Those Darn Kids
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 12:02 pm
From MiceAge
Lindsay: Fully Loaded?
Disneyland's marketing team came up with what they thought was a brilliant plan to get some PR with the teen crowd, but it almost blew up in their face, and many hourly Cast Members (CM's) are furious they were forced to be a part of the event. Last Friday, Lindsay Lohan was invited by Disneyland to spend the evening in both Anaheim parks to celebrate her 20th birthday. Lohan had a small gaggle of her friends along for the ride, and their limousines arrived at the Grand Californian Hotel just after 10pm on Friday. It was immediately apparent to the hotel Cast Members that the "party" had already begun in the limo ride down from LA, but the youngsters went ahead and coasted on a thick layer of LA attitude right into the California Adventure park (DCA) just as it was clearing of day visitors.
Disney kept the Soarin' Over California, Tower of Terror, California Screamin' and the Maliboomer rides open for Lohan and her guests and they cavorted in the empty theme park until Midnight. The CM's operating the attractions for the small group also noticed a certain smell in the air, but their supervisors insisted that they continue to operate the attractions for the group. You should know that attractions Cast Members in Anaheim are specifically trained to not allow people to ride the attraction if they appear to be intoxicated or under the influence of an illegal substance, and this alcohol awareness training is most strictly enforced in DCA where liquor, beer and wine is served in close proximity to some of the attractions.
After midnight, Lohan and her party were escorted over to Disneyland as it was clearing of its day visitors. There, they found a half dozen E-Ticket attractions that were kept running for them compliments of Disney. Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain were all stops on the exclusive after-hours tour. And the CM's working those attractions were also concerned about the safety of some of the members of the party, as there was a definite whiff in the air as the increasingly rowdy group visibly stumbled into the loading area of each ride.
Between the obvious smell, rude behavior and the snotty attitude the entire party displayed, there were very few Lindsay Lohan fans working at Disneyland by the end of that night. At 1:30am, with Disneyland completely deserted, the birthday party was then loaded onto the Sailing Ship Columbia. As the ship cruised around a darkened Rivers of America with Mickey Mouse on board and catered desert being served by costumed pirates, the party took its most alarming turn as some party guests used the darkened ship to engage in very inappropriate behavior for the happiest place on earth.
By 2am the Disneyland portion of the birthday party was over, and the group was escorted as best as possible back to the Grand Californian Hotel for the rest of the night. The next morning, as word spread amongst the angry Cast Members who were told to operate the attractions for a group they were sure they had seen and heard as impaired, management went into damage control mode.
You should know anyone who is thought to be smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol in Disneyland, particularly underage minors, always faces a quick trip to the Security office and often an introduction to the Anaheim Police officers who are always on duty at the Park. Yet somehow, despite the many cast member concerns, that policy was not a concern of the gaggle of park management accompanying this late night event. Apparently the Disneyland marketing department wanted this event to go off without a hitch, and there were several professional photographers there that night taking pictures to be offered to the media. Disney wants desperately to increase its hip factor with the teenage demographic, and this birthday party for Lohan was staged to get some exposure with that group, regardless of the apparent condition of the party guests.
It now appears that Lohan has also stated she wants to throw an even more elaborate birthday party with a long celebrity guest list at Disneyland next year when she turns 21. Disney's apparently deluded marketing department hopes it would be sort of a recreation of the famous birthday party Liz Taylor hosted at Disneyland 15 years ago. It looks like Lohan doesn't realize that to truly recreate the Taylor birthday party she will have to get some class, a hit movie, treat the Cast Members working the event with dignity, leave the recreational substances in the limo, and be of legal drinking age.
And as far as the media goes, many of them feel at the rate she's currently going, they are better off having a pre-prepared obituary on hand ready to go at a moment's notice. I've been told by more than a few outlets that they only need to add the date, cause and most current photo they can find, as they fully expect to use it in the near future.
Hmmm, come to think of it Disneyland may just yet be able to get all that trendy publicity they wanted.
Lindsay: Fully Loaded?
