Chocolate frog in an Imagineer's office?

[maxairmike]

Unlike Universal, most Disney cast members have positive views of the competition. We're even taught to help guests who need assistance getting to those parks, if they so desire.

Quite a few of your fellow CMs are likely also Team Members at Universal (I know more that work at both than one might expect). Yes, during training at Universal they do use a fair bit of sarcasm and negative humor about/towards "that place down the street," but it is far from bad, and most Team Members laugh it off, and the CMs usually laugh the hardest.

 

[unkadug]

Could you elaborate on this a little more? Every Universal cast member I've ever talked to didn't seem negative about Disney. And I'm guessing the concierge/staff at Universal would do the same if so asked...it's just that less people obviously, at least at this time, stay on Universal property so it's much less likely they encounter people asking for assistance to Disney. But speaking from my own personal experience, we found the Universal people quite helpful in facilitating our transfer from the Hard Rock to Beach Club. Not saying everyone is like that but that goes for either WDW or Universal.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/news/response.cfm?ID=945508454

 

[hollywoodj]

It just seems, in addition to the mickey ears in some attractions, that some Universal employees aren't as "friendly" toward Disney as more Disney cast members are toward them. This, I've only seen in my personal experience as a guest of Universal and as a cast member. That said, I've never actually had to ask for directions from Universal to Disney, so I wouldn't know if that would yield the same type of response. Just from my personal experience, there is more negativity from the competition than should be.

 

[hollywoodj]

Quite a few of your fellow CMs are likely also Team Members at Universal (I know more that work at both than one might expect). Yes, during training at Universal they do use a fair bit of sarcasm and negative humor about/towards "that place down the street," but it is far from bad, and most Team Members laugh it off, and the CMs usually laugh the hardest.

The difference being I haven't experienced any of that negative sarcasm toward Universal by CMs.

 

[CaptainShortty]

You'd be surprised how many CMs spend a decent amount of time at Universal. Many of them have annual passes. We may work for Disney but we're humans and like things outside the Disney spectrum....especially Harry Potter.

 

[unkadug]

It probably stems from years of playing second fiddle.

 

[hollywoodj]

You'd be surprised how many CMs spend a decent amount of time at Universal. Many of them have annual passes. We may work for Disney but we're humans and like things outside the Disney spectrum....especially Harry Potter.

Exactly. I even have a Universal annual pass. I don't have anything against the place, I'm just stating my impressions and experiences working for the "competition."

 

[Tom Morrow]

Unlike Universal, most Disney cast members have positive views of the competition. We're even taught to help guests who need assistance getting to those parks, if they so desire.

The exact opposite, from my experience. Many Disney CMs act like the worst of the worst fanboys and will defend Disney and trash Universal to the point of absolute absurdity. It probably doesn't help that CMs are constantly reminded that they are "the undisputed BEST" of the theme park world.

"Simpsons Ride/Despicable Me is garbage, and all they did was take the same simulators and change the film. Disney would never do that." Except when they DID with Star Tours.
"Universal has to beg other franchises to use their product because they aren't good enough to do it themselves." - Actually, J.K. Rowling went to Universal AFTER Disney turned her down. And Disney has never used an outside franchise.... except... basically everything at Hollywood Studios.
"Universal's employees are just Disney rejects." - Because its SO HARD to work for Disney? All you need is a pulse.
"Its like Six Flags." Oh, I see you've never been to a Six Flags park.

It goes on and on and its infuriating.

Of course, not every CM is like this, but there are plenty of self-righteous ones.

 

[hollywoodj]

I guess it depends on who you're working with. In all of my conversations in my department, fellow CMs have had nothing negative to say about Universal, other than how long they had to wait to ride Forbidden Journey.

 

[maxairmike]

It just seems, in addition to the mickey ears in some attractions, that some Universal employees aren't as "friendly" toward Disney as more Disney cast members are toward them. This, I've only seen in my personal experience as a guest of Universal and as a cast member. That said, I've never actually had to ask for directions from Universal to Disney, so I wouldn't know if that would yield the same type of response. Just from my personal experience, there is more negativity from the competition than should be.

