What is wrong with parents?

[disneynewbee]

We had a great trip but had some parade mishaps. The one that really got me happened at the Christmas party. We got seats for the parade a little over an hour in advance. We didn't want to but people were already picking spots so we figured if we wanted our kiddos to have a good view we needed to. We set ourselves up, there were 5 adults and 7 kids with us. We laid a blanket out for the kids which was just big enough to fit 5 of them and we put the other two who were in strollers on each end of the blanket and left room for us adults to sit in front of the strollers so that we took up as little room as possible. Well about 30 minutes before the parade starts a lady tells her kid to come up and sit on our blanket. Now 2 of our kids were up dancing waiting for the parade so there was room for two butts on our blanket and the little girl took the one. The thing is it's not like it was an open spot there was a blanket there and two girls who obviously belonged with us since they all had matching outfits. The mom was too far back however to even speak to her to ask her to remove her kid from our spot although she could see us and where her daughter was. Well the girl got up and down from the spot running back and forth to her mother. At one point the little girl comes back with a tray of food and preceeds to sit down on our blanket and eat it. I just don't get people. Well when it is time for the parade to get ready to start we tell her that the spot is our daughters so she gets up and our two kiddos sit down. She then asks them to scoot over which my daughter who is very accomodating does smooshing herself up like a sardine in a very tight can. Now I'm glad my daughter is a considerate person so I didn't want to say anything to discourage her from being kind but I also don't want to teach her to be a pushover and I felt the girl was taking advantage of her so it was kind of frustrating. We ended up not saying anything and just biting our tongue since it was a bigger deal to us adults than to the kids but in the end she ended up sitting between my bil and his daughter. It was there first time at disney and they really should have been able to watch that parade together without a stranger between them so I was pretty frustrated. I just don't know what is wrong with some people.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

This is one reason why we usually don't watch parades while we are on our trips to WDW. I really don't want to deal with the aggrevation and thank goodness my kids really aren't "parade kids",.

While DH and I were at DLR this past November, we waited 45 minutes for the Christmas parade. DH didn't want to, but since we didn't have the kids and we don't go to DLR on a regular basis, I convinced him. Sure enough 10 minutes before the parade started, some lady pushed her kid up between the crowd next to DH and I. Not a big deal, it was a little cramped, but hey its a little kid. Then lo and behold, here comes mom, squeezing herself in there. I wouldn't move, and she got the picture after a few minutes. If I would have moved, she would have got my spot and I would have ended up standing behind her. Then to top it all off, she wasn't the most pleasant smelling person either.

DH reminded me why we don't watch parades. So yes, I sympathsize with your story.

 

[ukcatfan]

Once we had a couple with their kid play the "I don't understand English game" even though we had heard them speaking clear English with a New England accent only thirty seconds before. They then put on a thick (and actually very fake sounding) Asian accent. I called them on it and they switched to "this is our first time here so please let us sit in front of you." I don't know why they thought they could get away with language barrier game when they had been standing behind us for fifteen minutes. We let their daughter sit with ours, but we did not give up our spot. To top it all off, the wife and I are only 5'2" and 5'4", so we are not exactly vision blockers.

I like the parents that ram their stroller into you and hope you just end up moving. My wife told one lady off after she rammed her bare heel three times. And DW was visually pregnant at the time.

Another time a mom sent her kids to sit in front of my kids and mine were sitting on the tape line. We did not have to do anything b/c a cast member made them move.

The parades are so much fun!!!

Kevin

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

A few days ago my family & I went to watch Wishes from the marina by Gasparilla Grill & Games at the Grand Floridian. My Mom saw an empty chair & asked this woman if it was taken? She said her daughter was sitting there, so we thought ok that's fair. Well I looked back a few times only to see this mother holding her daughter the whole time, this was the daughter who was suppost to be sitting in the chair. After Wishes was over my Dad tells my Mom & I you should have said to this woman, "gee I hope your daugther was comftorbale during the show?" since she did not sit in the chair & was sitting in her mothers arms. Obviously we did not, however you think that the mother would have said take the chair since my daughter is not using it, but instead she decided to be selfish & keep it to themselves, when no one was sitting down in there. Goes to show you how selfish some parents can be.

