Stupid Guest Tricks

I saw two examples of very bad show today and heard one yesterday.

Last night I was working in the Chapeau when I started hearing hammering on the roof. This was at 11:30, 30 minutes before park close. There's no call to do any kind of construction work except emergency repairs in sight or hearing of guests. They should have waited until at least 1:00, when the shop closed, or even better 1:30 before doing that work.

Today I was by the Rose Garden talking to a Photopass CM I know. I look over towards Main Street and I see two men standing on the roof above the Ice Cream Parlor. It looked like they were watching the show on the Castle Stage or something. Their standing there really messed up the forced perspective of the building and they were quite noticeable. I tell the CM to look over that way and he spotted them right away like I had. There is no reason for anybody to be on a roof of Main Street in sight of guests ever.

This evening about 5 minutes before 9:00 I was heading to the gate between Buzz Lightyear and the Galaxy Place Theater to cut through Park 1 to get to the entrance while bypassing the parade crowd. I saw a girl in Fantasyland costume come out of that gate talking to another CM (who was in a proper costume). She was wearing a coat that was buttoned up but the bottom of her skirt was visible and it was a Fantasyland coat. She had no business being in that part of Tomorrowland in a Fantasyland costume. It shocked me and made me do a double-take so she was past me before I could even say anything (I was tempted to). I'm hoping a manager caught her and she got into trouble. The ONLY reason for a CM to wear a particular land's costume into another land is in an emergency and then they wouldn't be that far into the other land. She was on the opposite end of Tomorrowland from Fantasyland.

The only exception to that rule I know of is that Toontown CMs can use the Fantasyland stairwell door closest to Toontown because Toontown isn't on the tunnel system and they have to go straight to Toontown. I've never seen anybody do that though, I think Toontown cast usually use the cast shuttle to get to and from the tunnel.

Oh, yeah, Zazu. I remember you telling me how you hate how the people running the castle stage show leave their awnings up sometimes after a show. Well, I've noticed they have been down pretty much whenever a show isn't going on lately. Looks like somebody finally made them start lowering them afterwards.

Bad show really annoys me, especially when it is easily avoidable things. The construction on the roof could have waited an hour easily, the men on the roof didn't have to stand in sight of guests, the Fantasyland CM didn't have to come into Tomorrowland.

I doubt she was on the clock either because of where she was at and what she was doing so she had no business being onstage at all in costume, no matter the land. If she was off and wanted to go into Tomorrowland she should have gone to the locker room and changed first. With the tunnels and extensive backstage areas in the MK there is almost no reason for CMs of one land to be in another land while in costume.

Show is a big and very important part of the Disney Experience, especially in the Magic Kingdom. One of the big reasons the tunnel system was designed in the first place was so CMs wouldn't have to go through other lands to get to their own.

I'm surprised at how many CMs really don't take show into consideration when they do something. I know a CM who regularly walked across the park on a cell phone, in flip flops, and the remainder of their costume. I was so surprised that they never got caught! Of course then I get yelled at for bad show when I want to put a bucket out to catch the water leaking from the roof in the land pavilion. That's when I wanted to pull out the whole SAFETY, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. I was putting the bucket out for guest safety. But something told me not to talk back to that manager. I just said ok and let it be his problem if somebody slipped and fell in the puddle.

I have really got the feeling that SHOW only counts when management wants it to or when it costs Disney no money to fix. I can point out many examples of bad show, most of these have been in existence since I became a CM but nothing has been done.

I point them out to the CIP hotline and just get a thanks but nothing gets done.

You see the same thing every now and then on cruise line too. I remember once hubby and I were hanging out in the adult hot tub on embarkation day and there were workers above the bar doing some sort of repairs. One was dressed like a plumber if you know what I mean, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I sort of suspect they were contract workers, since I've never seen CMs dressed that way. Really, really out of place. I can cut the cruise line more slack than WDW tho', since their time in port is so limited; gotta get work done when you can, and there is little to no time that guests aren't around.

