Fastpass+ is LITERALLY torture.

[delsdad]

I have kicked the PTSD, and just a couple days ago I helped another former pilot to kick his.

I'm very happy to read this. Good on ya for making it through.

I am so thrilled that you have overcome the PTSD. And of course, as only you can and could do, you helped another pilot with it too.

Whether you are a current or former Cast Member, you are part of our Family. And Family needs to take care of each other.

So many of us were changed by that night, but we are made of tough stuff in this Family. We will not forget. But we will remember those we lost. And we will forgive ourselves for what we thought we should have done or been able to do.

One Rail, One Family

mapo

Where is that damn LIKE button on here ????

[Big Wallaby]

Alright, a few responses. For mapo, where do I start? Probably in a PM. For the folks like Penny, thank you; however don't feel sorry for me. That is not the point of my post at all. I am willing to put into words what so many will not. Those of us who choose to make "pain-in-the-butt tourists" happy do it because we love what we (now they) do. Like so many before me, and to be fair even more to come, it would seem I had my time with the company and had to move on.

As far as John Lasseter, I for one would love to welcome him to this site. It's great to have a Cast Member at heart in his position, and his respect for the Cast Member shows through pretty constantly. That, and I would LOVE to hear his SGT stories

Today, one of my favorite questions is, "So where do we go from here?" What is in the past only matters in that it has put us where we are today.

Yes, they are a very large company, with the characteristics thereof. But you know what? You can still be a Cast Member at least when no one's watching. Even if that's all you have, it's still worth doing it.

So don't take what I said as me being negative, it just is what it is. I do believe the pendulum will swing back; it has gone back and forth several times in the history of the company. In fact, looking at many of the things Eisner implemented, there are many times Cast Members were Cast Members in spite of him. Good for them!

[Near Philly]

First I need to give BW a big virtual hug.
Second, I need to simply restate the obvious, more Cast Members care less. Not all, just more.
Then I need to say how nice it was to attach a credit card to a wristband, touch for turnstile admission, touch for purchases, touch to lock a locker, total out at the end of my stay and have to place the band on a reader / collector for turnstile exit.
WHAT !! you say.
That wasn't at WDW, it was at a spa in Iceland that uses RFID wristbands so you can keep your cash / cards in a locker.
http://www.bluelagoon.com/blue-lagoon-spa/guided-tours/

As far as WDW over Christmas and Fastpass+, my biggest problem was MDX not being available at times. This only happened occasionally. There were also some FP+ stations in MK that were a little too touch sensitive and caused minor problems. We had no problems with the physical using of FP+ and always got a green ring.

[February]

have to post a huge hug for Big Wallaby and Mapo. I think of you so much more often than you know.

You will always be the heart of what a CM should be.

One Rail, One Family

xoxoxo

bru

PS hi to all, I hope to visit here more often xoxo

[felinefan]

HI BRU!!!! How are things? Miss ya and your art as well as your insights on everything.

[Csaks]

What can I say. BW what a story, glad you are doing better.
Sadly I have seen the decline in the quality Disney Cast Members such as yourselves over the years we have been going. Universal seems to have picked up where Disney has left off and I am enjoying there more and more over WDW. I really don't understand the direction WDW wants to go with this because I truly believe Disney CM's were the reason we couldn't wait to go back. Every trip, several times a CM would do or say something that would make that day a great one. It wasn't much most of the time,I really miss the Bus drivers and their personal spiel. I can remember one night packed in like sardines on a bus at the close of MK, everyone was miserable. He sensed it and had everyone laughing a couple of minutes into the ride. Don't ask me what he said but I remember going from tired and a bit grumpy to laughing my butt off with total strangers not wanting to get to the hotel. Last trip we had Claire as our Keys to the Kingdom guide, she truly loves her job and it shows. But the Claire's of Disney are getting to be far and few in between now. I hope you are right that this is a pendulum effect BW but I fear the bean counters are running roughshod over the company looking for more profits. Unfortunately I think they are killing the reason Disney is or was in some eyes, head and shoulders above the rest and the reason so many go back time and time again. Only time will tell.
Going back this fall, spending 4 days at Universal and 10 at Disney. Years ago I would have never left property, now Universal is becoming more and Disney less.