Waterpark etiquette ???

[roliepolieoliefan]

How many chairs did you have?

We have season passes to our local waterpark. I usually reserve 1 chair for me , and the kids and I share it. Why does a kid need a chair? If they are so tired and need to lie down, they can share mine.

I think its rude to reserve a chair for everyone in your group, including kids and infants. Just take up 1 or 2 and leave the rest for other people.

 

[branv]

Simply put, if Disney put out as many chairs in the park as there are people being admitted, then fine... first come first get... but that isn't the case and quite frankly my family and I don't sit enough to need a place to call our own.

The mentality of we were here first and "own" this spot for the day is exactly what caused parks like Splish Splash up here on Long Island to create little pay per day cabana's and things like that.

Would I move anyone's things? No... That is rude... but at the same time assuming you have the right to occupy two spaces ( the one on a line or ride and the one where your stuff is ) is kind of rude as well.

If there are other chairs open within eyesight, then they should have left your things alone and went there... but if nothing else was available I think the rule of "first come first served, this spot is mine until I leave the park" gets trumped by "I'm here, you aren't and my body ( and the admission price I paid to be here ) needs this seat more than your towels, shoes and bags do"

Let's flip this around a little and pose it this way.

If you went over to a ride, and saw there was no line, but a bunch of towels on the seats of the ride... so you got on line.. then a bunch of people came over ( enough to fill the ride so you couldn't get on ) and said we were here first, but just went to chill out on another ride for a while, but we are back so you can't ride.... what would you think about that one?

Rides or lounge chairs... in my view it's one per admission...

Again... I would rather squat up against a tree or a wall than move someone elses stuff... but it's rude for anyone to assume that they can reserve areas of a non-private entity and call it there own.

If you aren't using it... you risk losing it.

ITA! Well said. A few minutes to take a dip or run for a snack, okay, but 45 minutes is crazy.

I'm actually surprised by so many responses saying chair saving is okay at the water parks, when pound for pound on the resort & cruise boards you see fairly overwhelming support of the etiquette of not chair/table hogging at pools. Curious.

I really disapprove of the rude response of the chair-takers, but I cannot remotely agree with OP's response. Especially considering these people were clearly aggressive & could care less about what they said or behaved around the children, why would you expose them to that further just to get your own little revenge? I can appreciate the helpless frustration of not wanting to let people get away with doing something you feel is wrong, but that's why we're the adults. Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

There appear to be two separate issues at work here:

First, the argument could be made that the amount of chairs 'reserved' was excessive. For our family of four, we usually just get 1 or 2 chairs. Is that right or wrong? Who knows, it's just our opinion.

Second, we would not move anyone elses belongings under any circumstances. Here is an example of why:

OP returns to the chairs after I move the belongings. OP's DW says "Our $500 camera is missing out of the bag! Go get security!" Witness #1 two chairs down says "I saw them (me) with the bags in his hand." At a minimum, our day is now ruined if not worse. Sure, I'm wearing a thong (yipes! ), so where am I going to hide a camera. But still, I kinda brought it on myself when I touched the bags.​

This appears to have more than one opportunity to have handled it better.

Needless to say, I'm split evenly about who did worse. Sorry.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

IMHO - unless you've paid for, or somehow otherwise officially "reserved" the chair; it's not "yours" just because you've staked a claim with a towel, or other items.
I DO understand both points of view. However, without an official "reserved" sign - you have no claim to the property. It simply is not "yours" to reserve, no matter what time you arrived to designate it as such.
Perhaps Disney should institute a definite and enforcable policy regarding this issue to eliminate these sorts of disputes.
Until then, these conflicts will be never-ending....

 

[~Kik-Kik~]

There are ALWAYS chairs available. There are two diffrent kinds of chairs, the beach chairs that are for laying down and then the sitting chairs. I have been there on a crowded day and saw stacks and stacks of the normal chairs everywhere, but the loungers were all taken. The argument that there aren't chairs is a losing one, there are, but not the ones you want.

The people who say there is no reserve, your right. It's common courtesy, which is something that many of the people on here lack in many areas of their life and shows in their behavior. I honestly would hate to run into some of you. It seems some have forgotten about common courtesy.

 

[CookieDiva]

The title of the thread is not Water Park "rules," but Water Park "etiquette." In my opinion, it is very BAD etiquette to touch other people's belongings. In my opinion, that supersedes all other rules of etiquette being discussed here.

 

[mattsdragon]

How about this. . .you're both wrong.

