Fun With Parks Fan Jargon!

_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I've seen lots of posts recently that use parks-fan-speak, and I thought it would be fun to talk about here. What are some frequently-used Disney parks fan words or phrases that normal people probably don't ever use, but we use a lot (maybe a bit too much)? Maybe some of these phrases are even misunderstood or misused?

I'll go first:
  • "Rope drop": From the long tradition of Disney allowing guests to enter the parks before official opening time and wait at the end of Main Street behind a literal rope until allowing them into the hub and beyond. Real Ones use it as a verb: "We rope-dropped SDMT and then jumped over to PotC."
  • "E Ticket": From the old days of Disneyland's attraction coupon books, with less-popular rides being designated "A", and the most popular/newest rides being referred to as "E-ticket" attractions. Around here, we love to debate which rides should be considered E-tickets–usually using our own arbitrary criteria.
  • "Sightlines": Disney's Imagineers often speak of nightlines in the parks–what can be seen from the guests' perspective–when it comes to planning and building the parks. Around here, we talk about sightlines all the time (usually how they're being ruined by new attractions in big, ugly, highly-visible boxes).
Honorable mentions: theming, queue, (good/bad) show, book report.

I'm sure there are many, many more. What parks fan jargon would you add?
 
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SeaCastle

SeaCastle

Well-Known Member
This is admittedly a dumb thing to whine about but fans tend to be unhelpfully simplistic with blaming top execs or institutions (TDO, WDI, Iger, Chapek) without having the curiosity to figure out why things are the way they are. This happens because it's a theme park run by a private company with very poor outsider transparency into ops and business decisions (for obvious reasons). Anyone who has worked for a big institution knows how impenetrable they are to understand, even as an insider. Enormously consequential decisions happen for very boring reasons with maximizing shareholder value or making money sometimes being secondary concerns. As a fan it becomes impossible to figure out whether we're seeing the results of front office decisions vs. back office decisions, or whether poor maintenance on a ride is because of cost savings or a lead mechanic retiring and a middle manager not having permission to hire for a replacement job because of HR ineptitude. These are useful questions, but it's both easier and more fun to namedrop Meg Crofton or Phil Holmes.

Reminds me of a story a friend would tell about working in city government. He went to his chief and said "City Hall is telling us to do this." The chief responded, "Hold on, City Hall is a building. Who is telling you you we have to do this?"
 
_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
SeaCastle said:
This is admittedly a dumb thing to whine about but fans tend to be unhelpfully simplistic with blaming top execs or institutions (TDO, WDI, Iger, Chapek) without having the curiosity to figure out why things are the way they are. This happens because it's a theme park run by a private company with very poor outsider transparency into ops and business decisions (for obvious reasons). Anyone who has worked for a big institution knows how impenetrable they are to understand, even as an insider. Enormously consequential decisions happen for very boring reasons with maximizing shareholder value or making money sometimes being secondary concerns. As a fan it becomes impossible to figure out whether we're seeing the results of front office decisions vs. back office decisions, or whether poor maintenance on a ride is because of cost savings or a lead mechanic retiring and a middle manager not having permission to hire for a replacement job because of HR ineptitude. These are useful questions, but it's both easier and more fun to namedrop Meg Crofton or Phil Holmes.

Reminds me of a story a friend would tell about working in city government. He went to his chief and said "City Hall is telling us to do this." The chief responded, "Hold on, City Hall is a building. Who is telling you you we have to do this?"
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Wow, yes! This is a great post! I agree. Lately it’s been all “Iger did this to the parks” and “Iger did that to the parks,” and I’m not sure how much of that stuff Iger is even aware of!
 
_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
JoeCamel said:
Rope drop is just the act of allowing the first guests of the day to enter the park, had nothing to do with main street until recently
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Recently? This photo from Daveland‘s record of rope drop at Disneyland in the 1960s. When do you think they started this?

1633AA68-E3BE-4867-821C-382A4E79D4E7.jpeg


And they literally stretched a rope across in front of guests to keep them from going further into the park. Where to do you think the rope was stretched across?
 
JoeCamel

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
_caleb said:
Recently? This photo from Daveland‘s record of rope drop at Disneyland in the 1960s. When do you think they started this?

View attachment 689960

And they literally stretched a rope across in front of guests to keep them from going further into the park. Where to do you think the rope was stretched across?
Click to expand...
And is WDW it was outside the train station. What board are you on?
and when I rope dropped DL in the 60's it was started outside the park. Had to run to the right to get to the Matterhorn
 
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T

TalkToEthan

Well-Known Member
In the early days did CM's literally drop the rope at Main St whereby guests just walked or ran over it?

Or were both ends continuously held while one CM walked toward the other CM, thus opening up th street?
 
Club Cooloholic

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
_caleb said:
I've seen lots of posts recently that use parks-fan-speak, and I thought it would be fun to talk about here. What are some overused Disney parks fan words or phrases that normal people probably don't ever use, but we use maybe a bit too much? Maybe some of these phrases are misunderstood or misused?

I'll go first:
  • "Rope drop": From the long tradition of Disney allowing guests to enter the parks before official opening time and wait at the end of Main Street behind a literal rope until allowing them into the hub and beyond. Real Ones use it as a verb: "We rope-dropped SDMT and then jumped over to PotC."
  • "E Ticket": From the old days of Disneyland's attraction coupon books, with less-popular rides being designated "A", and the most popular/newest rides being referred to as "E-ticket" attractions. Around here, we love to debate which rides should be considered E-tickets–usually using our own arbitrary criteria.
  • "Sightlines": Disney's Imagineers often speak of nightlines in the parks–what can be seen from the guests' perspective–when it comes to planning and building the parks. Around here, we talk about sightlines all the time (usually how they're being ruined by new attractions in big, ugly, highly-visible boxes).
Honorable mentions: theming, queue, (good/bad) show, book report.

I'm sure there are many, many more. What parks fan jargon would you add?
Click to expand...
Do Imagineers even consider sight lines anymore?
 
T

TalkToEthan

Well-Known Member
_caleb,

Aside from listing the phrases and words Is this conversation about “overused” or “misused” jargon? It’s a bit unclear from your title and initial post.

And I don’t see much of either here. Since this is primarily a Disney parks spot we should naturally expect to see a great amount of jargon, thus, is it really “overused”?

And “misused”? I can’t say that I see much of that. Or maybe my idea of misused is different than yours.
 
_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
JoeCamel said:
And is WDW it was outside the train station. What board are you on?
and when I rope dropped DL in the 60's it was started outside the park. Had to run to the right to get to the Matterhorn
Click to expand...
The phrase was first used at Disneyland. It was then employed at MK. But it originated early (not “recently,” like you said), and across Main Street.

Just like “E-Ticket” originated early on at DL and then continued to be used at WDW.
 
_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
TalkToEthan said:
_caleb,

Aside from listing the phrases and words Is this conversation about “overused” or “misused” jargon? It’s a bit unclear from your title and initial post.

And I don’t see much of either here. Since this is primarily a Disney parks spot we should naturally expect to see a great amount of jargon, thus, is it really “overused”?

And “misused”? I can’t say that I see much of that. Or maybe my idea of misused is different than yours.
Click to expand...
I’m just interested in discussing jargon and how it’s used and/or misused.

As for overused, I suppose that’s a matter of opinion. But I consider some of these to be overused—especially when we start to take for granted that we’re all using them to mean the same things!

If you don’t see this, maybe we just see things differently. To me, that’s part of what makes it interesting!

*Edited for clarity.
 
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_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The Colonel said:
immersive- I'm tired of being immersed. I'm drenched already.

"on steroids"- how many things can be other things on steroids? FoP is Soarin' on Steroids. Really? It has pimples on it's back?
Click to expand...
LOL, these are great!
Immersive” is definitely one I’m guilty of over-using!
 

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