 

[BroganMc]

I'm a wheelchair user so I usually just go to the designated spots. It's the only way for someone sitting down to see anything when the regular crowd gets together. Most of the time the etiquette in those sections is pretty pleasant. I see wheelchair users encouraging kids to come and sit up front before them all the time. I frequently let the kiddies in.

The only time I ever had a problem was when I went to watch a Castle show one afternoon. Before the show all the kids and parents were sitting on the ground. I didn't want to bring my chair up front and block their view, so I hung back just behind them and opened up my video camera. I had a perfect view with plenty of room for standers behind me. Then as soon as the music started, all those nice sitting people jumped to their feet and jostled for good views, putting their kids on their shoulders. I couldn't see a thing. I got so frustrated, I just left (went to Hall of Fame and met the princesses instead). If everyone would just take a seat during some of these things then everyone could see. At least on the warm dry days when there's nothing to lose sitting on the ground.

Trouble is people frequently forget or ignore what others can and cannot see.

 

[lillygator]

We also don't frequent the parades due to others lack of manners. The few times we have staked out a spot without fail someone is trying to force their kid in front of us and trying to "guilt" us into letting them in the space. Waiting for a parade with little ones (keeping them occupied) is hard enough and then you have people who just show up at parade time and expect their little Suzie can squish to the front......just plain rude.

 

[blessedby3]

We also experienced rudeness on our evening at the Christmas parade (we had a group of 13). We got our spots over an hour before the parade because my MIL has macular degeneration and cant see well, so she needed to be close. After we had been there for a good while and our kids sitting on the curb with our adults behind them, a mother came and wanted us to move our stroller. (If we moved our stroller we would not be able to see our stroller and all of our belongings in it). We told her no (it was an umbrella stroller). She shoved her child straight thru us and told him to sit. My DD8 was shoved into the street because he got right on top of her. Right before the parade started my SIL told that kid he would have to move because my DD was in the street and he took her seat. We stepped back as best we could to let the kid sit on the sidewalk while DD got back on the curb. My SIL who is not the most tactful at times told the mom if she wanted great seats for the parade then she needed to come over an hour before it started like we did and wait.

 

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)
>>> what is wrong with parents?
Nobody to make it right.

Next time gently pick the offending kid up off of your blanket, set him down somewhere else, and run your hand over his head.

If you don't want to try that, bring BIL and he can do it. BIL can also sit in front of your wheelchair so nobody else can sit there and then stand up.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[wendy46001]

its only DH and i so we normally let kids sit in front of us (if there is space and if they ask)....we do not however allow people to take over our spot....

to the OP: i would have politely told the child the space was taken...and would have never allowed the child to return (after getting up) with food
most kids know when their parents are trying to push them upfront and don’t feel to comfortable sitting with strangers...

but what i am amazed at is how many people like the OP just let these folks take their seats if you really waited an hour and didn’t think i was fair why wouldn’t you just say excuse me this is our spot??

 

[disneyjunkie]

I believe people behave this way because they know most people won't confront them.

We love the parades so we try to claim a spot as early as possible. If we're willing to miss out on riding time to score good seats for the parade, there is no way we're letting others nudge in.

Now I have to admit, it drives me nuts to see people use an EMPTY stroller as a barrier. If your kids have a great spot on the curb, why not move the EMPTY stroller so that others can occupy that prime space?

 

[superdiz]

We never wait around for parades or fireworks and it is clear when we get a decent spot (never in the front and never blocking views) that people around us are pissed off because they've been waiting x amount of time to see it and we walk up last minute and see it too. My advice is, go out and experience the park. The parade is viewable from Frontierland to Mainstreet, there are plenty of spots to pull in, maybe not right up front, but kids can always squeeze to the front (as in this example). It's not ideal, no, but there are thousands of people there who all want to see the parade too. I say cut them some slack. Scoot over. I find it even more rude to put blankets down and walk away from a spot completely, as I have seen. We all have the common goal of seeing the parade, share and share alike.

