Waterpark etiquette ???

[MNWDWMANIAC]

A tip does not a rule make. Otherwise you'd have to show your bottle of suncreen to enter the park

I haven't declared a vote in either direction.

I agree that it does not make anything listed a "rule". However the fact that it's listed the way it is you can see where a "tip" could lead to the over all issue.

Some will say it says to come early to secure a chair. Why would Disney make that an issue?

Can this statement be misunderstood in either direction? Of course it can. It can also be twisted to meet either sides point of view.

And in many cases some of the items listed on the tips here also include actual portions of rules and policies. Lots of Grey possibilities.

 

[DAZY3BYZ]

Yep... there it is.... -

It's there in black and white and yet people will still argue it. Common sense people. Get there early, find a spot, don't take more chairs than you need and enjoy your day. Geesh....people make this so complicated!

 

[Bambi222]

I think there are valid points to both sides. Some people are very rude and don't care.
This reminds me of my trip to Myrtle Beach. I would get up in the morning and all the chairs had towels on them. So I started getting up and would get down to the pool early and would actually stay there, read and use the chair until my family could come down. When we went out to the beach we took all of our stuff with us so someone else could use the chair. I don't think it is fair to claim a chair and then leave it for hours before returning. But, I would never move someone elses stuff and take over the chair, I would rather sit on my towel on the ground, no big deal. But not everyone has the same philosophy or respect for others.

Then encountered some really rude people. We were set up on the beach, it was not real busy, there was plenty of room for everyone to be a reasonable space between each other. We got there early and there wasn't anyone closer than 10 feet near us. Then a couple of people came and sat a foot next to us. Then more and more people from their group continued to join them and were actually on my towels. They were very abnoxious and were talking about who had the biggest boat or other I am better than you discussions and smoking cigars. Then I went down to the ocean with my then 3 year old to get some water in her bucket and I turn around and some lady put her chair 2 inches in front of my daughters chair on top of her sand shovel. There was no need for this, there was plenty of room on the beach. I had enough and looked at the lady and politely asked her to please move that she was on my daughters toys and right in front of her chair. She rolled her eyes and did move, but not in a nice way. She had so much space on the other side to sit, I didn't get it. I didn't correct my child for accidentally shoveling sand in their direction LOL. My husband came back with our 6 year old and saw that I was pretty upset, but holding it in. I had to very quietly tell him what happened b/c I didn't want to make a scene. They continued to get more obnoxious so we just agreed to move, it wasn't worth it and I didn't want my kids to be near them anymore.

Luckily, not everyone is like this. But, stuff like this happens and I guess you just gotta make the best of it, it isn't worth ruining your fun. I try to keep in mind that worse things could happen.

 

[Bullseye]

Q. When is the best time of day to visit the Water Parks?

A. It's always a good idea to arrive early at the Water Parks, especially if you want to get a sunbed! It's best to get there before noon.

The above is straight from the official Q/A section of Disney Waterparks. So Disney does have a guideline for what is acceptable. They are telling you that you have to get to the park early if you "want to get a sunbed". What part of that do you not understand?

While I'll agree it is rude to "stake out" more chairs than you need, the few loungers I have my stuff on for a family of five is base camp, the meeting point while we are at the waterpark. It's where you go to dry off, have a drink or snack, lay in the sun, read a paperback, just chill.

The later you arrive the worse your parking spot is going to be. Sometimes you have to walk half a mile to get in the gate. The same goes for lounge chairs. Now if someone decides to leave and you happen to be in the area, thats your opportunity to get that chair or parking spot so to speak.

NO! You don't get to roll out of bed at noon, go to the waterpark, and just move someones stuff because they are off on a waterslide.


Skier pete thanks for putting it bluntly. Well said!

This is a no-brainer. If you leave your stuff on a chair at the water park - you have "staked" the chair. That person took the time to get there early and get a spot, someone coming along later can't just throw there stuff aside. The is simply good manners.

