Magic Kingdom Gift Shop Policy Fail

[s8film40]

Ah, so you mean the average ignorant park goer then. When I go to an amusement/theme park, I leave well before closing, because I actually have respect for the employees.

So you think that someone who stays till a posted closing time doesn't have respect for employees, and the average park goer who doesn't know every nuance of how parks operate is ignorant?

Parks are built for the general public and meant to be enjoyed without having to thoroughly research it before going.

As for closing times I always expect a business to operate up to it's posted times. I also have always respected businesses closing times and policies. If I go to a restaurant for example and get one of the latest seatings I will do my best to eat quickly and be on my way. Every job that I have ever worked that had an operating schedule I have always respected a closing time and gratefully accepted customers up to at the very least a few minutes after the closing time. One of my pet peeves are people who are in such a hurry to close or even close early. If you are that in a hurry to get away from your job you don't deserve to have one.

 

[bullsforthewin]

It doesn't matter if they put out exclusive merchandise, or if the posted park hours are until 7PM. Fact is that Disney did something they don't usually do without warning and it inconvenienced their guests. It may not necessarily be a big deal or worth some of the cattiness from some people in this thread, but Timekeeper is most certainly right in his stance.

Not true at all...there was warning and Disney has always done that...sorry but Timekeeper in is the wrong...

 

[C.FERNIE]

when we have been to wdw, and there has been a special event we paid the money for the tickets, it annoys me when people try stay past the time, i paid money for this and they did not! it is not cheap to vacation at wdw and i feel i am paying for a bit more magic! it is clearly said it will close at 7 ... promptly and i got told at check in at our hotel aswell and when when we returned for advice about epcot, they told us about the early closing, and why, and how to get tickets! Disney is being nice letting guests stay shop! with the amount of people that visit you can not just close the park, there has to be a line. if it is 7 pm it closes regardless of any event, it closes at 7. thats the line, same line that any store, any dinning location and any airline check in makes. if they did not no cm or general worker would get to go home, so think about that first!:wave:

 

[Magical.Animal]

This whole thing just cracks me up! I spent like an hour reading through all of this...

My two cents(well like eight cents maybe):

if someone is 'in the know' enough to EXPECT that they will be able to shop after hours, because that's "NORMALLY" what they do, then this same person should have realized that day in the MK was not just another 'normal' day, because on normal days the bus drivers, tram operators, SIGNS EVERWHERE, and the announcements over the speakers(which definitely mention the party- either to sell tickets or let people know its sold out) aren't all reminding them that the park is closing early and PROMPTLY at 7... Anyone who experienced this had to have known this was NOT going to be a NORMAL closing, and something special was going on... Given this, it's reasonable that if someone REALLY REALLY HAD to buy something and it was super important, they would have done so before closing, since this OBVIOUSLY wasn't just a normal day in the park...

I have attended both parties and can attest that there is special merchandise, exclusively available to party-goers, that comes out promptly at 7:00 when the party officially begins, which is why the store entry is not allowed...


The argument about "if it closes promptly at 7, then why don't they kick people out of the lines?" is ridiculous! If the shopper was in the store before 7, she could have finished shopping and left, but since she tried to shop after 7, she was denied.. Seems like a pretty logical answer.

"they should do it because its better customer service" ha! I work in customer service and pride myself in being the best in my area. I can honestly say that the customer is not always right, and customer service isn't just about giving people what they want. It's not about the rule being the exception and the exception being the rule... Is about assisting people, while following rules and policies, in the friendliest and most polite way possible.

 

[Kobe!!]

We know that guests who are in an attraction, or even in an attraction queue, cannot typically hear PA announcements. If a guest is in an attraction that they're allowed to be in, we can hardly expect for a PA announcement to be sufficient.

As for sign, yes, a lot of people have mentioned signs and posted closing times. The thing that we need to remember, though, is that there were also posted closing times for AK, HS, and EPCOT on that same day, and to the best of my knowledge, guests were allowed to make purchases in their respective gifts shops while making their way out of the parks after the posted closing times ...because that's obviously the daily practice. I've seen the Main Street gift shops remain open for shopping well over one hour past the posted closing time.

