Future Cast Member

[Locke]

I have been comming to this site for a few months now. I finally decided to register today. A big part of not registering was the fact that I'm not a cast member...yet.
To start off, I want thank every single Cast Member. They are the soul of Disneyland. Almost every cast member I've talked to has been extremly nice and has found some way to make my day. I often talk with with CM's about various things. And, alot of guests do not realize this, but...Gasp! Cast Members are people too! I can't stand guests who treat cast members like dirt and act as if they are unfit to kiss the ground beneath them. Sometimes I just want to..<Insert favorite death threat here>. I hang out with CM's quite alot at Disneyland though. Interesting people to talk to. I once hung out in the lobby of the opera house talking to a CM for over two hours. Of course if a guest would come up, I would let him do his job. And infact, on several occasions where multiple people asked him questions, I would answer the guests questions. After talking with the cast member for a while, I began to notice how rude people can be to the CM's. For instance, the show had started and a lady demanded(quite loudly) that they should stop the show and turn on the lights so she could find her belongings she left in the theater earlier. The CM responded in a friendly manner and told the women she would have to wait. Then she gets mad at him because he won't do as she demanded...
You Cast Members have to get a handful of people like this a day. I admire all of you for being able to deal with that in a polite and calm matter.

I have been going to Disneyland every year since I was three. I can't get enough of the place. I decided long ago that I wanted to work in the park. I always saw myself as a Jungle Cruise Skipper, but lately, I have been heavily considering working for Disney as an engineer. I'm the type of person that would rather work behind the scenes fixing rides than anything else. I'm not that sure what jobs are availibe though. I've contacted Disney asking them if they will have need(in a few years after I'm done with college) for a Computer and Electrical Engineer but have yet to recieve anything. Would any of you happen to know any engineers that work at Disneyland that might be willing to answer some simple questions? Also, does anyone have any tips on how to get hired by Disney? I assume its pretty competitive.

Now, I know that it is customary to share a stupid guest story...One of my favorites was when I was in line for Thunder. A guest with a wheelchair was waiting on the unload side. When the loader signaled to him and his party that they could get on, the guest jumps up from his wheel chair and runs to beat his group members into the train. Of course, Cast Members notice this as he did it right infront of them. The guest got very bashful and tried to look away from the CM's. Needless to say, when he returned to the station, his wheel chair was not there. The guest tried to fake being handicapped and stumbled out of the train. The CM's just stared at him. The guest, realizing that they knew he "scammed" them, quit the act and walked away fine.

All in all, after reading all of your stories I still want to work at Disneyland. It seems like a very rewarding job. CM's get to help create the magic for everyone as good as any ride or show can. Sure you have to put up with stupid and rude guests but any jobs that involve talking to people have thier share of rude and stupid guests(Disneyland just has a bit more :0 ). I have to once again thank you all for making Disneyland the happiest place on earth.

Keep up the good work,
-Locke

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

Disneyland is the happiest place to work!! I love working there, but so far as I heard, it is going ALL down hill!!! Not worth it anymore.

[ThunderCat]

...I was in line for Thunder. A guest with a wheelchair was waiting on the unload side. When the loader signaled to him and his party that they could get on, the guest jumps up from his wheel chair and runs to beat his group members into the train. Of course, Cast Members notice this as he did it right infront of them. The guest got very bashful and tried to look away from the CM's. Needless to say, when he returned to the station, his wheel chair was not there. The guest tried to fake being handicapped and stumbled out of the train. The CM's just stared at him. The guest, realizing that they knew he "scammed" them, quit the act and walked away fine.

Sounds like a good way to get a reprimand.

Not all guests who use wheelchairs are invalids -- in point of fact, at BTMR, wheelchair and ECV guests are required to transfer from their chair to the train (and yes, I've had the unhappy duty of turning away guests who were unable to do so). CMs -- and other guests -- should never assume that any guest in a wheelchair or rented ECV is "scamming" the park simply because they're able to walk.

