"I know, I can tell time"

[February]

. . .and other idiotic things that people who should never have been CM's have said to guests. . .what say you?

This really bugged me from our last trip. I admit it, before this trip I was pretty clueless when it comes to Fastpasses in that we've never ever tried to show up early for one before. Not even a moment early. We always show up, pretty much, directly in the middle of our FP time or we don't bother and go do something else instead. We would never dream of trying to show up late for one.

Well, my family LOVED Soarin' and wanted to go on it a second time on our last trip. So we got FPs and went and did other stuff and came back. It was dead that day- the stand by line wait time was 30 minutes- there was almost no FP wait time.

The guy they had working the fastpass line at the front where you go into the queue, was an unbelievable jerk. This guy should definitely go work somewhere else besides Disney because it was apparent he hated his job.

We show up, idiots that we are, four minutes early thinking since they only take the FP's when you get down to the very end of the queue (at least they were that day) we figured by the time we got my chair and my dad's ECV through the queue we'd be good to go. But nope, they asked us to step aside and wait until it was exactly whatever o clock. No problem, we said, sorry, we didn't know, we'll wait over there. And we roll and walk, respectively, way out of the way. Completely compliant and without a hint of sarcasm, I swear.

A family of 3 from the UK comes up. Their fastpass time was, literally, 90 seconds from the time on the clock. The guy at the gate says "No, you can't go in." and then promptly sends a huge tour group through. The family from the UK was (IMO) understandably upset- because by the time they got to the queue, it would have been their time but instead they ended up having to wait a long time behind the huge tour group.

Meantime, we watch our time go by, my daughter is literally watching the clock she's so excited and she goes running up to the CM and says "It's 4:15!" and hands him her fastpass.

Do you know what that jerk did?

He looked at her, literally rolled his eyes and said "I know. I can tell time."

I swear, I saw red when I saw the look on my child's face. I grabbed the next CM I saw and told him that the idiot up front needed to be rotated out of contact with the public. I saw him smart off to other families while we were waiting too- just being a creep.

My husband said he thought that the CM I talked to was going to burst into tears when I used the term 'bad show', when I said it was "bad show to ever use sarcasm with a guest, especially a child."

I replied, it's not a happy thing for a CM to hear someone say.

The only other time I've ever been so angry I used the phrase was a couple years back when we went to an early dinner at CRT, the place was nearly empty and the wait staff was standing around, talking about their social lives and it was echoing up into the rafters clear as a bell all around us.

I took aside a passing manager and said, "I really don't want to know, during my magical and magically expensive Castle dining experience that not only couldn't that waitress over there get her car started this morning, but she also couldn't get laid last night. Bad show."

Needless to say, I didn't see any servers standing around talking after THAT for the rest of dinner. But the magic was kind of broken for me at that point.

So tell me what have you heard/overheard???

Disclaimer: Most CM's are great and I love em. But there are just a few I have to think do not last long, or shouldn't.

MCP

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

The guy they had working the fastpass line at the front where you go into the queue, was an unbelievable jerk. This guy should definitely go work somewhere else besides Disney because it was apparent he hated his job.

I do hope you went to City Hall, or Guest Services, and complain, if they have it at WDW

[Floridian]

To say "I know, I can tell time" is just so inappropriate I don't really know what to say to that. If I were you I probably would have been looking for a manger or a lead immediately. I seriously hope thats not the most memorable part of your trip. And you are right the person should not be working in theme parks, I can only image the type of responses he gives to people who actually ask questions.

Now as far as returning with a FP 90 seconds before you time are getting turned away, I am gonna be a bit of a jerk and agree with doing that...I have my reasoning. Normally at FP return there are several groups of people waiting for their time to be called, apparently having a stare down with the FP return CM is more fun than walking around the park. A lot of guests confuse that group of people outside FP return with a section of the line and queue up behind it. So when I family comes up with a FP about a min early I tell them they need to wait just a tiny bit longer. I make an announcement for the previous FP time, usually get a few people come out from behind the crowd that didn't realize they were supposed to already have gone in, then call for the next time. I know it seems a bit excessive but its not cool to see the people who had the slightly earlier time try and plow over the people for the time I just called because they think they need to be in front. However if it was a really slow day odds are there wasn't a crowd at FP return and that CM was just being obnoxious.

[February]

I know it seems a bit excessive but its not cool to see the people who had the slightly earlier time try and plow over the people for the time I just called because they think they need to be in front. However if it was a really slow day odds are there wasn't a crowd at FP return and that CM was just being obnoxious.

There was no crowd. The queue was clear all the way up to the loading area where they show the 'pre-flight' video.

Definitely not the most memorable part of our trip, but one of the most disheartening moments.

I still think that turning a guest away less than 2 minutes before their time when there is no line is over the top. But I guess, due to SG's you have to draw the line somewhere.

It's not that it's more fun either to stare at a FP CM than walk the parks. . .sometimes esp. if you have disabled people in your party, you never know this might be the last thing they're trying to do in a day at the park before going back to their room and collapsing while the rest of the regular guests keep soldiering on. . .there have been times I have been so exhausted I have just napped in my chair and sent my family on instead of waiting for a FP time to come up. So just remember that not all guests who are waiting around are trying to be obnoxious. They might be feeling unwell, and just plain exhausted.

Thanks for your post it's always good to see the CM side of things. . .that's why I'm on this forum :)

MCP

[mechurchlady]

Some people take their jobs seriously or to show their superiority. In his case he was sticking to the rules which he is technically supposed to do. Next time get a GAC as you would not have had to use an FP or wait in line probably. Check out disabled information next time and use the GAC, WDW free valet parking and anything else you can as a disabled person.