If Disney went through the effort to make signs and post them around the park, it would not have cost them anymore to articulate that both attractions and shops would be closed, being that is the more unusual scenario from the norm. (The "usual" scenario being that shops remain open beyond the posted closing time.)

I would hope that a day guest exiting Big Thunder at 7:20 (due to the standby wait time) would not be denied access to a restroom between Big Thunder and the park main gate, but who knows. That just doesn't seem very "Disney" to me.

Really? Why does it seem to me that you are blowing this out of line? http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zrjuYgZKUns/Tqn-HYcFalI/AAAAAAAABv8/R1NW_WFYsO4/s1600/beat_dead_horse2.jpg

 

[unkadug]

...
if someone is 'in the know' enough to EXPECT that they will be able to shop after hours, because that's "NORMALLY" what they do, then this same person should have realized that day in the MK was not just another 'normal' day, because on normal days the bus drivers, tram operators, SIGNS EVERWHERE, and the announcements over the speakers(which definitely mention the party- either to sell tickets or let people know its sold out) aren't all reminding them that the park is closing early and PROMPTLY at 7... Anyone who experienced this had to have known this was NOT going to be a NORMAL closing, and something special was going on... Given this, it's reasonable that if someone REALLY REALLY HAD to buy something and it was super important, they would have done so before closing, since this OBVIOUSLY wasn't just a normal day in the park...

:sohappy:

I said the same thing 88 posts ago! :lol:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showpost.php?p=4845987&postcount=16

 

[MickeyPeace]

I feel the words of a jungle cruise skipper would best describe my feelings about those not holding a hard ticket and wanting to shop on my time-

"I have been constructing a list of very loving, warm and heartfelt goodbyes for all of my cruises, so I'm going to try one out on you right now. Let's see if I can remember how it goes. Oh yes, GET OUT."

But seriously, during hard ticket events, shop before 7pm or purchase a ticket.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Maybe the shops need blinking signs that say DO NOT STOP HERE...

 

[olinecoach61]

I'm with Disney on this one, you have to draw the line somewhere. If people are paying extra for the hard ticket event Disney should move out the stragglers who don't have tickets. Plan ahead.

 

[MaryJaneP]

After reading (and re-reading) the original post and the responses so far, this is just more proof that:

1. The guests were put on notice that the park was closing at 7PM sharp for a hard ticket event

2. It is UNreasonable to expect there to be any exceptions made.

People already in lines for rides got to ride, people already in shops got to finish shopping. Nobody without bracelet admitted to lines for rides or into shops after 7PM.

No policy fail here. Expectation fail if anything.

BTW, I thought "epic fail" was one of the banned phrases for 2012.

 

[TinkerBelle8878]

Aside from the Close/Reopen for event guests, wouldn't simple signage outside of the stores suffice?

On the event days, put something in front of the stores, on the sidewalk or on the entry ways (where it can't be missed), saying Due to (fill in event), The Emporium will close 7 PM tonight. Please make all purchases before then. The Mouse Out Front Should Have Told You. Have a Nice Day.

Simple, easy, and for those non English visitors simply the word in their language for Closed and the time.

 

[G00fyDad]

Aside from the Close/Reopen for event guests, wouldn't simple signage outside of the stores suffice?

On the event days, put something in front of the stores, on the sidewalk or on the entry ways (where it can't be missed), saying Due to (fill in event), The Emporium will close 7 PM tonight. Please make all purchases before then. The Mouse Out Front Should Have Told You. Have a Nice Day.

Simple, easy, and for those non English visitors simply the word in their language for Closed and the time.

You're joking right? Please tell me you do not think that a sign will stop anyone. The entitled people :king: will simply laugh at the sign :ROFLOL: and walk right on in.

 

[greebomusic]