Have you ever moved someone's blanket?

[Stitchy]

I was reminded today, of a trip to DL. A fellow Mcer, me and our families were walking past the Fantastic area, and I was shocked at all the blankets placed on the ground. It was at least 3 hours before the show was supposed to start and there were at least 3 rows deep of blankets with no people sitting on them. I thought it was incredibly rude to the people who would show up and actually sit in a spot to "reserve" it. So, my question is...have you ever moved a blanket to take the spot? What do you think of this practice?

[calsig31]

I think the practice is fine, but it should be done by Disney. They should actively remove unattended items as they pose a safety and security risk.

Taking action to move it on your own is just asking for trouble.

[Stitchy]

I agree about CM's moving them. I think any blanket left unattended should be picked up and taken to Lost and Found.

[chesirecat]

I agree about CM's moving them. I think any blanket left unattended should be picked up and taken to Lost and Found.

Somebody could trip on the blankets after all, and its not like the person who placed the blanket is doing work by waiting 2-3 hours for a good spot for the show, they just plopped down they're blanket and ran off to enjoy the park.

I think a guest could legitimately pick-up the blankets and hand them to a castmember and say, "somebody lost these". You don't have a right to leave personal property unattended around Disneyland (outside of a stroller you rented/brought) and expect that nobody will touch it.

I don't want to see a row of blankets next time I visit DL.

[chesirecat]

I think the practice is fine, but it should be done by Disney. They should actively remove unattended items as they pose a safety and security risk.

Taking action to move it on your own is just asking for trouble.

This is an APer issue and I think should be "policed" by APers. Disney won't have castmembers removing personal property meant to reserve a spot for Fantasmic as they try to avoid conflict with guests. I would just pick-up the blankets, fold them, and put them on a rail nearby or something. If the responsible party comes back and sees you doing it then tell them that you thought the blankets were lost by somebody who had to leave in an emergency and you were going to give them to a castmember after the show. Then tell them that since you got the spot first, it is your spot. Doubt they would argue.

I remember during a Glow with the Show Fantasmic last fall many of the APers were there hours ahead of time sitting on their blankets, seems that if you want to have a good viewing option you should do the time to get the spot. What about the non-APers? I think they should have a fair shot at seeing the show, hence no blanket squatting to get a spot.

[Malcon10t]

I don't care of someone stakes out areas, but SOMEONE has to be there. No parking strollers, blankets, etc to cover an area, unless there is a human too....

[calsig31]

This is an APer issue

Wow, that's a general statement.

I think should be "policed" by APers.

I don't think anyone should ever take the law into their own hands. The confrontation will just make matters worse. It's best to leave this up to Disney to find a solution.

Doubt they would argue

Really, no one would argue if you moved their personal belongings and then claimed to have the spot first? Not that they would be right, but there would be an argument either way.

[biggsworth]

I don't mind people squatting for shows but I do not think they should be able to put blankets down on the ground. If you want the spot sit there and/or stand there.

As far as the statement above about this being a AP issue I find that to be way too general to say.

[RegionsBeyond]

Park policy should absolutely change about staying with your belongings/no camping out beyond a specific time period on busy days, due to congestion of walkways and etc.

But one guest touching belongings of others or moving them will only cause problems in the long run, possibly even fights if not 'mere' verbal confrontations and aggressive behavior. I wish Disney would take steps to remedy this, but doing it yourself 90 percent of time just asking for trouble.

[chesirecat]

I don't think anyone should ever take the law into their own hands. The confrontation will just make matters worse. It's best to leave this up to Disney to find a solution.

Really, no one would argue if you moved their personal belongings and then claimed to have the spot first? Not that they would be right, but there would be an argument either way.

Legally, if you come across abandoned property in Disneyland (which is what I think these blankets are legally), then I don't see how you could get in trouble for giving them to a castmember to ostensibly give to Lost and Found, or for just removing them as an obstruction. I bet somebody, or a lot of somebodies, has/have left a blanket/s and forgotten about it. Nothing wrong legally with picking up abandoned property and moving it out of the way.

