Universal Tricks

[StupidGuestTricks Yahoo]

From: cujosr104@a...
Date: Wed Sep 18, 2002 6:21pm
Subject: Universal Tricks


So Polar_33 and Myself go to Universal Studios to have a little fun and
excitement, but due to this website all I could do was look for tricks! Well,
I found them most of them simple little things like guests going out the
emergency exit of "The Mummy's Tomb" because it said exit over the door. Then
again we almost did the same thing (hey it was dark). They had live
announcements for shows about to start running over the P.A. system. At one
point the announcer spent ten minutes announcing the last showing of
"Waterworld." To direct guests to the right area he said " ..go to the
building that looks like a big piece of shhh..eet metal." But I think the
funniest trick was when we were sitting by "Jurassic Park," when this guy
comes and asks for a light for his cigarette. I give him a light and he then
promptly walks backstage. It was then I realized was wearing an "Amazing
Adventures" (one of the stores) shirt and is an employee. Something like that
would get us fired but hey just goes to show Universal isn't Disney.

[clpotter]

YOU ARE CORRECT SIR!!!!! Universal is CERTAINLY NOT disney. They treat their people better for one thing. I personally did 4 years at WDW, and 12 at UO. You do the math, if Mickey will let you.

[Notatourist]

Potter-they were at Hollywood.

Nice to see you here.

[DisneylandIs101]

YOU ARE CORRECT SIR!!!!! Universal is CERTAINLY NOT disney. They treat their people better for one thing. I personally did 4 years at WDW, and 12 at UO. You do the math, if Mickey will let you.

I've learned this (for those who know who I am, I joined the pilgrimmage of Chris, Mike, Shawn and Cindy to Universal Studios) in the two months I've been at USH. Same guests who are willing to pay $2.80 for a 24 oz. Arrowhead (though it's Dasnani salt-water at DL now, and $2.75 last time I worked there last September), but we're allowed to drink water in front of guests regardless of the temperature (we don't have to wait until Code 100...and on hot days they even provide free bottles of water for us which we can take onstage...another Disney phrase...and drink in front of people).

The cigarrette thing that Cujo mentioned earlier in this thread (yeah, it was like a year and a half ago, but still topical) is still kind of over the line, but it's nice to be pulling the bald/goatee look again that some of you old-school ODVers may remember from my old driver's liscense photo that I used to have to show every new hire at the request of a trainer who had seen it (as well as the obligatory "That's not you!" that always followed). Universal has a better attitude towards it's employees (I'm still getting used to not calling them "Cast Members," even though some of their backstage entrances say "Cast Members Only" like at DL).

Of course, I still call Guest Relations "City Hall," CityWalk "Downtown Disney," and the little hill under the Ampitheater entrance "City Hall Hill" once in a while, and I once referrred to Shrek 4-D as "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" (though I haven't called it "Captain EO" yet -- no lasers).

I can say this, though...if you come from Disney to USH, you'll do great (Universal's Carts leads are about as smart as the average regular ODV'er at Disneyland). Most "team members" are just as bad as some of the people hiring into DL these days (pay the state minimum wage, which is thankfully higher than the Federal minimum, get minimum wage quality labor), so anyone with an ounce of Guest Service in their blood can move up to lead or AIT (Assistant Maneger in Training), or the about equivellant of an assistant manager at DL from what I've seen since April) pretty quickly...if I hadn't been there in the same department with people I knew from DL, I'd already be a lead after less than 2 months at a couple of restaurants that I've worked at with managers who didn't know me before. In fact, the managers at Jurassic Cove were sad when I transferred to Carts (the USH equivelant of DL's ODV) because they wanted to promote me there.

So if anyone who still works there is fed up with DL, let me know (send me a PM) and I'll get you a referral (and yes, like DL, there is monetary reward for referring new employees...so there's an alterior motive to this, but I'm being honest about it....$95...as opposed to Disney's $50) if we are both still there by Sept. 5th. If you don't want to do that, I can tell you that USH is still hiring, and could use some Disney-quality people, even if you don't go for the referral.

It's less organized than DL, at least in Carts, and there is a definite degree of Disney backlash which I've seen since becoming Lead (after all, a lot of people there look at the pilgrimmage as Disney taking over, even though we no longer work for Disney....though we do bring Disney values with us, if not the dress code). And, of course, you'll see the same guests. I see people all the time wearing their AAA or Walt Disney Travel lanyards who try to trade pins with me (I only have 7 pins there, as opposed to my old 60-pin lanyard I wore at DL), but you don't have to trade (it's "flair" here), like you still at DL see the Universal Lasso Straps from people who came to my new park first on their vacation.

The downside: bringing in friends is harder at USH. Instead of a Main Gate Pass, you get 2 free tickets your first year, 4 the year after that, then 6 the next year, and 8 from then on (if I understand the policy correctly). Also, although I'm part of the HERE union like at Disneyland (differant local), in two months I have yet to find a copy of our union contract.