If you come along later, and you take someone's stuff off the chair and throw it aside...this makes you the jerk. (I wanted to use a harsher word, but though it might be blocked.)SkierPete

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) If you are not using the chairs, other have a right to them.
2) Folks don't pay for the chairs, so either use them or lose them.
3) I have no problem removing towels or items to use the unused chairs.
4) If you rent a cabana, like at GF, then you have rights, used or not.

NOTE: Disney's comments regarding getting to the parks early doesn't say you can keep the chairs all day, just to get there early to get a chair. I have had lifeguards at TL say it is OK to remove items from chairs, especially if the chairs haven't been used in 45-min.

 

[skier_pete]

Here's another thought - has anyone out there gone to a Castmember with this situation? I would think that the CMs would be trained with how to properly handle this situation.

Last trip we went to TL, and staked 3 chairs in Ketchakiddie Creek area (2 adults and 1 5-year old). We were there on-and-off over the 5 hours we were at the park, sometimes there for an hour or two at a time, other times away for an 30-45 minutes (for example while getting lunch). We had bags and towels on all three chairs. No-one took the chairs, though they were moved slightly as people tried to get their spot. (This is OK in my book.) Had someone *TAKEN* our chairs, throwing our towels down onto the sand, I probably would have said something, or gotten a CM to resolve it. It obviously would be something that would be difficult to resolve so that both parties are satisfied with the outcome.

Again, what would a CM say...

Cheshire Figment....we need your guidance!!!

Skier Pete

 

[CdnDad]

Well my thought is those people that took the chairs are rude and as a parent of an autistic child it hurts terribly when someone says stuff directed at my child being stupid etc.

However, my family including my autistic child frequent water parks and never leave our stuff on the chairs. Our plan is arrive at opening when the park is empty, put ALL stuff in the lockers. I take my disabled child to the lazy river and other safe activities. At 11:00 we get the lunch out of the locker, eat and leave the park.

I would never leave my stuff on chairs. We may sit for a minute or two in a free chair but not leave our stuff. I would never leave food out for any one to tamper with either.

Let's all be nice and mindful of each other. We are all on vacation.

I am going to ask the Concere at the Contemporary when I go in June. All good questions were posed. When at BB we only had 1 towel with us and put it on a chair to go on a slide and the CM said no towels (stuff) can be left on the chairs. But I see people do it all the time. And as one person said not enough lockers. Maybe we are all thinking about this too much and should just be reasonable and nice to each other.

We did put our valuables in a locker. With my daughters special foods we have to lug around a cooler. There is no where to store it. As you know routine is essential.

 

[MNWDWMANIAC]

So then my question is where does the line get drawn? If someone is not using the chair because they went to the restroom... does that mean someone else now has a right to them? Waterslide? Pool? To change a baby? To get lunch? To gather medication?

Where should I look to find the chair police to enforce this use it or lose it policy?

People my not pay for the chairs but everyone has equally paid for the right to use the park facilities. Arriving early to obtain a chair is no different then someone arriving early to ride a ride multiple times before crowds make multiple rides difficult. Again.. where do we draw the line on times and circumstances?

My mother taught me long ago not to touch other peoples personal belongings regardless of what trivial impact it is having on my day. I'd prefer to take a breath and move along. I have no idea what impact I might be having on someone else, nor do I know the personal situation surrounding the owner of said stuff.

Plain and simple being rude to someone you believe is being rude is still rude.

If someone has stuff laid out on the beach but is off on a walk I can't imagine people moving that stuff for their spot while they are gone just because they didn't pay for it.

We can't use the excuse that we pay for a water park because it can't be both ways....

 

[KSDisneyDad]

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

We love both of the Disney waterparks. Hopefully you won't let a discussion on the pros and cons of saving chairs dissuade you. We've never had a problem finding a chair at a waterpark and we generally go in either June or August. The Disney waterparks are great if you enjoy waterparks and each one is unique in its offerings.

