Spoiled Magic

[rileyroosmom]

cmonroe- Chelmsford? I lived there as a kid for a few years in the 70's. I didn't think anyone knew Chelmsford! Great memories living there, I'm sure it must have changed a lot now.

 

[aspcamhreditor2]

I think we've all had run-ins w/ rudely inconsiderate people in WDW. They are most likey NOT Dis-ers and I'm pretty sure they don't plan anything. My way of dealing with this people ... I ALWAYS use the opportunity to give my kids a very polite BUT LOUD & obviously directed consideration, manners, rudeness ... or whatever is appropriate to the situation. Surprisingly, about 1/2 the time, I get my point across and get at least a little resolution without actually ever speaking directly to the inconsiderate jerk!

 

[twoksmom]

We went last year with my sil and her family. My youngest dd just turned 5 and didn't remember the Stars and Motor cars parade. (The first time she was 2 and slept thru it.)Dh figured out where the parade would be and we waited FOREVER for this parade for her. Just as the parade was about to start 2 ladies asked could their little girls stand with ours. That was fine. Then this lady tried to put her child in front of my oldest dd. I made her stand right at me because they were pushing her in the road.My sil was holding my youngest and they were trying to push them into the road.I'm not a small woman at all(very pooh sized) so I backed all my girth up into this woman so she would move back.Then her husband tried to get in front of my dh, bil and nephew, wrong move.My dh is about 6'4" and around 350lbs.He looks like a bear!!! He told that man in no certain terms to get his a** behind him and get out of his way.It worked!!They knew what they were doing the whole time, they just didn't know they were trying to cross a bear and his family. April

 

[NotUrsula]

I know I am going to stick my neck out here, but I have to ask: is it reasonable to expect a flawless view of a parade (or other crowded event) for the sole purposes of videotaping?

OK, as a New Orleans native I've wanted to say this here for years, and you gave me an opening. I *know* I'll get flamed, but c'est la vie...

No, it isn't. In fact, it is not reasonable to expect a flawless view of a parade at WDW for any reason. It is a parade, not a show. Unless you are on a VIP reviewing stand (which WDW doesn't have), the whole point of a good parade is the experience of standing in a crowd and sharing the contagious excitement. Getting the most out of any parade experience requires dealing with the fact that you will not see every detail of every unit, and with the fact that you will be jostled by those around you, sometimes quite a bit. People *will* jockey for position at the barriers (or the front edge of the crowd, at WDW), and you have to be prepared to *actively* defend your spot by physically blocking those who want it. (Not hitting or shoving, just standing your ground in immovable fashion, and doing it on your feet.)

As a veteran of literally thousands of big parades, both as a spectator and as a participant, I know a thing or two about the best ways to enjoy them, so herewith are my commandments for happy paradegoing:

1. Unless you are physically unable to stand for the time it takes the parade to pass, thou shalt not attempt to watch a parade while sitting down.
2. Thou shalt not attempt to have a small child watch a parade from inside a stroller. Any small children watching the parade should watch from an elevated position at the BACK of the crowd. Hold them on your shoulders, since parade ladders are not available at WDW. (Which is a shame, I have to admit.) Do NOT stand in front and put a child on your shoulders!
3. The corollary to #2: thou shalt fold up thy stroller when the music can be heard, and thou shalt not unfold it until after the last unit has passed thy position.
4. Thou shalt forget about getting a photograph of a float by any other means than by holding the camera at arms length above one's head. It's entirely a matter of skill; if you don't have it, practice.
5. Thou shalt go to the bathroom BEFORE thou pickest a viewing spot. Once the route itself is cleared, anyone who leaves forfeits his/her spot.

(Of course, I left out the most important parade commandment of all, but it doesn't apply at WDW parades, mores the pity: Thou shalt not place thy hand upon the ground! )

That said, there are two things that WDW really should do to improve the parade-viewing experience. 1) Provide adequate reserved viewing areas for the disabled, and 2) Build the floats so that all of the animated parts are a minimum of 6 feet off the ground. If the bottom of the float is plain, people won't try so hard to jockey to see it.

