Waiting/Preparing & Holding spots for Parades & Shows

[sarabi]

I hate parades at WDW. The parades themselves are fantastic, but I just hate being there for them because of all the people being rude. I only catch an afternoon parade from the porch of Tony's Town Square with a well timed reservation these days.
However, Spectromagic or whatever night time parade sometimes ends up a msut see, so I stake my spot well ahead of time. The latest rudeness I encountered was when a family showed up behind us. They had some kids who were old enough, but too short to see over me, so I turned to them and told the parents that if the kids wanted to step in front of me during the parade (because they are too short to see otherwise), I'd be cool with that.
Well, the parade started, the kids came up, all was well. Then fireworks were about to start, and the parents stepped in front of me also. They were taller than I was and cut off my view.
I did confront them, politely. I just tapped them on the shoulder and said "I'm sorry. I let your kids in front of me because I was taller than them and didn't want to block their view, but the offer doesn't stand for all of you because now you guys are blocking my view."
They said they didn't want to be separated from their kids (which i can totally understand, even though during the entire parade, it was ok by them), and I just said that i understand that concern, but if that's the case, they need to show up early enough to stake out a spot for everyone and I didn't appreciate my view being blocked.
They were actually ok with that, so no CM intervention needed. Usually a civil conversation takes care of these things, but late in the day after a long hot exciting day, it's hard for guests to make civil conversation.

 

[kcw]

one night we staked out good spots where we could just stay there for a few hours, and see the parade, the castle show, and the fireworks all in one. So come parade time we've been sitting there for a while and my dad leaves to go get funnel cakes (for dinner!) and a family with a double stroller decides to try and fit into his one spot. My youngest sister is 15, so it was the "you don't have small kids and I do so we win" attitude. We told her that there was no room for them on the curb, but that if she parked the stroller right behind us, and had her two kids sit in it, they'd be able to see over our heads. She wasn't happy about this, but had no other choice, so she made sure to jam the stroller into our backs, and then of course, when the kids climbed in we got kicked numerous times. Well that was fine, because it's just part of watching parades at WDW......... but right as the first float was approaching, the mom tells her daughter to get out of the stroller and climb over and in front of us (quite loudly of course), so the daughter gets out, and the MOM PROCEEDS TO CLIMB INTO THE STROLLER!!!!! Obviously we're already packed like sardines and when a 5'5" woman tries to climb into a freakin stroller you can imagine the blows that we received to the back of our heads........ but I bit my tongue....

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Watch out folks - if the Capt gets there early and stakes out a spot for himself and the family (of four) then blood will be spilt if you try and get in front of us.


Simply, if you can't get there in good time to get yourself a prime spot, don't expect any charity from those of us that have

 

[slowbee]

.....MOM PROCEEDS TO CLIMB INTO THE STROLLER!!!!! Obviously we're already packed like sardines and when a 5'5" woman tries to climb into a freakin stroller you can imagine the blows that we received to the back of our heads........ but I bit my tongue....

You're a better person than me.

 

[kcw]

You're a better person than me.

nah, just a CM that doesn't want to do or say anything to get termed.... hahaha

 

[PhilharMagician]

Almost every parade we stake out a front row spot ends up being an issue. It is amazing how people come just as a parade is starting and think that since they have kids that they should be able to get infront of you.:fork: There has been many times where we have confronted people. What ticks me aff more is when I get there really early and set up to video a parade and before you know it some 2 minutes before the parade is pushing kids in front of me and complaining that I am in the way of her sight while I am trying to get video.

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

one night we staked out good spots where we could just stay there for a few hours, and see the parade, the castle show, and the fireworks all in one. So come parade time we've been sitting there for a while and my dad leaves to go get funnel cakes (for dinner!) and a family with a double stroller decides to try and fit into his one spot. My youngest sister is 15, so it was the "you don't have small kids and I do so we win" attitude. We told her that there was no room for them on the curb, but that if she parked the stroller right behind us, and had her two kids sit in it, they'd be able to see over our heads. She wasn't happy about this, but had no other choice, so she made sure to jam the stroller into our backs, and then of course, when the kids climbed in we got kicked numerous times. Well that was fine, because it's just part of watching parades at WDW......... but right as the first float was approaching, the mom tells her daughter to get out of the stroller and climb over and in front of us (quite loudly of course), so the daughter gets out, and the MOM PROCEEDS TO CLIMB INTO THE STROLLER!!!!! Obviously we're already packed like sardines and when a 5'5" woman tries to climb into a freakin stroller you can imagine the blows that we received to the back of our heads........ but I bit my tongue....