If it had been the people here that are CMs then they would have let you through probably.

A story for you: A man sees a parking space at the store but a women sneaks in and gets it. She gets her groceries and goes home, cooks dinner and is a happy person. He gets mad, damages a loaf of bread, ruins the day of 5 people, whines all the way home, and then screams at his kids.

In life the people like the lady live happy lifes not knowing the damage they do. Realize that and do not let the evil and darkness make you like the man in my story.

hugs and hugs
laurie

[Big Wallaby]

If you want to use sarcasm, that's fine, but the key is to be so over the top that at some point within about three seconds, they realize that you are being sarcastic for their entertainment. It's always worked on my bus. But that is not acceptable.

Neatest waitress I've had was in Germany at Epcot, where you would ask for a refill and she would say "I'll think about it," very dryly, to come back moments later, saying (still very dry) "I thought about it. There you go." So I had a great time when she got on my Cast Shuttle the other day :) .

But being a dick, especially with kids, now that' just sad. Yes, we do have Guest Relations and City Hall, and I think at Epcot it's all Guest Relations that you want to utilize.

On the day that ever happens to me, I have some choice words I'll be saying to the person in question (and yes, all Disney-friendly). But with bus drivers here, it's been bottling up in me for quite some time now, and every time I hear them talk about how they love no longer having to talk to the guests, it just adds to my rage against drivers. But because of what I know about the drivers, I know people from that way of thinking manage to get into other parts of the parks, too.

Grr.

[Princess Susi]

But with bus drivers here, it's been bottling up in me for quite some time now, and every time I hear them talk about how they love no longer having to talk to the guests, it just adds to my rage against drivers. But because of what I know about the drivers, I know people from that way of thinking manage to get into other parts of the parks, too.Grr.

I cannot for the life of me understand why these other bus drivers would rather use the canned spiel and not interact with Disney guests! Disney is all about the fun you have interacting with CMs in all aspects, character CMs, service CMs in restaurants and stores. and vice versa, CMs interacting with the guests. If a bus driver does not like interacting with people, that bus driver is in the wrong place and the wrong job. Disney IS people, hundreds of thousands of them everyday... That is sad. I want to ride your's and Cranbiz's bus only, when we come down next Spring. I love to play along with the Driver's jokes and spiels and songs, it is so much fun and makes the ride a part of the magic, which it is supposed to be, not just moving from one place to another with a bored look on your face. Spiel on, my grand Marsupial friend. I will be the one involving myself 100% in the fun! And show me some magic tricks too!
Being rude to guests is NOT acceptable. If a guest is causing trouble, get the security. If a CM is causing trouble, get a manager. But rudeness on any level should not be tolerated by either guests or CMs.
That CM definitely should be relieved of his duties, if even for a few days. And if he hates the job, he should leave. That is just unnacceptable behavior towards a guest!
I might be not have been nice to him if I had been there. Course then my big mouth would have gotten me in trouble...actually I am learning to not let my menopausal moods get the best of me! :twisted: Hey it happens, hormones you know, not my fault for being this old and female!

[Floridian]

Hope what I said didn't come out wrong, I didn't mean anything bad by what I said. The situation I was referring to with FPs is when the place is packed and there are a good 30 or so people standing by the entrance watching the clock and waiting to get in. You just have to be very careful to not make it look like you are giving some people preferential treatment in cases like that. Since there wasn't a crowd there was really no need to make that family wait the extra min and a half.

As far as the people waiting in front of the entrance to get in line, I was referring more to the people (adults) who watch the clock with the type of intensity that makes me think I am going to be tackled at soon as it reaches the next 5 min mark, it can be a little unnerving for the CM. I completely understand being tired and not wanting to do laps around the park, I think "walking around the park" was a bad choice of words on my part.

[DisneyMom]

I am very naughty, so if I heard someone make that remark about being able to tell the time, I probably would have said something about him being proud of his new skill..... :twisted:
I was at DLR today, tho, and was sympathizing with a cast member who said he loved working for Disney for the past decade, but would probably have to quit soon due to being unable to afford basic needs...He was nice, so I asked him if he had heard about SGT. He smiled and said, "I could write a whole book!"(about SGs) :p:

[Big Wallaby]

So the other day, I was in a manager's van getting a ride, and the conversation went to the box. I won't call it MiMs anymore, because it is not Magic, and often not in Motion. But I digress.

I was telling him my take, that I often don't let the "friendly computer" take over, and I often don't let it talk, that I do all my own spiels, and his response was to tell me how he likes it because it gives all the guests the same experience, and then he said something like what follows:

"Yeah, we've been getting a lot of letters from people who miss the old way of having the bus driver spiel. We're really surprised."

The things I could have said.

The things I wanted to say.

But any one of them would have had me fired on the spot (starting with something about the thought not having any Bandini Mountain and him being Sherlock).

Instead, I bit my lip and moved on to other topics, because I was in a situation where nothing good could come of it for me.

As much as I love the variety of what I get to do on a daily basis, as much as I love what I do with my guests on my bus, I can't stand being in buses. With any luck, the Workbrain-provided points will fall off my record card in a couple months without adding any new ones, and I will be able to transfer.

And yes, I have enough points that are not mine to keep me in buses for at least two months, because no managers want to help me get them taken off.

I'm glad they're glad the bus ride experience is homogonized. One day, no one will even remember the bus drivers who spieled, except as a distant memory like the donkey rides. I wonder how long until the bus driver with a personality shows up on Yesterland?