 

[bettyann29]

We just came back last night and were in MK on Sunday.. I wanted to watch Spectromagic as I hadnt had a chance on past trips, so we found a place about 30 minutes before as they had just roped off the area.. me and DD8 sat on the ground at the rope because we knew if we didnt we wouldnt be able to see.. of course people started coming up after that and sitting down.. a lady next to me sat down with her 2 or 3 kiddos which was no big deal.. all the sudden she started letting all these other kids sit right there.. I dont have any problems with letting a child see the parade, but of course I want to see it also and I wanted to videotape it.. I had a hard time doing this because the kids kept inching forward, leaning over, etc.. Its nice to be nice to others and allow them in front, but it bothered me a little as we were the ones who got there first before all these others yet we were the ones who were having a problem seeing.. Just another perspective on it..

 

[ougrad86]

We are not parade people, but I did want to see Spectromagic. We found the area around the castle and Main Street to be too crowded. We watched Spectomagic in front of Peco's Bill. We actually sat on the stone ledge, and started waiting about an hour before since I had been warned about the crowds. We relaxed and talked and watched Splash Mountain. The other side of the street filled up, and on either side of us. As the parade approached, we stood up on the stone ledge and had a perfect, unobstructed view. We could see over the people that had lined up a couple yards down and kind of stood close to the street. After the last float passed by, we followed it with a bunch of others as far as they would let us. It was a great viewing place , and even if someone had pushed in front of us standing on the ledge gave us a perfect view. And there are trees planted in the ground in the center of the ledges which you can hang on to them if need be. The ledges are pretty wide, so I doubt if anyone would stay beside them, and no one can edge over in front of you if you are standing right on the edge!

 

[vellamint]

Everything that has been posted before this is the reason why my children have not seen the night parade at the Magic Kingdom since 2000.

This upcoming trip I am determined to watch it with them. I will attempt this in Frontierland though. I can only hope that we will not have a terrible time of it.

WISH ME LUCK

 

[MNRMommy]

My ruined Disney Magic had nothing to do with a parade. We went to the WL last year for our tenth anniversary (had stayed there for our honeymoon too). Anyway, one morning we were sleeping in (it was around 10 am) and i was in the area with the sink and mirror. I heard someone screaming in the hall. At first I thought it was someone joking and playing, & just being loud but after about five minutes of scream, pause scream pause I went to the door and looked out the key hole. Near the door I could hear the screaming better and it was a man screaming at someone to let him in the blankety blank room. It continued for quite some time and the person must have finally let him in because the screaming got muffled but it just kept going. Dumb me all of 5 foot 2 goes out into the hall to investigate. I told my DH I was going to see what he was screaming at least. It was easy enough to locate the room about four doors down from ours. When I got to the door I didn't need to be sneaky to hear what he was saying. The man in the room was screaming at a child that they were ungrateful and he didn't spend all this time and money planning a vacation for them to be so ungrateful. Now I have kids, I know that every once in awhile the frustrate you but this guy was out of control. At this point he had been screaming for ten minutes. The door next to his opened and a little old lady peeked out (she was in her nightgown & visibly shaken). We could hear the child crying pretty hard. Just about then I heard a slapping noise and the child started to scream at the top of their lungs. It wasn't one slap, it was slap slap you ungrateful brat slap slap slap with constant wailing. The maid was DIRECTLY accross the hall so I screamed at her to call someone NOW!!!! and she just stood there shocked. So I walked over and said listen to me. Call your supervisor, call security I don't care but call someone now. Ten I ran back to my room and told my DH to get out here quick this man was going nuts. This all took a minute or two and by the time my DH got down there this man was still screaming and ranting so my DH banged on the door (dumb I know but what else could we do). My DH yelled "knock it off" at the top of his lungs and all of a sudden it got quiet (except for muffled crying). Then we heard whispers (probably along the lines of shut up or daddys going to jail). We all just stood there in the hall, my DH, me, the old lady and the maid. After a few minutes the door knob turned and this man comes out draging a girl about ten years old behind him. My DH is a big tall guy and this guy was maybe four or five inches taller than me. The guy gets in my DH's face and says "you need to mind your own business" (at this point mind you the old lady and I are crying). My DH just stared him down and said "sir, when you come to Disney world to beat your child and disturb other guests for over twenty minutes by screaming at the top of your lungs and causing my wife to cry you make it MY BUSINESS. The guy huffed and dragged the kid off to the elevator. I swear the second the elevator doors closed behind him the head of mousekeeping and security come running out of the stairwell. I was crying and they talked with us awhile and took the particulars and said they would handle it but never let us know what became of things. We asked the next day and the front desk just said they were investigating. Later the day of the incident the hotel manager called and said how sorry they were we had to experience something like that at Disney and wanted to move us for our safety. We got sent off to a room a few floors up and on the oposite side of the hotel.

