Parade Rudeness

[Launchpad11B]

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[calypso*a*go-go]

Isn't it just amazing that so many people always feel like they are "entitled" to everything? I hate the "I paid a whole lot of money for this vacation so I'm going to get whatever I want" mentality. Do they honestly not realize that everyone else had to do the same thing? My family rarely even watches the parades anymore because of all the drama that comes along with it.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I actually had a woman take her flip flops off and sit them beside me to make sure she saved spots for her other friends. We sat down moments before her, she asked me to scoot over because she was saving spots. I looked at her tried to move over as much as I could, then when her adult friends came. I over heard her saying we stole there spots, I just ignored her was not worth saying anything to her. My husband told me later we got there first, and plus her and her male friends was laying all over each other. I felt like saying GET A ROOM, I heard her saying they were from Daytona Beach and they had no class what so ever..

 

[daneenm]

When the children and I sat down to watch the parade in MK, we arrived 45 minutes early. Sat down on Main street on the curb and watched the people go by. We were fine until 30 seconds before the parade began and these people squished in to stand behind us. I don't mind every one getting to see, but when their little girl (probably around 7 and quite chubby) started sitting on my back because she didn't want to stand, I started to take issue. Parents did not do one thing about it.

Drives me crazy!
Daneen

 

[Cyrano]

She stepped back but kept reaching her arm over my DD's shoulder, and in front of her face, to take pictures.

I would have asked her; in my best Glasgow boy accent, would she like her Canon as a suppository

 

[meb7]

We were at the parade @ Disney Studios and my kids had gone back to the hotel room to take a nap. So a lady came up & tried to get in front of us, but we just didn't let her. However we let her kids in front of us but I don't think she really liked that either b/c she wasn't w/ them even though I am only 5'1"!

 

[Liljam]

I'm not a big fan of people saving a million spots for others, especially when they don't have anything laying in those spots. My husband and I (both fairly thin people who don't need much room) saw a bunch of open non marked spots on the stairs of the ABC building for a parade at MGM last year. There was a lady sitting on the top step and a lady further over sitting on a second step. We went to sit down and the top lady said the seats on the top row were being saved. so we sat down on the next row and the other girl said that those seats are saved too and i was aggravated and there was NOTHING in the place of the seats and plenty of room so I said to my husband to sit down anyway. No one ever showed up to sit in the seats with the top lady and when the people showed up that were with the other girl, she tells them that we took their spots, but there was plenty of room and they sat down right beside the girl and we all had space to enjoy the parade. Some people can be very hog-ish about how much room they really need and I don't really agree with saving enough room for ten people when only spots for 4 is needed. I have also seen people on the other side of this being pushy and such too though!

 

[Launchpad11B]

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[mom2cookies]

when we do watch the parades or even illuminations my kids and I either join hands or lock arms as best as we can. I at least try to keep my hands on their shoulder or something. We had a similar experience last september. As you all know parades can easily get three - four ppl deep. We had MIL in a wheel chair and myself and some friends and our kids around her. There was a really nice family next to us that was there first. So we asked if they needed room and how much. They only needed space for 1 so they put down a jacket and we made sure we didn't intrude. However, soon after the parade started a woman and her " chubby" kids actually forced their way between the wheelchair and this other family! The woman from the other family waited a few minutes and said " NOT UH" " you have to move lady!
she said something and moved back 1 step! and let her kids stand infront of 82 yr old MIL. I was so fuming. If I knew i wasn't going to embarrass those with me i woulda been a bit more aggressive. Poor granny she might as well had horse blinders on. She could only see what came past in front of her.

