Are You Born a Tool, or Do You Become 1 When You Get an AP?

Max Fischer · Post by **Max Fischer** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 6:20 pm

Ok, I am not a CM, but I can totally feel your pain!!! I CANNOT even comprehend some of the stuff I read on other DLR sites. Some of these self-proclaimed DLR fans are total FREAKS!!!! They talk so much smack about how a CM looked, didn't smile, etc, etc. Jesus Christ! Do they think working at DLR is like joining the f-ing Peace Corp????? Puh-lease!!! It is a job, JUST a job. It is a cool one, and hopefully one that CMs enjoy, but God, it isn't a calling.....

I go nuts when I read some ridiculous posts on other sites, it is amazing. I am going to DL in October, and I VOW not to do the dumb stuff that I see and hear happen. I also purchased a PAP, but I am not a moron that needs to feel self-important. I am interested in the discounts.

So, in closing, please know that there are some of us out there that know you guys bust your ass, and we appreciate it. Not everyone is a psycho, DLR-like star trek fan.

Good Times.

P.S. Maybe in the future you guys can post what kinds of things you would like to see guest do, or say that would make your life easier. That might help with some of the misguided guests who think they are being helpful.

CujoSR · Post by **CujoSR** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 6:48 pm

I love the title of this thread!!!

Most APs and even the "Freaks," as you put it, are very nice and courtious (sp?) people. But as Dante so eliquently put it:

when you're driving down the road, it's the potholes that you remember - not the miles and miles of otherwise smooth pavement.

SRT_GB · Post by **SRT_GB** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 10:25 pm

Thanks for the support Max. I used to read one particular DLR fan site and it drove me nuts how people would post every single friggin detail about their most recent trip to DL. I mean, I'm glad they enjoyed their trip and want to talk about it and all, but why the hell do they have to say that so-and-so was nice and so-and-so wasn't nice?

Want my advice on how not to annoy CMs? Try as much as possible not to ask ridiculous questions or questions that we hear 20,000 times a day. More than half of the questions I hear 20,000 times a day are answered in the park map, including park hours, show times, how FP works, and (who would've guessed it) where everything is. You'll be surprised how many times I'll point something out to someone on the map and they'll still ask "where's that?"

Buggy · Post by **Buggy** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 10:08 am

As a self-proclaimed stupid guest, I just wanted to mention a study I read about years ago.

It seems that given the choice between asking a busy coworker about how to use a copier and looking it up in the manual, a great majority of people would interrupt the busy coworker.

It's just easier to ask someone than look it up yourself. It's human nature.

I do ask stupid questions sometimes because it's easier, but I do try to be polite about it and always thank the CM for the answer.

Dante101 · Post by **Dante101** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 11:18 am

Max Fischer wrote:Maybe in the future you guys can post what kinds of things you would like to see guest do, or say that would make your life easier. That might help with some of the misguided guests who think they are being helpful.

Don't do anything special - just don't be a jerk. Some may find it hard to believe, but even working at Disneyland, we run into a lot of a**holes. People get hot and cranky as they spend the day waiting in line and listening to their kids whine and paying $3 for a Coke - who can blame them? But don't take it out on the cast members. Disney rapes you for every cent you've got, but they don't treat us much better.

And on the flipside, we've got cast members who are jerks, too. I've seen a lot of my coworkers treat people badly (people who didn't deserve it). So it goes both ways...

If you're looking to make the day nicer for a cast member, just smile and say "hi." That's all. Don't add anything. Funny enough, a lot of jerks start off their evil encounters with a phony smile and a "hello, how are you doing today?" When I hear that phrase, I'm like a deer caught in the headlights - 'cause I wonder if the guest is going to follow-up with a complaint they have ("Can you tell me your name, please?") or a stupid comment ("It wouldn't hurt you to smile, you know") or something nice ("Disney doesn't pay you guys enough").

As for a list of general things that guests do that bug me:

-not knowing the number of people in your party, or waiting until you're asked to count.