Well on a positive parade note. A positively wonderful husband of someone who is probably a diser gave me his spot on a curb for a parade once when I was pregnant. We weren't really planning to watch the parade. We just stopped to take a peak over everyones heads and this man saw me and said "please sit here with my wife and son." Only time I ever watched a parade and absolutely no one stepped in front of us the whole time.

 

[swkmom]

Regarding the above post, given that situation I probably would have called the police immediately. Letting the hotel supervisor look into it would not have sufficed. I am a mandated reporter of child abuse as many others on this board may be, I just would have had to have called the police . Kudos to you and your hubby for not ignoring what was going on and way to go for your hubby standing up to that jerk! I just hope the child was okay.

 

[makinorlando]

1. Unless you are physically unable to stand for the time it takes the parade to pass, thou shalt not attempt to watch a parade while sitting down..

I like the actively defending your space. I tell DD9 that all the time - people will really try and push you out if you let them - one child soon becomes two three and four, and suddenly even though you are sitting on the curb waiting for the parade - suddenly - you are on the street becaues you've been squeezed out.

I noticed at MGM the other week (not sure of the other parades) that if you were in the front row of spectators that the CMs were requiring them to sit. We had gotten a bench early right at Hollywood and Sunset, that that was the bestest spot - sitting and not on the ground! I even got good photos with out too many kids hand, heads or ears in the corners!

 

[MNRMommy]

Regarding the above post, given that situation I probably would have called the police immediately. Letting the hotel supervisor look into it would not have sufficed. I am a mandated reporter of child abuse as many others on this board may be, I just would have had to have called the police . Kudos to you and your hubby for not ignoring what was going on and way to go for your hubby standing up to that jerk! I just hope the child was okay.

I completely agree with you and wish I had done just that. I assumed that Disney would folow up but if they had, lets be honest, the police would have interviewed us. If I am ever unlucky enough to be in a situation like that again i will not hesitate to make sure the police are notified. My only consolation to myself is what a mess I was. It broke my heart and left me sobbing horridly and I wish I could have been more clear headed. Thanks for the kudos and here's hoping everyones next trip is full of untarnished magic.

 

[bicker]

Attraction viewing is a shared activity. Each guest is entitled to a space to view attractions commensurate with what a reasonable person would need to be free from feelings of claustrophobia (for example); guests are not entitled to space beyond that, such as to secure for themselves a view of the attractions that is guaranteed unaffected by the presence of others. The next guest is fully entitled to take up the space right next to the previous guest, and indeed is obligated to do so, to ensure the greatest number of guests are able to get the best views available. Take up all available space.

As much as I love my new video camera (see my website for a set of VCDs I've posted there from our trip in January), there really is no basis on which we videographers gain any priority for our video recording, over other guests' efforts to simply see the attractions as well as we would be able to view them with our own eyes.

