Waterpark etiquette ???

[MidgeD79]

So if I go to Clearwater beach and stake out my spot with towels, cooler,etc, should I expect my stuff to be right where I left it while I was in the ocean?

 

[Deb & Bill]

... I remember many times when families have walked by obviously having no place to go with kids and we have shared our space with them, it is the place of pixie dust so come on.....share a little. ...

We've done the same thing. Plus when we get ready to leave the waterpark around noon or 1, we'll look for a family who looks deserving to us and offer our spot to them.

As an example, we were camping at a state park and were going to leave in our car to go hiking. Someone had put their cooler and some camping stuff behind our car (assuming unloading) and were nowhere in sight. Some of you seem to argue I have no right to touch their stuff and simply have to wait until they return and they move it. Bull! I moved their stuff to the side and out of my way and continued on my day. Now I cannot take their stuff off a camp site I want and put my stuff in its place because they already claimed the site according to the clearly stated park rules.

No problem moving their stuff to be able to move your vehicle. But if you had pitched your tent at a primo location and then they took it down to put their tent in the same location, that would be wrong, wrong, wrong.

 

[chicagoshannon]

I think putting all of your stuff on ONE chair is fine if you're not going to be there BUT spreading it out over how ever many is sort of rude.

I also don't think your stuff should have been moved or if it was should have just been piled onto one chair NOT by the garbage.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think putting all of your stuff on ONE chair is fine if you're not going to be there BUT spreading it out over how ever many is sort of rude.

I also don't think your stuff should have been moved or if it was should have just been piled onto one chair NOT by the garbage.

No, they were coming back to their chairs. They are entitled to chairs not just a single chair. Your logic fails in that any lounge chair that is not being lounged in is not free to be used by anyone at all. It just has to be claimed by a guest. If they were loading up the chairs and then leaving the water park to head to AK for a few hours and then come back to the chairs, well, that would not be right. But to go out and play with your family for a while, you are entitled to come back to your chairs.

It sounds like many of you have never been to the beach where you set up camp, go out into the water and then come back to your camp to sit out of the water.

 

[CdnDad]

No, they were coming back to their chairs. They are entitled to chairs not just a single chair. Your logic fails in that any lounge chair that is not being lounged in is not free to be used by anyone at all. It just has to be claimed by a guest. If they were loading up the chairs and then leaving the water park to head to AK for a few hours and then come back to the chairs, well, that would not be right. But to go out and play with your family for a while, you are entitled to come back to your chairs.

It sounds like many of you have never been to the beach where you set up camp, go out into the water and then come back to your camp to sit out of the water.

Exactly, as a family we have always left our area for a little bit so we can have fun as a FAMILY. We only do this at water parks and beaches.

 

[CdnDad]

No, they were coming back to their chairs. They are entitled to chairs not just a single chair. Your logic fails in that any lounge chair that is not being lounged in is not free to be used by anyone at all. It just has to be claimed by a guest. If they were loading up the chairs and then leaving the water park to head to AK for a few hours and then come back to the chairs, well, that would not be right. But to go out and play with your family for a while, you are entitled to come back to your chairs.

It sounds like many of you have never been to the beach where you set up camp, go out into the water and then come back to your camp to sit out of the water.

Exactly, as a family we have always left our area for a little bit so we can have fun as a FAMILY. We only do this at water parks and beaches.

 

[kymom99]

I live in Cincinnati and my family has Gold Passes to Kings Island.

Me too!

I leave a towel on one chair and come back later. Never had a problem. I like to lay in the sun. I'm not crazy about public pools. However, when my son wants to go to the other side of the waterpark, I go with him. When I return, I like to lay out some more on the chair where I left my stuff.

The lack of chairs is the main reason I stay away from most water parks.

 

[OandA]

I don't think a lot of people posting here have been to the waterparks when they are full. 45 minutes is not that long if you get in line for one of the slides and then hit one other attraction. It might have been better if you had gotten a CM to help you move the interlopers out of your chairs.

You were totally right in putting your stuff on your chairs and heading out to the attractions. Not much different than being seated at a table and then heading to the buffet line.

Do you often spend 45 minutes in line at a buffet?

 

[Kathymcbain]

Didn't read all the replies, but I would never DREAM of taking someone's things of a chair at a pool, beach, waterpark, etc. and then taking their chairs. What they did was extremely rude, IMHO.

And that they flipped you off, swore (I assume) at you when your children were present, and then spoke poorly of your child with autism shows what type of classless people they clearly were. It's probably pure luck that you didn't end up in an Orlando jail...I may have after a comment about a child!

Sorry that happened to you.

 

[Kathymcbain]

Do you often spend 45 minutes in line at a buffet?

In Hawaii we do!! Hawaiians love to eat.

 

[OandA]

In Hawaii we do!! Hawaiians love to eat.

But just in line?? I've spent 2 hours at the Crystal Palace buffet but I am never out of my seat for more than 5 minutes at a time.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Do you often spend 45 minutes in line at a buffet?

No, but I will spend an hour. And at the water parks, we'll be there for a minimum of four or five hours. So five minutes at the buffet. 30 minutes or so in the water. If I was only staying one hour at the water park, I'd probably not even get a chair.

