Anyone Else Think CM Lanyards Are Tacky?

[TheBeatles]

I like pins, but not enough to trade with anyone.

The moment I started to really notice the lanyards was when I saw park executives wearing them. I thought it made them look a bit silly.

 

[TheBeatles]

Of course they are tacky.

And they dumb down/WalMart the whole idea of costuming ... of course so does the fact Disney lets CMs walk off property (and into Wendy's, Publix, Walgreen's, ABC Liquors etc ...) in them. A HUGE part of WalMarting.

Based from first hand feedback, Cast Members are really annoyed at the people who do this. Most know not to do this and they dislike when others do.

Just a thought since someone was talking about this the other day.

 

[Captain Hank]

Based from first hand feedback, Cast Members are really annoyed at the people who do this. Most know not to do this and they dislike when others do.

Just a thought since someone was talking about this the other day.

I hate when I see this. I've actually gone very far out of my way to not be visible outside of the park in-costume, except sometimes to get gas--and even then, I always take off my nametag. I even have a very non-distinct costume that is not readily identifiable as "Disney," but it still bothers me.

 

[TiggersPooh]

I was Tland attractions...and the CM at entrance wore the lanyard which was just passed along with rotations.

I didnt mind pin trading but when I was talking to a guest and someone kept asking to look at my pins it became annoying.

 

[Mimi]

So what....

I'm not a pin collector or trader but if that is something that people enjoy let them do it in peace for crumb's sake. If it adds a little magic to their stay then I say that it is wonderful. It doesn't really take away from the magic does it? I'm sure we all have some ritual or special thing we like to do in the parks that most "normal" Americans could pass judgment on; it's probably just not as blatant or commercial.

Relax folks... it's Disney World. :lookaroun

 

[Siege898]

I don't know if this has been said but the CM pin trading lanyards are completely OPTIONAL. Every time I have been given the option I always refuse...but thats just me. Some people like the idea of having a way to interact with the guests often.

 

[Captain Hank]

I spent some time working in Merchandise, and in the department where I worked it was not optional--the lanyard was considered by the area managers to be part of the costume, except in cases where it presented a safety hazard.

 

[NEmickeyfan]

So what....

I'm not a pin collector or trader but if that is something that people enjoy let them do it in peace for crumb's sake. If it adds a little magic to their stay then I say that it is wonderful. It doesn't really take away from the magic does it? I'm sure we all have some ritual or special thing we like to do in the parks that most "normal" Americans could pass judgment on; it's probably just not as blatant or commercial.

Relax folks... it's Disney World. :lookaroun

Well said.. Thank you.

 

[Bug715]

Is it me or do only the "street" CMs like cart CMs, and store CMs where the lanyards? I dont remember seeing say a HM CM wearing anything related to pins or anything else other than their CM Nametag? And usually I see those blue squares attached to their belt loops now. . . or am I just completely out of my mind

A reason for that may be that while working attractions they can't wear them due to safety. If they are switching out to greater they may have forgotten to put them on.

 

[WDWFigment]

Of course they are tacky.

And they dumb down/WalMart the whole idea of costuming ... of course so does the fact Disney lets CMs walk off property (and into Wendy's, Publix, Walgreen's, ABC Liquors etc ...) in them. A HUGE part of WalMarting.

This is also a great example of why you should never say 'well, I don't like it, but I'm sure it's just temporary' ... because pintrading was only supposed to be around for the Millennium Celebration.

Now it's just an excuse for the Mouse to charge $12.95 for a 'LE" piece of metal crap that costs less than a dime to manufacture.

And if the CMs with lanyards are tacky, I don't know what you'd call the people who bring those massive pinbooks and start trading sessions in the parks. Beyond mega tacky.

And, no, it isn't likely to stop.

But it was nice to see at HKDL that despite Disney's best efforts, people aren't into pintrading and I don't recall seeing any CMs with pin lanyards (there might have been).

The very intelligent folks who run the OLC's Disney parks saw very soon that pintrading was overall a very negative thing for the quality of a park visit and they stopped it entirely. They still sell pins, but CMs have no lanyards and trading isn't allowed in the parks.

WalMarting seems to be a popular buzz-word with you, but I don't see how it's applicable here. If you're just using it as a concise term for anything Disney does that you don't like, that's your prerogative, but I don't see how the term's actual definition fits here. Letting costumed CMs walk off property is Walmarting? Adding a pin lanyard to their costume is Walmarting? I'm not asserting that costumes haven't become homeognized to an extent (I don't remember older costumes well enough to say one way or another), nor am I asserting that it's good to let costumed CMs to walk off property, I'm just having a hard time seeing how this is Walmarting. (Now, if I'm wrong about it not being walmarting, that's a different story--I'd just like to know how it's walmarting).

It seems like maybe you're just referring to current poor practices of WDW, no matter what their basis, as "walmarting" because of the strong negative connotation with the term. As I've indicated previously, I hate many of these practices too, I just don't like the idea of using a term that doesn't really apply simply to elicit a certain feeling out of readers, based upon their conceptions of the term.

 

[Senderella]

I don't know what you'd call the people who bring those massive pinbooks and start trading sessions in the parks. /QUOTE]

LMAO We've got 2 of those massive pinbooks. The full ones stay home and the one that's still got room goes with us. We usually have to buy another one while we're there too. Our books stay in the room so we can put the pins we've bought in there. Misplaced a pin a long time ago so this serves as a better "don't lose the pins!" system (we found the misplaced pin). We're not traders. We just buy the pins we like. When we're home, they serve as great coffee table books.