What's with making us wait for MK?

[Invero]

Originally posted by Disneynutcase
This is what they used to let us do. It's what they still let us do at other parks. And I fully admit that I was unaware that they no longer operated this way at MK. Now I know.

Every so often, there are things that Disney will do as a courtesy... some things are once in a while... some things are every day... or whatever... Letting guests into the entry area of the park before the actual opening time is one of those things.

The unfortunate part of this, is that due to miscommunication, a lot of guests mistake such courtesies as an every day occurance, and get upset when it doesn't happen again. I can't say that I blame them.

It's not that we don't want to, but rather most of the time it's that we're unable to for one reason or another.

A common example that I encounter a lot... As I am pulling my bus away from a load zone, a guest comes running up. Now, from the guest's perspective, there's no reason why I shouldn't stop and let them on. I wish I could. But once I start to pull out, I cannot accept any more passengers, for safety, and liability/insurance reasons.

 

[Disneynutcase]

My final words on this and then I'm absolutely done with this darned thread that I started:

This delay, annoying that it was, wasn't a vacation wrecker. Just something I found odd. If my group was only one of a handful of poor souls stuck outside the gates with an erroneous assumption that they'd let us into a waiting area (aka Main Street) early, then I'd have no real comment here other than I didn't plan well.

The problem instead was how surprising it was that they had so many people waiting. I mean the entire waiting area behind the ticketing booths was completely filled in by 8:30.

And yes, the crowds here were due to it being the Friday after Easter, hence peak season.

But...our logic, as well as the logic of others trapped in this mob, was that Disney normally sees the "cha-ching" in a situation like this. My God, was there money to be made getting all these people into the parks!

But if all the MK prep crew were scrambling to get the park ready by opening time, that's cool. Who wants to the the illusion broken by garbage trucks, ladders, gardeners and such?

And like no2apprentice said, I, too, would love to be able to go during less crowded times. As it is, we pulled my kid out of school for three days so we could enjoy less crowded parks as our trip progressed into the following week.

Unfortunately, I have a brother-in-law who works as a television news producer who can't go anywhere from mid-October thru November, mid-January thru February, mid-April thru May, and also the entire month of July. Those are all "sweeps" months for his station and he's working non-stop on all the extra feature stories they do during this period. It's how the stations end up making money--using these ratings periods, particularly successful "sweeps" as a means for figuring out what to charge advertizers.

Thus we aren't left with much time left in the year if his family and mine want to get together.
September is the beginning of the school year. I won't pull my kids out of school then. December is peak season. March thru mid-May is peak. June and August are peak. So we picked first week of April (right after Easter) and chose to suffer.

We knew to expect crowds, and, in this case, we sure got 'em. The rest of the time, we actually managed very well (still not sure how we did it, too).

 

[s25843]

Originally posted by BradleyJ


I love how you are now able to take to the time to post your feelings on this issue.

When this information WAS POSTED, and has been being discussed on various places all over the internet for the 8 MONTHS prior to your visit.

Just because you didn't bother to look doesn't mean no-one posted the information.

If you had made any effort to look or ask, you would have known.

Thank you, That Says It All

 

[Disneynutcase]

Y'know, it's people like s25843 and Bradley that make people like me hesitant to post anything at all on this site. What's with the hostility, dudes? Excuse me for wasting your precious friggin' time! Next time why don't you do like the rest of us when we read something that we already know and just move onto the next thread?

F.Y.I.--I actually did "bother to look" but didn't really have a lot to base what MK was going to be like for this busy time of year. After all, crowds were down quite a bit up until the weekend prior to Easter. Even Christmas seaon didn't go that well.

And what happened to our country over the last eight months? Not like there isn't a reason for crowds to be down. In fact, it's nice to see people were back in droves at WDW, particularly given the nightly news (if one happened to turn it on during this time) has been all about escalating violence and total insanity in the middle east.

I checked these boards every day for two straight weeks leading up to my trip for info about crowds, entry procedures, you name it. I don't recall anyone posting anything similar to the info that I posted. But hey, maybe I missed it.

If someone did post similar info, perhaps it was after April 2nd when I was already gone on my trip. I was gone for nine days and didn't take my big- computer with me, opting instead to go to the parks without the absolute most current info posted on this site at my side.

Then again, I'll just leave all your animosity towards my post as...Daddy always said there's "one" in every crowd. And in this case, there happens to be "two."

But thanks for reading.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Hi Disneynutcase -

I for one am not at all trying to crack on you for venting! I love WDW and yet they p*** me off all the time!

However, about the quote about the lake...

"I personally hate that WDW put a lake between the park and the parking lot at MK. It's always a major pain to cross, unlike the comings and goings at the other parks. "

I have always read that Walt did do that on purpose so you would be leaving the real world behind. I know it's a pain when the parks are crowded, but for me sometimes it's been actually magical!

That said - Vent away! Aren't discussion boards a place where people can say what they really think?

 

[Disneynutcase]

I aplogize for using the word "hate." It's far too strong of a word. I think I instead should've used "find it annoying" or "it kinda bothers me."

