Maynard makes the OC Register

[Darkbeer1]

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/12/...land-employee-with-his-own-facebook-fan-page/

>>It’s unlikely that anyone who met Maynard Smith at Disneyland would forget him. Whether he’s working at the Enchanted Tiki Room or hosting as his “evil twin” at the Haunted Mansion, Smith brings his many comical voices and a unique presence to work on every shift.

He’s so popular, in fact, that his fans created a Facebook page called “Maynard, the amazing Disneyland Castmember!” with 2,050 members where people share photos, videos and memories of enjoying him at the park. “He’s quite a character,” said Jordie Poblete, who runs the DisneyExaminer.com blog. “He’s not the typical hourly cast member.”

Smith, who’s middle-aged, said he grew up in Garden Grove and attended Garden Grove High School, where he discovered that it was fun to clown around. He first went to Disneyland as a child and began working at the park in 1993, recently celebrating his 25th anniversary. He initially studied art but then became a trained voice-over actor with more than 50 characters.

Since he went to work at Disneyland, Smith said he always enjoyed his job as an attractions host, where he can interact directly with park visitors, rather than moving into the entertainment division — even though his fans would tell you that he’s entertainment all by himself.

“He plays a whole bunch of roles at the park and you don’t know what kind of personality you’re going to find,” Poblete said. “But I don’t think he’s a scripted guy. He likes just being off the cuff.”<<

More at the link...

 

[Phroobar]

Maynard is a lot of fun but he shouldn't distract from the attraction himself. I didn't pay over $100 to have a cast member make funny faces and act weird while I wait in line. I guess he is better than the brain dead teenagers that Six Flags hires that can barely do their job.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Maynard is a lot of fun but he shouldn't distract from the attraction himself. I didn't pay over $100 to have a cast member make funny faces and act weird while I wait in line. I guess he is better than the brain dead teenagers that Six Flags hires that can barely do their job.

People like Maynard are what make Disneyland so special. We never should hinder these types, we need to cherish them and nurture them. This is what sets Disney apart.

 

[Phroobar]

People like Maynard are what make Disneyland so special. We never should hinder these types, we need to cherish them and nurture them. This is what sets Disney apart.

Just saying they shouldn't try to outshine the show.

 

[TP2000]

Just saying they shouldn't try to outshine the show.

Exactly. I first noticed Maynard around 15 years ago when he used to work at the Haunted Mansion. He was famous on Internet message boards back then for doing this weird announcement in the stretching room about "squishy squishy together like a bowl of mashed potatoes, squishy squishy!" And it was just weird and rather annoying. If the Imagineers who built the Haunted Mansion wanted ride operators to be talking about mashed potatoes in the stretch rooms instead of delivering the approved script, they would have written the mashed potato line into the show and gotten Ore-Ida to be the ride's sponsor.

The Haunted Mansion, Presented by Ore-Ida Instant Potatoes. Squishy, squishy!

There's a line to cross for CM's where they go from being polite characters supporting the "show" that Imagineering designed and built, to crossing over into annoying attention-grabbers who entertain AP's who visit so regularly that they have grown bored with the regular Disneyland as its designers intended. And so Maynard has to leap about with plastic frogs and bizzarro world ramblings and squishy-squishy.

Why management allows him to act that way is beyond me.

 

[Rich T]

People like Maynard are what make Disneyland so special. We never should hinder these types, we need to cherish them and nurture them. This is what sets Disney apart.

While these kinds of CMs are important, I agree they should not be allowed to detract from the attractions. Keep Maynard outside of the adventures. I'm sure Maynard's a great guy and makes thousands of people happy... but I (and my group) personally *hated* it when he turned a performance of The Enchanted Tiki Room into the Maynard Show by attracting attention to himself--in the middle of song--standing in the center of the room. He has an important role in DL, but that sort of in-attraction showboating is not the appropriate use of his otherwise excellent entertainment skills.

 

[Stevek]

While these kinds of CMs are important, I agree they should not be allowed to detract from the attractions. Keep Maynard outside of the adventures. I'm sure Maynard's a great guy and makes thousands of people happy... but I (and my group) personally *hated* it when he turned a performance of The Enchanted Tiki Room into the Maynard Show by attracting attention to himself--in the middle of song--standing in the center of the room. He has an important role in DL, but that sort of in-attraction showboating is not the appropriate use of his otherwise excellent entertainment skills.

Yep, let him be goofy to intro the show or welcome you to the attraction but don't insert yourself into the actual show.

