Having never seen an employee contract, I cannot say whether these CMs are required to maintain character, but its simply common courtesy. Like I said earlier: people come from across the globe and pay top dollar for the best theme parks in the world. Don't ruin it for them.
Exactly!
Human nature has a tendency to cause people to go lax in their duties when it's close to the end of their shifts or the close of business. The same person could be all business all day, but there's something about the near-end that makes people apathetic.
This applies to theme parks all over the place. Most noticeably, safety goes out the window. Ride attendants get giddy and chatty from being tired and get less professional in front of guests. I've been on coasters late at night at non-wdw parks where the attendants (barely in high school, it seemed) who probably would have normally been very thorough in their safety spiels and checking restraints - but were too "silly" and just let guests climb in and out of vehicles themselves, and just ran cycles over and over.
It's as if everyone in the world comes to this mutual understanding that we all know how the spiels and rides and safety systems work at dusk. It's a very strange phenomenon. And I still believe that this phenomenon had something to do with the monorail accident - it's almost obvious, in fact.
Sociology aside, I still agree that CMs should put on their best show until the last guest leaves. Look at the parades. There are giant painted lines beyond the parade gates that performers have to stay in character until they cross those lines (which is when the guests can't see them anymore). What if, God forbid, Mickey took his head off because he was hot just as his float past Splash Mountain? Every child at that end of the route would see him being lax in his duties right then and there.
The same applies. If you're working the ToT and you're being a giddy chatty school girl, you're not doing your job. You are a CAST MEMBER specifically because you are playing a role in a show. Contract or no contract, you were cast to be a creepy bellhop. If your hours are too long, change them or get another job that also pays minimum wage.
My park ticket entitles me to Disney Magic from opening until closing - not opening until all the CMs get sleepy. Can you imagine a JC skipper just driving the boat and randomly commenting in a monotone voice about the robotic snakes and gators? Or how about a HM butler opening the door with a big smile, or while telling an off-color joke to his coworker? That sure would completely ruin it for me.
Its just sad that Disney can't hire good people for every on-stage role anymore. There are LOTS of great CMs, and I notice them every time we go. They take me back to my childhood when every CM cared. Now you're lucky to get 10% of the caring ones who love their job and ignore the low pay. But too many are kids who while working at Disney is likened to me working at WalMart here in Indiana. Biggest employer around and always has jobs hiring kids for minimum wage. They go to work and get their check.
Ugh...enough ranting. I love Disney and I love the CMs who make it magical. I just wish Disney could afford to pay for what their time is worth so that we'd go back to the magical atmosphere CMs made for us in times past. :lol:
