Venting - -The NEW entertainment???

[I Love Pluto]

I certainly love kids. I'm a retired music teacher. Disney is full of kids. We're all happy together.

BUT - does anyone else have an issue with the "entertainment" at the pools & in the food courts at the resorts?

August - We had just seated ourselves for a nice, relaxing dinner at POR's food court. Suddenly a very loud announcement - about celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, etc - was screamed out over a microphone.

Next came blaringly loud (upset-your-stomach loud) music - "Down By the Riverside" - with 3 children and the workers from the food court marching around the dining room playing maracas & drums! How awful! I was attempting to EAT in a dining room. That's what people usually do there!

We already had been at Pop earlier in the week - unable to use the Hippy Dippy Pool - because they had games for the kids there. ONCE a day would be fine - but ALL DAY LONG???!!!

Is the ratio of kids who participate worth all of this noise?

We will stay at POFQ in December. Hopefully, it won't be so LOUD when we are trying to eat.

Who ever thought this was a great addition? "Overkill" would be a kind word here.

Thanks for allowing me to vent!

 

[Granny square]

Lol, I thought venting was the new entertainment!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I certainly love kids. I'm a retired music teacher. Disney is full of kids. We're all happy together.

BUT - does anyone else have an issue with the "entertainment" at the pools & in the food courts at the resorts?

August - We had just seated ourselves for a nice, relaxing dinner at POR's food court. Suddenly a very loud announcement - about celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, etc - was screamed out over a microphone.

Next came blaringly loud (upset-your-stomach loud) music - "Down By the Riverside" - with 3 children and the workers from the food court marching around the dining room playing maracas & drums! How awful! I was attempting to EAT in a dining room. That's what people usually do there!

We already had been at Pop earlier in the week - unable to use the Hippy Dippy Pool - because they had games for the kids there. ONCE a day would be fine - but ALL DAY LONG???!!!

Is the ratio of kids who participate worth all of this noise?

We will stay at POFQ in December. Hopefully, it won't be so LOUD when we are trying to eat.

Who ever thought this was a great addition? "Overkill" would be a kind word here.

Thanks for allowing me to vent!

The pool parties aren't my favorite either. Especially if you have a room or villa that faces towards that pool. At BLT, it makes any room on the inside of the C very noisy during the day.

 

[DLgal]

ITA. It's over the top and just ridiculous.

 

[I Love Pluto]

That is FUNNY! I guess venting IS entertainment!

 

[Sheilby]

Lol, I thought venting was the new entertainment!

So did I, and I was about to agree. It seems that people like to entertain themselves by venting all the time now. No offense meant to the OP. It would annoy me too if I was trying to eat and music was blasting. As for pool games, there should be certain times of the day it is offered, but certainly not all day long.

 

[2Tiggies]

So did I, and I was about to agree. It seems that people like to entertain themselves by venting all the time now. No offense meant to the OP. It would annoy me too if I was trying to eat and music was blasting. As for pool games, there should be certain times of the day it is offered, but certainly not all day long.

Loud music is one thing, but if you've been at Riverside Mill while they are doing the little activities it's more akin to karaoke with percussion instruments which is enough to have anyone inhaling whole chunks of food whilst attempting to eat a meal They actually do this right IN the foodcourt. And I do mean IN, as in using the area between the grab & go fridges and the registers.

The pool parties don't bug me, neither does a moderate amount of noise but we have gone there twice for a meal and on both occasions, timed our visit perfectly to coincide with the percussion march. That was fine - we simply took our meals and ate outside where mother nature punished us for our lack of willingness to participate in the fun and sent birds (in abundance) to plague us while trying to eat our food

About the pool, parties, the PP is correct. They are not all day. There is a schedule for them and they only run this at designated times. You can pick up the entertainment schedule at the front desk of any of the resorts if you want to work around this to participate/avoid the festivities. We have always been given this with our check in pack but I'm not sure if all resorts do this when you check in. You can however request one

 

[The Sasquatch]

I am sorry but I will never understand "venting" like yours. I have been going to Disney as a kid, as a single adult, as a married couple without kids and now as a family. I never once thought to myself that anything was excessive or had an issue with the "entertainment" that I get in Disney. In fact thats why I am there. To be a kid myself and show my family how to enjoy themselves.

If you are looking for quiet, dull and mundane, there are plenty of places off property to stay. As for this family, we schedule pool time around the parties and we get as loud as we can!

 

[buzznina]

That caught us off guard to when we were there earlier this year, the first day none of us really liked it, I would definately not say it was upset my stomach loud though. But by the time we left a week later we were also singing along and drumming on the table to "Down by the Riverside". To this day my DD's will go "Guess what (mommy or daddy)?" we say what? and they will start singing Down by the riverside. So I guess you can say we adjusted to it and had fun with it.

 

[The Sasquatch]

Exactly Buzznina...these are the small things memories are made of

 

[Lyndsey]

The pool parties have been done at every resort we stayed at and my kids love them. I as an adult have even joined in on certain games. We typically travel with 11 kids ranging from 14-2 so noise is expected when we are at Disney.

