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?

I’m surprised adults without kids are permitted to be honest, I’m pretty sure they aren’t at centerparcs and places

Ahh shit. I've been doing Centre parcs all wrong then when I went with a bunch of adult women 😱

As another shortarse I've found that many kids start to overtake me height wise fro, about the age of 10.

I’ve been many times, you pay a fortune to go to that party. It’s full of entitled parents who don’t want to wait for an hour like your friend, and get pissed off when you don’t want to give up your spot. The same goes for the fireworks by the castle.Luckily the WDW cast members are excellent at spotting this.

Nope, she’s in the right. People wait hours for the parade and fireworks.

I waited for the parade once, wanted to take some good photos. Two small kids barged and pushed in front of me (nesrly fell) and I thought I’d let them. Then their mum thought she could push me to stand in front of me because she had to be with her kids. Which meant I could not see anything, and I had waited an hour. Both the mum and kids had to move back, the sour looks I got.. A please or a thank you would have been nice. Got some great photos! Everyone pays a lot to go there and it takes a huge amount of planning, I don’t fly half way around the world to let other people decide what I should do.

I have never been to CP but 100% sure that’s not true.

Not an equivalent to Disney anyway.

Are you J?

Those kids sound awful!

Disney is big business for adults, not just kids. the company targets itself at adults, not just kids.

Lots of parents go for their kids and seem not to realise many, many adults there are there for themselves not their kids (who may or may not be with them or even exist).

The parade is very much a first come first served deal and it would be totally unreasonable to expect all the adults who want to see it to give up the best spots that they have staked out to children who turn up later. When there’s no real loss to an adult (like letting a small kid stand in front of you at the zoo) I think it’s mean and uncivil not to accommodate youngsters. But something high stakes like the parade it’s not a reasonable expectation.

And to be honest, while some kids do adore the parade and remember it fondly for years, probably a lower percentage than the adults that have sat themselves on the kerb for ages before hand.

I do think Disney could do a bit more to make some areas for parents with young children only, that are more tiered or something, because it is harder for young children to stake out a spot long in advance. But some of the adults who go are super fans who spend a fortune with Disney and Disney would be shouting themselves in the foot not to have norms that made them second class citizens in the parks.

*shooting

The parents should absolutely not have allowed the kids to bop J on the head or drip water on her. I would really have lost it with them.

As for the spot, from pps it sounds like these spots are a big deal. I don’t think she had any obligation to let them in front.

It does make me really never want to go to Disney though, having read all this!

Unless an adult has additional needs or another disability then children should always go in front.

Well said
Kids don't rule the world despite their parents
And manners get you ahead in the world
Sooner that family learn this the better

Why?

If the adult has been there waiting for an hour to reserve their spot why should they give it up?

The parades, and Disney itself, are not just for kids. They’re for everyone.

State your unpopular opinion - Disney adults set my teeth on edge. I broke up with a friend because she has made Disney her entire personality, she's in her mid 30s and had Mickey and Minnie Mouse at her wedding.

People having fun “sets your teeth on edge”? 🤨

Should we all just be miserable when we reach adulthood then?

I am 100% with your friend J. The family with the kids were rude and entitled. Sadly this is all too common at Disney. I find it a LOT worse at Disneyland Paris compared to WDW though. It boils down to people thinking their time and comfort is more valuable than yous.

We were at one of the MNSHP during our trip in August. We found a good spot just outside Pecos Bills about 45 mins before the parade started. About 10 mins to go, we had several families trying to squeeze themselves into the space DD1 was standing and trying to push her out of the way (she is very quiet so DH had to advocate for her). I had a lot of little kids being physically pushed by their parents in front of myself and DD2 who were sitting on the pavement infront of the rope, not to mention buggies being jammed into our backs. I have no issue with calling people out over it. Most are gracious enough to apologise and look embarrassed but have come across some real a-holes in the past. One little Hispanic girl about 2/3 was allowed to plonk herself down on my lap! Her mum apologised and ‘tried’ to get her up (not very hard). I allowed it because she was very cute and quite well behaved.

As for people saying Disney is just for kids, Disney wouldn’t be as successful as it is today without being very good at appealing to all age groups. We were ‘Disney adults’ before kids, with the kids and no doubt will be after the kids have left home. It’s our thing and that of millions of others.

Reminds me a bit of a story of my friend and I. We reserved seats at a minor league baseball game over a holiday. Not super packed but still pretty busy. We got there, found our seats and went to get some food and drinks. Came back to a family sitting in our section. My friend and I are both pretty laid back and probably would have found two empty seats if the mom didn't look at us and sneered at us. After that I told her to get lost. If she would have been kind I would have worked with her.

Bobbins
And even rude kids?
Entitled much???

Disneyworld sounds like one of the inner circles of hell TBH. This thread has not improved my view.

Good. Slightly less people then. 😅

Your friend definitely wasn’t unreasonable. I can’t stand this at Disney, everyone pays their entrance fee so has the same right to watch parades/see characters etc. The times of the parades are well advertised and if people want their children to be at the front they should plan accordingly and sit and wait!

Disneyland paris is definitely worse for this sort of stuff. A few years ago we waited to meet a character, children all standing around waiting nicely as the character called them up one at a time - until this man comes along, lifts his screaming 2-3 year old over all their heads and plonked her down on the ground at the front on her own - easily 3-4 people back from her parent. Mayhem ensued as this poor kid frantically tried to find her family. Thankfully a character attendant got hold of her and gave the dad a bit of a telling off!

Why?? Unless your kid is spoilt brat they should understand that they need to wait their turn like anyone else.

Where does that line get drawn? Should kids get priority in queues, for rides, for shows?