Five Strikes Against Magic Kingdom On Thanksgiving Night

[Stitch69]

It's hard to keep the magic alive in busy times. We as guests should try to help- by being extra nice to CM.

 

[WildcatDen]

its the last place that i would want to be
yes even as a guest.

Is there a park of choice for Thanksgiving Day? We were there two years ago over Thanksgiving week and at the MK for Turkey Day itself and I diod not think it was that bad. We plan on going back Thanksgiving 2007. Is one park better than the others for crowds on Turkey Day?

And. . . How does Thanksgiving week compare to Christmas week?

jbj

 

[Blackie Pueblo]

I can understand why the hostility. I worked in two differnt theme parks (unfortunitly not Disney) for several years. Three for one, and almost five for another and on the busy days it is hard to keep a smile on. Especially when you just can't make guests happy. No one likes the heat, or the crowds. And for some reason all guests think they are more important than the rest.

But the problem that castmembers have, and again, I worked in theme parks and had this trouble too, is that you have to remember that this trip might be the first and possibly only trip to that park. So as much as it sucks to deal with their bad attitude, you making it worse is what they will remember. They won't remember the fun, just the trouble and the bad cast memeber. It sucks I know. But if castmembers love Disney, then they need to try to ensure the magic of it is layed out for guests. No matter how much of a pain they are.

And for those members who are reading this... I thank you for putting up with us guests. I know it isn't easy, but very rarely do I come across someone with a "I hat you freaking guests" attitude.

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"It's time to remember the maaaagiiiic..."

 

[mrtoad]

Jungle Cruise loading and unloading can be dangerous if the CM does not do it correctly. When my daughter was either 3 or 4 we getting on and my wife got on first, my daughter second and I took up the rear. As my daughter was stepping onto the boat holding both my wife's and a CMs hand helping doing the loading. The Boat moved out about a foot quick and back against the dock. The CM had quick grab my daughter up in the air as it happened. He made a quick little that could have been bad joke but you could clearly see on his face the CM driving the boat made a very serious mistake in not keeping the boat against the dock.

Safety issues are not acceptable at major theme parks. I will say, that Jungle Cruise is tricky, the boats float around alot, and it could be that the boat was drifting, and the skipper was using the motor to try to control the boat, which they often do. It would have only appeared that he started driving off, when actually he was not. (I wasn't there, it could have been a huge mistake, and a very unsafe when at that.)

However, if people are going up the ramp at TTA, and the trains are not loading for any reason, the greeter at the bottom of the ramp, should be told immediately to stop guests from coming up the ramp. This is basic safety, and is not acceptable, PERIOD. Either the CM up top failed to inform, or the CM at the bottom did not respond, (either way the greeter at the bottom should have noticed).

I wish Disney would pay the money needed to hire, and train, the best CM's, because lets face it there are MANY CM's that are not up to the standards they should be. (Allthough there are also many that are absolutely wonderful.)

Before anyone accusese me, I work for two major attractions, that involve all of the same problems at Disney. I know there are angry guests, and stress levels can occur, but if you cant treat the customers the way they need to be treated, then you need to look for another job.

 

[celestia]

Jungle Cruise loading and unloading can be dangerous if the CM does not do it correctly. When my daughter was either 3 or 4 we getting on and my wife got on first, my daughter second and I took up the rear. As my daughter was stepping onto the boat holding both my wife's and a CMs hand helping doing the loading. The Boat moved out about a foot quick and back against the dock. The CM had quick grab my daughter up in the air as it happened. He made a quick little that could have been bad joke but you could clearly see on his face the CM driving the boat made a very serious mistake in not keeping the boat against the dock.

They are boats. They move side to side. Unless you are god you cannot prevent the boats from listing while unloading, even if you tie them off they don't completely stop moving. The castmember's do not control the boats side to side movement.

 

[JimboJones123]

Again, what parent lets a Toddler get on or off a boat without full control?

 

[DznyGrlSD]

But the problem that castmembers have, and again, I worked in theme parks and had this trouble too, is that you have to remember that this trip might be the first and possibly only trip to that park. So as much as it sucks to deal with their bad attitude, you making it worse is what they will remember. They won't remember the fun, just the trouble and the bad cast memeber. It sucks I know. But if castmembers love Disney, then they need to try to ensure the magic of it is layed out for guests. No matter how much of a pain they are.

WOW! Well stated!!

 

[darthjohnny]

I think it's the same garbage that I deal with in my restaurants.

On the holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc...) the sit down restaurants rip you off by overcharging you for only one food option (the all you care to eat food) I wish I could choose what I want.

 

[mrtoad]

They are boats. They move side to side. Unless you are god you cannot prevent the boats from listing while unloading, even if you tie them off they don't completely stop moving. The castmember's do not control the boats side to side movement.

It is not a raging river and I have never seen it happen like that before and you did not see the CMs face and glance he shot towards the driver. It should not have happened like that.

 

[mrtoad]

Again, what parent lets a Toddler get on or off a boat without full control?

Um assuming you are directing that at me as I said my wife was holding onto my daughter when it happened. So for you to infer we are not good parents is way off base. I'd appreciate you not questioning that again, thank-you.

 

[juan]

just adding my 2 cents with some CM's getting upset with guests

it's been said that CM's shouldn't get upset with guests so that the magic can be preserved, but look at it from this perspective: what if the guests the CM is getting upset with is ruining the magic for someone else?

