The blue towel people

I've said this before and I'll say it again here. Disney, DCL - and other resorts with this problem - need a token system. Every hour have someone walk around and put tokens on unoccupied chairs with stuff. Every hour the token is a different color and says "return this token so we know you are using this chair" Install a few token boxes for returning tokens. If the token is still there in an hour when new tokens are dropped, the stuff goes into lost and found. Just like when the meter maid (boy is that an old fashioned sexist term) chalks your tire in the one hour parking zone.
 
I've said this before and I'll say it again here. Disney, DCL - and other resorts with this problem - need a token system. Every hour have someone walk around and put tokens on unoccupied chairs with stuff. Every hour the token is a different color and says "return this token so we know you are using this chair" Install a few token boxes for returning tokens. If the token is still there in an hour when new tokens are dropped, the stuff goes into lost and found. Just like when the meter maid (boy is that an old fashioned sexist term) chalks your tire in the one hour parking zone.

I was thinking of the meter maid/boy (whatever is the correct term these days) as I was reading you post. LOL! I guess there's a lot of truth in the old saying a few bad apples spoils the bunch. Some people are so inconsiderate but I guess that's what makes the world go round, different types of people with different viewpoints.
 
I was thinking of the meter maid/boy (whatever is the correct term these days) as I was reading you post. LOL! I guess there's a lot of truth in the old saying a few bad apples spoils the bunch. Some people are so inconsiderate but I guess that's what makes the world go round, different types of people with different viewpoints.

I'm not sure that the inconsiderate ones are doing too much to spin the world in the right direction. :)
 
I've said this before and I'll say it again here. Disney, DCL - and other resorts with this problem - need a token system. Every hour have someone walk around and put tokens on unoccupied chairs with stuff. Every hour the token is a different color and says "return this token so we know you are using this chair" Install a few token boxes for returning tokens. If the token is still there in an hour when new tokens are dropped, the stuff goes into lost and found. Just like when the meter maid (boy is that an old fashioned sexist term) chalks your tire in the one hour parking zone.
Great idea.
Be funny to see people running back to their chairs every hour to "feed the meter"
 


They do that in most resorts in Hawaii now. Pool staff leaves a note with time on the chair. And fold your towel nicely (so they know you're not using them). An hour later, they'll come collect your stuff.
 


We were just in Aruba (at a timeshare) they have a strict rule regarding reserving chairs...they give a 2 hour grace period, where they must be in use...if not...a staff member removes the towels, and the hut's chairs become fair game again. The staff walk around regularly to check.
 
I've actually been thinking about something along these lines but didn't want to be "that" person. PLEASE hear me out before the flames start. My husband is an amputee, and uses either our own scooter or a rented one when we go to WDW (no prosthetic leg yet) . Just about everything is accessible at WDW -- except for the pool areas. If we don't get a chair on the same level as the pool, that means there are no chairs that he can access. As a fully-abled person, I never paid attention to those little steps in the pool areas that lead back to more chairs and chaises. But now - There is simply no way for him to get to those. Last year at BWV, I brought him a drink while he was sitting on the side of the pool with no where to go (after he hoisted himself out - he refuses to use the pool chair lift) . Every chair/chaise was taken up with towels or people. The lifeguard whistled that he wasn't allowed to have a beverage near the pool so we asked where an ADA area was so that he didn't have to leave the pool area just to have a glass of water. Her answer? None. There were tables closer to the Carousel that he could scooter to - but all were taken too. This wasn't just one day -- in a week, we never managed to find a chair/chaise on the level ground. I'm not sure what the answer is -- the relatively few individuals who need such an accommodation probably doesn't justify an actual area. But well, it brought his disability into more focus for us when we were trying to just be like "regular" people......
 
I like the idea of doing something to reduce the number of place holders at pools; however, realistically Disney won't aggressively address this matter. Your first thought might be because they don't want to upset any guests. True as that may be on a basic level, the reality is that to implement any sort of system that worked would require more labor, more CM hours, and that's just not going to happen. An hourly token system won't work because what if you get out there 10 minutes before the changeover of tokens? Alternately, having CMs patrol the pool area and note who has been in their chairs and who hasn't could work, but Disney would have to keep at least one CM on duty virtually full-time to make it effective, and if there's anything Disney has worked to reduce the past decade, it's staffing. There is a reason we see less street performers and why most polled park goers remark that Disney's once superb customer service has dropped a notch or two. In the end, I believe all we can do is grin and bear it, and perhaps gently remind others to not be so selfish. . .nicely, of course. ;)
 
The "one hour token" wouldn't work for my wife.Last Sunday, she spent 3 hours in the water before coming out. In the Virgin Islands, she spent 5 hours in the water without getting out. I sat on the beach and read my book.
 
The "one hour token" wouldn't work for my wife.Last Sunday, she spent 3 hours in the water before coming out. In the Virgin Islands, she spent 5 hours in the water without getting out. I sat on the beach and read my book.
True. An hour in the water goes by so quickly for me too!
 
I've actually been thinking about something along these lines but didn't want to be "that" person. PLEASE hear me out before the flames start. My husband is an amputee, and uses either our own scooter or a rented one when we go to WDW (no prosthetic leg yet) . Just about everything is accessible at WDW -- except for the pool areas. If we don't get a chair on the same level as the pool, that means there are no chairs that he can access. As a fully-abled person, I never paid attention to those little steps in the pool areas that lead back to more chairs and chaises. But now - There is simply no way for him to get to those. Last year at BWV, I brought him a drink while he was sitting on the side of the pool with no where to go (after he hoisted himself out - he refuses to use the pool chair lift) . Every chair/chaise was taken up with towels or people. The lifeguard whistled that he wasn't allowed to have a beverage near the pool so we asked where an ADA area was so that he didn't have to leave the pool area just to have a glass of water. Her answer? None. There were tables closer to the Carousel that he could scooter to - but all were taken too. This wasn't just one day -- in a week, we never managed to find a chair/chaise on the level ground. I'm not sure what the answer is -- the relatively few individuals who need such an accommodation probably doesn't justify an actual area. But well, it brought his disability into more focus for us when we were trying to just be like "regular" people......
Wow. I think BWV is the least friendly for your DH due to all those steps. Perhaps an ADA area is the most reasonable accommodation.
 