That is horrible! It is amazing what some parents will do in front of their kids, by being selfish and rude!

 

[bugsbunny]

This kind of falls into "line cutters" and "view blockers" you run into at WDW. It fits the theme of "total disregard for everyone else that is trying to enjoy things, too" category. :ROFLOL:

While sitting for the MNSSHP right in front of the ropes in front of the Libertry Tree, I was able to overhear the CMs getting ready to shut everything down for the ride of the Headless Horseman. They would basically make the turn right in front us and proceed toward the Castle. It's an awesome place to watch and you get close enough to just about touch the horse if you wanted to...although I HIGHLY recommend you do not!! If that horse went into the crowd, I can't imagine the carnage it would cause.

So this guy and his very young daughter must have decided that standing next to us or on our side would be a great spot to view it. They were directly across from us on the water side. He ducked under the ropes and strolled over toward us with his kid in tow.

Too bad the Horseman was on his ride and just about to come by us! I mean, this idiot just decided he wanted to cross the street on his own time as if the ropes were meant for everybody...but him!!

About 5 CMs came out of nowhere and just clotheslines the guy and tackled his daughter. Pinned them down and told them not to move while they laid on top of them. The horse galloped by, made the turn, and picked up some serious speed. You could feel the vibrations in the ground as it galloped!! And afterward, this guy was just flipping out about being tackled; he was going to sue; etc. I can't say what I said out loud to him for I am sure that the bad word filter on this forum will catch me and I will get flagged.

Needless to say, if these idiots had not been tackled and subdued, they might have been trampled or possibly even killed by the horse. And then what do you think the horse would have done? Ran into the crowd maybe? If you have ever seen this horse up close, its HUGE!

Think about THAT the next time you think it might be OK to just "cut across real quick" during a parade.

 

[drew81]

This kind of falls into "line cutters" and "view blockers" you run into at WDW. It fits the theme of "total disregard for everyone else that is trying to enjoy things, too" category. :ROFLOL:

While sitting for the MNSSHP right in front of the ropes in front of the Libertry Tree, I was able to overhear the CMs getting ready to shut everything down for the ride of the Headless Horseman. They would basically make the turn right in front us and proceed toward the Castle. It's an awesome place to watch and you get close enough to just about touch the horse if you wanted to...although I HIGHLY recommend you do not!! If that horse went into the crowd, I can't imagine the carnage it would cause.

So this guy and his very young daughter must have decided that standing next to us or on our side would be a great spot to view it. They were directly across from us on the water side. He ducked under the ropes and strolled over toward us with his kid in tow.

Too bad the Horseman was on his ride and just about to come by us! I mean, this idiot just decided he wanted to cross the street on his own time as if the ropes were meant for everybody...but him!!

About 5 CMs came out of nowhere and just clotheslines the guy and tackled his daughter. Pinned them down and told them not to move while they laid on top of them. The horse galloped by, made the turn, and picked up some serious speed. You could feel the vibrations in the ground as it galloped!! And afterward, this guy was just flipping out about being tackled; he was going to sue; etc. I can't say what I said out loud to him for I am sure that the bad word filter on this forum will catch me and I will get flagged.

Needless to say, if these idiots had not been tackled and subdued, they might have been trampled or possibly even killed by the horse. And then what do you think the horse would have done? Ran into the crowd maybe? If you have ever seen this horse up close, its HUGE!

Think about THAT the next time you think it might be OK to just "cut across real quick" during a parade.

That guy better be glad they tackled him because if not who knows what could've happened. I've seen that horse up close in the car barn after parade and he is huge.

 

[kcw]

^^^^^^^^^
is basically all I have to say.... every time I see that horse run all I can think of is "holy cow that could be tragic if anything ever went wrong".... Bravo for the CMs, they seriously put their lives on the the line to do that! Are GC CMs trained on what to do in that sort of situation? Or was that just instinct?

