Sorry to be such an inconvenience

[Big Wallaby]

PART I: Tonight, Shorty and I started out at Studios (I was looking for Shawn for the BL's) and then went to Epcot. We came back on the last boat, and before we boarded, they asked where we were going. We told them we were going to Studios to pick up our car. No problem, they let us on the boat. We wound up on the last voyage of the night, a little less than an hour after Epcot had closed, with several guests still in the park on their way to other places, and so going out the front entrance.

For those of you who don't know, Epcot has two entrances: The main entrance near Spaceship Earth, and the World Showcase entrance between the France and UK Pavilions. The straight-line distance between the two is half a mile, but because of the path you have to walk from one to the other, the walking distance between where the Friendship boats pick up at the World Showcase entrance and where the buses pick up well outside the Main Entrance barely short of a full mile. About a fifteen minute walk.

The Friendship boats that travel to DHS have two crew members, one piloting, and the other spieling and working the rode (that's ropes for you non-sailors). After we got seated, the person who spiels asked if anyone was going to Studios, and we raised our hands, my announcement that it was to pick up our car as we did so, so that he wouldn't need to ask the question. However, we did not do anything to show we were Cast. While I know we Cast Members can pretty much smell each other a mile away, Shorty and I had not had any conversation, made any comments, or showed any item that would show us to be Cast. I think I can come off to working Cast Members as not being part of the club, except in that I know more than your average guest would. Sorry, it comes with the trade. Had we introduced or otherwise made ourselves obvious as Cast Members, the following exchange would have been slightly more acceptable:

Driver: "You know, if you were to take the bus, it would be a fifteen-minute ride."

Shorty: "Yeah, we prefer taking the boats. We've had not-so-great experiences on the buses."

Driver: "Well, I want to get home."

You know, I don't remember asking, or caring if he wanted to go home. It's just not a concern I had had. If I am a guest and the boats are still running and I want to take a boat, who is he to argue.

As it is, Watercraft has a fairly hard and fast shutdown time, and if you don't get aboard a boat before they shut down, well, I hope your feet aren't too sore from your day in the park. I'm okay with that, because they run a fairly reasonable schedule as far as all that goes. We were there in plenty of time for the last boat. While we hadn't hurried out after the park closed, we didn't lollygag either as some guests are known to do.

I've felt that feeling, "Drat! A guest came up and I wanted to get home, but they need to get to their room, so I have to take them." I really have. But it is NOT that guest's fault that they messed up my plans for departure, so I accept them with a smile and do my best to help them and, who knows, even entertain them. After all, that is why I am at Disney World, right? And with that, I get to enjoying my last guest interaction of the day.

[Big Wallaby]

PART II: The story gets better. Finally, the boat pulled away from the dock and left for the Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin, to finish at the Studios. The crew member acting as the deck hand, as I mentioned before, gives the safety spiel as the boat takes off. This one did it with his own twist that, I admit, had he not just been so rude to us, I would have laughed at... it was my kind of snarky humor. Unfortunately, the difference between him delivering the lines and me delivering the lines is found in the intent. Mine is to make you laugh and enjoy yourself, whereas he, from everything he had given me to base my judgment of him on, actually meant the snarkiness. I sat there quietly as Friendship 7 churned on its way. I won't get into the safety violations this deck hand committed along the way, as that's not the point of this thread and were I just a guest I would not have noticed.

So here I was, feeling really not welcome on this boat. What if I were a guest on my last evening of my trip? This is the last Cast Member I interacted with, so who am I going to remember on my trip home? All those Cast Members who worked so hard to make my stay special, or ******* (name hidden because I am not allowed to post it here, not to save him from getting in trouble) who grouched at me because I had chose the wrong form of transportation to get back to my car? Were I a guest visiting from afar with my guest mentality, I might never return. I don't return to a place where the employees treat me like this.

So tomorrow, I will be writing to Guest Communications, without mentioning my being a Cast Member, and I will be apologizing for being such a burden to this Watercraft Employee.

Just a note: his counterpart, who was not on the boat at the time of the above exchange (because he was working to load guests) was much friendlier when he was not driving.