I have a question- on our next trip to WDW in June we will be going to a water park for the first time. I assumed that we would leave our towels on chairs(DH and I and 1 DD), and go around and do all of the attractions. Now when reading through this thread- I'm guessing that is not what you are to do. Would we just not take towels or anything with us and just not have seats. I'm confused, and I just have to say that if I had a seat, and someone took my stuff(and I thought that it was protocol(sp?)to do this) I would probably get thrown out of the park- because I would probably "remove" their stuff. I'm so glad I came across this thread, because I did not know you couldn't put your stuff down and go to rides, etc. I've been to waterparks before, and everyone did this.

It is my opinion that if Disney did not want you saving seats, then they would clearly make that an enforceable policy like they do on the Disney Cruise Line. Disney is very clear that there is no seat saving on the cruises. It's even imprinted on the lounge chair itself!!! Although that's their policy on the cruise ships, I've never seen such a policy posted at the waterparks.

Is it poor etiquette to save 3 seats for a family of three if you don't plan to use them -- IMO yes. Is it okay to store your towels and flip flops on or under a single chair for your family of 3 -- IMO yes, but at your own risk. Is it okay for someone to move your belongings when there are chairs available -- IMO no (unless there is a clearly written policy on this). Is it okay for someone to move your belongings when there are no chairs availalbe -- IMO -- NO, you should go to a CM and ask them to move the belongings or help you find a chair.

I would be curious to know what side a CM would take on this issue. On one hand, they don't say "No chair saving", but on the other hand, they request you store your belongings in a locker.

All of that said, we've never had a problem storing our family of 5's stuff on a single chair. When we do come back for a break, we've never had a problem finding a place for everyone to sit, reapply sunscreen, eat a quick snack, relax for a few minutes and move on to have some more fun in the water.

 

[elleherself]

I have moved someone's belongings. At our local waterpark they were having a child's birthday party. Every single one of the lounge chairs by the children's wading pool and slide area was "reserved". About 20 chairs in a row, some had one flip flop, some had a hat, etc. Not one was being used.

I took one of the flip flops and I moved it to the chair next to it. I had two young children with me and my sister was going to look after them while I went on a larger slide. I told her to sit there.

She didn't know I had moved the flip flop. After a few moments of her sitting there, supervising the children, a man came over and yelled at her that she "stole" his chair, how dare she move his belongings, etc. etc. She apologized but did not move, eventually he fumed away, glaring at her from a nearby pavilion (also filled with tons of things and no people). She sat there and watched the kids the entire time I was on the slide. I came back and we both had a laugh over this man's behavior. When we left the area there was still no one sitting in any of the chairs.

I live in Florida, I go to waterparks all the time, often with small children of my friends or alone. I never leave my belongings unattended anywhere except a locker. I keep a dry towel for use at the end of the day in my locker. I have flip flops, I leave these near the slide out of the way somewhere before I ride and pick them up when I am done. Somewhere out of the way is NOT a chair or lounger.

What if those people DID arrive when the park opened, but felt uncomfortable leaving their belongings exposed? Instead, they paid for a locker. Instead of having a cooler, they spent money on Disney food and beverages. They have spent more money in the park, but are somehow LESS entitled to a chair than those with lots of gear? This method of reserving chairs is not logical.

I loved the suggestion up-thread of storing your belongings UNDER a lounger. This I think sends a clear message that other people are free to use the park-owned things, while still leaving you with a place to store your stuff.

 

[housetomouse]

Maybe Disney needs to put parking meters on the lounge chairs

 

[Bongi22]

I deleted this post as it was a double with the one below. Sorry.

 

[Bongi22]

The last time I checked, there is nothing on your water park admission ticket that states you are entitled to a lounge chair, or any chair for that matter. You want to secure a lounge chair, then get to the park early. Can't get to the park early? Then wait till the crowd starts to thin, then find an open lounge chair.

To me, the root of the problem here is lack of etiquette, and the sense of entitlement.