 

[KHockett]

I totally resonate with this thread. This year at Christmas we saw some really bad ones. We were sitting waiting to watch Mickey's Night Before Christmas. Next to me there was like 8 inches before the next person, but the rest of the row was pretty full. There were seats however farther to the side and in the back. This man comes sits down with his child on his lap. He sits basically on me. Then he gestured for his wife and other two kids to come over. I said "there is no room here - there are seats in other places." The whole show the child on his lap kept bumping me.
What was frustrating was that he came once the show had started and thought he would just but in and get "good seats." It is fine to come late but you can't just push others around. UGH

 

[Damian31]

Looks like we have all encountered the person who reckons the parades are for kids and so their children should stand or sit in front of you. I'm sorry but I have paid for my tickets too and if I have sat for an hour waiting for a parade and you turn up at the last minute your children can just sit or stand behind me!!

I'm lucky my partner is mean looking...I just point him towards the angry parent and he growls!!

 

[Nicole220]

Oh my, do I have some stories. Both happened at the Pirates 3 premiere at DL last May.

First: Right as all the festivities start on the red carpet, a lady opens her umbrella, blocking our view of everything. We already didn't like this lady because she took a little girl's front row seat. Now we didn't like her even more for blocking our view. We eventually told a CM, who brought in security, who really didn't do anything. I got annoyed, so I started chanting "down with the umbrella." Everyone started to join in, and we had a whole section chanting that at her. :lol: She eventually put it down.

Here she is:

:fork:

Note: this pic was taken earlier in the day, and I was sitting. So you can't tell that she's blocking our view.

The next story: All the big celebs are on the red carpet in front of us and a big group of girls decides to push to the front. We have been saving our front row seats for 13 hours...there was no way these girls were going to get in front of me. So we all used what energy we had left to "push" them away and yell at them. I would've been nicer, but I had been waiting 13 flippin hours in the hot sun, and plus, they wouldn't have listened to a "please move."

*sigh*

Wow, that got me worked up all over again!

 

[Fire1831]

On my last trip we were at MGM and decided to get good seats so dd(3) could enjoy the parade. After sitting for 40 minutes or so the parade was just about to arrive when a family of four decided they were going to squeeze themselves into to viewing area sitting right in front of my family. So my pleasant New Jersey attitude came out :goodnevil and insisted they move. After some dirty looks they moved farther down and probably bothered another family who was afraid to say anything.

 

[joanna71985]

This kind of falls into "line cutters" and "view blockers" you run into at WDW. It fits the theme of "total disregard for everyone else that is trying to enjoy things, too" category. :ROFLOL:

While sitting for the MNSSHP right in front of the ropes in front of the Libertry Tree, I was able to overhear the CMs getting ready to shut everything down for the ride of the Headless Horseman. They would basically make the turn right in front us and proceed toward the Castle. It's an awesome place to watch and you get close enough to just about touch the horse if you wanted to...although I HIGHLY recommend you do not!! If that horse went into the crowd, I can't imagine the carnage it would cause.

So this guy and his very young daughter must have decided that standing next to us or on our side would be a great spot to view it. They were directly across from us on the water side. He ducked under the ropes and strolled over toward us with his kid in tow.

Too bad the Horseman was on his ride and just about to come by us! I mean, this idiot just decided he wanted to cross the street on his own time as if the ropes were meant for everybody...but him!!

About 5 CMs came out of nowhere and just clotheslines the guy and tackled his daughter. Pinned them down and told them not to move while they laid on top of them. The horse galloped by, made the turn, and picked up some serious speed. You could feel the vibrations in the ground as it galloped!! And afterward, this guy was just flipping out about being tackled; he was going to sue; etc. I can't say what I said out loud to him for I am sure that the bad word filter on this forum will catch me and I will get flagged.

Needless to say, if these idiots had not been tackled and subdued, they might have been trampled or possibly even killed by the horse. And then what do you think the horse would have done? Ran into the crowd maybe? If you have ever seen this horse up close, its HUGE!

Think about THAT the next time you think it might be OK to just "cut across real quick" during a parade.

Ah, the stories I could tell from when I worked PAC down on Main Street. People just don't seem to realize that when it comes to person vs float, the float always comes out on top....literally.:lookaroun And once I even had a person on an ECV try to cross during the parade! I have no idea what he was thinking. #1- It was during the parade, so bad idea all around. But #2- He was on the side of Main Street by the Fire House (so the ground was flat). He was trying to cross to a side that has a curb- with people sitting on it watching the parade. Sheesh.