[mechurchlady]

At another board it is a constant issue about transportation and that attitude that makes guests feel unwelcome. The CM is supposed to give each guest 100% service and not make them feel like they are a bother or a hinderance. They are to serve that last meal just like the first one and board disabled guests like they were normal people. I read over and over that a select few are giving CMs a bad name by not treating guests right.

[joanna71985]

Wow, I can't believe he said that to you. A CM should never make a guest feel like an inconvience.

[Eeyore Tattoo]

Must have been very interesting to see things from a guest's point of view.
Being a ECV user I find bus & monorail trouble now & then. We are such a bother to some drivers..
I had to yell to get someone to let me off a monorail on more than one occasion..
Deb

[Cheshire Figment]

If you want to see some real bad bus horror stores go over to the disABILITIES Forum on DisBoards and look at the bus problems thread.

[Eeyore Tattoo]

If you want to see some real bad bus horror stores go over to the disABILITIES Forum on DisBoards and look at the bus problems thread.

I am sure you have seen me over there :D:
Deb

[joanna71985]

If you want to see some real bad bus horror stores go over to the disABILITIES Forum on DisBoards and look at the bus problems thread.

Oh yeah. The DIS has some real bad bus stories.

[mechurchlady]

I came over here looking for my computer technician and Pupura. I seen them bus stories over there.

1. Am I in the right spot and waiting for the bus? I should not expect to board even if not disabled when I in the restroom, chatting on the phone, or at another loading zone.

2. Is there room for me? Wheelchair, powerchair, and ECVs have 2 out of a whole bus to use. That means that 60 disabled guests require 30 busses and that is a long time waiting while able bodied people can all pile into one bus. I should be allowed to board first if there is room. Please do not open the front and let all them people on first. Let me take my place as there will be room for the rest of them once I am parked.

3. Is the bus ramp/lift working? I know it is a bother and you got to get off your butt and go all the way to the back of the bus to let me on but IT IS NOT FAIR FOR ME TO OTHERWISE NOT GET WHERE I WANT TO GO. I know you are tired and in pain but it is your job to let me ride on your bus. On the other hand I should wait for one bus because things break but WDW should be working on ways to alleviate the problem of the disabled taking up

yeah there is a lot of griping about transportation at taht board and rightfully so. They are very clearly explaining in detail how things are happening. It has on rare occassion even happened on monorails and busses. People are waiting half an hour to over an hour and half for that next bus to come. They sit there as the driver lets people on first. They do not need a ramp to board a boat or monorail so that means family hoisting them on board or accidents. Sue over there looked at the thread and while this has always been a complaint recently it is out of hand big time. People are even making plans to avoid busses or even not go back again.

[Whazzup]

PART II: The story gets better. Finally, the boat pulled away from the dock and left for the Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin, to finish at the Studios. The crew member acting as the deck hand, as I mentioned before, gives the safety spiel as the boat takes off. This one did it with his own twist that, I admit, had he not just been so rude to us, I would have laughed at... it was my kind of snarky humor. Unfortunately, the difference between him delivering the lines and me delivering the lines is found in the intent. Mine is to make you laugh and enjoy yourself, whereas he, from everything he had given me to base my judgment of him on, actually meant the snarkiness. I sat there quietly as Friendship 7 churned on its way. I won't get into the safety violations this deck hand committed along the way, as that's not the point of this thread and were I just a guest I would not have noticed.

So here I was, feeling really not welcome on this boat. What if I were a guest on my last evening of my trip? This is the last Cast Member I interacted with, so who am I going to remember on my trip home? All those Cast Members who worked so hard to make my stay special, or ******* (name hidden because I am not allowed to post it here, not to save him from getting in trouble) who grouched at me because I had chose the wrong form of transportation to get back to my car? Were I a guest visiting from afar with my guest mentality, I might never return. I don't return to a place where the employees treat me like this.

So tomorrow, I will be writing to Guest Communications, without mentioning my being a Cast Member, and I will be apologizing for being such a burden to this Watercraft Employee.

Just a note: his counterpart, who was not on the boat at the time of the above exchange (because he was working to load guests) was much friendlier when he was not driving.

I'm glad you got his name and are doing something about it. Most guests wouldn't bother to report something like that and that's why it continues. Of course, they are quick to report a CM who is treating them "unfairly" by reminding them of safety rules or whatever.