Can somebody reserve a table outside Cafe Orleans by storing their junk on it for hours while they roam the park? No.

If I was moving somebody's blanket as the person approached me, then they could say that they just ran to the bathroom or something, but legally I could hand them their property, apologize and say that it is theirs and I thought it was lost by somebody. They can then say, "I'm saving this area", and I can say I'm already here so possession is 9/10th of the law, and a blanket can't "own" a viewing area.

I doubt they'd argue for long if you made it clear that you don't view the blanket nonsense as a legitimate way to reserve a spot. If a blanket is OK, then it seems you could bring in red ropes to cordon off an area as being reserved for Mr. Chesirecat's private viewing. The blanket squatters are betting the nobody would dare move their personal property, even if they're off in another land having fun while you would gladly wait a couple hours to see the show from a certain spot.

I'm going to take my six year old niece to see Fantasmic for the first time, and if I see a whole row of blankets . . . with nobody there, I am going to quickly bundle them up, place them to the side and claim the area and if/when the folks come back, I would play stupid and say the area was "open" when we arrived.

I wonder if I could reserve a favorite spot on the Mark Twain the whole day by putting a pile of my dirty laundry there, nobody would dare move that. In the end, the blanket squatters are entitled and rude as they know that not everybody would be so bold as to take it upon themselves to cordon of a piece of Disneyland for their later private use.

Oh, and the blankets look awful draped all over NOS.

[chesirecat]

Here is how I would (and will) deal with this issue:

1. Quickly remove blankets and give them to a member of our party to take to castmember to give to Lost and Found. Play dumb if guests return.

Or

2. Move the blankets, play dumb if guests return.

Dropping dirty laundry doesn't reserve a spot, if I move the stuff and then the offenders come back later, and argue, I would ask them to leave and stop harassing my family and would get one of them to get a castmember to get them to leave us alone because we were there first.

I'm thinking that the casual, once in a lifetime, visitors to Disneyland don't know to bring a blanket with them to Fantasmic, but that the blanket squatters are almost entirely So-Cal APers.

I had a bad experience when Fantasmic first opened, my sister was legitimately in a wheelchair (bad sprained ankle, gymnastics), and we were above the Pirates queue and pushed her up to see the show and some guests got right in front of her wheelchair half an hour later and we had to yell at them as she crying because she couldn't see the show. (Later we saw the show several times from the then Disney Gallery). Don't know if they were APers . . . but everybody should get a fair shake as seeing the show, and a human being can reserve the space, not an inanimate object like a freakin' blanket.

Something tells me that the blanket squatters have seen the show many, many, many times.

[Stitchy]

It's nice to see that I am not the only one who thinks it is rude. Thanks for making my night.

And I agree, Chesirecat...it makes the area look horrible. Something really needs to be done.

[frollofan]

I have never moved someone's blanket, but I believe that any blankets left out should be handed over to a cast member to be placed in lost and found. If one wants a good seat for the show, then he or she should at least physically sit in his or her desired spot.

[PBandJ]

I probably wouldn't be bold enough to move blankets myself, but I do NOT think that unattended blankets should be allowed.

I hate the way Fantasmic shuts down NOS. Parades and Fireworks are one thing - they can be seen across a much bigger area, concentrated in Main Street, where there aren't any rides. But for the area that contains some of the park's most beloved and popular rides (Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, Splash Mountain) to be paralyzed for hours by Fantasmic doesn't make sense to me. I see how there isn't really anywhere else to do it in the park, and there's no room to expand into a separate amphitheater like at DHS, so I guess I am just complaining to no end

[chadb14]

As much as I might want to move a blanket, stroller, etc. that has been left to hold a spot, I would never do it because of th headached that would most likely be involved if the own saw you doing it. It's just not worth it. I do wish that park managment would put some sort of policies in place to limit / stop this practice from taking place.