My experience with Wishes..Guarding your spot

[Mackey Mouse]

I stood under the tree in City Hall Square for over an hour....waiting.. decent spot, but there are many other spots that are closer to the castle that would work better... we had to make a reservation for dinner and wanted to exit quickly so that is why we chose that spot..

At any rate, there I stood, waiting.. 5 seconds before Wishes, this man with a child came out of no where and stood in front of me, my daughter and husband... my daughter said hey no way........but he just looked at us like we were crazy.. I was trying to be in the Christmas spirit so I said to my daughter let it go.. he has a small child with him.. foolish me.. Just as the fireworks began, he took his child and put her on his shoulders, totally blocking out our view.. Now I am getting upset.. I had to hold my husband back... trying to keep in mind this is for children, but also remembering that I stood there with my family for over an hour waiting..... the man was with his wife, and he was not moving.. she seemed nervous....but still we held back from saying anything keeping in mind the little girl...

This is the ironic part... a gentleman in front of him has his little girl on his shoulders.. at one point.. he was blocking the view of the guy who cut in front of us... That guy tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to move.. Now I am laughing because this is a joke... Talk about entitled...We just started laughing at him and his attitude.. how dare he tap the guy in front of him when he cut in front of us....Too funny.. at the end of the fireworks, he beat it out of there with his family running the other way rather than face us..

So what is the moral of this story.. speak up and risk tempers and upsetting a child or bite your tongue.....I usually do speak up and am not one to allow to people walk on me, but the little girl was innocent in this whole thing and I figured I could see over them.....we did the best we could with an uncomfortable situation keeping the little girl safe from nasty words......but he did deserve them.. I feel better now that I told the story...

Merry Christmas everyone..

 

[DisneyMim]

I hear you. The years of doing this exact same thing has taken it's toll on my family. We would plan out our spot an hour, or more, before a parade and wait. Almost every time, right before the parade started, some rude people would come and plant themselves directly in front of us, and always put a kid on someone's shoulders. I am short and when this happens I can't see anything! I would try to be polite, but I can't recall anyone every moving. Usually they would give us a blank stare and not move an inch. I would get really mad and then not really enjoy the parade. My kids were very little at the time and could not see anything. Hubby would never even think of putting our kids on his shoulders, just too rude, so we would try to get our kids a spot in front and most times people would get mad at us!! Amazing since WE WERE THERE FIRST!!!! After years of this, the rude people won. We don't bother doing parades at all anymore. If we happen to walk past one we'll watch, but as for waiting and picking out a spot, it's just not worth it for us anymore. In a related story, my kids and I were watching the Samantha Brown Christmas special last night (we taped it) and one of the things my kids noticed was the little girl (in the Howard family that was with Samantha watching the parade at the end) on her father's shoulders. My kids noticed this and said something to me. This seems to be a pratice that most people feel is perfectly OK to do. As long as they, and their kids, can see, to heck with anyone else!! Sorry Mackey Mouse to be so long, but this is one of my biggest peeves at WDW. I'm sorry you had an unpleasant experience, but it seems to be more and more the norm now.

 

[joshsmom]

Being relatively new and not having EVER gone in January, I have a question: since the crowds are lighter, is there less "jostling for a spot" going on? DS has never seen a Disney parade at MK or fireworks at MK and you better believe he will this time!!!! Rude people REALLY get to me (some of them are in my family!). I want him to be able to see. Will it be different since the crowds are lighter?

 

[DebbieB]

I had an experience at MVMCP. My Mom and I were looking for a spot about 15 minutes before. There was a family with a double stroller on the sidewalk between the walkway to Tomorrowland and the castle. The mom was to the left and some kids were on the curb in front of the stroller. We stood a little bit behind the double stroller, not right up against it. Then the mother hollers over to a couple of her sons playing in the area behind "get over here and stand in your spot because people are coming last minute and are squeezing in." We were not squeezing in! The boys stood in the space in front of her, so we did not take their spot behind the stroller. Then she says "some people don't like to wait for a spot like we did". Excuse me, but does your spot include the entire sidewalk behind where you are standing? There was no rope in this area to mark off the parade spots. Then it turns out the double stroller wasn't even theirs! Another woman came over as the parade started, she was the mother of the kids in the stroller. They did not appear to be in the same family as the woman who was complaining. We would never try to push into someone else's space, this woman was taking it too far!

