My family just returned from a fantastic trip to Disney World, followed up by a few days at the beach (to recover LOL). We spent 6 days soaking up the best of Disney and I was again reminded that one of my favorite things about the World is how it makes people happy and smiley. Then I stayed until almost midnight and was reminded how late night Disney makes people nuts. This story takes place at Casey’s Corner, between 11 and 12 pm. Read on if you dare…
My husband and I entered Casey’s on the late night to grab an order of mini-corn dogs. We were hungry and there isn’t much open late at MK. Plus those mini-corn dogs are the bomb.com. I knew it would be crowded and the line had started to creep out the front door. I planned on mobile ordering but as I pulled my phone out, it went dead. So off to the main line we went.
As we entered, we stood behind another young couple surveying the scene. The lines directly in front of the door were very long, but just to the side seemed pretty short. I noticed a sign pointing toward the back of the counter for mobile order pick up. Then we followed the young couple to the side line and waited patiently to order our delicious corn dog treats. After about 5 minutes of no one coming up to the counter to take an order, I suspected the line we were in was closed. Slowly but surely, the two parties in line ahead of us left the line and moved back to the longer door line. As they moved, I could see the “The Line is Closed” sign on the counter, but it had been pushed slightly behind the payment/Magic Band scanner so it was harder to see (but definitely visible).
After we moved, there were people in line behind us who stayed in the closed line. My husband and I said (loudly) that we thought that line was closed but it was chaotic and the parties behind us didn’t move. Then it got really entertaining.
After about 10 more minutes had passed, the woman at the front of the closed line shouted at a CM to take her order. The CM apologized and said that this line was closed. This shouty woman, and the man standing behind her, LOST THEIR MINDS. They shouted things like “She just closed the line while we were standing in it!” and “They took 4 people’s orders in front of us and then closed the line!” and “Get me a manager!” and (my favorite) “We’ve been standing here for half an hour and this line has been open!”. The CM patiently explained that, no this line had been closed for quite some time and she was the manager and had closed it herself. Then she pointed out the obscured “Line Closed” sign. The man in line shouted “That’s bulls***!” He then pointed aggressively at the sign hanging above the line and said “THE SIGN SAYS ENTER!” (as if the affixed hanging “Enter” and “Exit” signs get removed when the line closes LOL)
People were yelling, babies were crying (who keeps a baby out that late?), and CMs were scrambling. Chaos had ensued. My husband and I watched from our spot in the neighboring line, chatting with the lady behind us who had also moved out of the closed line, about how late night Disney brings out the worst in people. These adults were acting like children and were lying about the wait and circumstances to get special treatment. I wanted to go intervene and explain that these people were nuts, but my husband advised against getting involved in what was turning into an ugly spat.
The CM ended up taking orders for the 3 or 4 parties in the closed line. She also comped the meal of the crazy man that had been screaming at her. He ordered (no joke) 10 lemonade slushies and 10 hot dog meals. He and the other shouty lady saw me during all this waiting in my line, knowing I had been in line in front of them, and began smirking with the self-satisfied grin of someone who has gamed the system and knows it. Meanwhile, I waited another 20 minutes to order. But karma isn’t all bad. The first lady in the closed line was only waiting on 2 hot dog meals and somehow her order didn’t come out until the same time as mine despite my longer wait in a real line. When her order came out, they had included an extra mac & cheese dog. She tried to give it back and they told her to keep it on the house and she got mad again (?!?!) and shouted “Who is going to eat this!”. Thankfully the CMs ignored this ignorance and the woman retreated to her family with an extra meal to boot.
The whole experience showed me how classy the Disney CMs are, and how trashy other people can be when they are tired and crabby. The fun didn’t stop there though. The man in line in front of us got agitated and demanded to speak to a manager because his Disney Visa Rewards didn’t work. He yelled “How does a Disney restaurant not accept a Disney Rewards card?” He was super ****ed and being kind of nasty and loud about it. Then the manager told him the card was denied for insufficient funds because it was a gift card that only had $6 on it. LOL he turned bright red and paid with his Magic Band. After that, the woman on the other side of the alternating line ordered using a coupon that the CM didn’t know how to ring up. Then her friend went ahead with her own order instead of alternating back to us, which we found very unfair but didn’t complain about because WE ARE ADULTS that know that sometimes life isn’t fair.
Kudos to the staff at Casey’s Corner for dealing with the crazy late night crowds, particularly the manager Amber. I’m guessing that is one of the worst food service jobs in all of the parks. Nothing like Disney magic to put people on their best behavior!