Disneyland's marketing team came up with what they thought was a brilliant plan to get some PR with the teen crowd, but it almost blew up in their face, and many hourly Cast Members (CM's) are furious they were forced to be a part of the event. Last Friday, Lindsay Lohan was invited by Disneyland to spend the evening in both Anaheim parks to celebrate her 20th birthday. Lohan had a small gaggle of her friends along for the ride, and their limousines arrived at the Grand Californian Hotel just after 10pm on Friday. It was immediately apparent to the hotel Cast Members that the "party" had already begun in the limo ride down from LA, but the youngsters went ahead and coasted on a thick layer of LA attitude right into the California Adventure park (DCA) just as it was clearing of day visitors.
Disney kept the Soarin' Over California, Tower of Terror, California Screamin' and the Maliboomer rides open for Lohan and her guests and they cavorted in the empty theme park until Midnight. The CM's operating the attractions for the small group also noticed a certain smell in the air, but their supervisors insisted that they continue to operate the attractions for the group. You should know that attractions Cast Members in Anaheim are specifically trained to not allow people to ride the attraction if they appear to be intoxicated or under the influence of an illegal substance, and this alcohol awareness training is most strictly enforced in DCA where liquor, beer and wine is served in close proximity to some of the attractions.
After midnight, Lohan and her party were escorted over to Disneyland as it was clearing of its day visitors. There, they found a half dozen E-Ticket attractions that were kept running for them compliments of Disney. Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain were all stops on the exclusive after-hours tour. And the CM's working those attractions were also concerned about the safety of some of the members of the party, as there was a definite whiff in the air as the increasingly rowdy group visibly stumbled into the loading area of each ride.
Between the obvious smell, rude behavior and the snotty attitude the entire party displayed, there were very few Lindsay Lohan fans working at Disneyland by the end of that night. At 1:30am, with Disneyland completely deserted, the birthday party was then loaded onto the Sailing Ship Columbia. As the ship cruised around a darkened Rivers of America with Mickey Mouse on board and catered desert being served by costumed pirates, the party took its most alarming turn as some party guests used the darkened ship to engage in very inappropriate behavior for the happiest place on earth.
By 2am the Disneyland portion of the birthday party was over, and the group was escorted as best as possible back to the Grand Californian Hotel for the rest of the night. The next morning, as word spread amongst the angry Cast Members who were told to operate the attractions for a group they were sure they had seen and heard as impaired, management went into damage control mode.
You should know anyone who is thought to be smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol in Disneyland, particularly underage minors, always faces a quick trip to the Security office and often an introduction to the Anaheim Police officers who are always on duty at the Park. Yet somehow, despite the many cast member concerns, that policy was not a concern of the gaggle of park management accompanying this late night event. Apparently the Disneyland marketing department wanted this event to go off without a hitch, and there were several professional photographers there that night taking pictures to be offered to the media. Disney wants desperately to increase its hip factor with the teenage demographic, and this birthday party for Lohan was staged to get some exposure with that group, regardless of the apparent condition of the party guests.
It now appears that Lohan has also stated she wants to throw an even more elaborate birthday party with a long celebrity guest list at Disneyland next year when she turns 21. Disney's apparently deluded marketing department hopes it would be sort of a recreation of the famous birthday party Liz Taylor hosted at Disneyland 15 years ago. It looks like Lohan doesn't realize that to truly recreate the Taylor birthday party she will have to get some class, a hit movie, treat the Cast Members working the event with dignity, leave the recreational substances in the limo, and be of legal drinking age.
And as far as the media goes, many of them feel at the rate she's currently going, they are better off having a pre-prepared obituary on hand ready to go at a moment's notice. I've been told by more than a few outlets that they only need to add the date, cause and most current photo they can find, as they fully expect to use it in the near future.
Hmmm, come to think of it Disneyland may just yet be able to get all that trendy publicity they wanted.
Simply amazing! Not sure Liz Taylor has such great class but Lindsay will never touch Taylor's status. When all else fails....LISTEN to the CMs!