 

[TLinden16]

One time when we went to Illuminations, we were standing just a couple of feet behind the people at the rail to get a slightly better view. Well, a few minutes into the show, this couple squeezed in between us and the people in front of us even though there wasn't really room for them, and pretty much blocking what had been a relatively clear view of the show. It wasn't even super crowded in the area where we were standing. They could have stood beside us or walked 20 feet and gotten a better view.

Well, it ticked me off that these people stood in front of us, so I stood right behind them and rambled on and on about how rude people are, squeezing into a spot in front of people when they could have just walked a little ways and gotten a good view without ruining it for others etc. After about three or four minutes of me rambling, the couple got the hint and moved. I know that we could have just as easily have moved, but I felt like they were the ones who were being rude, and I wasn't about to move without at least cluing them into the fact that they were being rude.

As for the parades, I've taken a liking to watching the parade from the ledge in front of Pecos Bill's Cafe. You get to sit down, and they won't let anyone sit on the ground in front of you, so you don't have to worry about people squeezing in.

Karen

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

The whole "viewing spot" thing is very confusing for me. When someone is "holding" an area for their family then does that mean nobody else can come into that area? How far away do people have to stay? If I walk up and stand next to you is that bad? How much space is supposed to be allowed between people?

With a 2 year old and 4 year old we never stake out spots hours in advance. The kids don't have the patience to sit and wait. So we usually just wing it, wait until right before the parade or fireworks start and just stand where we can find a space. Is that wrong? Someone seriously tell me because I don't want to seem "entitled" to anyone's personal space.

 

[seashoreCM]

Choose a place that has ropes.

If someone else tries to sit or stand in front of you, the parade marshals will come along and try to clear the area. What you do is, unlike on the bus, don't please move back and expect everyone behind you to also please move back. Tell the marshal you were there first and would he "skim off" those who improvised themselves a front row in front of the rope and make just them move elsewhere.

Or maybe you too will have to shoulder carry your kids.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Since so many of us have cell phones, it will only be a matter of time before someone regards a scuffle over parade seating an emergency worthy of 911.

 

[Jillpie]

TigrLvsPooh...I understand how you would not want to wait with small children. I think the frustration lies with people showing up late is their behavior (not all people, just the ones that don't realize the people that have been waiting for a good spot). If you show up late and find a spot that isn't blocking anyone's view, beautiful. If you decide to show up right before the parade, find some space to park the family, but not take a look around you to see if you're blocking someone, thats just plain rude and unacceptable. THAT is what frustrates everyone. If you want to stand next to someone, there is no problem with that, just as long as your not standing in front of another family that obviously has been waiting forever to see this parade. Does that make it clearer? Sure, you can risk showing up at the last minute, but just be considerate and take a look around that space...thats all.

 

[skiwee1]

Well I had a different experience the last trip. Wishes was about 15 minutes away and we went to find a spot. We noticed everyone standing in the street around the hub so we took our place there too. Within 5 minutes the entire street had people standing shoulder to shoulder. Anyway a woman and her two kids had been sitting in the street when we walked up. We did stand in front of her. Not close but about 8 feet away. She came up and tapped on my shoulder and asked me to move. Hello? I was one of thousands standing in the hub and she was not going to be able to see Wishes from a sitting position no matter what! I told her she would have to stand if she wanted to see anything as there were kids on tops of shoulders all around us. She got really nasty and sat back down. During the entire show she SAT with her kids on the street and kept throwing me dirty looks! I can see expecting to sit during a parade and get mad if someone comes up and stands in front of you but not during a fireworks show. Especially sitting in the middle of a street surrounded by 5000 people! She ended up missing the entire show because she sat there and pouted. During parades I make sure I am positioned on the curb if I don't want anyone in front of me. If someone stands or sits in a place that has a giant opening for others then they should expect people to fill it in. We had been standing for one parade up against the walk way. We couldn't block it as people were using it. Once the parade started though people started filling in the empty space. I couldn't blame them as they saw a spot and grabbed it.

