Rude guest encounter at Poly

[SharonZ]

I may be wrong, but I still think that the chairs at the Polynesian belong to the guests staying there. I don't know if the drunk lady was a guest at the Polynesian or just someone staying elsewhere. But I still think Polynesian guests should always get the chairs, hammocks, cabanas, etc. Not all the guests staying there have a view of the fireworks from their room.

I thought the lounge chairs, etc. were for Poly guests. It still doesn't excuse her behavior, but I would have asked if the chairs were being used.

 

[bluejasmine]

As a Poly guest it an oys me when I can't get a chair around the pool or on the beach but that ladies behavior was embarrassing & I feel for her family..

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[Tikiman]

I understand about the pool area, but the beach too? Isn't that considered part of the grounds of the resort? I thought that a resorts grounds were officially open to non-resort guests. FWIW when we go to the Polynesian beach for Wishes we don't use the lounge chairs or hammocks. We leave those for the folks who are paying big bucks to stay there.

I have a photo somewhere of the signs that use to be posted that said pool and beach area. Even with discussions with management they tell me that is the rule but it is hard to enforce so most of the time they don’t. Also many newer CMs even tell people it is okay to go use the beach after their dinner. Im sure there are times I have even told people to go down and enjoy the fireworks after they eat. Unfortunately it is becoming a new attraction and some nights it gets out of hand so they have been considering ways to deal with this problem. Florida regulations is making them fence off the pool area and since the pool runs right up to the beach I can’t see them putting a fence at the end of the pool deck and separating it from the beach. There has been some speculation for those at Disney that they may fence off the beach and pool together. Some have even said they will make a key card necessary to leave the GCH at the pool side. I don’t know how well that would work but I guess we won’t know what they are going to do until it’s done.

 

[cobright]

It is not my place to correct the behaviour of other adults.

Because you are not a part of this society somehow?

Of course it is your place, you are just derelict in your duty when it is inconvenient to do so.

Voting for politicians who enact laws that control and punish bad behavior is easy. But much bad behavior is left untouched or by law because a law doesn't fit or because enforcement is too much if a burden.

A lone man at the pool taking pictures if little girls who are obviously not his ... You just sit there? Or do you correct that behavior through some direct or indirect activity? A man slapping an old woman... not your business? Someone smoking in a place designated smoke-free... why should you care you don't have asthma right? Someone talking on a cellphone during a movie ... Oh we'll, not your place to say anything?

This is why we are becoming ruder as a society. Because it is becoming a greater crime to tell a loudmouth to shut her hole than it is to be a loudmouth.

 

[jaykorf001]

Cabanas cannot be booked by non-Polynesian resort guests. Officially the pool and even the beach area is off limits to non-Polynesian Resort guests. They try to control the pool area with wrist bands from time to time but there are still many that go to the beach especially during fireworks but the pool will be getting a fence that can only be accessed by those with Polynesian Resort keys and there is some speculation that this will also keep people from entering the beach area because of how bad it has gotten.

Interesting. We went to the beach to watch fireworks in June. I wouldn't have even known that it was an option without Disney veterans suggesting it. We got Dole Whips and headed out. FWIW there were plenty of seats that night.

I can totally see how overcrowding would be annoying to guests paying that much money to stay at the Poly. I can also see how It benefits Disney to have people touring the grounds and properties. How many people make reservations to eat dinner at the Poly with plans to go out to the beach for fireworks after? I'm sure additional money is spent in the shops and at Captain Cooks. More importantly people look around and decide they want to splurge and stay there and seeing the grounds is important to that. It's a tough balancing act.

 

[gogo]

I agree with others that it probably would have been best to ask if the chairs belonged to someone else especially if they were in close proximity to the others sitting there. But, OP, I understand that sometimes we are not always thinking ahead or anticipating a problem. The lady certainly didn't handle this situation very well and it sounds like she embarrassed herself.
Also, she should have placed some items on the chairs if she was thinking that others in her family were coming down.

People can become so territorial. Off topic, a number of years ago I placed a blanket on a very crowded Ocean City, MD beach next to a guy and his companion. He blew a fuse. It escalated to the point that I called the police. I should have just moved but he was so ignorant I couldn't help myself in not wanting to move. It was afterall, a public beach. So, I agree that you handled things correctly by removing yourself from a situation that could get out of hand quickly.