 

[OandA]

No, but I will spend an hour. And at the water parks, we'll be there for a minimum of four or five hours. So five minutes at the buffet. 30 minutes or so in the water. If I was only staying one hour at the water park, I'd probably not even get a chair.

How hard is it to put your stuff in a locker? Then when you want to sit, you find an available chair. When you go on a slide, you leave your chair open for others. If everyone did that, there would be plenty of chairs for you to come back to at any given moment. Then you just take your stuff back out of your locker and everyone enjoys their day.

But nope it's all about "mine mine mine" and "staking claims".

 

[Kathymcbain]

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.

But who the heck would leave a $500 camera out in the open for anyone to take?

And LOL about the thong!!

 

[Kathymcbain]

But just in line?? I've spent 2 hours at the Crystal Palace buffet but I am never out of my seat for more than 5 minutes at a time.

LOL, you've never seen these Hawaiian people! They LOVE to eat!

Seriously, I was being sarcastic, but I did spend at least 30 minutes in line at a luau buffet one time...of course there seats are reserved and so you know yours is going to be waiting for you when you return.

 

[Kathymcbain]

How hard is it to put your stuff in a locker? Then when you want to sit, you find an available chair. When you go on a slide, you leave your chair open for others. If everyone did that, there would be plenty of chairs for you to come back to at any given moment. Then you just take your stuff back out of your locker and everyone enjoys their day.

But nope it's all about "mine mine mine" and "staking claims".

This I agree with. Water parks should institute a rule that chairs can only contain stuff if they also contain people. They'd make more money by forcing people to get the lockers too...a total win, win! And everyone would have a chair when they needed it.

 

[BabyFu18]

I don't think you can stake your spot out at a waterpark, if you put your things down and leave them you are just inviting someone to take or mess with something. That other family seemed very rude, so I am not saying they are right in the "battle" but I don't think you were necessarily right either.

My family always puts our things in a locker, goes on rides, etc. then finds a place to sit if we decide to lounge for awhile. When we are ready to go on rides again we give up our spot to someone else who is looking for a place to lounge. No matter if we all get their at park opening, but leaving your belongs to go on a ride or do another activity is to long to save your space. It was like you got up to go get something to eat and were gone 10-15 minutes I can understand it, but 45+ minutes you weren't coming right back and you knew that.

The best thing for everyone to do is expect to hold a chair as long as your physically sitting in the chair, otherwise be prepared for someone else to use that very public piece or property. It's very annoying to see a bunch of empty chairs that people have "saved" and not returned too for some time, when those chairs could be put to better use. If you use a chair and give it up when it's not in use, others might be willing to do the same for you later in the day when you're looking for a new place to sit.

Like I said, I don't think the situation was handled perfectly by either party....

 

[Deb & Bill]

How hard is it to put your stuff in a locker? Then when you want to sit, you find an available chair. When you go on a slide, you leave your chair open for others. If everyone did that, there would be plenty of chairs for you to come back to at any given moment. Then you just take your stuff back out of your locker and everyone enjoys their day.

But nope it's all about "mine mine mine" and "staking claims".

Why should I have to pay for a locker? I don't think there are enough lockers for every single guest who enters the water park. What do you do with your towel while you are in the water??? I'm still waiting for that answer.

I don't understand your mentality. The OP was staying at the water park not leaving it to go to another theme park.

Do you give up your chair at the pool while you are in the pool??? Don't you expect to be able to go back to your chair after you get out of the water???

I'm not one for saving chairs at the pool and then leaving to go elsewhere. But if I'm at the pool or at the waterpark, I'm still using that chair, whether my body is on the chair or not. At least 50% of the chairs have stuff on them while the people who found that chair are in the water for a period of time.

 

[Bullseye]

It sounds like many of you have never been to the beach where you set up camp, go out into the water and then come back to your camp to sit out of the water.

Thanks Deb & Bill for a little sanity here-Hasn't anyone been to the beach before? If you find a good spot at the beach, is it ok for strangers to move your stuff if you've been gone for a while swimming or collecting shells? No, absolutley not! The line for Summit Plummet alone can easily be over an hour.

They allow you to bring coolers and picnic lunches. That doesn't fit in no locker. Furthermore, every time I want my stuff (suntan lotion, crystal light, granola bar, towel, paperback, etc etc) I have to go up top to the lockers? I don't think so!!! You get to the park early to get prime locations. You don't just get to infringe on peoples areas because they're gone enjoying the waterslides. There are thousands of chairs around those waterparks, go find one thats open.
You move my stuff, we're gonna have a problem when I get back!

 

[ShannonMB]

Huh, I have never even thought about this! I have never been to a Disney water park. Guess I'm glad I haven't!

On the one hand, I can see why if you are a family who go, go, goes at the park, it is silly for you to take up chairs that others could be using.

On the other hand, when I go to the pool at home, the resort pool, or the beach, I always leave my towel and shoes on a chair or in a spot on the sand, get in the water, get out for a bit, get back in, etc.

I guess the waterpark is a different beast? Because of how crowded it gets? I guess I just consider a water park one great big giant pool with a lot of water slides. Doesn't everyone "save" a chair at a regular pool, or have I been rude all my life.