The plusses: You can still come in on your days off with no limit, and get the occasional tickets to the Gibson Ampitheatre (formerly the Universal Ampitheater) for concerts, though they don't announce these tickets and I have yet to get any -- I usually find out about a week or so after the concert that I could have gotten tix to it), and you can wear any color socks you want. Plus, for the recent 1-year anniversary owning a majority stake in Universal we got free DVD's of the movie Ray with Jamie Foxx...so there are difinite perks to being at USH.

Anyway, enough recruiting.

Today I had a guest who wanted to speak with "park management" because he had to carry his stroller and kid to the lower lot because the escalators weren't working (some kid hit the e-stop). I, being a lead and knowing guests, pretended to be "park management" and spoke with him. By then the escelators had been restarted (there are cameras trained on them, and in this event they are moving again before too long). I comp'd him an Arrowhead (he was pretty sweaty after his trek, and that's about 245 stairs with no working escelator) and everything was cool. The nice thing is that I can do that and not screw up the inventory here, though a Food Stand Attendant (USH-speak for "vendor") wouldn't be able to do this officially.

So, even though I'm dealing with the same guest attitudes, I much prefer USH to work at. I grew up with Disney, and it will always hold a special place in my heart, but Universal is heading up after one year with NBC, where Eisner has drug Disneyland down since Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash while mountainclimbing 10 or 11 years ago (hence the "Wells Expedition" tribute in the Matterhorn).

I can wander around the soundstages and see what sets are going in if the elephant doors are open, eat either at the staff commisary or the backlot one where celebs eat (if I've got time). And, if you're foodservice, you eat for free on your lunch (USH's foodservice department has a "no cash on hand" policy to avoid theft, so they give you $9.50-worth of food vouchers to eat on an 8-hour shift, and the avereage full meal is $5-$6...with more food than the Inn Between gives you for the same price in cash).

Anyway, enough recruiting (did I say that once before? Oh well). If you just can't stand stupid guests, it's time to get out of the theme-park business. If you love the tourists like I do, even though they drive you nuts sometimes, stay in it, whether at DL, Knott's, Six Flags, LegoLand, or wherever you are. With DL's 50th, Cedar Point making changes at Knotts, LegoLand selling off, and Universal trying to make it's theme parks better, it's not a bad time to be in the industry whichever park you work at. For those Disney-type folks out here, there's a great need for guest-minded people. For those who have never worked at a Theme Park, I know you always call yourself a "people-person" on applications and resumes, and the theme park industry is where you're needed (so we can get rid of these minimum-wage quality employees). You'll start low, but it won't take too long to be making double-digits an hour (pretty good for the So-Cal job market if you don't have a degree)

[Anna]

The downside: bringing in friends is harder at USH. Instead of a Main Gate Pass, you get 2 free tickets your first year, 4 the year after that, then 6 the next year, and 8 from then on (if I understand the policy correctly).

At Universal Orlando, you get 3 comp tickets every 3 months. You also get 2 comp tickets when someone you recruited gets hired and then 2 more comp passes when they pass the 90 day probation period. You also get extra comp passes at Christmas and comp passes for special events like Mardi Gras.

[Notatourist]

Welcome to the family, 101. I hope you enjoy your stay.

Have you run into Mr. Kurzweil yet? He's a nice guy.

[Stduck]

As much as Universal sounds like fun. I'm a Disney person. It was my dream job as a little girl. Now its my college extra cash job. Also living in South LA county the drive to Universal wouldn't be worth it. (It only takes me 20 minutes to get to Disneyland)

[CBeilby]

As much as Universal sounds like fun. I'm a Disney person. It was my dream job as a little girl. Now its my college extra cash job. Also living in South LA county the drive to Universal wouldn't be worth it. (It only takes me 20 minutes to get to Disneyland)

I'm kind of in the same position as you, STDuck. Unfortunately, I'm on Restricted Rehire at Disneyland (through August,) and No Rehire at Knotts (which I wouldn't go back to even if I could unless I was starving and facing eviction.) For me, it's either Universal, which I'm loving, moving to a small local place (Gee, Adventure City... how fun,) or leaving the industry entirely...

[Stduck]

Yeah, I want to get out of Attractions sometime in the near future. It's a college job I wanna start my career. Would I persue a career with Disney? You bet, in art or something art related. I hope things go well for you.

Not to dis Universal, I've only been there once and I wasn't impressed when I was there (that in mind I was only like 14 and it was many eons ago). I am sure things are differnet now and all jobs in the tourist industry are full of SGTs...

[Notatourist]

Art wise, you'd do best to see about working with a set design company. You have more chances there than on the other coast where I am. CB nice to hear you're liking it. You guys open Fear Factor yet?