While I don't work at the ToT, I (as a guest) have spoken up and asked other guests to be quiet in library while the film is playing. I've also spoken up when people use external lighting in the middle of rides or shows. I know that it may be their only trip ever to the parks, but when they are ruining the magic for guests around them and I see no problem with CM's getting upset with them.

 

[tigger248]

just adding my 2 cents with some CM's getting upset with guests

it's been said that CM's shouldn't get upset with guests so that the magic can be preserved, but look at it from this perspective: what if the guests the CM is getting upset with is ruining the magic for someone else?

While I don't work at the ToT, I (as a guest) have spoken up and asked other guests to be quiet in library while the film is playing. I've also spoken up when people use external lighting in the middle of rides or shows. I know that it may be their only trip ever to the parks, but when they are ruining the magic for guests around them and I see no problem with CM's getting upset with them.

There is a difference between a cm getting upset with a guest and a cm politely enforcing the rules. A cm can politely ask for the guests attention in the ToT library when they are being loud or a cm can politely inform a guest of the rules against flashes and external lighting. I don't believe a cm should ever get upset with a guest and if that does happen, then the cm needs to remove himself from the situation and let someone else take over. I've had to do that myself in certain situations before.

 

[JimboJones123]

Um assuming you are directing that at me as I said my wife was holding onto my daughter when it happened. So for you to infer we are not good parents is way off base. I'd appreciate you not questioning that again, thank-you.

I was refering to the OP. I didn't read your post. Sorry if it sounded like that. Go back to the strike on the JC. This is a reply to that.

 

[Eyorefan]

Again, what parent lets a Toddler get on or off a boat without full control?

I think the issue is that the boat driver started to drive away while someone was still getting off. That is extemly dangerous in any situation and should never ever happen.

 

[JustPlainBill]

After reading these posts here I can honestly say that this is a management problem 100%.
Speaking as a production manager for over 15 years in automotive manufacturing the symptoms are obvious, poor morale and customer service. In any staff meeting (that I have been a part of) if a Supervisor blames his problems on his employees or the customer for that matter, he is quickly rebuked and shamed. You will never solve the problem that way, it's a lazy way of thinking and the manager isn't managing. Personally, I have found that the workers, who work for me appreciate when I recognize their efforts and respond to their problems and take their side when necessary. The customer appreciates when I bend over backwards to make them happy and work overtime to meet their unreasonable requests. Companies can't rely on good employees to stay or customers to keep coming back soley because. Good managers plan for trouble, prepare and lead.
If these problems were as severe in my company as I read here in this thread, someone in management would be updating his resume and preparing for the ole' heave ho!

 

[Diznelicious]

When I work at lane merge, my fastpass line is as small as it can possibly be, depending on how busy we are... I saw some cast members filling in the ride with standby-only though, while fastpass line was going out the door, where it should never be!
Then, of course, you get yelled at by the stand-by people for sending 80 fastpasses and only two or three families of standby. You can never win.

 

[wedway71]

Being that WDW is the largest Resort Destination in the world it gets the biggest amount of people that go there.Taking that into consideration there will always be people who have a magical time and some that dont.
By far WDW CMS do a great job.After 30 years of going to WDW I cant remember any time a CM was rude or angry-EVER. I can remember many times when CMS have gone out of their way to make my day magical!
There are just people out there in this world that will "complain if you hung them with a NEW rope"

 

[kiawahman]

Strike One: The line for Fastpass on Space Mountain was longer than the regular line. We ended up waiting about half an hour in the Fastpass line because they were letting in more people in the regular line than the Fastpass line

Strike Two: This one doesn't really affect me, but anyways. On Jungle Cruise, a little girl was getting off the boat and the driver started driving away. The father had to yank the girl off the boat, and she almost fell in. How safe!

Strike Three: Walking onto Thunder Mountain, yet again the Fastpass Line was longer than the stand-by line.

Strike Four: In line for Thunder Mountain, I noticed I was walking in sand. I recognized this sand from when I worked at Six Flags, and realized I was walking in an attempt to clean up vomit. My shoes still smell like puke and sanitizer.

Strike Five: I went to get on TTA, and they were evacuating. I went on Space Mountain, and when I got out, the TTA was up and running. YAY! We reach the top of the escalator type thing, and realize that the line is backed up and for some reason people were not getting into the cars. All of a sudden, there was yelling and panicking. The people on the escalator kept coming up and couldn't stop, and everybody was getting squished. A little girl fell over and a man was being pushed into by about ten people. The line went into chaos, and people were yelling "STOP IT!". Both the ride and the escalator stopped, and I don't know if the ride ever reopened.

On the plus side, my turkey dinner was good.

-end rant here-

and the moral of the story is, don't go to DW on major holidays...

 

[mousermerf]

and the moral of the story is, don't go to DW on major holidays...

Unless you're prepared for it to be less then perfect and find that interesting and exciting and in and of itself.

Seeing Epcot busy enough to have people sitting in the grassy areas (where I know they shouldn't be) makes me happy.

 

[Blackie Pueblo]

Thanks for the acknowledgement Fallen Angel. :sohappy: Unless... that was sarcastic... :lookaroun
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"Our scars remind us, that the past is real... I tear my heart open, just to feeeeeeel"