OTOH, I love being in the park as a guest and seeing the look on the faces of some rented-wheelchair-guests when they're told "Oh, the line for this attraction is wheelchair accessible. Just use the regular queue. Have a nice day!"

True story time: the following bit of dialogue happened one day a few months ago when I was working our wheelchair queue. SG and his family (one of whom was in a wheelchair) came up.

CM: Hi! How many in your party?
SG: Five.
CM: No problem. Let me go in and make room for you on the train. I'll be right back.

(I return a few moments later)

CM: Ok, after the next group comes out I'll lead your group into the station.
SG: Thanks! You know, you're all right. They turned us away at Splash Mountain!
CM: Excuse me; they did what?
SG: I know! Can you believe it? They actually had the nerve to tell us to use the regular line!
CM: ... Well, sir, that's because the standby line at Splash Mountain is wheelchair accessible. The only reason I'm bringing you in this way is because our queue isn't.
SG. .... Oh.

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

In some situations you can tell if certain guests are trying to "scam" you in a wheelchair. They make a really big deal about the wheelchairs using the normal queue and they DEMAND an alternative entrance, like the exit or Fastpass line. They make a big scene especially with the G.A.C with a wheelchair stamp on it. It stands for a wheelchair and ALL wheelchairs goes through our wheelchair - accessible queue.

[ThunderCat]

In some situations you can tell if certain guests are trying to "scam" you in a wheelchair.

Had one just the other day... group of 20 cheerleaders in town for the Pops Warner competition. Naturally, one was in a chair (actually 2]including[/I] the wheelchair-bound guest. The other fourteen could use the standby line. When they protested "But it's a sixty-minute wait!" I told them when they arrived in the station in sixty minutes or so, then I'd be happy to bring the six guests through the queue so they could all enjoy the attraction together. The wheelchair guests could wait until then for their party, because, after all, merely being in posession of a rented wheelchair was no guarantee of a short wait time. If they found this unacceptible, well, FastPasses were still available. Then, as they were leaving, I said to the lap-sitter as nicely as I possibly could, "Oh, and I'm terribly sorry, but only one guest may use the wheelchair at a time." The look on their faces: priceless.

Another scammer, and the worst ones, IMHO: people who rent a wheelchair for Granny or Gramps, then use the oldster as a human fastpass. It's even worse when, after I bring the party into the station, they decide to inform me that no, Granny won't be riding after all... she has a bad back, you see. And she can just wait in the station for them to return. I have absolutely no problem putting on my best "sad face" and saying, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. You see, the wheelchair queue is for our mobility-impared guests and their parties. If the mobility-impared guest won't be riding, then I'm afraid I need to ask you to use either our standby or fastpass lines. If someone wants to wait with them, I'll be happy to give that member of your party a rider-swap ticket."

Believe it or not, I actually had one group turn around and say "Well, then, she'll have to go on with us... and if she gets hurt, it's YOUR FAULT."

And they wonder why the Ale House does such booming business...

[AlpineDL]

Believe it or not, I actually had one group turn around and say "Well, then, she'll have to go on with us... and if she gets hurt, it's YOUR FAULT."

Wow, gotta say that's pretty damn bad. At least where I am it's usually an issue of stupid parents asking me if something's scary, expecting me to say it's not to calm down their kid, then when I honestly say it is they get all pissed off and say it'll be my fault if their kid is scared on the ride. Ok there is a REASON it's Snow White's SCARY Adventure...


As for behind the scenes sorts of jobs, most ride mechanics are trained in aviation stuff, electrical engineering and other sorts of degrees/training have a nice shot at support jobs, and Imagineering means theater design or mechanical engineering for the most part.

[bpgstudios]

...
First I told them that due to "operational considerations", I was only able to accept six if their party through the queue, including the wheelchair-bound guest. The other fourteen could use the standby line. When they protested "But it's a sixty-minute wait!" I told them when they arrived in the station in sixty minutes or so, then I'd be happy to bring the six guests through the queue so they could all enjoy the attraction together...

