Unfair saving of pool lounges/chairs

[GraceDVC]

On a recent tip to BWV, we found every chaise lounge and chair/table had towels (used or freshly folded) or personal belongings on them. After two walks around the main pool, someone noticed my DVC tote and said, "Wait, I'll free up two lounges for you both," for which we were most grateful. He removed two new folded towels from the lounges for us. But, we then realized that he had towels on seven lounges, holding them for family members who "might" want to come on down and use them! We were there two hours, and no one used the other lounges.

On another post about the YC/BC Stormalong Bay pool (where we will be vacationing this Summer, a comment was made about unfair "saving" of chairs/lounges with towels. I think that placing fresh, folded towels on lounges or tables to hold them for yourself or other members of your party should not be allowed; either place personal items on your lounge/chair when you actually come down to the pool, or rightfully acknowledge that anyone can remove the used towels on unattended lounges, or use the fresh-toweled lounges or chairs, when they arrive at the pool.

Can anyone come up with a better idea????

 

[Disney Doll]

I can see how this would be a problem during the busier times of the year. DH and I generally don't go during those times, so we don't encounter this. Perhaps there should be a CM(other than the lifeguard)who kind of keeps an eye on this?

 

[Granny]

IHMO, it is difficult, if not impossible, to legislate good manners.

There have been many posts about unruly children and rude behavior....when you read posts like this it is obvious that most of that behavior is passed along from generation to generation.

Please excuse me while I go over to Main Street USA to draw a chalk circle to reserve my afternoon parade spot.

 

[KNWVIKING]

...at least on Main street in MK people will actually plop their butt down and wait 3 hours for the parade to start. Personnally, I just think it's great when someone anticipates my arrival at the pool and sets out clean,fresh,sun warmed towels on my lounge chair. Just part of the pixie dust.

 

[GraceDVC]

Thanks for making me laugh about my pet peeve -- pool manners. I'm just going to use any lounge or chair that has towels, used or unused on them, with no warm body around!

 

[Erikarate]

I've found this incredibly annoying as well. Maybe if we spread the word, less people will do it. One can only hope and dream!

 

[Eeyore2U]

What happens when you have a lounge chair and go get a drink or for a swim? Should you lose your chair? I know if someone moved my stuff I'd be pretty upset. Who then becomes resposible for anything broken or lost?

I don't think there really is a good way to monitor this.

 

[Niagara2]

Sea Days on cruises are even worst! What do you do when you see saved chairs? Last weekat OKW we were at pool for 2 hours and the last two empty chairs had folded towels on them the whole time. I didn't have the nerve to sit there and actually sat on a towel on the concrete for 20 minutes when a guy gave me one of his kids chairs...quite the DVC gentlemen! If I had sat on the towel saved chiars there and an hour later the family shows up making a fuss....well what would you do? (I know what I want to do and many of you would too, but what do you really do?)

 

[HookdonWDW]

Originally posted by Niagara2
If I had sat on the towel saved chiars there and an hour later the family shows up making a fuss....well what would you do?

I would do one of two things:

1) I would state that the towels had been sitting there for over an hour, and I thought that they had left for the day without their towels. I would then graciously offer them their chairs back; or

2) I would look at them with a blank stare and say " These were YOUR chairs? They were empty when we got here." Ahhh... the joy of hotel towels - no way to tell if the towels were really theirs or not

 

[KNWVIKING]

...we're not talking about lounge chairs that have personal items on them- t-shirt,book, snacks - signs that make it obvious someone is actively using a chair.

 

[Richyams]

Chairs with clean, folded towels are fair game. Personal effects, chair is taken.

 

[RLevy29]

I agree that you can't monitor good manners. We were at a Holiday Inn in Palm Springs recently and watched people just leave their pool towels on the chairs. People never know whether someone is there or not. Why can';t people just put their towels in the bin that is provided? I would certainly never go to a chair that had a towel on it even though the users may be long gone. I don't know what the solutionis, but it feels good to vent about this!
P.S. I never leave my shopping cart in the parking lot to blow into someone else's cart either!

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by GraceDVC
On a recent tip to BWV, we found every chaise lounge and chair/table had towels (used or freshly folded) or personal belongings on them. After two walks around the main pool, someone noticed my DVC tote and said, "Wait, I'll free up two lounges for you both," for which we were most grateful. He removed two new folded towels from the lounges for us. But, we then realized that he had towels on seven lounges, holding them for family members who "might" want to come on down and use them! We were there two hours, and no one used the other lounges.

KNWVIKING,

Look at the orignal post, it does reference personal belongings. I agree that this is not a good situation. We have been on DCL and had the same problem. I guess a towel would be one thing but flipflops or books or beach covers should be another.

