Opinions about saving a seat, please

[MermaidsMom]

When we were at the MK waiting for Wishes to begin, we decided to get a seat along the walkway between the castle and Tomorrowland on the built in brick benches along the walls. We decided to get there early, ALL OF US, to sit down and wait. Well, we found the perfect spot and all 8 of us sat down. A man sitting there before we got there came over and said that he was holding those seats for other people, that we needed to leave. I said (very nicely)that since we were there, sorry, but if they wanted to sit there they should be there in person. He did not have the spot "marked" in any way. He then raised his voice and said something like, "I was here first saving this spot and I NEED it", and my response was " sorry bout that" but even if we got up and left right now that someone else was going to sit down right away anyway. People were everywhere looking for a place to sit and would've taken the spots and he would've been fighting with someone else anyway.

I hate encounters like this, it made sitting there very uncomfortable and really took the fun out of it all, until the fireworks started of course .
Should we have moved? I think that I would've been irritated either way at that point, so by moving I would not have saved myself any irritation. Where do some people get the nerve? I think that because we've been there so many times that I frequently give others the better viewing spot, left over fast passes, etc. I guess it was this guys attitude that made me stick to my spot.

 

[Jamesbyr]

I know seat saving goes on, but eight? I think people have to use their judgement. I think you did the right thing.

 

[SB in KY]

You know it is one thing to put a bag or a jacket or something in 1 spot while someone in the crowd runs the little one to the restroom or goes to get drinks, etc. It is something else entirely to announce that you are holding a large group of unmarked seats for people....if 8 of you sat down then he must have been trying to hold a whale of a lot of seats....sorry it just doesn't work that way. If you had moved items he had laid out (coats, hats, etc) that is one thing but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. They don't have reserved seating!!

One evening I took my friends DD (3 at the time) up to the roof of the train station for a little down time. There was no one up there and we had a bench looking down main street and we shared a little snack and she fell asleep. I just stayed put to let her nap and as we got closer to fireworks time the area fills up. About 20 minutes before time this woman and her probably 10 and 12 y/o daughters come up and tell me they have been waiting for a seat on that bench for a really long time. I have had more than my "fair share" of time, I should pick up "the kid" and quit "hogging" the bench and get up and give someone else a turn!! I quietly told them that I had no intention of moving before the parade/fireworks and I'd appreciate it if they did not wake up "the kid". One of them proceeded to poke my firends DD with their umbrella through the back of the bench. I invited an older couple that had been standing nearby to sit with us and I held the toddler throughout the show. They muttered and growled the entire time. At one point the older gentleman that joined us turned and held out a quarter to the obnoxious lady and said "Here dear, put this in the parking meter....we didn't know they had time limits on the benches, but this should give us another 30 minutes or so"!!

Everyone around us was laughing. Except the grumpy folk....prehaps it was their Dad that you ran into!!

 

[kirbsam]

You did the right thing. In fact, if one person had all sorts of items strewn all over the place saving multiple seats. I would have even been inclined to move them. It is different at say fantasmic, where seats are in abundance, but when you are looking for a piece of cement to sit on, first come, first served. Can you imagine trying that at illuminations. Heck, even when we ahve our whole group there, we get squeezed out.

 

[OceanAnnie]

You know it is one thing to put a bag or a jacket or something in 1 spot while someone in the crowd runs the little one to the restroom or goes to get drinks, etc. It is something else entirely to announce that you are holding a large group of unmarked seats for people....if 8 of you sat down then he must have been trying to hold a whale of a lot of seats....sorry it just doesn't work that way. If you had moved items he had laid out (coats, hats, etc) that is one thing but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. They don't have reserved seating!!

One evening I took my friends DD (3 at the time) up to the roof of the train station for a little down time. There was no one up there and we had a bench looking down main street and we shared a little snack and she fell asleep. I just stayed put to let her nap and as we got closer to fireworks time the area fills up. About 20 minutes before time this woman and her probably 10 and 12 y/o daughters come up and tell me they have been waiting for a seat on that bench for a really long time. I have had more than my "fair share" of time, I should pick up "the kid" and quit "hogging" the bench and get up and give someone else a turn!! I quietly told them that I had no intention of moving before the parade/fireworks and I'd appreciate it if they did not wake up "the kid". One of them proceeded to poke my firends DD with their umbrella through the back of the bench. I invited an older couple that had been standing nearby to sit with us and I held the toddler throughout the show. They muttered and growled the entire time. At one point the older gentleman that joined us turned and held out a quarter to the obnoxious lady and said "Here dear, put this in the parking meter....we didn't know they had time limits on the benches, but this should give us another 30 minutes or so"!!