 

[nighttowll]

Not sure about food court parties, we haven't seen any yet. But, I personally have never associated a food court with the words relaxing or peaceful. If I want a quiet relaxing meal, I would book a sit down restaurant off Disney property or one known for quieter signature dining on Disney property. I just except chaos at Disney and yes crying screaming kids annoy me, but I kind of feel that's just part of being in a place that caters to children.

I personally like all the poolside entertainment. It keeps the kids busy, and it gives me a break. The day we checked in, it was great. I sent the kids and the men to find the pool and pool bar. The kids played games there all afternoon and were entertained. I was able to check us in and unpack everything in peace. Without all the games the kids would have been pestering the guys to play with them, who are useless, and then they would have been bugging me to come take care of the kids, and I never would have gotten anything accomplished.

And yesterday, we spent over 3 hours at a restaurant for lunch. We waited over an hour to be seated and then the service was beyond slow. I'm all for making the kids behave at meals and restaurants and teaching them to wait nicely, but 3 hours waiting is a lot for anybody. If it wasn't for all the crazy entertainment, I'm not sure any of us would have enjoyed our meals at all.

So all in all, I actually like the poolside games and craziness at meals. I just think its part of the fun for the kids. I save quiet adult time for when I'm at home.

 

[letsgoreds]

Eh...they are only for a portion of the afternoon. I suggest taking a minute to review the itenerary you are given at the resort when you check in. That way you can try to avoid the parties as best you can. I have never seen one in a food court. As for the pool...just use one of the quiet pools during the afternoon.

That being said, the parties are very loud...I more worry for the families who are trying to nap kiddos with rooms near the parties. We have stayed at WL and BLT and have overlooked the bay/pools and it gets very noisy unless you are up higher. I also see the resort as a reprieve from the craziness of the parks, and if we hit one of the parties (some are bigger/crazier than others), there isn't a 'break.' During our last stay at Kidani, the pool parties were not loud and crazy, and the kids still had a lot of fun. It was possible to enjoy a relaxing moment at the main pool in the afternoon. It was also January...so fewer kids.

 

[MIGrandma]

DD and I are at Port Orleans Riverside now and we were just leaving the food court a couple days ago as
something like OP mentioned was just beginning, and I wasn't a bit sad to be leaving. I expect noise and chaos at the food court but to me activities like that don't belong in the food court while people are eating. I don't worry about them at the pool as we go to one of the quiet pools and not the main one.

 

[asmit4]

If it weren't for your hundreds of posts I'd think you were trying to

You go to DW and expect a quiet relaxing vacation??

I 100% expect craziness, music, loud screams, children all over the place. My husband and I also go to an adults only resort in Mexico each year. If you want a quiet vacation WHY on earth would you pick the Mouse House?

 

[kate_wdw]

I totally disagree that just because it's Disney means that chaos and noise pollution are to be expected at all times. After all, Disney was conceived as a place where parents and kids could have fun together.

 

[Fivesacharm]

I'm a complete kid at heart, so I enjoy seeing happy children. I go to Disney to be immersed in happiness. A little excessive noise just adds to the experience and reminds me of my own childhood.

 

[sharadoc]

We like the pool entertainment during the afternoon and have had a lot of fun participating in them at different resorts. I don't understand food court entertainment though.

Maybe Disney is doing more of this so the parents don't have to entertain their kids and they can just look at their phones instead.

I disagree that Disney is all for kids. DH and I went for years before we had kids and had a great time doing more adult activities, drinking, eating, walking around. Disney is a great resort for adults only vacations too. The pool parties are easily avoidable, but I don't think I'd care for restaurant entertainment other than 50's PT, Whispering Canyon, that sort of thing. You know what you're in for at those places.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We like the pool entertainment during the afternoon and have had a lot of fun participating in them at different resorts. I don't understand food court entertainment though.

Maybe Disney is doing more of this so the parents don't have to entertain their kids and they can just look at their phones instead.

I disagree that Disney is all for kids. DH and I went for years before we had kids and had a great time doing more adult activities, drinking, eating, walking around. Disney is a great resort for adults only vacations too. The pool parties are easily avoidable, but I don't think I'd care for restaurant entertainment other than 50's PT, Whispering Canyon, that sort of thing. You know what you're in for at those places.

The pool parties aren't really avoidable because they go on for hours. Just when I'd like to be at the pool or take a nap in my villa. If they just lasted one hour or even two hours, it might not be so bad. But they take over the pool deck with microphones and music blaring and lots of kid running around.

 

[Belle5]

I am with the OP on this one. I do not dish out $$$$ for a WDW vacation (been on about 30 since I was married) to feel like I am at a loud carnival. No microphones! A few years back I saw CMs at the pool at CSR taking kids off to the side and having some games. Fine. I think my kids might have even joined in on the fun. But please do not take over the entire pool area with your noise!