 

[timandlesley]

MNR Mommy,

How awful, I am sitting here with my jaw dropped in awe of your terrible story. I can't imagine what we would have done in that situation - but probably something very similar to what your DH did. Right or wrong, when I know a child is involved those maternal instincts kick in and I know we probably couldn't have waited for security. I am glad you did something and I hope it was handled appropriately.

 

[DisneyMim]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I too am waaaay tired of rude people. We just don't do the parades anymore. Luckily for us my kids are older and had the experince many many times, but I feel bad for anyone today who really wants to watch the parades. We've been going for years and I can tell you that it gets worse and worse all the time. I don't have a "magic" answer and don't think there is one. Sometimes you just get lucky with a good view. A couple of weeks ago we had dinner in the castle and got out as the parade was going by. We had a wonderful view with hardly anyone around us because the area was roped off and because we had just left the castle we were able to watch from that area. Just LUCK. I have tried being "pushy" back, but it just raises my blood pressure! LOL!! Nobody should have to do that. People should just be nice to each other, but it's not gonna happen. For my family we try not to put ourselves in situations where the magic might be ruined. Anyway, the lines are real short during parades and such!!

 

[cmonroe]

The problem WDW has with parades, Disneyland has with Fantasmic. The solution was to build an arena, for something that had previously been presented to folks standing in crowded, narrow pathways. Controlled access. Specific seating. The point is that the best way to avoid mobs is to not create a mob scene.

I see your point now.

 

[cmonroe]

cmonroe- Chelmsford? I lived there as a kid for a few years in the 70's. I didn't think anyone knew Chelmsford! Great memories living there, I'm sure it must have changed a lot now.

Rileyroosmom,

I've only worked here for a couple of years, it seems like a nice area.

 

[netposer]

...then the Brooklyn in me came out...

ROFL

I use the International sign for "beat it".
Tap person on shoulder and use your hitch hiking thumb to say "beat it"

 

[babiesX2]

I hate the parades because people act so obnoxious! You can't even enjoy it for people getting in front of you and crowding. Dh likes to watch them, but I don't because I get so frustrated. I always miss the good parts because people are shoving. When we take our twins in Dec. (they will be 19 months), I'm not even going to deal with the parades. Dh and DD13 can watch if they want but the twins and I will go sit in a nice, quiet spot away from the parade and probably enjoy sharing a Dole Whip!

A commentary of videotaping rides/parades: Does anyone really sit and watch the videos they make after they get home? Or do they actually use them to torture people? How fun can it really be to watch a video of someone else's vacation?

 

[Took]

My DH just stared him down and said "sir, when you come to Disney world to beat your child and disturb other guests for over twenty minutes by screaming at the top of your lungs and causing my wife to cry you make it MY BUSINESS. .

GOOD for you and DH! I'm so glad you both didn't let this just pass. I, too, know now that the best advice is to call the cops. Child abuse is just that.

took

 

[maddhatir]

We are not parade people, but I did want to see Spectromagic. We found the area around the castle and Main Street to be too crowded. We watched Spectomagic in front of Peco's Bill. We actually sat on the stone ledge, and started waiting about an hour before since I had been warned about the crowds. We relaxed and talked and watched Splash Mountain. The other side of the street filled up, and on either side of us. As the parade approached, we stood up on the stone ledge and had a perfect, unobstructed view. We could see over the people that had lined up a couple yards down and kind of stood close to the street. After the last float passed by, we followed it with a bunch of others as far as they would let us. It was a great viewing place , and even if someone had pushed in front of us standing on the ledge gave us a perfect view. And there are trees planted in the ground in the center of the ledges which you can hang on to them if need be. The ledges are pretty wide, so I doubt if anyone would stay beside them, and no one can edge over in front of you if you are standing right on the edge!

WOW- that sounds like a great spot!!

I am going to note this on my disney "itinerary" next to spectro!

YAY! maybe i will fianlly get to see an entire parade!