I have the same thing at Pan. a few days after New Years when our FP queue was to the Carrousel, we had a party of 24 with 1 wheelchair want to ride. At Pan, wheelchairs and their parties go through the FP queue and are loaded at unload if they can transfer onto a moving belt etc. We only take 6 back there, too. Usually if its REALLY busy I take the guest in a wheelchair plus 1, maybe 2 others at unload and send the rest down FP. So this party of 24 came up to my coordinator who was helping out with the FP queue, and asks how many they have. Well, 20 people through merge that dont have FPs would KILL us. So, long story short, he gave them re-ads and made them wait a while in our wheelchair holding queue. At Pan, many of us wont load guests without mobility disabilities or MAW/GKTW at unload since it is much harder and your party wont be next to each other.

Anyways, this thread went a bit OT ;) Welcome Locke! Thats actually close to how I started at the World. I used to hang out with Indy back in his Coaster days, and as soon as I could I visited the casting center. It really is a truely rewarding job (not monetarily but mentally), and I wouldn't trade it at all... In all honesty, being Seasonal I go to work to relax since its so much less stressful than college life and the people are fun as hell-and the SGs keep you on your toes. CM's are some of the best people I've ever met, observed from both sides of the fence (as a guest and as a CM).

[inkstainedpsyche]

Sounds like a good way to get a reprimand.

Not all guests who use wheelchairs are invalids -- in point of fact, at BTMR, wheelchair and ECV guests are required to transfer from their chair to the train (and yes, I've had the unhappy duty of turning away guests who were unable to do so). CMs -- and other guests -- should never assume that any guest in a wheelchair or rented ECV is "scamming" the park simply because they're able to walk.

OTOH, I love being in the park as a guest and seeing the look on the faces of some rented-wheelchair-guests when they're told "Oh, the line for this attraction is wheelchair accessible. Just use the regular queue. Have a nice day!"

Thank you for mentioning that. I do use a wheelchair at DL, but I am by no means an invalid. I have no problem transferring from the chair to the ride. The osteoarthritis in my knees makes standing for long periods in line extremely painful, but I don't mind at all if I have to wait in line just as long as everyone else if I'm in the wheelchair. I don't do it because I want to go to the head of the line and I really prefer not to get preferential treatment at all.

In April, we're going with our boys' high school band to DL for Magic Music Days. We'll be chaperoning approximately 30 students. The other day my husband says, "Oh, you'll have LOTS of kids wanting to push your wheelchair just so they can get on rides fast." I told him that I wasn't going to allow that. Those kids are young and healthy and they can go stand in the lines with their friends.

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

Wow, gotta say that's pretty damn bad. At least where I am it's usually an issue of stupid parents asking me if something's scary, expecting me to say it's not to calm down their kid, then when I honestly say it is they get all pissed off and say it'll be my fault if their kid is scared on the ride. Ok there is a REASON it's Snow White's SCARY Adventure...

It's like they expect us to say, "No" to make them feel better. And then they scream at us for lying to them. It's a lose - lose situation. We can never win!

[Mad Hatter65]

In April, we're going with our boys' high school band to DL for Magic Music Days. We'll be chaperoning approximately 30 students. The other day my husband says, "Oh, you'll have LOTS of kids wanting to push your wheelchair just so they can get on rides fast." I told him that I wasn't going to allow that. Those kids are young and healthy and they can go stand in the lines with their friends.

well come by buzz with as many as you can muster up and I will gladly tell them to wait through Accessible Queue. :p:

My big thing is the guests with GAC cards with the wheelchair stamp... If you cant stand in lines then you should get the stamp that MEANS you cant stand in lines (the arrows stamp) A lot of people cant grasp this concept and i explain to them they can go back to city hall and get the correct stamp if need be... But thanks for playing! Go ahead and go back then we can try again.