Rant/off

I find it interesting that everyone on here that complains about people having a sense of entitlement are the ones who believe it's ok to claim chairs as their own for the day. THAT is the sense of entitlement... not the people who just want to sit in a chair for 10 or 15 minutes and take a break.

I don't feel like it's is entitlement for me to want a chair available in the middle of the day for a 15 minute rest... I'm leaving that chair available to the other 15,000 guests to use for 9+ hours in a 10 hour stay... A screwy sense of entitlement is when someone assumes the chair is theirs and no one has the right to use it other than them.

I was brought up in a family where sharing was a good thing.

SOME ( not all ) of the people of the "get there early" and you won't have a problem line of thinking are sounding like the seagulls in Finding Nemo... "Mine, Mine, Mine"

 

[Bongi22]

I agree...people think they are entitled to a lounge chair for a full day even if they only use it for a small fraction. Etiquette would dictate that the chair should be shared so many families can use it for multiple fractions of the day.

It's the same kind of mentality as the people who complain about how long the line to meet Jedi Mickey is and then when they get up there want to take one picture with each of the people in the group, then one with only the girls, then only the boys, then one with the two oldest kids, then the mom with the kids, then the dad with them, then only the dad, then only the parents, then the whole family, then sign 6 books, then pictures with the ears on, then another with the books in the picture then specific poses.

It's all about sharing and the right to do the things that EVERYONE has a legitimate expectation to have a chance to do ( based on everyone's ticket being equal ) and ignore everyone else once they get what they want.

They argue that Disney doesn't say you can't leave your towels on a chair, I've not yet read that I can't try to spend the last 3 minutes that Mickey has to sign autographs for the day all with just my family and say to hell with the 5 or so people who got there a little after I did.

Or is that an entirely different thing... because the reserved chair fans don't like that.

 

[Bongi22]

This is why Disney sets up SO many chairs to begin with and allow you to bring in coolers. They expect you to use it like a beach. After my family has been swimming together in the ocean, we don't expect to come back to our spot to find people sitting there or to find our stuff moved. That's just plain rude!

First off... the first poster pointed out there weren't any seats... hence the arguement that Disney sets out so many is moot. Apparently there aren't enough... and the poster is aware of that.

Secondly... I've NEVER been to a beach in my lifetime that has run out of places to plop down.

I don't know where the beaches are that all of you go to, but it might be time to find other ones if they fill up to the point that you have to either swim or stand because all the places to sit have been taken up by towels.

 

[Bongi22]

(I had said that we put our stuff under the chairs.)

If I come back to the chairs and someone is sitting there, we politely ask if we can get our stuff. The people sitting there are always polite and explain that the chairs were empty, so they sat down. We always say we don't mind, we think people have a better right to the chair than our towels and other stuff. My towels etc., won't get tired and need to rest.

But usually we don't NEED TO, because people usually avoid the chairs hiding our stuff. If it's so crowded that all the chairs are taken, we'd want to leave anyhow. Who wants to stay at a park that's so crowded, you can't get a chair anywhere??

If someone IS in the chair hiding our stuff, and on our return, we wish to sit, we just take our stuff and move to empty chairs. Any time we're at a park and can't find a place to sit...well, it's time to go.

The world would be a much more enjoyable place if everyone acted more in line with the way you do.

Maybe our family and yours will SHARE some chairs at Disney in the future.

 

[mattsdragon]

Slightly off topic, but I'm sick of the chair debate, so I'll ask another waterpark etiquette question.

Peeing in the pool. . .kosher or not?

Discuss. . .

 

[webstah]

Peeing in the pool. . .kosher or not?

Discuss. . .

Only if you can find the giant flush handle!

 

[housetomouse]

Slightly off topic, but I'm sick of the chair debate, so I'll ask another waterpark etiquette question.

Peeing in the pool. . .kosher or not?

Discuss. . .

Ugh- is this ever considered okay?!

 

[oddBotkins]

It's ok as long as you don't drink the water