A Spirited Perfect Ten

[dizneycrazy09]

When talking about trends among a group of people, obviously there are going to be individual outliers. No, not EVERY SINGLE CP is a bad guest who disrupts the experience for "regular" folks, but that doesn't mean that there aren't general problems attributable to that group.


Nothing in and of itself. But it stands in contrast to your assertion that all those kids just want to love Disney and work their buns off.

Anecdote: When I was at Universal many years ago, I was waiting for some chicken strips I ordered at one of the counter service restaurants. It wasn't a normal "meal time" so the place was pretty empty except for me, and two of the workers behind the counter who were apparently dating were talking about the sex acts they wanted to do to one another when their shift ended. At the time, that experience was something that put me firmly in the "pro-Disney" camp of the Orlando fanboy wars, but overhearing things like that has become much more common at Walt Disney World. Even excluding explicit things like that, the guest should NEVER hear words like dorms, backstage, shifts, hours, breaks, etc.

ETA: "Kids" don't go to college. Adults go to college. Adults acting like children is exactly the problem with the college program (and large portions of today's society, but that's another conversation).

Your original post left no room for exceptions. I also did not say that all CP's love Disney and want to work their buns off. I just know that your selling a lot of CP's short that are there for the right reasons and don't act in the ways that you suggested.

 

[Lee]

When they are at the parks as guests, they are guests. This means they are free to act like fools provided it's within park rules. You may not agree with it but they are not held to a higher standard when they are not on the clock.

Maybe they should be held to a higher standard.
They know what sorts of behavior intrudes on and/or impacts negatively other guests' enjoyment of the parks. CPs should strive to be "perfect" guests, setting the best example...not acting like fools.

 

[dizneycrazy09]

Maybe they should be held to a higher standard.
They know what sorts of behavior intrudes on and/or impacts negatively other guests' enjoyment of the parks. CPs should strive to be "perfect" guests, setting the best example...not acting like fools.

THIS I agree with.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Your original post left no room for exceptions. I also did not say that all CP's love Disney and want to work their buns off. I just know that your selling a lot of CP's short that are there for the right reasons and don't act in the ways that you suggested.

Again, saying "Disney has a CP problem" is not the same as saying "every CP is a problem." I believe wholeheartedly that the former is true and the latter is not. I think I've been pretty clear in that regard, but I have no intention of including a caveat in every single one of my posts to clarify that point over and over again.

 

[dizneycrazy09]

Again, saying "Disney has a CP problem" is not the same as saying "every CP is a problem." I believe wholeheartedly that the former is true and the latter is not. I think I've been pretty clear in that regard, but I have no intention of including a caveat in every single one of my posts to clarify that point over and over again.

I agree that the CP remains terribly flawed. The entire culture of the program promotes the "take a semester off and party in Disney World" attitude. I remember when they came to my school for an information session and basically said the aforementioned phrase without actually saying it. The CP kids get paid such an insignificant amount that after a couple groceries are bought and rent is paid, the money is gone. So what is there to do? "Oh, let's go get into the Disney parks for free and act like 21 year olds because we've worked 55 hours this week."

When it comes down to it, the CP essentially forces the college students into the parks on their day off. Should they act respectfully while in the parks? Absolutely. Do they get out of control from time to time? Yes. But you also can't fault them for acting like 21 year olds either.

 

[roj2323]

Maybe they should be held to a higher standard.
They know what sorts of behavior intrudes on and/or impacts negatively other guests' enjoyment of the parks. CPs should strive to be "perfect" guests, setting the best example...not acting like fools.

I don't disagree

 

[CaptainAmerica]

When it comes down to it, the CP essentially forces the college students into the parks on their day off. Should they act respectfully while in the parks? Absolutely. Do they get out of control from time to time? Yes. But you also can't fault them for acting like 21 year olds either.

When "acting like a 21 year old" means what you know it means, I absolutely can fault them for acting that way. There are plenty of people who aren't disrespectful drunk slobs when they're 21. That's such a crap excuse and it lets people get away with so much in our culture. I was married with a full time job and an apartment 2,000 miles from home when I was 21 years old.

