Really Bothered at Star Tours

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
The OP does have a valid complaint, IMO. Attraction CMs are encouraged to enhance the theme and story of the ride, not make a big spectacle out of themselves. What would impress me and make me happy is a CM going all out on Star Wars and flight attendant theming, not incredibly cliche "be happy, you're at Disney World" comments. A lot of fresh CMs do this because they don't understand the difference, although their heart is in the right place.
 

mechagrover

New Member
...A lot of fresh CMs do this because they don't understand the difference, although their heart is in the right place.
Exactly! Way back when I was a parking lot trainer I walked out to the tram lane to find a college program trainee singing Celine Dion songs over the PA system and had no idea what he was doing was inappropriate.
 

CastleBound

Well-Known Member
I think it really depends on your ride or situation at Disney. You would hope Star Tours treats it like an actually tour program through the galaxy, not bringing you back down to earth with cliche comments and Disney talk. On the other hand, when you go on something like Jungle Cruise and they break the forth wall with Disney comments, it's just humorous. I get totally get your complaint, but it can be applied differently depending the situation.
 

Seabasealpha1

Well-Known Member
meh...I guess I just go with it...

The fact that I'm there of all places helps immensely...and I'm about as snarky as anyone....

I don't "woo-hoo" or "oh yeah" or "raise the roof" or anything...but I usually let it slide...

It's kinda like Church...not everyone speaks in tongues or swings from chandeliers or raises their hands...or goes up for seconds and thirds during communion... ;)

Everyone has their own style...
 

musketeer

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The OP does have a valid complaint, IMO. Attraction CMs are encouraged to enhance the theme and story of the ride, not make a big spectacle out of themselves. What would impress me and make me happy is a CM going all out on Star Wars and flight attendant theming, not incredibly cliche "be happy, you're at Disney World" comments. A lot of fresh CMs do this because they don't understand the difference, although their heart is in the right place.

As the original poster of this thread, I don't think I ever said I was offended. But this comment that I quoted is kind of exactly what I was trying to get at. When you're on Star Tours, you are supposed to be on a commercial space flight, not a disney ride. When you are on Kilimanjaro Safari, you are supposed to be on a two week (I think) safari, not a disney ride. When you ride the rockin rollercoaster, you are in a limo going across LA, not a disney ride. With jungle cruise, that's different, but that's what the attraction is. As I said, it wasn't offensive at all (maybe I should go back and re-read my original post to make sure I didn't say I was offended), I just said I thought it was not appropriate for that attraction.

Isn't that what people love so much, the fact you are immersed in the story of the attraction? And the painstaking detail that goes into the line for the rides that makes you try to believe you are actually in that universe?

EDIT: Turns out I did use the word "offensive", but that was more about the assumption that I took my kids out of school. Someone else on the ride actually corrected him and said they were on spring break, she seemed bothered as well.
 

Obi

Well-Known Member
How I understood things is that those cliche lines that are done are not only to get the crowd fired up but to also give the time necessary for the rides\shows\performers etc. to be set up and ready for the next performance\ride.
 

danyoung56

Well-Known Member
Disneyland for many years has had a cast member named Maynard. He's something of a legend. He does all kinds of schtick in the Tiki Room, the Haunted Mansion, and elsewhere. My problem with him is that the show becomes about him, not about the ride or attraction. It's one thing for a CM to have energy and be into his role. It's quite another for the CM to become more important than the attraction.
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
The OP does have a valid complaint, IMO. Attraction CMs are encouraged to enhance the theme and story of the ride, not make a big spectacle out of themselves. What would impress me and make me happy is a CM going all out on Star Wars and flight attendant theming, not incredibly cliche "be happy, you're at Disney World" comments. A lot of fresh CMs do this because they don't understand the difference, although their heart is in the right place.
Thank you, saved me the time to formulate that.

+1 for the OP!
 

UncleFastpass

Active Member
I agree that cast members should stay in character for attractions,so making comments about Disney and anything not related to the ride experience should definitely be out.That is not to say though that a Startours "flight attendant" couldn't be like a Southwest flight attendant and have some fun.
 

Phineas

Well-Known Member
This isn't really worth getting all bothered over, though I agree with you-it's quite pandering, but here's where the "family" atmosphere comes into play.

In addition to my day job, I'm involved with a murder mystery dinner theater company, and we have to do this. It loosens up our (mostly geriatrics with their grandchildren) crowd and encourages them to feel like they can unwind and have a good time with us, and take part in the show without feeling too embarrassed (we assign audience members roles too-it's silly fun). Honestly, it works. It's about playing to your audience.

And really, you only had to listen to it once; this CM had to do that same speech, every 3 minutes, for 8-10 hours that day. You have to mix it up a little, or risk losing your mind completely.
 

Dartha Stewart

Well-Known Member
I agree that cast members should stay in character for attractions,so making comments about Disney and anything not related to the ride experience should definitely be out.That is not to say though that a Startours "flight attendant" couldn't be like a Southwest flight attendant and have some fun.
Several years back I was on Jungle Cruise, and inside the temple scene, the skipper loudly yelled the Willy Wonka poem from the original movie's creepy tunnel segment:

"There's no earthly way of knowing
Which direction we are going.
There's no knowing where we're rowing
Or which way the river's flowing.
Is it raining?
Is it snowing?
Is a hurricane a blowing?...."


Once our boat exited the tunnel, he even made several references to the Willy Wonka films. Not a big deal for me personally, and thought it was all in good fun, but you could tell some of the other riders were pretty irritated.
 

EaglesfanNJ

Active Member
Here we go again.....

"Really bothered at Star Tours". I was expecting to see a kid acting inappropriately, or a parent throwing trash on the ground. I was expecting to hear about line cutters, or selfy sticks, or god forbid some paint was needed.

Nope.... "really bothered" but a CM doing his job and trying to get the crowd amped.

My advice, stop going to Disney if that's the kind of stuff that bothers you to the point where you need to complain about it on boards. I'll take one less person in line.
 

JourneysEnd

Well-Known Member
meh...I guess I just go with it...

The fact that I'm there of all places helps immensely...and I'm about as snarky as anyone....

I don't "woo-hoo" or "oh yeah" or "raise the roof" or anything...but I usually let it slide...

It's kinda like Church...not everyone speaks in tongues or swings from chandeliers or raises their hands...or goes up for seconds and thirds during communion... ;)

Everyone has their own style...
Those seconds and thirds at communion could be the reason for the swinging from chandeliers. . . just saying.;)
 

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