Although, I understand how some feel that the chairs should belong solely to those guests paying to stay at the Poly, it is up t Disney to enforce or make this a rule. Until they do, I feel others are certainly not doing anything wrong by sitting there even if there are limited chairs.

Also, to the poster who just removes himself from people smoking in a nonsmoking area, that is your perogative. I don't think policing others every move is a duty of society (JMO) Equating that to ignoring a situation with someone being slapped, etc. is extreme. Everytime you confront someone in public you potentially put yourself in harms way. If I saw someone breaking the law or rules, I'd just report it if someone was available. If someone is being physically assulted, that's a completely different story. And, I would think most people would immediately call for help.

 

[pigletto]

Cabanas cannot be booked by non-Polynesian resort guests. Officially the pool and even the beach area is off limits to non-Polynesian Resort guests. They try to control the pool area with wrist bands from time to time but there are still many that go to the beach especially during fireworks but the pool will be getting a fence that can only be accessed by those with Polynesian Resort keys and there is some speculation that this will also keep people from entering the beach area because of how bad it has gotten.

Thank goodness. I'm with Deb & Bill, I've always thought it was absolutely ridiculous to pay those prices to stay there and then have the beach be mobbed at fireworks time or the pool overflowing with people. I don't think it's up to individual vacationers to be policing the situation though. I lay the responsibility for that directly at Disney's feet. Until they have a clear policy it will continue to happen.

Now for this particular situation, I don't think the drunk lady handled it appropriately at all, but I do think the OP should have asked if the chairs were taken.

 

[Tikiman]

Interesting. We went to the beach to watch fireworks in June. I wouldn't have even known that it was an option without Disney veterans suggesting it. We got Dole Whips and headed out. FWIW there were plenty of seats that night.

I can totally see how overcrowding would be annoying to guests paying that much money to stay at the Poly. I can also see how It benefits Disney to have people touring the grounds and properties. How many people make reservations to eat dinner at the Poly with plans to go out to the beach for fireworks after? I'm sure additional money is spent in the shops and at Captain Cooks. More importantly people look around and decide they want to splurge and stay there and seeing the grounds is important to that. It's a tough balancing act.

You bring up very good points and I know if I was management I would struggle with what the best thing to do is. I think this is why they don’t enforce the rule or make it well known. I’m sure there are many people that have visited the Polynesian beach or even the pool bar as non-guests (myself included) and most of us respect the guests by not using amenities that they paid to use. Unfortunately because of word of mouth, the internet and fan sites devoted to resorts, people know what a special experience it is to be at the Polynesian beach and it can sometimes get out of hand. This is why they are considering cutting off access and that is unfortunate because I think people eating and shopping at the resort should be able to check out the grounds to see if it is a place they would like to stay. I have looked at just about every WDW resort by visiting and checking out the grounds. I would not want to have to book a stay at every one of them to know what it is like. If there were only a few people on the beach, watching the movie and enjoying the fire pit than no one would have an issue. Unfortunately people see the beach and those amenities as open to all so many now come to enjoy it. That is when the experience for the guest paying all that money changes and that is not fair to them. Would I be happy if I could no longer go get a Mai Tai from the barefoot bar and enjoy the view from the beach? Sure, but I would understand why they would have to go to such lengths to enforce the rules that already exist. It is obvious that even if the signs went back up (they may still be posted somewhere) people would still ignore them and I don’t see Disney having security checking everyone and dragging them off the beach.

 

[DCbride]

We had dinner at the Poly last night while DD went to Neverland club. After dinner we strolled along the walk to GF. The Poly beach was so crowded with swimmers, movie, etc. it looked like a concert. Lots of people=lots of personalities. You did the right thing. Remove yourself and your family. It sounded like her husband was right there with you.

 

[bdcp]

We go in Nov and stay at SOG, but we always go to the "beach" to watch the fireworks after dinner at 'Ohana. It has never been crowded. In fact, in Nov, there are always plenty of chairs and just a few people standing. The fact is, they cannot keep people from walking through and stopping to see the fireworks without fencing off the resort. Between the restaurants and dinner show, there will always be non-poly guests there.

Aren't there signs posted at the pool about use only by resort guests? I know there are no signs at the beach.