Be good to your Park Workers.

[Driver_dylan]

Recently a friend of mine sent me a rant by someone in the food service industry. This person had a good point about the way people in the service industry in general are treated. I also work in the service industry at a theme park, and as such, I feel it necessary to point out other people who get stepped on by the unwashed masses. (Trust me, at a theme park they are unwashed) Anyway, I would like to draw your attention to what I believe are those treated worse then the servers.

First, who am I?
I prefer not to say but I have worked in the following lines of business in multiple parks: Admissions, Guest Relations, Attractions, Transportation, Merchandising , and Management. In fact the only place in a park I have never worked is in Foods.

1)
You do not PAY OUR SALARY by paying the price of admission.

In fact the price of admission just barely covers the daily operational budget of rides and maintenance. So shut the fuck up. I have had to deal with people of this opinion and let me tell you that it is not a pleasure. Just one of these assholes can ruin you day.

2)
And while were on the subject of pay, how much do you think we make?

The highest pay rate I have ever started at was $6.75 p/h and that was for driving a monorail. I now make a bit more in merch, but that is only because I have worked for my last park over four years. Typically, we are underpaid, and overworked. Add to that, the fact that at least four or five times a day, someone who in all likely hood is a brain surgeon in his home life, will stop us and ask what time is the three o’clock parade.

3)
Please don’t ask me if I like my job.

I won’t tell you, no madder how much you ask. This is due to a few reasons, but mostly due to the fact that you are being annoying and while I am dealing with you, I hate my job.

4)
Don’t ignore me when I am trying to tell you something for your safety.

I quite frankly will never understand this. I was once shouted at by a guest for telling his kid that he couldn’t climb up and touch the bus bar of the monorail beam. Sorry, if I was just trying to keep your kid from lighting himself up like the cat in the Christmas Vacation movie. Let me assure you that theme parks are subject to the same laws of physics that you are at home, and just because you are on vacation, doesn’t mean that death is as well.

5)
Things do break here, to bad.

Sorry, but that is a reality. Our equipment runs nearly 18 hours a day 365 days a year. Things do fail, and for safety reasons, we are forced to shut down attractions so that they can be inspected. These shut downs are just as inconvenient for us as you. Trust me, we would much rather be working inside, than standing around in the hot sun at the entrance telling you and the other forty thousand or so people that we are down due to technical difficulties.

6)
And while we’re here, we can’t tell you any more than that.

Technical difficulties is a blanket term used to described anything from a blown sensor to a massive and critical failure of the ride system, and you do not need to know which on is occurring at that moment. Even if we do tell you, I doubt you could fix what might be wrong.

7)
If the sign says Cast/Employees beyond this point. That is what it means.

These signs are above various doors and should be self explanatory. They do not mean that we have something back there that you need to see. Case in point, I once walked back into my shops storeroom to complete a package delivery, and found a woman with her son wondering around. Why was she back there? She was looking for a restroom and didn’t want to leave the store. The only problem, was that she would not have found a restroom back there because we don’t have one. Most restrooms for employees are centrally located at break rooms, not in the storerooms.

8)
Don’t ask how many characters there are.

There is only one answer that you will get ONE. One Mickey, One Goofy, One Shreck, One Barney, it doesn’t matter but there is only one. You won’t get any other answer from us.

9)
Finally, you can’t do everything in one day.

Once you except that, your vacation will go a lot smother.

Remember, many of us are there long hours, and unlike your stores, we don’t close on holidays.

[CMGUY89]

AMEN!!!

May I add a few?

1. Do not allow your children to wear heelies, because you will become the most hated person in the park at that very moment. Especially if you get mad at us for saying skating is not permitted.

2. Do not complain that we were rude when we are telling something for your safety. It SAFETY, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. Even though sometimes I feel to managers it is Efficiency, Courtesy, Safety (sometimes), and maybe show if its a good day.

3. Do not think that yelling at us will make us want to give in. More than likely it will just make us fight back more and decrease your already low chances of us changing our mind.

4. LISTEN!!! When I say exit through the open doors on your right, that doesn't mean go through the closed doors on your left and ask if this is an exit.

[EeyoresButterfly]

I would agree with almost all of those. The one I do not agree with is #3. I actually loved my job and I do not mind people who are trying to be friendly asking me that, I like it when the guests try to talk with me (if I am in a position to do so, such as Greeter outside a ride). IMHO, if you hate your job that much, switch your line of business or work elsewhere, believe me, the pay is not what is keeping you at your job.