See Michael Kimmel's book "Guyland." It only deals with the male side of things, but it applies to this generation across the board and highlights the broader societal problems that are manifesting themselves in these CP issues. From the synopsis:

Kimmel’s study shows that the guys who live in “Guyland” are mostly white, middle-class, totally confused and cannot commit to their relationships, work or lives. Although they seem baffled by the riddles of manhood and responsibility, they submit to the “Guy Code,” where locker-room behaviors, sexual conquests, bullying, violence and assuming a cocky jock pose can rule over the sacrifice and conformity of marriage and family. Obsessed with never wanting to grow up, this demographic, which is 22 million strong, craves video games, sports and depersonalized sexual relationships.

 

[NearTheEars]

What's there to lose? How about one of the few perks to being a minimum wage Cast Member that makes the job worthwhile, gives an incentive to provide good service, and fight the ever more restrictive Disney beaurucracy and penny-pinching to try to give Guests a great experience.

Take away one of the main incentives for doing the job, and you'll find it far harder to attract decent people. Cast Member recruitment relies on word of mouth from CMs sharing pictures of their time in the parks having fun on their days off - kill that, and the only thing they'll be instagramming are pictures of the sh*tty toilets they have to clean as part of the 'magic'.

Agreed. Part time Cast are already pretty limited on bringing in guests.

 

[roj2323]

I agree that the CP remains terribly flawed. The entire culture of the program promotes the "take a semester off and party in Disney World" attitude. I remember when they came to my school for an information session and basically said the aforementioned phrase without actually saying it. The CP kids get paid such an insignificant amount that after a couple groceries are bought and rent is paid, the money is gone. So what is there to do? "Oh, let's go get into the Disney parks for free and act like 21 year olds because we've worked 55 hours this week."

When it comes down to it, the CP essentially forces the college students into the parks on their day off. Should they act respectfully while in the parks? Absolutely. Do they get out of control from time to time? Yes. But you also can't fault them for acting like 21 year olds either.

This is compounded by the fact that they are actively encouraged NOT to bring their cars. Motorcycles and bicycles are also banned. Their only form of entertainment is the parks aside from the once every other week bus to florida mall.

 

[flynnibus]

They're there, not because they want to work, but because they want to party and not be in class.

If that's their motivation - they are pathetic at picking the right job choices. Much better atmospheres you could go work in... and not have to play disney-fake and be treated like the bottom rung.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Agreed. Part time Cast are already pretty limited on bringing in guests.

Most part time workers in the world are granted zero free tickets to Walt Disney World. Anything above that is above and beyond market compensation.

 

[dizneycrazy09]

When "acting like a 21 year old" means what you know it means, I absolutely can fault them for acting that way. There are plenty of people who aren't disrespectful drunk slobs when they're 21. That's such a crap excuse and it lets people get away with so much in our culture. I was married with a full time job and an apartment 2,000 miles from home when I was 21 years old.

See Michael Kimmel's book "Guyland." It only deals with the male side of things, but it applies to this generation across the board and highlights the broader societal problems that are manifesting themselves in these CP issues. From the synopsis:

Kimmel’s study shows that the guys who live in “Guyland” are mostly white, middle-class, totally confused and cannot commit to their relationships, work or lives. Although they seem baffled by the riddles of manhood and responsibility, they submit to the “Guy Code,” where locker-room behaviors, sexual conquests, bullying, violence and assuming a cocky jock pose can rule over the sacrifice and conformity of marriage and family. Obsessed with never wanting to grow up, this demographic, which is 22 million strong, craves video games, sports and depersonalized sexual relationships.

I wasn't exactly equating "acting like 21 year olds" to "disrespectful drunk slobs." There's a way to be 21, blow off steam, and even be drunk without being a disrespectful, drunk slob. I'm assuming this is your experience with numerous CP's and really just all people aged 18-25 considering your strong opionions on the subject.

Edit: I'm having a really difficult time hearing anything but "kids these days" in any one of your posts.

 

[dizneycrazy09]

This is compounded by the fact that they are actively encouraged NOT to bring their cars. Motorcycles and bicycles are also banned. Their only form of entertainment is the parks aside from the once every other week bus to florida mall.