 

[superdiz]

Forgot this story - in a common vein and not really parents, but people in general, in Epcot the French Upper Terrace over the lagoon was occupied by a private party for Illuminations. the Lower Terrace was open but it was roped off until that party started. So we went over to talk to the CM working the ropes. He said "Come back at 9:15pm (Illum was at 9:30) and we will be letting people in. So we went out and enjoyed the World Showcase. At 9:15 there was a large crowd of people, so we got to the back of the line. The woman next to me turned to me rather rudely and said:

"We've been waiting for over an hour to get this spot, I feel so badly for these people because all of you keep adding in at the last minute when we've been waiting patiently."

To which I stood up for myself and replied.

"Well, that's a shame you wasted all that park time sitting around waiting for a spot when you should have done what we did and asked the CM who told us to come back at 9:15, which is right now."

First, that area is very large and there weren't that many people there. Second, who the heck did this woman think she was to imply that we shouldn't have the same rights to the open space that is owned by Disney?

We got in and got a prime spot against the railing. She did as well, and there was plenty of room to go around for everyone. I think people need to stop thinking they own things because they waited long for it. Don't give up your spot, sure, but to tell others they should go elsewhere? That to me is just plain rude.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

DH and I were waiting to see the parade at MVMCP. We had been waiting for about an hour and we talking to those around us. To my right was a family of husband, wife, and kids (they were in strollers until the parade started). The husband stood up to go get drinks and I stood up and turned to talk to DH.

As I turn back around, a guy tells his two kids to sit in front of me and the other husband. Two problems. 1.) The girl sat ON my foot 2.) The other kids were going to stand there. The father then starts to walk away. I try to get the girl off my foot, but she ignored me. I turned to DH and told him that the kid was sitting on me and that the guy had just stole spots. The guy heard me and talk me that if I wanted that to be my spot, I should have been sitting. Silly me, I thought that because I was standing on the edge of the curb, that was good enough.

The guy told his kids to leave, that I was mean and wouldn't let kids see the parade. I told him that I was going to let kids see the parade and pointed to the kids in the strollers.

The guy just walked away, but was cursing the whole time.

I have no problems letting kids in front of me (they are small and don't block my view), but I do have a big problem with people coming up at the last minute and try to steal spots (why can't they just ask??)

 

[themudd4]

When my DD was 3 we waited to see most of the parades. This was her's and my Dh's first time to Disney so it was special for all of us. We got to one a little later so we stayed in the back and when the parade started my DH and I picked up our DD and held her so she could see. (See how nice I was...never asking for her to be put up in front or anything...)
Anyway about 3 floats in Snowwhite walked over to the corwd right in front of us and looked str8 at our DD and asked if she could join her and the 7 drawfs for a dance. We were so excited so was picked, of course we agreed. Snow white took her and a CM took my and my DH to the front so we could video tape and take pictures. When the dance was over a CM brought DD back to us and told us to enjoy the rest of the parade from our new seats.

IT PAYS TO BE POLITE!

 

[CathrynRose]

 

[Schmeck]

When my DD was 3 we waited to see most of the parades. This was her's and my Dh's first time to Disney so it was special for all of us. We got to one a little later so we stayed in the back and when the parade started my DH and I picked up our DD and held her so she could see. (See how nice I was...never asking for her to be put up in front or anything...)
Anyway about 3 floats in Snowwhite walked over to the corwd right in front of us and looked str8 at our DD and asked if she could join her and the 7 drawfs for a dance. We were so excited so was picked, of course we agreed. Snow white took her and a CM took my and my DH to the front so we could video tape and take pictures. When the dance was over a CM brought DD back to us and told us to enjoy the rest of the parade from our new seats.

