney has it set up so that people have to make that choice. Not everyone is able to find a prime spot so no matter what people are going to end up with a bad spot and terrible view. IMO its up to Disney to fix the problem and until they do I think it's not only appropriate for kids to be up on parents shoulders during WOC it's necessary.

 

[kangamama]

people don't just sit down for the shows when they are in the viewing areas? (sorry, I've never been, and find it surprising that people would stand for these things)

 

[Argento]

people don't just sit down for the shows when they are in the viewing areas? (sorry, I've never been, and find it surprising that people would stand for these things)

WOC is standing only. It's why you hear a lot of complaints about the viewing area.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

If you are asking about DLR policy, I believe it's a no. I saw a lot of parents told to take their kids off their shoulders on our last trip (in lines for rides and such).

Personally, the whole thing makes me nervous. I can only image what would happen if the parent tripped.

 

[kangamama]

WOC is standing only. It's why you hear a lot of complaints about the viewing area.

a ha -- that explains it! Thanks for the explanation.

 

[jennabennabofenna]

I would rather people not do it during shows or parades, because then my kids cant see. When we saw WOC, we were in the way back, and it seemed as though everyone had put their kid on their shoulders 5 minutes into the show. So my DH put our oldest DD on his shoulders too, because she couldnt see.

As far as walking on main street and around the parks... i dont see why anyone else would have a problem with that :/ If they do they can walk around you, or just look away.

 

[ashnjam]

I guess what i am thinking is if im walking around with my kid on my shoulders am i going to ruin someone's pictures etc? Parades and shows i don't think i will out of courtesy and the fact that im not very good with confrontation. Im guessing fireworks wouldn't be a problem because everyone is looking up?

Im not worried about tripping or bumping her head into things because we do it so often i consider myself a pro (If there is such a thing lol) however accidents do happen huh? Plus i have never been DLR so i don't know the surroundings. Leaning toward not having her up there, let's face it she'll live. Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[coaches24]

I highly doubt you will have any issues wherever. If you see WOC you will see dozens of kids on parents shoulders throughout the show. Waking around you will see quite a few as well. I don't remember seeing any kids up high in line ques and that's probably due to its too easy to bump their heads on things in the que. But walking around shouldn't be an issue. I've done it before and had no problems.

 

[nunzia]

Kids are carried around on shoulders in our group all the time..not in lines or at parades or shows, but just walking around, and not for long periods, just to give the kid's legs a break. Really see no issue with it and I tend to be the over-reacting paranoid type so if it doesn't bother me, it must be OK

 

[specialks]

I guess what i am thinking is if im walking around with my kid on my shoulders am i going to ruin someone's pictures etc? Parades and shows i don't think i will out of courtesy and the fact that im not very good with confrontation. Im guessing fireworks wouldn't be a problem because everyone is looking up?

Please don't do this! I addition to having the WOC kid on shoulders blocking experience, one time we had waited at the hub for fireworks. We were packed in like sardines, and then the show was ready to start. A guy in front of us lifted his kid onto his shoulders and my DD could no longer see because her line of sight up to the castle was blocked. We had to pick her up which was not in our original plans, nor our arms.

 

[sonnyjane]

Please don't do this! I addition to having the WOC kid on shoulders blocking experience, one time we had waited at the hub for fireworks. We were packed in like sardines, and then the show was ready to start. A guy in front of us lifted his kid onto his shoulders and my DD could no longer see because her line of sight up to the castle was blocked. We had to pick her up which was not in our original plans, nor our arms.

Yes, I'll second that you should NOT have them on your shoulders during fireworks because it does block those behind you. In addition, I have seen CM's ask parents to take their children off of their shoulders during fireworks. It could have been just that particular CM, but I have seen people told not to do it.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

Before our trip last week I was in the you shouldn't do it during shows group. Now I completely understand the need for WOC. Disney needs to do something about the viewing area. I didn't put my DD on my shoulders but I did hold her at my height so she could see and I was miserable trying to hold a 40 lb child for 25 minutes at the end of a long day. There were several parents with kids on their shoulders and I'm sorry but next time I'm going to be one of them. I am 6 ft tall and I couldn't see everything myself. DW swears shes going on rides next time instead of trying to watch WOC because she couldn't see much of anything. The only chance a child has to see the show without getting one of the very few spots by the rails is to be on a parents shoulders.

I wish they did WOC more like F! (I can't believe I'm saying that). But we have found it MUCH easier to get a good spot for F! than for WOC. I can understand people deciding that if they have to decide between their child seeing the show and possibly blocking part of others views or they keep the view clear and their kid can't see the show its not a hard choice for me. The only part that bothers me about that is that Disney has it set up so that people have to make that choice. Not everyone is able to find a prime spot so no matter what people are going to end up with a bad spot and terrible view. IMO its up to Disney to fix the problem and until they do I think it's not only appropriate for kids to be up on parents shoulders during WOC it's necessary.

"Not everyone is able to find a prime spot so no matter what people are going to end up with a bad spot and terrible view."

Just highlighting that sentence because it is the crux of "the devil's advocate" tact I'm taking.
Like Coaches24 once was, I am someone who has not gone to DLR yet with my kids and totally understand and nod along when people think that shoulders should not be used for parades, WOC, etc. But I also understand the idea that it's a situation where *someone* is not going to get to see the show. So when you say, "My kid can't see. Take your kid down," you're also effectively saying, "Your kid won't be allowed to see the show so my kid can." You're saying, "Make me happy by making someone else unhappy." Given the unfortunate fact that some people will have an obstructed view, I'm not convinced that the "fairest" thing is for the youngest and shortest people to be those people who do not get to see.
Are you willing to tell people over, say, 6' that they can't take the prime areas along the rail for WOC or be on the curb for the parades because they'll be blocking so many others' views? If not, what is the big difference for someone made "tall" by being on someone's shoulders? From what some have said, some of the issue is that it comes as a surprise. You think you have one type of view, and then when the show starts, you suddenly have a different view because an adult adds a child that you did not realize would happen. But I don't demonize the people who are trying to help someone small see.
I know that at some shows, CMs will support those who find kids on shoulders unacceptable, so you have that official approval, but that doesn't convince me that it isn't still a raw deal for the people who can't otherwise see if they're not on shoulders. (Especially at WOC where it sounds like so few people, short or tall, really get to see the show properly.) You fix one person's problem by creating one for someone else. (An argument that of course applies in the direction of the people hoisting kids up as much as it does for people insisting they come down.) There just seems to be no acknowledgement of how, no matter what happens, there is always someone left unhappy, someone who was just as excited to see the show, who waited as long or longer (After all, they're in front of you, right? So they might have gotten there by arriving before you did and waiting even longer.), and who are just as disappointed when they can't see.
I wish I had a solution that helped everyone.

 

[ccgirl]

Acceptable to me is everywhere EXCEPT when it would obscure someone else's vision at a show like WOC, parades, etc.

If you happen to run your kid's head into something, it's clearly none of my business.