 

[zooey]

While these kinds of CMs are important, I agree they should not be allowed to detract from the attractions. Keep Maynard outside of the adventures. I'm sure Maynard's a great guy and makes thousands of people happy... but I (and my group) personally *hated* it when he turned a performance of The Enchanted Tiki Room into the Maynard Show by attracting attention to himself--in the middle of song--standing in the center of the room. He has an important role in DL, but that sort of in-attraction showboating is not the appropriate use of his otherwise excellent entertainment skills.

How many times you seen the Tiki room though?

 

[Phroobar]

I've seen the Tiki Room hundreds of times. I like sitting in the corner with my legs up. It's a good rest. I've also seen the Maynard version of the Tiki Room. Once or twice is fine but more than that it takes away from the show. "Please take trash to the Land of Fill."

 

[mickEblu]

He seems like a funny guy. I’ve passed by him 2-3 times at the park but I’ve never seen him “in the act.” I will say I watched the two videos at the bottom of the OC register article and they were a little cringey and made me slightly uncomfortable.

 

[Stevek]

He seems like a funny guy. I’ve passed by him 2-3 times at the park but I’ve never seen him “in the act.” I will say I watched the two videos at the bottom of the OC register article and they were a little cringey and made me slightly uncomfortable.

Yeah, those videos are pretty bad...like someone who wants to desperately be like the late Robin Williams.

 

[SuddenStorm]

He seems like a funny guy. I’ve passed by him 2-3 times at the park but I’ve never seen him “in the act.” I will say I watched the two videos at the bottom of the OC register article and they were a little cringey and made me slightly uncomfortable.

Imagine witnessing his act in person.

I've heard a few people online talk about conversations they've had with him, and one CM talked about what it was like working with him. By all accounts, the dude has very interesting thoughts and is a bit off putting if you have an actual conversation with him.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Exactly. I first noticed Maynard around 15 years ago when he used to work at the Haunted Mansion. He was famous on Internet message boards back then for doing this weird announcement in the stretching room about "squishy squishy together like a bowl of mashed potatoes, squishy squishy!" And it was just weird and rather annoying. If the Imagineers who built the Haunted Mansion wanted ride operators to be talking about mashed potatoes in the stretch rooms instead of delivering the approved script, they would have written the mashed potato line into the show and gotten Ore-Ida to be the ride's sponsor.

The Haunted Mansion, Presented by Ore-Ida Instant Potatoes. Squishy, squishy!

There's a line to cross for CM's where they go from being polite characters supporting the "show" that Imagineering designed and built, to crossing over into annoying attention-grabbers who entertain AP's who visit so regularly that they have grown bored with the regular Disneyland as its designers intended. And so Maynard has to leap about with plastic frogs and bizzarro world ramblings and squishy-squishy.

Why management allows him to act that way is beyond me.

Yikes.

That'd likely be more annoying than the AP's who think they know the spiel, but end up butchering or mumbling through it then loudly exclaiming "MY WAY" and screaming at the end for the enjoyment of the first timers in the elevator.

 

[Phroobar]

Maynard is kind of a novelty. It's fun to catch him during a rare visit but when he when you see him consistently like other cast members, the schick gets old fast.

 

[Rich T]

How many times you seen the Tiki room though?

I see the Tiki Room once every few years--and, unfortunately, my last viewing was the Maynard Show. For two in group, it was their first experience with the show, and afterward they asked if "that guy" was a regular part of the show (they did not enjoy his interruption).

Y'see, right in the middle of the show, in the middle of a song, he strode to the center of the room, loudly called attention to himself and started singing along in a sarcastic, bored tone of voice. It wasn't funny, it wasn't entertaining, and it pretty much wrecked the atmosphere for everyone.

Again, I think the guy has talent and should remain a part of DL. I just don't think it's a good thing when he tries to call attention to himself in the middle of a ride or show. No CM should do that on an attraction.

 

[Stevek]

I see the Tiki Room once every few years--and, unfortunately, my last viewing was the Maynard Show. For two in group, it was their first experience with the show, and afterward they asked if "that guy" was a regular part of the show (they did not enjoy his interruption).

Y'see, right in the middle of the show, in the middle of a song, he strode to the center of the room, loudly called attention to himself and started singing along in a sarcastic, bored tone of voice. It wasn't funny, it wasn't entertaining, and it pretty much wrecked the atmosphere for everyone.

Again, I think the guy has talent and should remain a part of DL. I just don't think it's a good thing when he tries to call attention to himself in the middle of a ride or show. No CM should do that on an attraction.

Oddly enough, I haven't seen Maynard anywhere in probably the last 5 years of visits. Only once did I ever see him in the mansion, once in the tiki room but only outside.

 

[truecoat]

I've encountered him once in the Tiki room. He did a long silly intro but was out of site the rest of the time. I wouldn't like it if he tried to insert himself into the show.