They were wrong for their rude responses.

You were wrong in your reaction to thier actions.

All occurances before they flipped you off were completely reasonable on both parties. You were reasonable to think that you had a right to reserve a spot, as were they in thinking that you couldn't. No stated policy, you both have valid arguements. It was what happened afterwards that would have provided hours of entertainment to people like my wife and I, who enjoy people who make donkey's of themselves in public.

Immaturity in adults is always wrong.

 

[disEAR]

How about this. . .you're both wrong.

They were wrong for their rude responses.

You were wrong in your reaction to thier actions.

All occurances before they flipped you off were completely reasonable on both parties. You were reasonable to think that you had a right to reserve a spot, as were they in thinking that you couldn't. No stated policy, you both have valid arguements. It was what happened afterwards that would have provided hours of entertainment to people like my wife and I, who enjoy people who make donkey's of themselves in public.

Immaturity in adults is always wrong.

Agreed.

And let me just say that there are many reasons I HATE water parks/swimming pools, and this is high up on the list.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I haven't been to a Disney water park but I have been to the one closest to me many times. I guess I never thought of leaving my stuff at the chairs... I always thought, it was my resposibility to take care of my stuff and if I left it somewhere unattended, it was MY fault if someone else moved it or stole it.

I would always get a locker, put my valuables in it and take my towel with me. If I had to leave my towel somewhere, it was on a chair when I rode a ride but I wouldn't be mad if someone moved it to sit down. I don't OWN the chair and the other person paid to be in the park just like I did.

Same goes with resort pools as well. I am not going to put my shoes down on a chair at SAB at 9AM, go to Epcot and ride Maelstrom and come back expecting my chair to still be there... or even my shoes. It was my fault for leaving my stuff of the chair unsupervised. I understand going to grab a drink and coming back but then you can even ask someone next to you to watch your spot for 5 minutes.

I see OP's point and I see the other group's point as well. I get that you just went to ride one ride and planned on returning asap but the other people also had no other choice in chairs and needed to sit somewhere. Where do they go? Perhaps there were some chairs... somewhere... but OP did say that they were by the children's play area which a PP said, it's a busy place to park yourselves and parents do need to sit somehere to watch over their children play.... especially since you said it yourself, the park was busy.

Perhaps OP, they really should not have moved your belongings and especially moved them to the near garbage can area... maybe just to that vacant chair. But their not-so-great act was only matched by you and your family's childish act. A case of two wrongs do not make a right.

I hope your next waterpark stint is a better one!

 

[maccagerl]

I think its rude to reserve a chair for everyone in your group, including kids and infants. Just take up 1 or 2 and leave the rest for other people.

There appear to be two separate issues at work here:

First, the argument could be made that the amount of chairs 'reserved' was excessive.

The OP said he was only using 2 chairs for his family of 5- doesn't sound excessive to me!

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

When we came back there was two adults laying on loungers and removed our articles to the side next to garbage, but left one chair vacant.

The OP said he was only using 2 chairs for his family of 5- doesn't sound excessive to me!

That sounds like at least 3 chairs to me.

 

[OandA]

If you are going to be away from your seats for any more than 20-30 minutes you should either take your stuff with you or expect it moved when you get back.

It was very rude of you to leave your things taking up seats that someone else could be using on a crowded day. It would be one thing if the park was near empty but on a busy day, you were the rude one.

 

[OandA]

There are ALWAYS chairs available. There are two diffrent kinds of chairs, the beach chairs that are for laying down and then the sitting chairs. I have been there on a crowded day and saw stacks and stacks of the normal chairs everywhere, but the loungers were all taken. The argument that there aren't chairs is a losing one, there are, but not the ones you want.

Wrong. I've been there on a crowded day and neither were available. I just need a chair, not a lounger and have found it impossible to find one many a day.

 

[Schminston-Mo]

I would think (and have read in Disney guides) that going early and "staking a claim" is the standard.

I have requested at a non-Dis park that someone allow us to use their chair in the shade while they weren't occupied (It was almost 100 degrees and my father needed to sit for a while.). The individual was very gracious about it.

This has me concerned though. Being among the ghostly pale, Are there some shady areas we could hang out in that don't require holding a chair?

 

[duffy]

We usually put our stuff UNDER THE CHAIRS. That way, we know where it is, we can grab lotion if we need it, and anyone who wants to sit can.

I agree that the original poster behaved badly.

 

[Bongi22]

We usually put our stuff UNDER THE CHAIRS. That way, we know where it is, we can grab lotion if we need it, and anyone who wants to sit can.