 

[anewvance]

We also ran into this a few times on our last trip a few weeks ago. I am so OVER sensitive about hurting the feelings of others, it just totally amazes me when people take no reguard over other people and do the things they do. This is one story that really ticked me off....

We were at Epcot for CP. I had NO idea you had to be there hours in advance if you didn't have the package to get a seat so we lined up along the back behind a line (it made a little square between the rope and line behind) that the cm said you HAD to be behind. So we had a really great place to stand and had to stand there about a half hour before the show started. So it starts and this woman pushes herself beside me and tries to walk into the blocked off square like that area was being held JUST FOR HER!!! So the cm tells her to get behind the line but I was basically at the end of the line, the last one that could fit before a huge plant. Welp, lady decided she couldn't see around the plant so she pushed me over a bit. I said UH UH. And stepped back over because by then I am pushing my sister who can't help but push a little old lady next to her. Then she is trying to step in front of the line and then in front of me. I had my arm out in front of me like I was holding out the program to keep track with the show. She pushed my arm out of the way, moved in front and I was seriously smelling her hair and playing belly bumpers with her back. Fortunately we had "made friends" with the cm and he came back over and said mam you have to be behind the line. So she turns around and glares at me like saying you heard him move back so I can be behind the line. The cm says no mam, I mean you have to be behind the line AND this woman (pointing at me). She got all huffy and left. Whoo hoo!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I totally agree about the ropes... I would never stand in front of them or try to squeeze behind them, like I've seen many people do. We usually just head to a more open area, like near town hall or something, and just stand somewhere.

I think the issue of being "in front" of someone is tricky. If a person is standing in an open area, not behind ropes, and someone else comes and stands in front of them then who says that's not allowed?? It's an available space isn't it? Or is the original person entitled to a certain amount of square footage in front of where they are actually standing?

One time in MGM we sat on the curb early, because it's our kids' favorite parade. A man came right before the parade and literally sat his child in my lap! I was shocked.

 

[tiggerzpalz]

I am going to take an opposite opinion. Everyone who sits for hours who criticize late-comers can be just as rude if not more at times. I understand that you have been sitting for hours spread out with towels and blankets and strollers while the rest of your crew is out having fun but why is it ok for you to be rude. There have been times when you simply are trying to cut through to get somewhere and people rip your head off about how it is a saved space and it is taken. I mean geesh, relax why don't you. It is funny because some of these people who save 10 spots for the parade would be seriously ticked if a person saving 10 spaces on a ride line that is an hour long and came back to get in front of you. Same premise in my opinion. I am not one to wait for hours but will come about half hour before, find a quiet spot and sit, meanwhile getting nasty looks from space savers if I get within 5 feet of their territory. I mean really just chill. And as far as wishes. I have watched that from several locations just fine with good views throughout. I know that it is the principal but why not just move a lttle.

 

[Sinderella]

I never go to parades anymore. After a life time of waiting an hour before the local 4th of july parade only to have a family come and plop almost on top of us and then enduring the embarrassment of my mother berating the offenders, I've decided there is no parade worth this. It is a fact of life that someone will move in front of you and life's to short to have to yell at people. As for fire works, they are above you, unless you stand on someone's shoulder, you'll see the show. I don't think you can ruin someone's view. But I do get defensive if someone is rubbing against be of if a kid is bumping me. I'm a big girl and I will maintain my 4 foot square area!

