Stupid Guest Tricks

I was asked to be a Jehovah's Witness but I said I couldn't because I didn't see the accident.

We want to be treated like human beings.

Don't assume that every CM is a walking Disney encyclopedia. Also, don't assume that just because they work at an often below-poverty-level-paying job that they aren't intelligent. Some of us work at Disneyland because we want to, not because it's the best we can do.

Listen to us. When we say, "Hi, how are you doing today?" don't say "Four cheerios (dyslexic-speak for churro) and two Sprites." The CM then has every right to respond with "I'm sorry to hear that. What can I get for you?"

If you've been standing to my left and a little behind me for ten minutes and are getting upset that I haven't sold you a churro, try getting in line with everybody else.

If you see that there is one of me helping guests, don't form two lines. If you do, see the above paragraph.

If you drop your kid's churro as you're handing it to them, come back and tell us. Don't make up some half-assed story about it being stale or not tasting right. Food drops all the time in big crowds; we're ready for it. Just bring us back the churro so we can balance our fund at the end of the day and a new churro is yours.

If you haven't bought a churro, don't come up and tell me that you bought one and dropped it and custodial swept it up and told you we'd give you a new one. We may sell churros to thousands of people a day, but we have enough short-term memory to realize that we haven't sold you anything recently.

In one of Disney's not-too-bright moves, the churro counters are stainless steel. Yes, it's easier to clean, but it sure gets toasty on a hot day. If you forget that shiny metal in direct sunlight and 90-100º heat tends to be rather warm and you lean on it, please don't blame the CM if you get burnt. They are upset enough about the shiny counter with it reflecting (and seemingly magnifying) the sun right into their eyes. If you ask, however, we will tell you how to get to First Aid to get some burn cream.

Don't be afraid to ask the silly question, be it "where's the bathroom" or "how do I get from here to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant?" If it's something boring like a bathroom question, we're used to it. If it's a cool question like the second, we're happy for the break in monotony. If the question is very silly, like "If you could date Minnie Mouse or Daisy Duck, who would you go out with?", then you give us comedic stories to tell at the Inn-Between.

And finally, when buying churros, don't order one churro, wait until I make it, then ask for one more, then one more, then one more, then two more, than one more, then a Sprite, then another churro, then a Coke, and another Sprite, and one more -- make that three more churros, and a Sprite, and another Coke, and two churros, and -- wait, you gave us two Sprites. We only wanted one. No, I didn't say it twice! And I need four more churros, and a Diet Coke, and three waters, etc. etc. etc. Count it up before you get in line and give me totals. Not only does this make the transaction 3x quicker, it also makes the math easier for the CM. We all have $2.75 (or whatever churros and drinks may be up to since I left) times most numbers memorized, but it gets hard to keep track of large orders broken into individual parts, especially when your kids are grabbing them and running off.

Oh, and I almost forgot: don't ask if that It's a Small World music bugs me when I have to listen to it all day. I had totally tuned it out, but now that you've brought it up it's DRIVING ME FREAKING INSANE AGAIN! THANKS SO MUCH FOR MENTIONING IT!!!

DisneylandIs101 wrote:Oh, and I almost forgot: don't ask if that It's a Small World music bugs me when I have to listen to it all day. I had totally tuned it out, but now that you've brought it up it's DRIVING ME FREAKING INSANE AGAIN! THANKS SO MUCH FOR MENTIONING IT!!!

Amen. Same thing at Pooh grouper. "Does this music drive nuts after awhile?" I usually respond with "What music?" and a big smile. Once I said "I usually tune it out" and the guest seeing that they brought it up said "So now that I mentioned it I guess you're hearing it again. Sorry about that" I was cool with it because the guest was friendly and nice so I said "Yeah but its ok don't worry about it"

Stduck wrote:" I was cool with it because the guest was friendly and nice so I said "Yeah but its ok don't worry about it"

Definitely. This is part of being treated like a human. Obviously, through no fault of your own (or at least through no appreciable premeditation) you may say something that you realize is an "AP comment" or something that may drive a CM nuts if they hear it all the time (like when churros were $2 and everyone seemed to say "Good lawd, that's a lot of money" in reference to "I'm Gonna Git U Sucka").

Look, everyone says stuff like this from time to time. If you take a moment to account for our feelings (just like Dumbo, we have them), you won't make many CM enemies at all. In fact, contrary to popular opinion, some of the AP's were my favorite guests. I had some that would seek me out when they came in (possibly it had something to do with my old 60+ pin lanyard) whose conversations and insights were some of the best I had during my time with the Mouse.

Maybe it's because they spent time getting to know me whilst browsing my plethora of pins (I love drunk-posting; I use my big words), but there were some AP's that really made my Disney time special, getting to know what I was passionate about (like not outsourcing attraction maintenance to avoid Big Thunder-type incidents or not selling World Trade Center 9/11 ornaments in the Christmas shop in New Orleans Square, and instead treating guests the way Walt would have - IMHO, if you treat people the way they want to be treated, they will come back and spend more; if you go for the quick buck you get it, but only once) and really acting like I was a fellow Disney lover and not just an $8/hour peon.

I, for one, am sick of all the "amusing" comments guests make to me ie "wow, you sure do walk a lot" or "SMILE!" Also saying that I'm hot while in front of me is not the best way to earn points.

I want people to know that I'm there to help and also lighten up the mood for a day spent in hour long lines and loads of sweaty guests. I make jokes to help keep myself and the guests entertained and if you don't like them, don't take offense. I am more than willing to chat while at greeter or other outside postions but once inside the Mansion I'm in full character and people do not need to see if they can get me to break character.

mentu wrote:I, for one, am sick of all the "amusing" comments guests make to me ie "wow, you sure do walk a lot" or "SMILE!" Also saying that I'm hot while in front of me is not the best way to earn points.

Amen! At least I know I am not alone at the California Mansion. Yeah in the Mansion full gloominess. Foyer is a half and half, and gate well I might smile. I had one guest say "Smile you're at Disneyland!" I responded with "It's the Haunted Mansion, everything is dead"

Stduck wrote:Amen! At least I know I am not alone at the California Mansion. Yeah in the Mansion full gloominess. Foyer is a half and half, and gate well I might smile. I had one guest say "Smile you're at Disneyland!" I responded with "It's the Haunted Mansion, everything is dead"

Heh! Yeah, I had some idiot at Mansion tell me "smile, it makes the day go faster" and I was wondering how are those two related.

I also wished that dopes wouldn't come up to you on a 100F+ day at Mansion and say "aren't you hot?" to our up-to-the-chin-down-to-the-ankle polyester-that-doesn't-breathe dresses. "Ummm, I was ignoring it until you said something..." It took a lot of restraint to not say something sarcastic back after the 1000th time there or the ones who can't resist saying "nice shoes" over at Pirates. Please people, I would have paid for an "original" remark.

^ they've changed the costume slightly since you were there. Mansion no longer has a high neck, just simple peter pan colar. Still warm, and at code 90 we can undo the top button.