I agree that the original poster behaved badly.

I like this one....

But this brings up the question that if when you come back and someone is there, do you ask them to leave?

 

[Mel6197]

So We have been to the water parks in Oct. Not crowded at all, So we took claim to a few chairs, (there were 8 of us) we took 2 chairs. TONS were empty.

Because we werent at the chairs at all, Got there, dropped our stuff, and ran to do slides, came back hours later and played in the wave pools before we left.

So now this year in Aug, We are coming back.. Last 2 weeks, how are the water parks... And chair claiming? Bad lines?

Growing up in NY, we never leave our things, down in Disney I will be honest, I was worried, but it was just tee shirts and shorts, and a towel so Not a HUGE deal..

Im gonna be honest, I can see both points of view, (not talking the nasty comments) Just the concept of chair claiming.

1 hand, I got there early, and how dare someone move my stuff next to the trash.. Come on the TRASH!

On the other hand.
My family and I are looking and looking and all the chairs have stuff, but no people, would Irk me honestly

Guess it reminds me of the whole laundry room point of view, people just leaving their stuff in the washer or dryer while other people are waiting and them moving stuff to make room for their wash..

 

[SuperTink]

Looks like Disney may have to invent a FP system for waterpark chairs?

When I was a lifeguard in my younger days we had a policy that helped out on crowded days: Only adults (18 and over) could use the chairs. So now that I am older w/kids and go to a public pool I let the kids share my chair or they get a lovely towel spread out on the ground.

If you get there early and eventually would like to lounge on a chair (to eat or rest) it makes sense that you would reserve a chair because you know that once it gets crowded you will not be able to find an empty chair. Since everyone "reserves" a chair using their towels and stuff, it makes sense to do it too. I know this is frustrating for the people who come later - this happened to me in Las Vegas at a casino pool. But it didn't even cross my mind to move someone's stuff. That is just rude. Especially like many have said before, waterparks are made for going on slides and enjoying the water. If you are coming to sit on a chair the whole time, save yourself some money and hang out at the resort pool.

I agree with your entire post.

 

[dvcdisney]

I wasn't aware that this was such a problem at the waterparks. When we go to the waterparks, we do rent a locker. As soon as we put any valuables in there, we look for one chair for the 4 of us to set down our towels and some sand toys. We don't guard it all day. We go to a ride or two, then I come back with my daughter and sit down. Then my daughter plays with her sand toys, then after a few minutes, we're off again.

I don't think we should have to stay with our stuff all the time. We also leave our stuff there during lunch, snacks and bathroom breaks. So, essentially, we are rarely sitting on the chair. We know we don't use it that much so we only take one chair for the 4 of us. But if we did like to lounge around hours on end on the chairs, I think we would choose to save our money and stay at the resort pool. But we are there to go on rides, not sit on a chair.

Many times we have walked by many chairs only occupied by a towel or sunglasses etc. But we have never been upset about that. I absolutely do not think there is anything wrong with "reserving" a chair or two. However, I do not think it's appropriate for a family of 4 to reserve 4 lounge chairs if they don't use them that much. I do think 1 or 2 chairs is fine for them. I think everyone is getting upset because of the mentality that once you get there you should be able to "own" as many chairs as you want. This is very inconsiderate.

But I absolutely, most definitely, find that removing someone's personal belongings from a chair is RUDE! No one should touch anyone's stuff. It's really sad that it happens.

I believe the OP is much more upset about the reaction from those people. They behaved inappropriately, especially around children. I do believe the OP could have handled it better. But I feel that if those people had just apologized and offered the seats back, there would be no problems, and I think the OP would have settled for one of the chairs and be comfortable with that. And they may have had a nice conversation during their break. But, in actual fact, those people had no intentions of being nice and they must have already been upset that the OP had been holding on to the chairs and hence, was ready for any confrontation. I'm pretty sure they knew the OP would be somewhat upset, but if they had the decency to offer the seats back (or maybe just one seat), it would have turned out differently.

I believe, without a doubt, that if those people had their stuff taken from their chairs, they would be livid.

JMO.

 

[housetomouse]

Simply put, if Disney put out as many chairs in the park as there are people being admitted, then fine... first come first get... but that isn't the case and quite frankly my family and I don't sit enough to need a place to call our own.

I think this is the answer. If they don't, either the park property is too small to accommodate as many guests as they admit, or they're cheaping out on buying lounge chairs.