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Keys to the Kingdom Tour Yes, See the tunnel NO!
- Thread starter Skipper Timekpr
- Start date
MKCustodial
Well-Known Member
That's the one, Once Upon a Time is Now! Thanks a lot, Tig! :animwink:
cm1988
Active Member
Re: Re: Hospitality
Judging by what I've read in many postings... guests who have experienced "Backstage Magic" or "Keys to the Kingdom"... those guests haven't experienced the lack of basic hospitality you saw. I'm sincerely sorry that you did.
I have to say I find that unlike anything I have experienced at Disney. I've seen the tour... walked past it many dozens of times. The expressions on the guests' faces are that of interest (varying degrees) and enjoyment. Most Cast Members pass by with barely a glance.
Judging by what I've read in many postings... guests who have experienced "Backstage Magic" or "Keys to the Kingdom"... those guests haven't experienced the lack of basic hospitality you saw. I'm sincerely sorry that you did.
Re: Re: Re: Hospitality
don't apologize... they've probably heard me cursing before in the tunnel (not at them) or fighting with a manager. I'm the problem... hehe
Honestly, I'm friends with quite a few tour guides, and a few have incorporated me into the tour. I tend to heckle the tour groups and the guides as well
don't apologize... they've probably heard me cursing before in the tunnel (not at them) or fighting with a manager. I'm the problem... hehe
Honestly, I'm friends with quite a few tour guides, and a few have incorporated me into the tour. I tend to heckle the tour groups and the guides as well
As an actor, "heckling" to me is not good-natured fun. It's usually either a mean spirited person or a drunk trying to get a laugh. If I misunderstood the way you used the word, I apologize.
Again, perhaps I'm misreading your original post to this thread, but for a Disney CM to call guests "tourists" is, IMO using a derogatory term.
I don't mind CM's making jokes about guests in private, I just don't like to read about it on a Disney fan site. Perhaps I'm a bit too sensitive, but I hold you guys in pretty high regard...
thespis,
judging by your name, and your own admission, I'll assume you're an actor. If so, then you understand the concepts of backstage and onstage. The show goes on, ONSTAGE. Me, being an actor as well, I recognize that rule. Backstage however, in most performances, is nothing short of chaos, and in a performance, I don't necessarily appreaciate total strangers entering my space (backstage). Also, in most performance, backstage, every other word coming out of peoples' mouths is cursing. Onstage though, unless that's the character being protrayed, nothing of that sort would be allowed (except for the cellphone rule).
That's how WDW is. It's all a show, none of it is real. That's the magic of it. Every CM is part of that show. And if you know, when you're angry, it is harder to portray a friendly, happy role. That's why it's necessary to have a backstage to support the onstage. CM's are people too, and they need a release. Most CM's spend their entire day from the time they wake up, to when they go home to sleep, at work. There's no in-between time for release. How else do you think a CM hasn't murdered a guest yet? They have 1 outlet for their stress and aggression.. that is going backstage.
By heckling them, I mean make light hearted teasing (to the extent of some CM's who spiel at an attaction, and crowd control before a parade) aimed at the guests. This usually gets some anger out of me, and gets laughs out of the guest. Not to mention, it can be considered good interaction, and some tour guides actually like that.
As for calling them tourists... a tourist is a person on a tour... what is KTTK? It's a tour. Guests are invited to come somewhere. No one is invited to go on KTTK. The people on the tour, found out about it on their own, and made their own plans to attend. No invitation to go to on the tour was given to them by Disney. If they were invited by someone, that's fine. That makes them that person's guest, and the tour guide's tourist.
understand my logic and reasoning now?
judging by your name, and your own admission, I'll assume you're an actor. If so, then you understand the concepts of backstage and onstage. The show goes on, ONSTAGE. Me, being an actor as well, I recognize that rule. Backstage however, in most performances, is nothing short of chaos, and in a performance, I don't necessarily appreaciate total strangers entering my space (backstage). Also, in most performance, backstage, every other word coming out of peoples' mouths is cursing. Onstage though, unless that's the character being protrayed, nothing of that sort would be allowed (except for the cellphone rule).
That's how WDW is. It's all a show, none of it is real. That's the magic of it. Every CM is part of that show. And if you know, when you're angry, it is harder to portray a friendly, happy role. That's why it's necessary to have a backstage to support the onstage. CM's are people too, and they need a release. Most CM's spend their entire day from the time they wake up, to when they go home to sleep, at work. There's no in-between time for release. How else do you think a CM hasn't murdered a guest yet? They have 1 outlet for their stress and aggression.. that is going backstage.
By heckling them, I mean make light hearted teasing (to the extent of some CM's who spiel at an attaction, and crowd control before a parade) aimed at the guests. This usually gets some anger out of me, and gets laughs out of the guest. Not to mention, it can be considered good interaction, and some tour guides actually like that.
As for calling them tourists... a tourist is a person on a tour... what is KTTK? It's a tour. Guests are invited to come somewhere. No one is invited to go on KTTK. The people on the tour, found out about it on their own, and made their own plans to attend. No invitation to go to on the tour was given to them by Disney. If they were invited by someone, that's fine. That makes them that person's guest, and the tour guide's tourist.
understand my logic and reasoning now?
As an actor, you should know that the show is not a matter of physical location. It's a matter of actors and audience. Where there is an actor and an audience, there is a show. Disney brought the show backstage by offering the KTKT. If you, the actor encounter me, the audience, the show is on whether we're backstage or not. Your character simply changes. You are now playing a WDW CM instead of the character that you play onstage.
From everything I've read, KTKT tours usually stick to the same routes through the utilidors and backstage areas. If a CM really wanted to avoid interacting with guests backstage, it could probably be done.
