So what's with all the curbside blankets saving parade spots?

[mom2rtk]

We visited DL last December. While waiting for the parade one day I noticed there was a rug laid out along the curb on Main Street with nobody on it. Or near it. Closer to parade time, a family showed up and just sat down. I found that remarkable because we typically go to WDW where it's hard to save your curbside spot when you are actually sitting in it.

Fast forward to this year. There were blankets and jackets all along Main Street saving spots 3 hours before the parade was due to start! I showed up 2 hours early to actually SIT in a spot and barely found room on Main Street.

Have any of you ever moved a blanket and just taken a spot? I don't feel like it's kosher to do that myself, but was really at a disadvantage finding a place to watch the parade with everyone else doing it.

 

[707MickeyGirl]

If a human isn't there, I wouldn't feel bad moving a garment. I'm surprised Disney even allows unattended blankets/jackets along the curbs. That seems like a tripping hazard.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Personally, I feel that if someone is going to put down a blanket to "save the space" then all that space on the blanket should be filled. I hate it when grandma sits herself down and says "those XX seats (all 12-20 of them) are being used". Really? I don't see any bodies there! But there should be SOMEONE with the blanket/jackets. If there were unattended blankets or other items, I'd probably pick it up and hand it to a CM as a lost item.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I always thought this practice was bizarre because this is not tolerated at WDW. It is also done for saving Fireworks viewing spots, which blocks a large area in front of the castle for hours before the fireworks, on some days. I had trouble crossing thru the area just to get across (I push DS in a WC). They just addressed the saving spots issue at Fantasmic this past week.

I think it should not be allowed, too. It is done by local AP holders, for the most part...... tourists would not think this was even allowed, IMHO. This will sound crass, but I think Disney is moving towards favoring the casual tourist vs the AP holder, because tourists spend much more $$ in the parks, on food, photos, and souvenirs. So perhaps this will be addressed soon, too. Not with FP, but with CM intervention.

Edited to add that the poor WDW guests have to save those spots in the blazing sun and incredible humidity of central FL, too. Not to mention the rain. The DL guests have it much easier!

 

[Indiana Scott]

I thought the blankets were some of those free promotional items

 

[Vintage Mouseketeer]

A few years back, I did move someones stuff and sat to claim MY spot with my then boyfriend. About 20-30 minutes later a man with his family showed up yelling out me that "I took his spot". He became very loud and screaming and tried to push me out of the way... I did not budge.

He then stated he was going find security to have me removed from the park for taking "HIS" spot.

He did show up with Disney Security and in true Disney fashion they tried to keep all parties involved happy, security moved me to the handicap viewing area and let the man take the spot where he left his stuff

To this day I feel this is unfair practice. I think at least 2/3 of the party holding the place should be present to claim an area as their own.

 

[HappiestHaunt]

....I think it should not be allowed, too. It is done by local AP holders, for the most part...... tourists would not think this was even allowed, IMHO. ...

Hmm...did the blankets state "Saved for an AP holder"? NO? Are you sure because with such a blanket and biased statement it must be coming from some first source facts. Unless...well heck, are you assuming that majority must be an AP holders because all things of that type are usually AP holders fault? And yet I have seen for myself plenty of folks holding a standard ticket setting up like that (usually when someone hands over the tickets so the rest of the group can go off to enjoy something else for a while) both on main street for parades, fireworks, and even **GASP** Fantasmic. I am a local and an AP holder, and not once have I ever staked out spot with a blanket or any other device. The reason? As an AP holder, I can always come back another day to see it. The one time my family and I sat for a parade, the three of us grabbed a bench and waited out the time. We have done the same for fireworks. In pre fastpass days of Fantasmic, we usually arrived and grabbed a seat where we could. No seat available? Then rides it was, with short lines due to the crowds watching the show.

 

[sonnyjane]

Hmm...did the blankets state "Saved for an AP holder"? NO? Are you sure because with such a blanket and biased statement it must be coming from some first source facts.

A blanket statement about blankets? I couldn't resist.

 

[stasijane]

A few years back, I did move someones stuff and sat to claim MY spot with my then boyfriend. About 20-30 minutes later a man with his family showed up yelling out me that "I took his spot". He became very loud and screaming and tried to push me out of the way... I did not budge.

He then stated he was going find security to have me removed from the park for taking "HIS" spot.

He did show up with Disney Security and in true Disney fashion they tried to keep all parties involved happy, security moved me to the handicap viewing area and let the man take the spot where he left his stuff

To this day I feel this is unfair practice. I think at least 2/3 of the party holding the place should be present to claim an area as their own.

Holy cow. Was your view better at least?

 

[mom2rtk]

I thought the blankets were some of those free promotional items

LOL, I wish someone had told me before I bought a blanket of our own in the gift shop.

A blanket statement about blankets? I couldn't resist.

A few years back, I did move someones stuff and sat to claim MY spot with my then boyfriend. About 20-30 minutes later a man with his family showed up yelling out me that "I took his spot". He became very loud and screaming and tried to push me out of the way... I did not budge.

He then stated he was going find security to have me removed from the park for taking "HIS" spot.

He did show up with Disney Security and in true Disney fashion they tried to keep all parties involved happy, security moved me to the handicap viewing area and let the man take the spot where he left his stuff

To this day I feel this is unfair practice. I think at least 2/3 of the party holding the place should be present to claim an area as their own.

Wow. That was my fear had I decided to push someone's stuff aside. Disney really seems to be enabling this behavior with responses like that.