 

[nenner1]

ITA....this annoys the cr*p out of me.
In fact it is the main reason we almost *always* avoid every parade and stage or street show at WDW. It has really gotten worse over the years. Recently we attended our very first MVMCP and we happened upon one of the stage shows. Since we never crowd up in the front for the very purpose so that we can *avoid* the rude overbearing pushies, we hung back in the rotunda. There was a good amount of space between us and the back of the compressed crowd pushed up against the castle forecourt stage, and in fact we were far enough back that even the kids had a decent view. Then...wouldn't you know an elderly couple happened along, and stopped DIRECTLY in front of...no, not me, not my husband....right in front of my children. And even though there was at least 6-8 feet of open walkway in front of them..if they had moved up or even to either side of us this kids line of sight would be restored. I was in the holiday spirit and gently, jovially said "Oh..excuse me" and when the lady turned around I gestured to the kids so she would see they stood right in front of three feet tall kids and naturally I assumed she would scoot a bit. Nope. Instead her companion pulls out his camera and proceeds to hold it *above* his head and tape the show. Since there was ample space near us, we just switched the kids out to the end where they could see again..then...nope, here comes the *rest* of their HUGE party, like 15 ppl. They gathered all around us and that was it for being able to see the stage show.

It drives me nuts and I wish it was something there was a solution to, but I've found no matter where you are, on the road, in the grocery store, and yes even at the happiest place on earth there is an abundance of inconsiderate or ignorant people. If only all of DISNEY could be filled with DISERS......... The world would be a much better place...

 

[Melissa_E]

The one night we stayed to watch Spectromagic I sat on the ground to save my family a spot, a very nice CM came over to me and explained how the ropes would be set up and what I thought would be a good spot really wouldn't be. He directed me to where the rope would be and said I should stay there. I did and my family joined me seconds later.

Before the parade was about to start a family came right behind us with little kids, since DH is very tall, we asked the family if they would like their children to stand at the rope with us. We all had great spots to see the parade and DH and I made sure that the two children got back to their parents before we moved anywhere.

 

[WaltD4Me]

This is a totally mind boggling thing to me. I can't believe people actually do some of the stuff I read here. Not that I don't believe you guys, I just can't believe some people. I would never in a million years stand in front of someone or try to push my way into someone's spot or try to push someone out of the way.

I know I'm going to regret saying this...I'll probably jinx myself, but this has never happened to me at a parade or show. Maybe it's when we go, I've never been in summer or during peak holiday time, or maybe it's where we watch (I never bother trying to get a spot on Main Street.) I have no idea what I would do if someone did some of this stuff to me.

 

[Mckymousefn]

Yes, there are rude people in the world!! I know its hard to believe, but there is. I to, haven't had this happen to me at WDW yet... i am sure my day is coming... but i did have this happen to me at the Chicago Marathon this past fall. Me and my 3 kids were sitting in a area... waiting for my husband to run past us...this young 20 something comes next to us and squeezes in between me and another lady. I finally said something and she says "we are waiting to watch a family member run by!!!" DUH... so were the other half a million people that attend the Chicago Marathon. I just stood very still... i would not move a muscle... she would try to lean forward, which in return would require me to move... i was as stiff as i could be. Finally she got fed up and left. Me and the other lady just looked at each other in disbeif. Then we walk down to another area.. there is someone in a wheelchair, i move over and my kids do as well... so they could see... and someone came up and stood in that spot. Not only did i say something.. but about 15 other people did.. cuz the person in the wheelchair couldn't see.

 

[StephSalyer]

We went to the Contemporary a couple of weeks ago to watch "Wishes" from the 4th floor observation deck. We were going to be at the MK the next day but because we have experienced a lot from the stories above, we decided this might be nicer without all of the rudeness. We arrived about 45 minutes early so we could sit on the benches outside because we had a large party, with 2 babies and 2 adults that can not stand for any length of time. When we arrived there was already one family sitting in the front bench so we sat down in the 2nd and 3rd benches (there were 12 of us). Well, about 2 minutes before "Wishes" is scheduled to start an older man with a camera, on a tripod proceeds to set up his camera in the space between the first and second bench kneeling right in front of my 13 year old daughter who is sitting on the bench. Not only was it extremely rude to be right in front of her, but he totally invaded her personal space. I am sorry but I was extremely rude to him. I told him he needed to move, we had been there for 45 minutes and that if he needed pictures of "Wishes" that bad he should have been out there much earlier. Get this.......he didn't budge! He just shot me a dirty look and kept on snapping pictures. So, I told my daughter to stand up and I told him again that he had to move because I was going to sit down there. He STILL would not move. I had to go and find a Cast Member to come and remove him. I could not believe it. When the Cast Member finally got him to move, the entire crowd out on the Observation Deck burst into applause.

