Settle an argument- Disney Parade

[Helpmewithteen]

Third world problem and very light hearted, but I was just interested and wondered what others think.

I work with a lady (let’s call her J) who travels to WDW alone. She’s 45 and a big kid when it comes to Disney.

She was at the Mickeys Halloween Party and was waiting for a parade to start. J said that she found a great location to watch the parade from. She was about 60 mins early and sat on the kerb to stake out her spot.

About 15 mins before the parade began a family with three children stood behind her. The children proceeded to try to stand in front of J which annoyed her, but the Disney worker moved them back off the road. Then the children now behind J started to bop her on the head with a ballon and drip water or soda from a cup onto her head.

At this point J was really getting cross and stood up to watch the parade, and loud complaints of not being able to see ensued from the children and parents.

After the parade was over, one of the parents told J that she was spiteful not letting the children got in front of her. To which J responded by calling them entitled.

J was telling us about this incident and it caused quite the debate at work.

So is J being unreasonable or not?

Yanbu! Find this happens a lot. Especially places like sea life centre or the zoo. Whatever I'm looking at you get people pushing their kids infront of you or the kids just elbow infront of you on their own. It's really annoying.

There just isn’t space for a large outdoor area at Magic Kingdom. Halloween party events are limited but it’s still something like 20,000 people.
Hollywood studios has a show fantasmic where you sit outdoors and watch and at end characters come past on boats.

I went on a hen do to centrepiece and a 40th birthday with mums from a baby group (minus babies)

That’s not logistically possible. The parade has a set route for a reason - the floats go on the tracks on the ground and they have to finish at the gates to where they are stored.

Fair enough. I do think theme parks - not just Disney - are guilty of allowing overcrowding to the detriment of customer enjoyment. I suppose while people are prepared to put up with it, they'll carry on jamming them in and watch the cash pile up, but it surprises me that people will tolerate parks being so crowded that they spend the day in queues and can't see the entertainment properly.

J was in the right. If that family wanted to be at the front they should have got there before J did.

You should be sorry, that's a shitty attitude.

She’s an adult staking out a Walt Disney parade 🤣🤣🤣 I mean come on, it’s intended for kids, and kids can’t do a stake out. What next? Kids can’t go to soft play because it’s already full of adults who got there the night before and camped out to be ‘organised’?

I don’t think adults should be arriving early to a kids event and taking the best spot.

For what it’s worth, I have, many many times, given up my place in a queue / gathering to a small child. I have no idea whether those children were lovely or horrible, because I gave up my place when I saw them, I didn’t stand in front of them blocking their view while I judged their worth.

To those who haven't been suggesting things like tiered seating is funny. On average Magic Kingdom has around 60,000 guests a day pre-covid numbers. Many stay or come for events such as (cannot believe I cannot abbreviate it as I am not on a Disney forum) Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. You line up on the pavements and the parade takes place in the road. The road has to stay clear as there are floats but also characters walking beside floats or dancers etc.

J was completely in the right. We have secured front pavement seats for a night time parade, we arrived so early we sat eating a meal on our laps as did most front pavement sitters. Yes it is a pain in the arse for people with children but children need to learn to queue early and not push in front of anyone. And we had our children with us.

There is no real difference in price between an adult and child ticket at Disney and Disney class you as an adult at 10. Everyone is paying the same amount to get in.

Disney organise things as well as they possibly can and it’s a parade, not a show. There is plenty of info available about good places to see it etc. People that want to can see the parade without any difficulty.

it’s intended for kids, and kids can’t do a stake out

Of course they can. What you mean is the kids (or their parents) can't be arsed to stand around for an hour with nothing happening.

Depends when you go and your tactics eg get there for opening. We never really queue but go at quieter time of year eg this year parks were 1/10 busy beginning September. I’d also watch later parade as it thins out as toddlers can’t stay awake etc.

It’s everyone out for themselves when the parade comes along sadly! They weren’t considering you at all. We’ve had a good spot then had a family barge in front and stick umbrellas up. It wasn’t even raining, they used them as sun shades.

It is NOT intended for just for kids. It is a parade until midnight.

She didn't block their view, they could see very well. She stood up to stop them bopping her on the head with a balloon. Maybe if you knew she spent over $100 on that one evening event you might feel like you queued early enough to get a good view. It isn't like that is the only place to see the parade, it is a set route through the park, huge amount of pavement space to choose from.

im with J she did nothing wrong

it’s intended for kids, and kids can’t do a stake out
Its not just for kids and they can if thats what they want, I've seen plenty of families sat waiting for parades with drinks, snacks etc at Disney, they priotised rides/meeting characters over the parade so they had to stand behind someone who was sitting on the floor, if parents had controlled the kids they'd have been able to see and op wouldn't have needed to stand up.

Center Parcs isn't a children's amusement park either!

I know people who've been on hen dos at CP - why on earth would you think that adults without kids weren't allowed there?!

OP I'm intrigued as to whether the annoying family were brits? My friend and her family went in the summer to WDW and said all the bad behaviour they saw in the parks seemed to be from British families and they were embarrassed!

I’ve been frequently. Never queued more than 10 minutes for anything.

If you do proper research and know the right time to go and when to do different activities you can absolutely fit everything in.

I’ve never thought it was overcrowded either.

You haven’t been, so you’ve no idea. D
WDW is not “just a theme park”.

Hope J had a fab time despite that. Families do wait. Common tactic is to sit family down to secure a spot and eat whilst waiting eg one parent goes and get hot dogs.

Totally agree, we always get there really early and sit them down with an ice cream also. There is usually more than one opportunity to see the parade so you plan your trip around it if you want to. I am going with a friend at Xmas, we are in our 40s and we will grab a coffee/mulled wine and sit on the kerb for a bit ourselves. If there are little kids they can stand in front of us of course but not if the parents acted like dicks.

I'd have let the children stand in front of me. I still would have had a good spot. I think I was being unreasonable.

Yeah. That’s completely wrong.

it’s definitely not just for kids. The parades are not just for kids. And also loads of families sit and wait. I have some with my own kids. In fact some of the staff brought our hula hoops and things for the kids to play while they waited. Because that’s what’s expected. You want to be at the front, you pick a spot and wait.

It’s not intended for kids though, how odd so many adults seem to not grasp this

She was seated though. Letting a child stand in front would have blocked her view she’s only 5ft 2. Usually those at front sit and rows behind stand. J only stood to stop them hitting her head/pouring drink on her.