 

[Vintage Mouseketeer]

Holy cow. Was your view better at least?

The view was fine, but I was so worried the whole time that I might have been taking a person who is/was handicap spot.

 

[4Mickeys]

We went in September which is not as busy as the park is getting at the moment. This was probably the only time I will get to take my kids to DL so we were prepared to put in the time to wait it out for the spots we wanted. And it can be hard enough keeping your spot when all of you are there sitting -especially when it gets closer to start time and everyone thinks they are going to walk up and stand/sit right in front of you or on top of you! I agree that laying a blanket out and then everyone disappearing is not on - there should be at least someone there. We didn't have a blanket we just had that time as a family to sit and rest, I would duck off to grab dinner, snack and drinks and come straight back. Sure it ate up some of our ride time but I just viewed that as the price to pay for front row seating - did kids find it a little boring at times? probably but they sure got the benefit of a great view not being stuck behind an adult so they couldn't see.

I'm not sure I like the sound of what they have done with Fantasmic it seems more money making than crowd control and would hate to see them do anything similar with spots for fireworks/parades. If you are willing to sit and wait you should be rewarded with the view - the point being sit and wait not lay a blanket out and run. But hey that's just my thoughts.

 

[Baptist]

A few years back, I did move someones stuff and sat to claim MY spot with my then boyfriend. About 20-30 minutes later a man with his family showed up yelling out me that "I took his spot". He became very loud and screaming and tried to push me out of the way... I did not budge.

He then stated he was going find security to have me removed from the park for taking "HIS" spot.

He did show up with Disney Security and in true Disney fashion they tried to keep all parties involved happy, security moved me to the handicap viewing area and let the man take the spot where he left his stuff

To this day I feel this is unfair practice. I think at least 2/3 of the party holding the place should be present to claim an area as their own.

Wow, that was bogus. This past trip, I laid out my poncho and backpack to hold our space while my wife and kids went to the bathroom. I was there of course. I could not imagine everyone leaving and coming back.

 

[CassieF]

I've seen a lot of one person saving the groups' spot (and do it frequently myself while the others are off entertaining the 2 yo). Rarely do I see people just leave their stuff, although on the few nights I did camp for Fantasmic there were a couple of people each night that abandoned their stuff. Once CMs were around I was quick to point out the abandoned belongings and most of the time they were removed. When people returned we directed them to where the CM said they could go to find their belongings. I guess Fan is a non issue anymore but abandoned belongings are just that and should be in the lost and found. They can be a major safely issue... at the very least tripping etc, but potentially worse.

 

[SMD]

Last month I was walking towards a bench at the hub when someone ran around me and threw a partially full bottle of Fanta onto the end of the bench and walked away. There was a man on the end, we sort of looked at each other and shrugged, and I sat down in the middle. About 15 minutes later a couple came back and got upset that the bottle was apparently saving 2 seats, and with me in the middle there was only room for 1 of them. I didn't even respond to them, I just kept staring forward while they had their hissy fit and picked up the bottle. They tossed the bottle on another bench, and left again. When I looked over a few minutes later, the bottle was gone. I think a CM or another guest threw it away. I don't remember if it was even near a parade time, but I don't think it was. I chose the bench I was heading towards for shade, but there were others open. You have to figure that if people spreading out blankets becomes a problem that a system for reserved parade spots like the new Fantasmic one will pop up soon.

 

[4Mickeys]

Last month I was walking towards a bench at the hub when someone ran around me and threw a partially full bottle of Fanta onto the end of the bench and walked away. There was a man on the end, we sort of looked at each other and shrugged, and I sat down in the middle. About 15 minutes later a couple came back and got upset that the bottle was apparently saving 2 seats, and with me in the middle there was only room for 1 of them.

That is just too funny! good for you for holding your ground.

 

[mom2rtk]

Last month I was walking towards a bench at the hub when someone ran around me and threw a partially full bottle of Fanta onto the end of the bench and walked away. There was a man on the end, we sort of looked at each other and shrugged, and I sat down in the middle. About 15 minutes later a couple came back and got upset that the bottle was apparently saving 2 seats, and with me in the middle there was only room for 1 of them. I didn't even respond to them, I just kept staring forward while they had their hissy fit and picked up the bottle. They tossed the bottle on another bench, and left again. When I looked over a few minutes later, the bottle was gone. I think a CM or another guest threw it away. I don't remember if it was even near a parade time, but I don't think it was. I chose the bench I was heading towards for shade, but there were others open. You have to figure that if people spreading out blankets becomes a problem that a system for reserved parade spots like the new Fantasmic one will pop up soon.

That is hysterical!

I mean a blanket is one thing. A jacket...... whatever. But a partial bottle of Fanta? For TWO people?

 

[5forMickey]

Well yeah, now they can start making the parade viewing spots by dining priority packages or fastpass system to stop everyone from pushing/fighting/saving..............

 

[mom2rtk]

Well yeah, now they can start making the parade viewing spots by dining priority packages or fastpass system to stop everyone from pushing/fighting/saving..............

Don't laugh. They have already taken some prime real estate along the parade route in the MK to make it FP+.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

I once saw an elderly woman practically planking lengthwise on the curb in front of Carnation Cafe. People were scrambling to avoid her as they passed. I was worried that she was having a medical issue and stopped to ask her if she was okay. She opened her eyes and said she was just taking a nap as she held her spot for the parade. It was at last 90 minutes before the parade began!