-giving the wrong answer when asked "how many." (for instance, on Space Mtn, people can see that the seats are two by two, so when asked "how many," they'll answer "two" (even though there might be 7 in their group). So the cast member will put them in an empty row - there might be one empty row left in the rocket coming in - and hold up the rest of their group for the next rocket; only to have the guest say "they're with us!" This is usually followed by the cast member rolling their eyes and saying, "you said you had two in your party." I mean, it's not that confusing. When asked "how many," we want to know the size of your group - unless you don't care about being split up into different vehicles...)

-especially on busy days, get into and out of the ride vehicle as quickly as possible. On rides like Space Mtn, we try to run as many rockets as we can to make the line move faster, but we are hampered by slow-moving guests - or guests who finish the ride and remain seated so they can give you a "wow, what a ride" expression. You can actually cause Space Mtn to break down by not getting in or out fast enough. (in fact, I hear one of the improvements on Space will be a separate load area for handicapped guests, where their rocket will be on a spur track - allowing them all the time they need to get in or out)

-on Monorail, fold up your damn stroller! Don't try to sneak it on, hoping we won't notice. And don't whine about how your child is asleep - an unfolded stroller on the Monorail is a safety hazard. As I used to tell the guests, we're not going to jeopardize the safety of the other guests just because you might have to wake your child up. If it's that damn important to let your kid sleep, then walk back to the hotel - it's not all that far...

It's been a year since I quit, so I can't remember too much more right now...

cheshire · Post by **cheshire** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 12:27 pm

Please don't yell. :( If you have a complaint, talk to us about it. Yelling and being rude or sarcastic makes us less willing to help. It would also be helpful if people would do a little research(pick up a phone, use the computer) to find out what rides are closed. By the time people get to critter country, and I'm sure other perimeter areas, they are very angry that this ride or that ride was closed for rehab. If people are going to spend that much money to go somewhere, the least they can do is some minimal research.

Dante101 · Post by **Dante101** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 12:40 pm

I agree. We get bombarded with guests trying to get compensation for anything and everything. If it's something legit, then no problem - but if the guest is nasty, a CM is certainly less likely to help out. If the guest is nice, the CM will most likely to go out of their way to help.

Oh, and one thing that seems to grate on my fellow CMs - if you have some funny joke about a CM's costume or whatever, you have to realize that person has most likely heard that exact same joke hundreds of times already. Expect them to roll their eyes and say "very original."

SRT_GB · Post by **SRT_GB** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 8:22 pm

cheshire wrote:Please don't yell. :( If you have a complaint, talk to us about it. Yelling and being rude or sarcastic makes us less willing to help.

I really, really, really hate when someone has a complaint but I can't give them what they want for whatever reason, and they bust out with some stupid line like "the customer is always right." That tells me they're trying to take advantage of me and makes me even less willing to help them.

coffeegirl9 · Post by **coffeegirl9** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 10:08 pm

Yes, I don't uderstand why guests think yelling at the next cast member they encounter will make everything all better. We are very sorry that you had a bad time, or weren't given the right information, or that you came to Disneyland JUST TO RIDE SPACE MOUNTAIN, but yelling at me can't magically make Space Mountain open, or lower the price on anything. It's nice that you think I have that kind of power, but it's not going to do anything but piss me off. Also, don't tell me to tell Michael Eisner anything. I hate when a guest says, "Well, you should tell Michael Eisner that the prices are too high." I've got news for you-Michael Eisner doesn't care what Jane Doe out at ticket booth 3 says!

Freak · Post by **Freak** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 10:55 pm

coffeegirl9 wrote:.......but yelling at me can't magically make Space Mountain open, or lower the price on anything......

Hmmmm, imagine if that were so....

::has funny/strange thoughts running through his head right now::

Stupid Guest Tricks

Are You Born a Tool, or Do You Become 1 When You Get an AP?

Are You Born a Tool, or Do You Become 1 When You Get an AP?

Re: Are You Born a Tool, or Do You Become 1 When You Get an