With the zero dollars they have because they get paid nothing.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I wasn't exactly equating "acting like 21 year olds" to "disrespectful drunk slobs." There's a way to be 21, blow off steam, and even be drunk without being a disrespectful, drunk slob.

Yes, there is a way to do that, but that's not the way it's being done. I lived in Orlando for several years and this was more than just a few bad apples. It's a trend. I'm the one posting about it at the moment but I'm certainly not the first or only to bring it up. All of the posts about "lifestylers" and then some can be applied to CPs.

I'm assuming this is your experience with numerous CP's and really just all people aged 18-25 considering your strong opionions on the subject.

I'm 25.

With the zero dollars they have because they get paid nothing.

Plenty of teenagers and college students "get paid nothing" and still manage not to embarrass themselves or their employers in public.

 

[NearTheEars]

Most part time workers in the world are granted zero free tickets to Walt Disney World. Anything above that is above and beyond market compensation.

I'd agree with you, except free park admission has been part of CMs compensation packages for years. It essentially part of their paycheck. Eliminating it would be like cutting wages.

So yes, you are right. No other workers in the world receive free admission to WDW.

Why would they? They don't work there.

 

[dizneycrazy09]

Plenty of teenagers and college students "get paid nothing" and still manage not to embarrass themselves or their employers in public.

Again, I didn't say A equals B. I was more or less being sarcastic in the sense that it's so nice of the CP to run a bus trip to the mall for kids that have no money.

I guess I've just never witnessed the claims of CP kids acting a fool in the parks. During my stint, we had fun and managed to have it in a respectful way without embarrassing ourselves or the company. Perhaps I'm just blissfully unaware of the "drunks fools staggering through the park screaming about Cinderella boning the Photopass guy from Epcot the night before cuz she got too messed up at the wild cast member party."

Side note: I'm also 25 and don't have quite the doom and gloom attitude that you have toward our generation.

 

[Cesar R M]

No. Its just a joke.

dave.. at this rate you will kill me before I reach my 40's

Yes they're camping outside the door and in the lobby

 

[Cesar R M]

What's the solution to overcrowding at the Magic Kingdom? More attractions that add capacity will draw additional guests to eat up that capacity and then some. It's a catch-22.

A good first step would actually be a crackdown on Main Entrance Pass privileges for CPs, Seasonals, and part-timers. Let those people admit themselves but no guests unless they have a resort reservation. They don't spend any money on merchandise or F&B anyways, so what's there to lose?

another step is to block hoppers.
a lot of people spend days at the park and hop again to MK.

 

[71jason]

Your typical Lifestyler living in their parents basement does not HAVE the $52 bucks for a Nautilus bowl, The blogging for free Disney swag and meals will be there for the social media events. Beyond that how are you gonna sort the 'Paying Customers' from the Lifestylers, Hence the cover charge - perhaps credit it towards drinks over $24.95

Ahh, but you're wrong--lifestylers have plenty of cash. No basements in Florida, but if they live in their parents' condo (true story), they have plenty of disposable income, not paying rent and all. Even the others, generally no kids and a decent enough job to afford time to obsess over Disney, so extra disposable income. Think (no rhyme intended).

Again, the exception is CPs or young CMs. The scourge of the Adventurers Club in its final year, when most were kicked out of every other PI venue due to age. A lot of CPs are obsessive like lifestylers, but they're not who we are talking about. And no, they can't afford the drinks at Sam's anymore than they could afford them at PI. But PI at least offered activities other than drinking. Much more a bar than an attraction, hype aside.

 

[Cesar R M]

Yeah, if you don't book in advance during a peak time, you're going to have a bad time. It's just a fact of life now. Thankfully I'm among the many that love to plan ahead, so the system has worked fantastic for us, even as locals. Working M-F, we typically only go on weekends, and by Wednesday we have an idea if this will be a week we go to the parks. Even if we know just a day in advance we have been fine booking FP so far.

I have (anecdotally) noticed the overall guest knowledge of the system getting much better now. Way less hangups at the touchpoints. Fewer guests confused about what their times were.

But there still seems to be some disconnect with the foreign tourists. When I have noticed a problem, and a cast member tells them "you don't have a FP for this ride" or "your time isn't until ..." They are often non-English speakers and remain confused.

what about system crashes?