Everyone around us was laughing. Except the grumpy folk....prehaps it was their Dad that you ran into!!

I can't believe someone would actually come up to you and say something like that! I think I'd start laughing! (I'm sure that wouldn't help.) How bizarre! The same with the OP's scenario. In both cases they were serious?

No, I wouldn't move for such rude people.

I didn't even know there was a section on the roof of the train station! I'll look for it next time. But I'll be nice, I promise. If someone is there before me I'll find another spot!

I've just never heard of such a thing as what's been posted here!

 

[smjj]

We had a similar thing happen to us at MVMCP parade a couple of years ago. My wife and I chose a spot on mainstreet maybe 45 min. before the parade. We were promply told by a woman several feet away that she was saving about a 10 foot section for her family and we were going to have to move. Well we did not move and others started filling in around us. She quickly got on her cell and phoned her family and yelled to them to get down her that people were stealing their spots. Right before the parade started a woman came up to us and told us, not ask us that we will need to move and let her and her small daughter get infront of us so she could see the parade. We did not move for them either. Look, my take on it is, if you want a good spot, then get there in time for a good spot...smjj

 

[MNmom]

I have such a hard time with confrontation, but lately I have started to behave like my DD(12). She just laughs out loud and says "YAAAAH RIGHT" when someone says something out of line. Just yesterday I had a father at my DD school yell at me because I didn't merge into the school buses that were pulling away from school. He yelled that he was in a hurry and that I should have gone between the buses. I just smiled, laughed and said "yah right" because we have had no less than 6 notes home from school asking parents to please be patient and let the buses go all together.

Some people!!!

 

[Nik's Mom]

If she had the seats saved with items on them (and I do mean just a few) that's one thing. But she wasn't near them and didn't have any items on them. How were you supposed to know! I say you were right. I hate confrontations too, but sometimes you have no choice.

 

[cheyita]

I hate the idea of saving seats. This happens at school programs too. Last time we were waiting for Spectromagic, 5 minutes before parade time DD *had* to go. I felt so guilty about leaving and expecting to keep my spot. Thankfully, it was waiting for us when we got back. But we had been waiting there for about 45 minutes, so I would've been really bummed if we lost it.

But otherwise, in general, I despise the idea of saving seats.

 

[Luv2Roam]

What you did was fine. I think most people are very nice when there is a family or group and someone has to make a quick stop. We have done, and have seen others, save spots for complete strangers.
I think we can all tell the bullies from those who really have been waiting as patient as most who really care for a good spot.

On NYE just as one of the parades was coming through (to a PACKED sidewalk) some lady was ordering (not asking) that others allow her children to sit under/between their standing legs.

No one I saw budge to her barking orders. And why would anyone want their kids sitting underneath the straddling legs of strangers?

 

[MermaidsMom]

The story about the train station made me remember something else from a few years ago. Me and my 2 youngest pushed the chairs near the railing and waited for the parade. When we went up there we were almost alone. They had toys, books, etc. and were fine. I had my newspaper and had decided that that night would be the one that we would see the parade from the balcony. It was something that I had wanted to do for years but could only do it when my DH wasn't there because he hates to wait like that. By parade time, it was packed and I had the same problem with a family that kept bumping into our chairs and saying that it was their turn now and we should get up. I ignored them too, but where do these people get the nerve? Do they truly expect to walk up at the last minute and get the best spot, when my behind was numb from sitting there waiting for the parade? I had forgotten all about that one!

 

[Lizzybee]

You know I don't mind helping save seats for people who are kind and polite, who have a child who has to "go", but demanding and rude people just don't get it. As a grown up, if someone asked me sweetly and politely if their child could squeeze down in front of my I'd gladly oblige if safe and possible. Of course if someone "barked" at me like the previously described lady...I'd have taken the previously mention YAAAAA RIGHT response. People don't get it that they don't do their children any favors by being a jerk, plus they are setting a very poor example. I'm very nice, but if I caught a grown person poking a toddler with an umbrella on purpose to wake the child, I'd very sweetly and politely tell them I could think of a much better place to "poke" that umbrella!