In 15 years of being a professional actor and 8 years of being a high school director very few performances in which I participated had a backstage area that could be considered chaos. That's what rehearsal time is for.
If you have a problem with strangers being backstage, perhaps you should take that up with the management that let them in.
Now that sounds like most of the shows I've been in! People don't know that the best show is really in the dressing room.
I think you know the distinction I'm talking about. Someone who has paid admission to a WDW park is a guest. It's been that way since Disneyland opened. Would Walt have approved of a CM calling a guest a tourist?
I must disagree. As a DVC member, I recieve all sorts of advertising from WDC. In a recent edition of Vacation Magic the KTKT tour was enticingly described and a DVC discount given. Sounds like they were asking us to come and making it easier for us to do so.
I'm probably being too sensitive and perhaps have unrealistic standards for CM's but, as I said earlier, I have a very high regard for WDW CM's. In my mind, they're on a different level than the average hack actor...
njchris65
Member
I thought these were behind the scenes tours. I wouldn't expect them to be "on" in an area that's behind the scenes. I also don't think of this as a show, if I were to go on it. Otherwise it would be called one.
Just because you were an actor and all that, doesn't mean you know what goes on in this venue/MK. I'd also probably go on the tour, rather than act like an expert "from what I read" before I start telling people how it should be done.
The discussion I was having with another poster called into question several theatrical conventions and some basic theatre theory. I was simply making the point that all it takes to have a show is an actor and an audience. Do WDW CM's stop being CM's backstage? If they encounter a guest backstage, should they treat them with contempt simply because they aren't "onstage"? I think management would say that a CM should be "on" even if only as a the "CM character" whenever a guest is around.
Again, my post was based on the blanket statement that "backstage areas are chaos". They are not, in my experience. BTW, experience is all the criteria any of us have on which to form opinions; and what I posted was my opinion. I never claimed it was anything else. If you had read my first post on this thread, you would have seen that I have already taken the tour and that experience, combined with the reading that I've done on the subject leads me to the conclusion that the tours stick to the same basic route when in the utilidors.
My posts contain my opinions. They do not contain instructions "telling people how it should be done". It's still alright to post opinions here, right?
tenchu
Well-Known Member
I do agree that the CM's should try and keep a level of 'niceness' no matter where they are. I work in a supermarket, but no matter where i work in it, i've got to be polite and curtious, even if I'm not meant to be dealing with the customers. I understand that it is very hard to work in conditions that are cramped and people are in the way, but when your working...
njchris65
Member
Ok, I do agree they shouldn't be rude to guests. That shouldn't be hard to do.
Sorry, I only went by that post. I didn't track the names of earlier posts (took a break from reading that thread to do some actual work at work..yuck)
Why do people use this line? I may have mistaken some meanings, but I've got just as much right to post my opinion as you or anyone else. I never said you couldn't do that. I just expressed *my* opinion as well about your post. I don't want to turn this into another silly thread war, so PM me if you feel a need.
Let me clarify one thing. Even downstairs, we are never rude to the guests. We are rude to each other (CM to CM) and the guests come in the middle of that.
I've never cursed at a guest, never done anything profane/obscene to the guest, but I have mocked their tour guide and mocked the guests before...
...usually resulting in a hysterical moments that everyone likes.
that's my $0.02. I'm getting out of this thread before it gets any worse
I've never cursed at a guest, never done anything profane/obscene to the guest, but I have mocked their tour guide and mocked the guests before...
...usually resulting in a hysterical moments that everyone likes.
that's my $0.02. I'm getting out of this thread before it gets any worse
cm1988
Active Member
Da Tourz!
This link is a guest trip report on Keys to the Kingdom. And here's a quite extensive report on Backstage Magic.
If you're planning a visit to WDW, your WDW reservation agent can give you current information as well.
This link is a guest trip report on Keys to the Kingdom. And here's a quite extensive report on Backstage Magic.
If you're planning a visit to WDW, your WDW reservation agent can give you current information as well.
raven
Well-Known Member
First things first. Do the utilidoors go over to Tom Sawyer Island too? That would be practical. If so, does it come out by the Dockside Grill?
Secondly, I am a CM in Michigan and we are always "onstage" even when we are taking out the trash or letting in a delivery man at the back door. We are taught to always be "onstage" because of the Disney image.
At least that's what they stress along the retail end of the Disney Company. We were just visited by the new VP of Disney sales over North America and she gave some really nice advice to keeping that image clean.
Secondly, I am a CM in Michigan and we are always "onstage" even when we are taking out the trash or letting in a delivery man at the back door. We are taught to always be "onstage" because of the Disney image.
At least that's what they stress along the retail end of the Disney Company. We were just visited by the new VP of Disney sales over North America and she gave some really nice advice to keeping that image clean.
Javier&Christie
New Member
Re: Re: Re: Re: Hospitality
do you know Regina? she was our Tour Guide when we went on Saturday
do you know Regina? she was our Tour Guide when we went on Saturday
cm1988
Active Member
As to utilidors and TSI, no... the majority of the tunnels form a circle around the park... much like the circle you would take if you went from Main St. to Tomorrowland, on to Fantasyland, Liberty Sq., then just a corner of Frontierland before turning towards Adventureland and heading back to Main St. In general, it seems they were laid out with consideration as to where most cast would be heading (e.g. Pecos Bill's vs. TSI).
Most heartily agree with your thoughts on being onstage at all times. And really, it doesn't need to apply to just Disney. What we're talking about... courtesy, friendliness, 'eagerness to please' if you'll excuse the expression... would be kind of nice to see in other places as well. And really, like a smile, it can be quite contageous.