What do you think about the Pepsi summer commercials last year, then? Or any of the myriad other companies that poke fun at or outright trash their competitors (like Apple, cable/dish companies, etc.). It isn't over the top, and its actually rather well-done. It's practically part of doing business when you have one or two main competitors. It can be a heck of a lot worse in retail, by the way. I've had friends in retail and it gets flat out hostile when it comes to the competition. It makes the way Universal pokes fun at Disney look like two little puppies wrestling.

Perhaps its because I've worked in the industry for a few different chains now and have seen the dynamics at play between large amusement chains (Six Flags vs. Cedar Fair, which is a really fun one), the two goliaths (Disney vs. Universal), and even the small family parks against the larger parks. Its nothing.

 

[maxairmike]

The exact opposite, from my experience. Many Disney CMs act like the worst of the worst fanboys and will defend Disney and trash Universal to the point of absolute absurdity. It probably doesn't help that CMs are constantly reminded that they are "the undisputed BEST" of the theme park world.

"Simpsons Ride/Despicable Me is garbage, and all they did was take the same simulators and change the film. Disney would never do that." Except when they DID with Star Tours.
"Universal has to beg other franchises to use their product because they aren't good enough to do it themselves." - Actually, J.K. Rowling went to Universal AFTER Disney turned her down. And Disney has never used an outside franchise.... except... basically everything at Hollywood Studios.
"Universal's employees are just Disney rejects." - Because its SO HARD to work for Disney? All you need is a pulse.
"Its like Six Flags." Oh, I see you've never been to a Six Flags park.

It goes on and on and its infuriating.

Of course, not every CM is like this, but there are plenty of self-righteous ones.

Nail, meet head regarding the bolded. You see it across the industry with the usual "rivalries" (see previous post for the common ones), but among the Disney only CMs I've seen it to DefCon 5. It has happened in many conversations with CM friends and I just laugh.

 

[hollywoodj]

I get it that it seems like nothing, but when guests are "poked fun at" by multiple employees for wearing a shirt of the competition to their parks, it seems to be a little bit out of hand. Also considering how nowadays, many families are making a point to visit Universal even when staying on Disney property, where they might not have before, it doesn't make sense to belittle those who want to experience both "worlds."

 

[maxairmike]

While I don't necessarily condone that behavior, sometimes people misread how someone will take a joke, I see it all the time at Disney with guests who either don't get or completely misunderstand a CM joke, but the vast majority get it and play along. Maybe you just have bad luck, or I just have a much more forgiving sense of humor?

 

[hollywoodj]

I have no problem with a little joking around, but when it happens to someone all day, over and over, it gets old. And it is way more unlikely for an actual guest to be messed with while visiting a Disney park with a Universal shirt on than vice-versa.

 

[maxairmike]

You must have bad luck. I have mostly Disney t-shirts in my closet that I wear to parks and haven't gotten even a single joke in the last 3 years at Universal, and I think I've spent more time at Universal than Disney during that time (typically good concerts all year helps, a lot). I do, however get a lot of great comments about one shirt in particular that's related to a show they used to film there way back when, but unfortunately I never did meet Olmec.

 

[hollywoodj]

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/news/response.cfm?ID=945508454

Lol I'm not even speaking just for myself. I've experienced this with friends as well. And I go to the Uni parks quite often.

But it's not like I'm negative about Uni, because like I said, I go a lot. They have quite a quality product, much like Disney. The more high quality attractions in Orlando, the better.

 

[maxairmike]

Ok, well that person has very bad luck. lol That is excessive, but I doubt its "normal". I still stand by having better luck with this, though, as its the only thing I can claim good luck for.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

This thread has gotten nauseating awfully quickly.

 

[menamechris]

This thread has gotten nauseating awfully quickly.

Yeah, not sure where we're going or how we got here....

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Yeah, not sure where we're going or how we got here....

Thanks, Judi Dench.