Other than that though, AMEN! I would like to add a few of my own:

1.) Do not duck under a rope and then tell me that you did not see it. The rope is there for a reason, to keep you safe! And if you did not see it, you would be on the ground in pain from running into it full force.

2.) If I tell you to do something or go somewhere, it is most likely for your safety. Believe me, I do not like to order your around out of some kind of perverse pleasure, it would be easier for me to let you get hurt. However, getting hurt would be mean lots of paperwork for me, plus, I'm not that mean.

3.) Do not think that just because you rented a wheelchair you can automatically skip the line. Do not yell and argue with me when I direct you to the standby line when five other people using wheelchairs have no problem with it. If your disability is that bad, you would have gotten a GAC from Guest Relations.

4.) The fact that you are an AP/DVC member or own stock does not impress me or make you any better than the family with 5 kids who can only afford to come here once in their lifetime and are happily waiting in line.

[drcorey]

Recently a friend of mine sent me a rant by someone in the food service industry. This person had a good point about the way people in the service industry in general are treated. I also work in the service industry at a theme park, and as such, I feel it necessary to point out other people who get stepped on by the unwashed masses. (Trust me, at a theme park they are unwashed) Anyway, I would like to draw your attention to what I believe are those treated worse then the servers.

First, who am I?
I prefer not to say but I have worked in the following lines of business in multiple parks: Admissions, Guest Relations, Attractions, Transportation, Merchandising , and Management. In fact the only place in a park I have never worked is in Foods.

1)
You do not PAY OUR SALARY by paying the price of admission.

In fact the price of admission just barely covers the daily operational budget of rides and maintenance. So shut the fuck up. I have had to deal with people of this opinion and let me tell you that it is not a pleasure. Just one of these assholes can ruin you day.

2)
And while were on the subject of pay, how much do you think we make?

The highest pay rate I have ever started at was $6.75 p/h and that was for driving a monorail. I now make a bit more in merch, but that is only because I have worked for my last park over four years. Typically, we are underpaid, and overworked. Add to that, the fact that at least four or five times a day, someone who in all likely hood is a brain surgeon in his home life, will stop us and ask what time is the three o’clock parade.

3)
Please don’t ask me if I like my job.

I won’t tell you, no madder how much you ask. This is due to a few reasons, but mostly due to the fact that you are being annoying and while I am dealing with you, I hate my job.

4)
Don’t ignore me when I am trying to tell you something for your safety.

I quite frankly will never understand this. I was once shouted at by a guest for telling his kid that he couldn’t climb up and touch the bus bar of the monorail beam. Sorry, if I was just trying to keep your kid from lighting himself up like the cat in the Christmas Vacation movie. Let me assure you that theme parks are subject to the same laws of physics that you are at home, and just because you are on vacation, doesn’t mean that death is as well.

5)
Things do break here, to bad.

Sorry, but that is a reality. Our equipment runs nearly 18 hours a day 365 days a year. Things do fail, and for safety reasons, we are forced to shut down attractions so that they can be inspected. These shut downs are just as inconvenient for us as you. Trust me, we would much rather be working inside, than standing around in the hot sun at the entrance telling you and the other forty thousand or so people that we are down due to technical difficulties.

6)
And while we’re here, we can’t tell you any more than that.

Technical difficulties is a blanket term used to described anything from a blown sensor to a massive and critical failure of the ride system, and you do not need to know which on is occurring at that moment. Even if we do tell you, I doubt you could fix what might be wrong.

7)
If the sign says Cast/Employees beyond this point. That is what it means.

These signs are above various doors and should be self explanatory. They do not mean that we have something back there that you need to see. Case in point, I once walked back into my shops storeroom to complete a package delivery, and found a woman with her son wondering around. Why was she back there? She was looking for a restroom and didn’t want to leave the store. The only problem, was that she would not have found a restroom back there because we don’t have one. Most restrooms for employees are centrally located at break rooms, not in the storerooms.

8)
Don’t ask how many characters there are.

There is only one answer that you will get ONE. One Mickey, One Goofy, One Shreck, One Barney, it doesn’t matter but there is only one. You won’t get any other answer from us.

9)
Finally, you can’t do everything in one day.

Once you except that, your vacation will go a lot smother.

Remember, many of us are there long hours, and unlike your stores, we don’t close on holidays.

I like number 8.
just tell them about how many Disney charactors there are and let them puzzle it out. "welp, Disney has thousands of charactors, counting them all would take a long time."

[hhsrat]

8)
Don’t ask how many characters there are.

There is only one answer that you will get ONE. One Mickey, One Goofy, One Shreck, One Barney, it doesn’t matter but there is only one. You won’t get any other answer from us.

Yes, but there ARE two Chips. (granted, one is a teacup and one is a chipmunk, but I believe this is the only instance of having 2 animated characters share the same name, out of all the 1000+ Disney animated characters)

[Theme Park Where]

I don't agree with #3 either. I love my job and I don't mind telling the world. Believe it or not, I even love my job when dealing with difficult guests. I don't particularly like the guest, but the job itself is the best one I've ever had and the reason I'm willing to practically starve to death to keep it.

I'll add one too ...

I'm not rude, just because I said no. Sometimes the things you ask for are not possible, and I can't give in no matter how many times you ask. It may be a security concern, or a safety reason, or it may simply be that letting you do something will cause problems for the many other guests who are there for the day. Don't report me as a rude employee, just because I told you that you couldn't do something.

[Syndrome]

8) Don’t ask how many characters there are.

There is only one answer that you will get ONE. One Mickey, One Goofy, One Shreck, One Barney, it doesn’t matter but there is only one. You won’t get any other answer from us.

Actually I did here a good exception to this one at Fantasmic once. As we were leaving, a mom and her little boy were walking in front of us. The little boy said all seriously, "Mom, that was a Stunt Mickey in those scary parts, right?" Mom assured him that it was indeed a Stunt Mickey so that the real Mickey was safe and sound!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Actually I did here a good exception to this one at Fantasmic once. As we were leaving, a mom and her little boy were walking in front of us. The little boy said all seriously, "Mom, that was a Stunt Mickey in those scary parts, right?" Mom assured him that it was indeed a Stunt Mickey so that the real Mickey was safe and sound!

That, or Mickey is an accomplished stunt mouse! (that IS after all, how he got his start in showbiz!)

[Randy B]

Technical difficulties is a blanket term used to described anything from a blown sensor to a massive and critical failure of the ride system, and you do not need to know which on is occurring at that moment. Even if we do tell you, I doubt you could fix what might be wrong.

I understand that you are not allowed to give out specific info. But I can understand the question when you translate it. If I am told there are technical difficulties I may ask what's wrong. I am not asking for specific part numbers or even specifics of the problem. But what I am asking (in a poor way) is how disabling does the problem seem to be. If it is a blown fuse and the attraction may be back up and running in the next 15 to 30 min I may stick around the area in hopes of getting in when the difficulty is fixed. Or should I go away and come back in a couple of hours? Or should I not bother checking back as it probably won't be repaired until tomorrow?

I do understand that the person on stage is rarely informed beyond "we're 101. Go out there and turn people away." And I am fully willing to accept "I wasn't told what is wrong." At least it is some kind of answer. And I appreciate even a general "feeling" answer (as in, I haven't been told specifics, but check the tip board in an hour and we'll both hope things are back to normal by then). You are admitting that you haven't been informed of any specifics, but show some empathy with the desires of the guest.

On the other hand the person who persists can be dismissed as a "must know everything that is none of their business" types.

Other than that one personal quibble with the list I can agree with the rest.

JMHO

Randy

[joanna71985]

I totally agree with 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. In fact, on other boards #1 is brought up a lot. For #2, I had to deal with this one a lot when doing PAC. People just don't seem to realize that Little Person+ Big Float= Big Mess. The ropes are there for a reason! I had a few people follow me and the character off stage, and I had to tell them they couldn't be back there. One guest almost caught Tigger "undressed" (he had walked through a door, past a black curtain, and another door to come up to us. Good thing he was an adult). Finally, #8 is a big pet peeve with me. Please don't ask me if it is hot in there (hot where? It is 98.6, same as you and me), if they have AC (do you have AC inside you?), if it is hot in that suit (hey, you try convincing Baloo to shave. You know how stubborn bears can be. Or, Yeah Mickey is wearing a suit. but he is the boss, after all. ;) ), ect. I especially hate it when adults ask the questions in front of kids (not that it would change anything I tell you). Luckily I have never had any problems with #2 (no one has ever asked me that). And as for #3, I like telling people about my role (roles). I had a really nice conversation with a nice grandmother back on my second CP. If people are interested, I am more then happy to discuss my role with them. :)

[quote="EeyoresButterfly"]I would agree with almost all of those. The one I do not agree with is #3. I actually loved my job and I do not mind people who are trying to be friendly asking me that, I like it when the guests try to talk with me (if I am in a position to do so, such as Greeter outside a ride). IMHO, if you hate your job that much, switch your line of business or work elsewhere, believe me, the pay is not what is keeping you at your job.