Stupid Guest Tricks

This site has become a daily favorite of mine, both for the snarky humor and hard-to-find information. I've only been lurking here for a short time and didn't really plan on posting, but yet another shrill Board X thread is stuck in my craw and I'd like some perspective.

Here's the deal: Parent allows Child to play in gently bubbling spray fountains at WDW park. Gently bubbling fountains suddenly shoot up and hit Child in the eye. According to Parent, Child is obviously hurt but the 6 CMs milling around area say and do nothing. Parent files a formal complaint at Front Office, and paramedics are called to examine Child. Child has a black eye but is otherwise okay. Parent's issue: CMs willfully ignored Child's obvious distress, and there were no signs that warned of high-pressure water jets. Other posters jump on the bandwagon and talk about their injuries that CMs ignored or shrugged off. End result: Disney withholds injury information from the public, CMs don't care anymore, and I become increasingly irritated with Board X.

My questions: are CMs required to help guests with injuries or, to avoid any liability or lawsuit issues, are they required to direct a guest to an aid station? What were the aforementioned CMs supposed to do in that situation? I guess this is more of a general question about Disney parks, but since it happened at WDW I thought I'd post here. Sorry if it's in the wrong place.

The CMs shouldn't have ignored the situation. If a guest is injured in any way we are supposed to offer first aid 3 times. We will then either direct them to First Aid or walk them there ourselves if the situation warrants (at least that's what we would do on Main Street as that is where First Aid is, I don't know about the other lands since their costumes isn't allowed in any other land normally).

This is for minor injuries, serious injuries we immediately call for an alpha unit (paramedics).

In the situation you cited the CMs should have checked on the child and then directed the family to First Aid or called for an alpha unit depending on the exact situation. This isn't only to avoid liability, regular CMs are not allowed to diagnose medical problems of any kind as they are not trained professionals like the people at First Aid are.

Those fountains are not high pressure but putting your eye in the path of the stream is not smart as there is some pressure to get the height and it doesn't take a lot of pressure to injure an eye, especially a child's eye.

The marsupial welcoming committee will be along soon to welcome you officially. At least one member will be, I don't think the other has come back on since his family was in town the other day.

When we were there last April, our daughter (6yrs) was climbing on the "fencing" for AstroOrbiter. (We DID tell her several times to stop but well, you know that age) :mad: Anyway she fell, and she got a very nice bump on the head. Hubby picked her up and we started toward Main Street, knowing that the first aid station was there somewhere. LOL It's amazing how quickly you forget the location of something that important.

We stopped a CM at Stitch's ride to ask directions. He was wonderfully helpful, and honestly I think more worried than we were. LOL We are firm believers of the hockey saying "no blood no foul" He directed us immediately to first aid and they gave her a bag of ice and a tylenol. Very helpful and very concerned. We had to tell the 3 CMs we came in contact with that it was her fault, she did something she wasn't supposed to do and she now has "offically" learned her lesson. The first aid CM seemed surprised that we viewed it that way.

I've stopped visiting board X, the way they view everything makes me wonder if they actually ENJOY the parks.

I LUV Chip wrote:LOL It's amazing how quickly you forget the location of something that important.

A way I was taught to tell people where First Aid is in the MK is that it is behind the red and white umbrellas (outside of Casey's). I don't know if the colors of the umbrellas were intended that way but the standard colors of first aid crosses are red and white so the color combo is a good one when giving directions.

First Aid is a place you never want to have to visit but are glad it is there when you need it.

He directed us immediately to first aid and they gave her a bag of ice and a tylenol. Very helpful and very concerned.

The First Aid CMs are wonderful people. They are all fully certified nurses who care about what they do. I've met a few of the MK nurses when Zazu took me on his tour a while back and they were very nice as were the one's I've interacted with in the different parks when visiting First Aid as a guest (only for a Tylenol, never an injury).

The first aid CM seemed surprised that we viewed it that way.

I can believe that. I'm willing to bet most of their guests are SGs who try to blame Disney for something that is completely the SG's fault.

Hard to believe that a water fountain actually gave her a black eye, but I guess it could happen Maybe the jet caused her to hit her eye by bumping it on something......
I put the onus on the parents who allowed her to play in something without checking out if it was actually safe, and HELLO why can't they ask for the first aid station if they are so concerned? They are the parents, not the CMs.
The Cms directed them (when asked) I'm sure.

Shorty82 wrote:... The marsupial welcoming committee will be along soon to welcome you officially. At least one member will be, I don't think the other has come back on since his family was in town the other day.

Wallaby does seem to have been pretty busy recently. Hope things lighten up and he can share more of his marsupial wisdom and SG stories!

Big Hands wrote:This site has become a daily favorite of mine, both for the snarky humor and hard-to-find information. ...

This is an awesome website! This is about the only one where I interact any more -- a couple of other Disney sites I'll just use for looking up things. Glad you're here!

Big Hands to from :wallaby: and !!! :D: :D: :D:

BRWombat wrote:Wallaby does seem to have been pretty busy recently. Hope things lighten up and he can share more of his marsupial wisdom and SG stories!

Our paths happened to cross the other day and he told me that he's been missing SGT. If I'm not mistaken his family left town the other day so I guess he's busy trying to catch up hours (he took time off from work to spend time with his family) and that's why he hasn't been around the past few days.

As CMs we are not supposed to render any sort of first aid, including giving out band-aids. We are simply supposed to direct you to First Aid, or call an Alpha-Unit. I find that to be BS, because if someone was on the ground having a seizure I would immediately step in and handle it, also I took the time to get First-Aid, CPR, and AED certified before I started work.

If helping an injured person were to make me lose my job I would start a PR firestorm...

First Aid people have a bunch of good SG stories. I've told this one before but a woman went to AK First Aid complaining that her eyes were burning and saying that Disney should warn people before they spray chemicals in their eyes. Well the nurse asked some more questions and found out she was claiming that they sprayed chemicals in her eyes at HISTA over at Epcot, THE DAY BEFORE!!! When asked why she didn't report it then she said "I didn't want to waste my day at the park..." The nurse calls one of my coordinators, says that the woman has no redness, irritation, her vision is 20/20, and asks what kind of chemicals they sprayed, Only to find out it was water! It is distilled water that has no bacteria of any kind! Plus if she was wearing her glasses the water couldn't get into her eyes. People are dumb!!!

First WELCOME!!!


I would also believe that the "CM's standing around" is probably an inaccurate description of what REALLY happened for the purposes of that board!

The truth is probably more close to what has been described here!!

I can't imagine that the CM's would stand around with a kid crying. I think that the tears probably came after the mom or dad started yelling at little timmy for ruining the vacation, and decided to "blame" someone!!

CMGuy, you're trained in first aid so know what to do in an emergency but the majority of CMs aren't. I would hope that in an emergency you assisting the guest until the alpha unit arrives, and possibly saving their life, wouldn't cost you your job. If it does then I hope you fight it with everything you got and win.