This one is sort of OT, but time in the adult whirlpool we watched them filming a commercial (or at least I'm guessing it was) with a guy in Medieval-type clothes. I'm guessing it had something to do with the Med sailings, since this was a few months before that. It was quite fascinating to watch...much better than the Smoky Plumber.

Having spent a number of years on ships, I can tell you that when you return to port, time for repairs and maintence is the highest priorty. As they used to say, there is no facility to pull into when you are out at sea!!

Especially cruise ships that MUST keep to a schedule and still provide services to the guests. (you should have pulled the SG "ruined magic of the hot tub" and at least got a Pina Colava!! RUM!!!)(hehehehe)

I can understand at MK and Florida parks CM shouldn't be walking in costume from one land to another because of the tunnel system. At the original DL park most of the time we don't have a choice to walk from one land to other in costume. We try to keep in show with Disney Look, name tag, etc.

Twice though I saw CM at the kennel waiting to meet guests that they were going to sign in, waiting in costume SITTING!! When I pointed kindly pointed out to them that they shouldn't be sitting while in costume they basically told me to mind my own business.

Then just the other day a CM was exiting the CM area by the kennels again in full costume without a nametag. I pointed out to him that he was missing his nametag and he dashed by me saying, "Oh, I'm not clocked in yet. I'm going to clock in at DCA." Duh, Main Enterance is ON STAGE. Whenever in costume and on stage you need to be complete, whether you are clocked in or not.

I don't see too much of what kind of shenanagins goes on IN the park, since I spend most of my time in the Main Enterance, but I'm sure stuff happens there too.

TT

Cranbiz wrote:I have really got the feeling that SHOW only counts when management wants it to or when it costs Disney no money to fix. I can point out many examples of bad show, most of these have been in existence since I became a CM but nothing has been done.

I point them out to the CIP hotline and just get a thanks but nothing gets done.

What's the CIP hotline? I haven't heard of it. I believe management should get stricter on CMs doing anything that messes with the show.

Terrytunes wrote:I can understand at MK and Florida parks CM shouldn't be walking in costume from one land to another because of the tunnel system. At the original DL park most of the time we don't have a choice to walk from one land to other in costume. We try to keep in show with Disney Look, name tag, etc.

At the other Florida parks the rules aren't as strict because they don't have nearly the extensive backstage area that the MK does. The big reason why the tunnels were designed was because of the fact DL CMs have to cross stage to get to their areas. The story goes Walt saw a CM in Frontierland costume crossing Main Street and he hated how it messed up the show.

Twice though I saw CM at the kennel waiting to meet guests that they were going to sign in, waiting in costume SITTING!! When I pointed kindly pointed out to them that they shouldn't be sitting while in costume they basically told me to mind my own business.

There is no reason for a CM to ever sign in a guest while in costume. They should do it in street clothes then change into costume.

Then just the other day a CM was exiting the CM area by the kennels again in full costume without a nametag. I pointed out to him that he was missing his nametag and he dashed by me saying, "Oh, I'm not clocked in yet. I'm going to clock in at DCA." Duh, Main Enterance is ON STAGE. Whenever in costume and on stage you need to be complete, whether you are clocked in or not.

I agree about the costume thing. It doesn't matter if you are on the clock or not if you are onstage you have to be show ready at all times when in costume. The guests don't know if you're on the clock or not nor do they care.

Only one time have I ever been onstage with my costume not show ready. This was at some awful hour in the morning long after park close and the only people around were painters doing some trim work on Main Street. I wandered down from one end of MS to the other for the fun of it after I got off with my vest and tie undone. I will never be onstage when guests are in the park AT ALL with my costume not show ready.

Since DLR has outgrown its CM locker space, some CMs have to dress at home. It's pretty funny to see someone in a ToonTown costume at 7-11 or Davy Crockett driving down the 91 freeeway.

Yeah, it's pretty sad how many CMs don't care. :(