A couple of questions for any and all CM's

[svickersart]

I saw a post that made refrence to "Alices" I believe, they were talking about these guys stalking CM's. Can anyone tell me about them?

What is Disneys policy on line jumping/cutting in line? I have seen people climb over the chains/rails/ropes acting like they had a friend at the front of the line (they dont) so they dont have to wait in line, this is the most blatent cutting I have seen, some are a bit more suttle like stepping into the line in the middle of the obvious line instead of the end. I have seen people point them to the end of the line for this also, what are the CM's instructed to do when they see this? or if another guest complains about this behavior?

Thanks
Steve

[LegoDan]

we aren't trained on that. we pretty much have to use common sense

If we see it we point them to the end of the line, if a guest complains to us about it we can't do anything because we don't know if the guest is lying, personaly I a "one person cannot save a spot for groups larger than 4 total" rule.

[mechurchlady]

I am not a CM. i do not know policy. I do know that any time I have seen someone cutting in line then the CMs have escorted the person out of the line. A person can get escorted out of the park or even an annual pass revoked if the situation is serious. CMs do not tolerate line cutting at all.


I tried to find out about Alices and could not find anything on the internet. Maybe someday you will get your answers.

[svickersart]

Thanks, Im not sure if they were called the
Alice's, I read a post about people stalking CM's and they talked about a group at DL, green vests and boots, something along those lines.

On the line jumping, I was wondering what a CM could do about the most blatent? I hate tons of people who are holding spots, a few people in is one thing, but when they are a half hour in really bugs me, saw that on Soarin at WDW, I had been waiting half an hour and people were still walking past us because the rest of their group was farther up. A minute or two is one thing, but half an hour, you should wait at the exit. Thats annoying, its the ones that are faking it and climbing over the rails/ropes/chains, can they get tossed from the parks for that?
Thanks
Steve

[mechurchlady]

Here is my strategy for people moving up the line. Stand firmly with feet planted and say "I am sorry but you will have to talk to a Cast Member as I cannot let you cut in line." Any words stating that they cannot pass may be used. Do not let them pass at all and get the crowd in on it. "LINE CUTTERS ALERT LINE CUTTERS" will make some people thinking you are an idiot and others to attack the cutters. Working as a team guests can usually stop brats from running back and forth in line as well as deal with the line cutters.

I was in line for the rapids at DCA and this pair of guys would move up to be with family. I knew that they were not part of the people up ahead of me. I said are they with you. The people all around them said no and then looked that the guys and then each other. That is when the mob took over and got a CM to remove them when we got near the ride entrance. For those who do not know the ride, you enter to the left and wait an hour then it comes back by the main entrance. It then goes down to the ride loading dock.

CMs have their leads who have their bosses. Each CM can at any time call security who also has for back up the local law enforcement. If a CM politely asks someone to do something then they can always get the lead or the security who will handle the matter. Sometimes all it takes is another CM but sometimes it takes security and management.

Disclaimer: I do not work here for Disney and those are my observations and stuff I heard for CMs.

[EmptyCinema]

OK, I am not a CM, but here's what I've experienced:

At WDW (in the Toontown Fair Character Greeting Area) I have several times seen one person holding space for 4-5 (sometimes more) people in line WHILE the remainder of their party is in another line. (For anyone who doesn't know it, there are 3 lines each for a set of 3 characters). This really annoys me, especially when it's obvious to the cast members (such as people standing at the very front letting groups go by and telling the cast member "i'm waiting for people in the other line").

Stay with your group. The rest of us have to wait there, why should your group be "special"?

(Though if any CM knows why the lines there sometimes stop for a full 20 minutes, I'd love to hear that. I know characters need breaks from meeting people, but surely they just switch two sets like most of the other busy places?)

[joanna71985]

Just want to say that for Toontown and the character lines, families can NOT split up their parties in multiple lines. If they do, they will not be able to rejoin their party once they get to the front of their line.

[EmptyCinema]

Just want to say that for Toontown and the character lines, families can NOT split up their parties in multiple lines. If they do, they will not be able to rejoin their party once they get to the front of their line.

If only all CMs enforced that.

By the way, is there any chance you were working Toontown as an attendant Jan 1-3 or similar this year? I think my GF and I may have seen you there. I'm not 100% sure, but it sounds familiar.

[bpgstudios]

From my personal observations, this seems to be a bit more rampant at Disneyland. Almost every queue I got into, about 10 minutes into the wait a group of 3+ would join the party in front of me. For those of you that know what I look like, I am by no means intimidating and therefore stay out of confrontations without a nametag on, so I just gave the most evil evil-eye I could (Not that they cared). Very annoying, but I can understand the dilemma posed to the CMs:
1. Disneyland seems to be lacking many greeter positions, making "proof" of a line jumper very hard.
2. Many CMs, myself included, might not really want to risk such confrontation with people that obviously do not care about those around them (If they did, they wouldn't be line jumping now would they?) THe only exception would be if another guest brought it to my attention AND I saw the line jumping.

I've been asked on several occasions by guests if the rest of their party can join them later in line. My answer is "no." But in many of our queues, we cannot see the whole thing, so people might get into the queue and then push their way through to catch up with them.

The biggest thing is that Disney really wants to keep things happy and magical for everyone- even some SGs. If the party complains at city hall, there might be a few GR CMs that would just give them a FP to make them happy again. Line jumping and saving places seems to be a very akward situation for Disney- I think it really is one of those case-by-case basis things.

[svickersart]

Now that you mention it, line jumping for attractions does seem more prevalent at D/L over WDW, but when it comes to the busses at WDW watch out. I read today a lady was assaulted on the Tea cups at WDW in a dispute over place in line or whos cup it was, something like that. I'm pretty laid back and even more so when I'm at Disney but SG's who just ignore the fact there is a line really get on my nerves. Last trip down we headed to SM first thing, when we arrived they had just dropped the rope, there were about 200 people in line, we saw 3 annoying teenage girls just walk into the middle of the line. Then, as we came to the first turn where the first fastpass check is four teenage boys tried to step into line, instead of getting in line at the end they walk quickly up the side passed everyone else waiting and when the line narrowed they tried to step in. Several of us told them where the end of the line started, they didnt argue but I'm sure they eventually cut in on someone.

I think people need lessons in theme park ettiquet, I dont mind if someone is joining their group a few people in from the end of the line, when its crowded its easy to have your group split but pushing your way through people who have been waiting in line more than a minute is wrong, and climbing over the rails/chains/ropes no way.
Steve