 

[madcoco]

Hard to stop. I have been guilty of doing this. But there are only three of us and I sit down there and have coffee and read the newspaper until my family joins me as they usually go out in the morning.So it never becomes a problem.On the other hand it is just as bad when you get up for a few minutes to go to the and someone has moved your things.I would not feel right going down saving a bunch of chaises in the morning then not showing up like you see happen so often or showing up hours later and expecting to still have your saved spots like it is a right. Hard to police. IMHO not much of an honor system at the pools.

What would people think if they started putting a price on the poolside chaises/chairs where you would rent them for the day/hour.

 

[KNWVIKING]

.... but I wonder how many of them would really be upset or would challenge you if you did take their chair. After all,what did they have to lose: If they put the towels out early,spend the morning in the parks and return at noon for a swim,if their place is still saved-great,if not- oh well.

So I wouldn't worry about taking a spot that only has pool towels trying to save it.

 

[Don Carnage]

I just got back on 4-11 from the Boardwalk and saw a problem with the chairs. I was always able to find a chair in the back of the pool with no problem. I think it's like a parking lot in a shopping mall-- everyone goes to the front of the mall and battles for the nearest spot instead of just pulling into the back of the lot and taking a little stroll through the lot to the store. I am fully aware of parents that have small kids and want to keep an eye on them. My kids are older so I have no problems moving to the '"nest of chairs" further back. If I was in charge only PARENTS with small kids could use the front row of chairs around the pool [the kids don't need chairs] Signs posted around the pool would let people know { Are you reading this Mickey??}.
By looking at most of the adults in their swimsuits they could stand several strolls around the pool and please bypass the snack bar!!!!!!.

 

[GrammieMame]

The fact is that people often leave the pool and forget to take their towels (new or used) and put them in the bin. I consider any chair with personal items on it as "taken" but if it's only towels, it's fair game.

 

[vacationman]

I have always figured that if a chair has just a hotel towel on it, it is fair game. If there are no other chairs nearby that are open, just sit down on the "toweled" chair. You will know soon enough if it belongs to someone who is actually there. If no immediate (within 5 minutes or so) complaint, consider it yours, sit back and relax. If someone shows up a half hour or so later, send them to the resort manager to file a complaint.

KNWVIKING is right, some folks leave the towels on the off chance that no one will disturb them and they will have a nice seat whenever they show back up.

Since there are no "reserved seats" there is no true way to save a chair other than keeping your butt in it (or having a family member actively keep an eye on it while you are away for a short time).

 

[BethA]

We were at the BWV at Easter and the cast members went around removing hotel towels that were saving seats. They said they could not remove any personal items however. We saw chairs with beach towels unoccupied the entire day. Someone finally starting moving all the items to 1 chair. We were also at WL and they did not check IDs or remove towels as they did at BW. That is also a pet peeve of mine---to save several chairs while you go to the parks is wrong and should not be allowed.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

We had a nasty experience when we unloaded off the Magic at Castaway Cay. We made our way to an umbrella/tree area for some shade. It was going to be very hot and we had a very obviously milky white 3 and a 1 1/2 year old.

Anyhow, there were four lounges under one umbrella. The two front lounges had some shoes and towels, and back two didn't have anything on them. We took the two lounges in the back and were there unpacking for about 20min when two women and their two teenage daughters came back from renting all their gear, and said they had saved all four and we should move. One of the women (allow me to cast a mental picture for you: the bitter divorced 45ish type who still thinks she's got it) continued to insist "I was so rude", and "she can't believe the nerve of some people". She insisted that they saved all four lounges. I apoligized for the misunderstanding, but I was not going to move our whole family as there was plenty of room for all if we moved back a little. I offered to, and did bring over some extra lounges from the sun so they would have 4. The women continued to B..B..B (fill in your own five letter word). I finally told her that I was not going to move and there was not reason to be so NASTY and RUIN a beautiful day for herself and her obviously embarassed teenager (a scene I'm sure her little girl has seen on numerous occasions).

Normally, I may have considered moving, but by the time they came back to stake their "so called" claim, all the shaded chairs were taken, and I just wasn't going to sit in the sun and let our kids burn because they didn't leave one of their party behind to save chairs. Some people think they own not only the lounges, but the 25ft of land surrounding them.

Well, once they settled, their girls were gone to the water and we didn't see them the entire day. Somehow, I thought that would happen. They really needed those 4 chairs--NOT!!! The nasty one and campanion departed about 2:00 to go back to the boat and probably rant to any CM that would listen about how her day was ruined.

We enjoyed our day as I was determined not to let her nastiness become infectious. Oh....that reminds me, I will have to review our video from that day and how much fun we had not getting sunburned.