IT PAYS TO BE POLITE!

When you were 'moved to the front' - did you end up blocking the view of the people that were already there? I'd be rather upset if people were plunked down on top of us if we were watching the parade, even if it was Snow White doing the plunking...

 

[icebrat001]

I would've told the kid to go to mommy.

 

[CampbellScot]

Manners just aren't important to most people anymore. It just seems that nowadays (I can't believe I said that...I'm 26!) it is a common belief that "your kid" and his rights are more important than the rights of others...get your kid what s/he wants at all costs. It's really disgusting the way children are so overindulged and self centered. for some reason it's worse at Disneyworld! The rampant notion that b/c it's "disney" that children, no matter how ill mannered they may be, should be allowed to do anything they want, get the best seats, shove in front of others, scream and shout at all hours of the day or night (at the resorts), ruins the experience for so many others. I WEEP for our future.

To the OP--my 7 year old step daughter would have done EXACTLY the same thing your little one did, she'd have smooshed over and tried to accommodate the pushy aggressive child. It's such a fine line making sure that your kids aren't total pushovers but making them aware that they are not the center of the universe. Had I been you I'd have told the little girl that the spot was taken and to go and find her mother.

It used to be that if parents saw a child, any child, being rude, they would say something and correct the behavior or at least make it known to the parent. (I was raised in Texas and this is the way it was when I was little)The parent of the offending child would usually be shocked and correction would take place. But in the GIMME world we live in now, those children who have been taught appropriate manners and to be mindful of the world around them end up losing out. It takes a village people.

 

[AlleyKat]

Manners just aren't important to most people anymore. It just seems that nowadays (I can't believe I said that...I'm 26!) it is a common belief that "your kid" and his rights are more important than the rights of others...get your kid what s/he wants at all costs. It's really disgusting the way children are so overindulged and self centered. for some reason it's worse at Disneyworld! The rampant notion that b/c it's "disney" that children, no matter how ill mannered they may be, should be allowed to do anything they want, get the best seats, shove in front of others, scream and shout at all hours of the day or night (at the resorts), ruins the experience for so many others. I WEEP for our future.

To the OP--my 7 year old step daughter would have done EXACTLY the same thing your little one did, she'd have smooshed over and tried to accommodate the pushy aggressive child. It's such a fine line making sure that your kids aren't total pushovers but making them aware that they are not the center of the universe. Had I been you I'd have told the little girl that the spot was taken and to go and find her mother.

It used to be that if parents saw a child, any child, being rude, they would say something and correct the behavior or at least make it known to the parent. (I was raised in Texas and this is the way it was when I was little)The parent of the offending child would usually be shocked and correction would take place. But in the GIMME world we live in now, those children who have been taught appropriate manners and to be mindful of the world around them end up losing out. It takes a village people.

AMEN!!

 

[LisaFB]

I don't have a parade story to share but one that's just as rude...

When DH & I were on our Disneymoon back in '02, we were eating at Cinderella's Castle. Right before the fireworks were starting (we had the Disneymoon table, right in front, the best seats to see everything) a family barges upstairs and into the restaurant (don't ask us how they got in since they weren't eating there). Very loudly, they pushed and shoved their way to our table. The parents told their kids to stand right by the window.. well right by the window was in between our table and the window, which was only a few inches or so away from the window. Before we could say anything to them, the kids turned around and took food off our table and the table next to ours Needless to say we were less than thrilled as were the people at the next table. They spoke up first and the paretns got mad at them! They were yelling something about "where is the Disney hospitality?" or something like that before they got kicked out!

Right after they left, the fireworks were about to start and a family that was actualyleating there wasn't able to see from their table. YOu could tell they wanted to watch from near our window but after seeing what happened were afraid to ask us. They did ask, though, and of course we let their kids stand NEXT TO our table (not in front blocking our view) so they could see. Those parents even had their kids thank us afterwards... now those were great parents!