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

As I have been reading some of your stories I am reminded on a situation on our recent trip in Nov when we were at AK and had decided to go watch the Pocahontas and Friends show. We had never seen this show in all of the years we had been to WDW before. As we entered the arena we were told that the front 4 or so rows were reserved for small children so that they could see the stage as it was rather small. We thought this was a rather neat idea and sat in the row just behind them in the first row for the parents and adults. It amazed me how many people (adults) and parents who jsut came in and "plopped theirselves down on these benches even though they were CLEARLY MARKED for young guests only. I was sooo glad when the CM working that day came over and told the parents to move rather politely. I mena come on you come into a theater, and you sit down in an area in the very front........and there are only small kids there, and the other adults are behind you.......GET A CLUE!
I just thought it was awesome that WDW thoguht enough to make sure the young kids got a view of the play. after all it was geared for the younger folks anyway!

 

[bugsbunny]

Cool thing about the horse is that the rider is just that: a rider. He can't see a thing because of the costume and holding the light up in his hand.

They train the horse to know the path and the rider simply knows the horse's gait. But once the horse makes the turn in front of the Liberty Tree, he basically knows at this point he's got an almost straight shot pass the Castle and down Main Street. So that's when he starts picking up speed.

After the incident happened, we were talking to the "head" security guy, I guess. He was pretty cool and told us all about the horse and how they do it.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

I have way too many stories about this happening to me during parades. Not fireworks though - we have quite a few areas that we like and scope out early at Magic Kingdom, and so we never have problems.

Parades, though, is a totally different story. One of our favorite places to watch is across from LTT or Diamond. We sit on the low wall (it's hard for me to stand for the long wait and the parade) and we always get there well before the show, depending on how busy the park is, we've walked up 15 minutes before parade time and gotten a spot.

The worst was last October at MNSSHP. We had a spot by the path that goes back by the Liberty Belle, so it was a corner part of the low wall. DH and I sat down, our camera bag in between us, and waited over an hour for the parade. Of course, ten minutes before the parade, a family comes and sits right behind us on my left side, and puts their stroller right next to me. Fine. No problem. Next thing you know, the kid's standing in the #(*& stroller and wiggling it back and forth. I lived. No problem. Now the parade is starting, and I have my camera ready to take a picture of the Headless Horseman. I stand up on my toes to catch the shot and then proceed to sit back down, in the same spot I vacated maybe 18 seconds ago to snap a picture, and I sit on this woman's bag of candy. Honestly. So I picked my huge butt up and looked to see what I had sat on. And asked her to move it. And she had the nerve to snap at me. And not move her candy.

So I sat on it again and didn't move for the rest of the parade.

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

I have way too many stories about this happening to me during parades. Not fireworks though - we have quite a few areas that we like and scope out early at Magic Kingdom, and so we never have problems.

Parades, though, is a totally different story. One of our favorite places to watch is across from LTT or Diamond. We sit on the low wall (it's hard for me to stand for the long wait and the parade) and we always get there well before the show, depending on how busy the park is, we've walked up 15 minutes before parade time and gotten a spot.

The worst was last October at MNSSHP. We had a spot by the path that goes back by the Liberty Belle, so it was a corner part of the low wall. DH and I sat down, our camera bag in between us, and waited over an hour for the parade. Of course, ten minutes before the parade, a family comes and sits right behind us on my left side, and puts their stroller right next to me. Fine. No problem. Next thing you know, the kid's standing in the #(*& stroller and wiggling it back and forth. I lived. No problem. Now the parade is starting, and I have my camera ready to take a picture of the Headless Horseman. I stand up on my toes to catch the shot and then proceed to sit back down, in the same spot I vacated maybe 18 seconds ago to snap a picture, and I sit on this woman's bag of candy. Honestly. So I picked my huge butt up and looked to see what I had sat on. And asked her to move it. And she had the nerve to snap at me. And not move her candy.

So I sat on it again and didn't move for the rest of the parade.

:ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL::lol: that is the funniest thing I have heard this week! too cool! props! :wave:

 

[daliseurat]

I try to be really polite for parades. I let kids in front of me. I try not to block anyone elses view with my camera. And for my politeness, I am jostled and kicked. And then there is always the last minute family trying to shove in front of me and my family. Well, I can deal with all of you. I can move. I can accidentally swing my elbow into your face. The usual. But what I can't seem to do is get anyone with a balloon to not somehow be in the exact spot I am shooting video. Everytime. People, if you have a balloon, tie it down low for the parade. No one wants a balloon bobbing around in front of them at eye level during a parade. One time a family had two of these. I tried to get them to move it. I was polite. They mocked me. They didn't care. And then they wondered why their balloons mysteriously deflated soon after. Seriously, balloons are the true enemy.