 

[Launchpad11B]

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[pklein09]

This totally struck a chord with me. We invariably run into these turkeys at least once each trip. I found that most of the time, they're not intentionally rude, just a bit thoughtless (which years of commuting taught me is not uncommon after a long tiring day).

Being from NJ (originally from NY), I don't mind helping them back along the path to thoughtfulness.


My advice to fellow sufferers... Say something right away (standing in a spot for 20-30 seconds entitles you to claim it as your birthright). Be specific about what you want (gestures are easy to ignore). And say it with a smile.

This isn't something to ruin your vacation over. My kids pick up my grumpiness like contagion. It's best not to spread it.

 

[maxiesmom]

We went to the Contemporary a couple of weeks ago to watch "Wishes" from the 4th floor observation deck. We were going to be at the MK the next day but because we have experienced a lot from the stories above, we decided this might be nicer without all of the rudeness. We arrived about 45 minutes early so we could sit on the benches outside because we had a large party, with 2 babies and 2 adults that can not stand for any length of time. When we arrived there was already one family sitting in the front bench so we sat down in the 2nd and 3rd benches (there were 12 of us). Well, about 2 minutes before "Wishes" is scheduled to start an older man with a camera, on a tripod proceeds to set up his camera in the space between the first and second bench kneeling right in front of my 13 year old daughter who is sitting on the bench. Not only was it extremely rude to be right in front of her, but he totally invaded her personal space. I am sorry but I was extremely rude to him. I told him he needed to move, we had been there for 45 minutes and that if he needed pictures of "Wishes" that bad he should have been out there much earlier. Get this.......he didn't budge! He just shot me a dirty look and kept on snapping pictures. So, I told my daughter to stand up and I told him again that he had to move because I was going to sit down there. He STILL would not move. I had to go and find a Cast Member to come and remove him. I could not believe it. When the Cast Member finally got him to move, the entire crowd out on the Observation Deck burst into applause.

Maybe the benches on the observation deck are set up differently than the benches in the parks, but I wouldn't expect to be able to sit on a bench and have someone NOT fill in the space. It was rude of him to park right in front of your daughter, and he should have sat himself down on the ground if there was room. But if there is a good chunk of pavement between the benches and the rail/windows or whatever (told you I have never been up there) I would expect someone to fill in that space. I know they do along the parade route in MK itself.

 

[serendipity]

My husband and I have a perfect parade viewing spot at MK. It's outside Peco's Bills against a fence. While most seating over there is prohibited there is a small stoop that is allowed, right near the stairs for the restaurant. We always arrive around 30-45 minutes early (depending on the time of year and the parade) to view the show. The stoop is very small and is just big enough for the two of us. The last time we visited the world right before the show started a foreign woman and her child literally stepped on me and shoved me over to see the show. Being from NY, I'm not used to being very diplomatic in this situation. I told her frankly, that she was literally sitting on top of me and would have to move. Her response? In broken english...you are fat Americans there would have been plenty of "space to put".....I weigh 135 pounds for the record.

 

[Launchpad11B]

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[DizzyErin]

Oh this has totally happened to me .. The last time we were there we were on Main St ready for the parade got there in plenty of time about 45 mins before hand got a good spot on the kerb where my DD7 (at the time) could see well, another family came behind us and as we were mainly adults we let their 2 boys sit with my daughter to enjoy the parade .. just as it was beginning some crazy lady came up behind my brother who was standing videoing shoved her son through his legs and preceeded to start crawling through his legs herself which he promptly closed tight anyway long story short they were dreadful and a CM had seen it all and came and moved them .. they were incredibly rude to all concerned including the CM and in front of her own children!! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and all the children had a great view i can't imagine they did as she was just so cross, what i don't understand is how they can spoil things for children?? Their own or anyone else's