 

[~dancingprincess~]

Just got back from WDW and had no problems with parades or fireworks. We saw quite a few people staking out spots a couple hours in advance, but we just stepped out of the Emporium about 10 minutes before Spectro and got great spots. We stood right behind a family that was sitting at the curb with a bunch of strollers. Figured the strollers couldn't stand up and block our view so we stayed put - it was a great spot. Then after Spectro we joined the mass of people moving up Mains Street and stopped right next to one of the garden walls near the Partners statue. This was great because we only had people to one side of us and something to lean on.
Moral of the story - we didn't stress at all about saving spaces and ended up with GREAT views.

 

[KCMiller]

Now I'm a little worried. My whole reason for going to WDW in the first place is because my children are marching in the afternoon parade at MK on the 29th. It would ruin the whole thing if someone came and got in front of me! If anyone has any ideas, I would very much appreciate them.

KC

 

[Jillpie]

There is only one thing to remember about parades, whether you like to save a spot or come late. Be considerate and polite. Look around you. Don't block someone's view.
KCMiller, if you truly have to see this parade with no blocking, stake out a spot on a curb. Sit there and don't move for anything. If someone comes in front of you, politely ask them to move and tell them your children are in this parade. When people are kind about it, others respond kindly.

 

[KCMiller]

My wonderful tuba playing son and my fantastic mellophone playing daughter will be marching at the head of this parade, and we're driving from Ohio and spending thousands of dollars on food, hotels and passes to the parks to see them - yeah, I think I need to see this parade unblocked .

But once their band passes (Yay, Dublin Scioto!), I'd be happy to move back and give anyone my spot - I can't imagine that the parade will be near as thrilling for me. Besides which, the tears in my eyes will make it difficult to see anything else for a while . . .

KC

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by TigrLvsPooh
I totally agree about the ropes... I would never stand in front of them or try to squeeze behind them, like I've seen many people do. We usually just head to a more open area, like near town hall or something, and just stand somewhere.

I think the issue of being "in front" of someone is tricky. If a person is standing in an open area, not behind ropes, and someone else comes and stands in front of them then who says that's not allowed?? It's an available space isn't it? Or is the original person entitled to a certain amount of square footage in front of where they are actually standing?

One time in MGM we sat on the curb early, because it's our kids' favorite parade. A man came right before the parade and literally sat his child in my lap! I was shocked.

TigrLvsPooh, I think you're getting too caught up in how many inches or feet or whatever constitutes "personal space." And what is and isn't "allowed." The rule is to simply use your common sense and manners. If you have to squeeze yourself into a space and you're jostling people and bumping them constantly, then obviously, you're trying to get into a spot that's already full. If you see people standing five deep on the side of the parade route, you don't just cut through and stand in front -- obviously, the five people already there were there long before you. I mean, if you walked up to the line for Winnie the Pooh or Dumbo and saw a little bit of space in front of a woman with a stroller about half-way back, you wouldn't just say, "Oh ... here's an empty spot. We'll stand here." You'd go to the end of the line, because that's common sense. Same thing here.

And the one way to be absolutely certain you're not displacing someone is to simply ask. If you move into an empty space and it's in front of someone else, just turn to them and say, "Can you see okay?" or "Am I in your way?" Just common courtesy.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I just wanted to post about what happened to us this December... remember I did say that we did not make a scene when the man stepped in front of us within seconds of it starting....and I certainly do not want to turn this into a debate..

I was in a very small roped off area around the Christmas tree.. too small for him to squeeze his way in.. but he did...the point I was making was even though we did not speak harshly to him and kept him mind his little daughter's feelings, he did take it upon himself to chastise the man in front of him for stepping in his view even though that man was there before him... I just think it ironic as it was ok for him to step in front of us.. in a very SMALL AREA, and yet it was not ok for that other guy to shift a bit in his position...

I never wait for parades, this was my first time ever as I did want to see Wishes, I purposely stood in a less congested area and yet what we see posted here all the time happened to us.. I believe we handled it with dignity....I would have liked to have told the guy just where to go in my best Bahsten accent.. but I did not.. I thought about his little girl and how it would affect the magic for her..

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

kcmiller - Just find a spot right behind a rope. Nobody is allowed to get in front of them and will be moved by a CM if they try.