If you are going to be in the water for a long period of time, you don't need a chair - and someone else may enjoy one

Fact of the matter is Disney doesnt do anything to people that cut lines, they arent going to do anything here
 
I've actually been thinking about something along these lines but didn't want to be "that" person. PLEASE hear me out before the flames start. My husband is an amputee, and uses either our own scooter or a rented one when we go to WDW (no prosthetic leg yet) . Just about everything is accessible at WDW -- except for the pool areas. If we don't get a chair on the same level as the pool, that means there are no chairs that he can access. As a fully-abled person, I never paid attention to those little steps in the pool areas that lead back to more chairs and chaises. But now - There is simply no way for him to get to those. Last year at BWV, I brought him a drink while he was sitting on the side of the pool with no where to go (after he hoisted himself out - he refuses to use the pool chair lift) . Every chair/chaise was taken up with towels or people. The lifeguard whistled that he wasn't allowed to have a beverage near the pool so we asked where an ADA area was so that he didn't have to leave the pool area just to have a glass of water. Her answer? None. There were tables closer to the Carousel that he could scooter to - but all were taken too. This wasn't just one day -- in a week, we never managed to find a chair/chaise on the level ground. I'm not sure what the answer is -- the relatively few individuals who need such an accommodation probably doesn't justify an actual area. But well, it brought his disability into more focus for us when we were trying to just be like "regular" people......
First of all, I'm sorry you all are having to deal with this! It sounds like they need to replace the stairs with a gentle slope/ramp. I'm surprised they didn't do that, especially at newer resorts. It doesn't seem to be ADA compliant.
 
We were at Vero Beach many years ago. The towel/chair holders were in full force. We'd gotten there around noon, and with check in being at 4, we had plenty of time to kill by the pool. So I was doing a mixture of swimming, and people watching. I noticed towels near us that were there when we arrived. Around 3, a family came and moved the towels. I proceeded to order another drink in case this got good. They set up a board game on the chairs. Sure enough, the original family came back and yelled at the new family for taking their chairs. The new family Mom stood her ground, and basically said, "you snooze you lose". Original family marched off. I actually wanted to order the new family Mom a drink!
 
The "one hour token" wouldn't work for my wife.Last Sunday, she spent 3 hours in the water before coming out. In the Virgin Islands, she spent 5 hours in the water without getting out. I sat on the beach and read my book.
If you are going to be in the water for a long period of time, you don't need a chair - and someone else may enjoy one

Fact of the matter is Disney doesnt do anything to people that cut lines, they arent going to do anything here

In our family it's DH who spends a ton of time in the water. If it's not busy we keep a chair for him but if it is very busy then we just use my chair. If we both are in and out of the pool then we always just use one chair as a home base to set our things on and give us a place to sit down for a few minutes whenever we are out of the water but one of us is always back there fairly frequently (me!)
 
Fact of the matter is Disney doesnt do anything to people that cut lines, they arent going to do anything here
Well I have had them do something multiple times. Though all at rope drop and for FOP. Someone skipped the line that was wandering through Pandora to the very front, cut the rope, so I simply stated something to the CM holding the rope, she said it would be taken care of. Sure enough he was getting on the ride (same pod as me) and they took him off last minute and escorted him out of the line. This happened 2 other times though I didn't say anything those times but they were removed from line.

Oh yeah one time an entire family, 8 people in different waves, did the whole "I'm trying to meet up with my party" in line during a Halloween Party for 7DMT and a CM shut that down quickly. Its just that I'm sure stuff happens a lot and they can't possibly catch them all. I do remind line cutters occasionally that everyone is to enter the line together and line jumping could get them removed from the park (but with the low frequency it affects me I find it more trouble than not).
 
We were at Vero Beach many years ago. The towel/chair holders were in full force. We'd gotten there around noon, and with check in being at 4, we had plenty of time to kill by the pool. So I was doing a mixture of swimming, and people watching. I noticed towels near us that were there when we arrived. Around 3, a family came and moved the towels. I proceeded to order another drink in case this got good. They set up a board game on the chairs. Sure enough, the original family came back and yelled at the new family for taking their chairs. The new family Mom stood her ground, and basically said, "you snooze you lose". Original family marched off. I actually wanted to order the new family Mom a drink!
I am one of those people who move towels on empty chairs. I go to a pool area, swim for about 1/2 hour then pick out chairs that are clearly not being used by anyone in the pool area. I’m often the only one in the pool.

After my 30 minute swim, I get out and move all the saved towels to the dirty towel bin. I set any personal items left on the chairs next to or on top of the dirty towel bins. Now all the chairs are empty. I pick the chair I want and occupy same.

If anyone comes to the pool area, all of the towels have been moved and rarely does anyone say a word. On the few times someone has gotten upset, I either play stupid “There wasn’t a towel on this chair when I sat down” or own it - “There is no such thing as seat saving with a towel” and go back to reading my book.

I wish others would join my campaign against towel bullies! Enough already - if your butt is not in the seat, pool or pool bathrooms, the chair is free for anyone in the pool area to use.

A towel, sunglasses or shoes does not confer ownership of a seat in the pool area!
 
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