Hey I was raised on the other coast and am too used to Disneyland and just being able to go from parking lot to the rides really quickly. I've been kind of hyper that way ever since I was first there at age four. And now they kind of screwed that up in Anaheim as well. Only bonus is that the old parking lot is now a second park!

I'm kind of a Walt nut. Was actually given the lead in the 4th grade play as "Dalt Wisney" because the kids in my class knew I worshipped the guy. And yes, I've heard the stories about why he put the lake where he put it.

As far as settings go, it is beautiful. It's just getting around it when there are way too many people at the TTC (and for that matter at the MK station trying to leave MK) that makes me have to grit my teeth.

And if it's just me who does that when it comes to the lake, then, as Daddy said, I'm the "one" in the crowd.

 

[raven]

I for one have never had a problem with the entry system.

Do your homework at least a month before you go and plan an itenerary and follow it closely. By doing this you can save yourself a lot of last minute guessing. On the list, include all important telephone numbers of parks, resorts, and other information numbers in the event that you need to know some more information.

My last trip started the Sunday after 9/11, which just so happened to be the first day the airports were back open. As a related story to your park entry dismay, let me tell you about that day at the airport.

We were told to arrive 3 hours early for our flight. Well, that ment 4AM. As it turned out, EVERYONE was there at 4AM and if I had waited and hour, I would have saved time in line at the desk. The lines were going down by then.

The same thing goes for the Theme Parks on busy days. Expect everyone to get there early! If you are not staying in a Disney Resort, go to a park that is not offering the early-entry system that day. You will find that the park with the early-entry to Disney Resort Guests will be crowded before you are even let in.

Also, if you still want to get closer a lot earlier, drive to one of the resorts close to the MK and walk to the gate.

Best story of all! Of all the parks at WDW on the week after the events of 9/11, the MK was the only one where I felt the CM's and the overall mood was not up to par. I knew the Disney image was supposed to be far better than what was represented at the MK that day. Maybe it was the events of 9/11 that made the impact on CM's but the other WDW parks were fine. I won't go into every detailed upsetting account of that day but, it made such a negative effect on me that I had to vent to an official somewhere. As I left the MK, I saw a person giving a questionare to guests. I told her about my day and that of all the parks I would probably not come back to the MK for the rest of my vacation.

You see, I was not only there for vacation but for an interview (or audition) that I had only 2 days before with Disney Casting. When I told the CM who was asking me about my day, she asked me who I had talked to at the Casting Office. I told her the name of the person who did the interview and when I got back to my room, I had a voicemail from the interviewer asking me to come in the next day. When I went in, a small group of Disney officials told me about a special position that they have created and have been looking for a specific few to take it, and they wanted me after hearing my story and reviewing my resume. They wanted me to make a decision and call them on the Monday after I got home.

As it turns out, 2 day day after they asked me to take the job, the Disney Company put a temporary freeze on hiring at WDW due to the drop in the economy. The job is still mine they said if I decide to move here in the near future, which I will be doing in November. Meanwhile, I work for the Disney Company here in the Detroit area just to get to know the company more. I love it!

So as you can see, it pays to speak up! Just don't ruin the expierience for someone else while doing it.

And as always, phone first just to be sure there arn't any sudden delays you don't already know of.

 

[Disneynutcase]

Thanks, Raven.

Your experience totallly out-does mine and pretty much anyone else's on the sadness factor. I praise you for even managing to get down there right after 9/11.

Since I really didn't think about calling the parks beforehand, I have one question for you or for anyone else who might know the answer:

Would they have provided such information? I'm a stubborn mule. They would've had to out-and-out tell me that there's no way in hell I'm getting into MK before 9:00am in order to get me to alter my plan.

Again I have never called WDW info lines, but have done it out here for Disneyland. Usually you get a voice mail menu, then can log onto various things like a recorded message about opening times, maybe a message or two about special events, parade times, and such. But would they have actually said, "don't bother coming earlier than scheduled opening time--you won't get in?" Do you actually get to speak to a live person, and, if so, how?

B.T.W.--Early Entry is still a thing of the past, so it really wasn't a factor in our trip planning. In fact, if you were there right after 9/11, then you were there for Early Entry's final days.

And to address another thing you suggested, what did save us in the end is that we really pre-planned the hell out of our trip and the planning worked beautifully. The lack of being able to get on Main Street early was the only unexpected hiccup. So we ended up postponing two rides that we were intending to go on right off the bat and instead saved them for our second visit to MK five days later.

And we did eventually get to go on everything that we wanted to hit except for Space Mountain. We got this terrific ride out our way (albiet it's a bit different from the Orlando version) so it was not that big of a "miss." If we ended up missing the Buzz Lightyear ride, there probably would've been rioting (or at least a stellar tantrum from my nephew--BIG BUZZ FAN).

 

[2much2do]

Originally posted by Disneynutcase
Y'know, it's people like s25843 and Bradley that make people like me hesitant to post anything at all on this site. What's with the hostility, dudes? Excuse me for wasting your precious friggin' time! Next time why don't you do like the rest of us when we read something that we already know and just move onto the next thread?

I have to agree with you on this one. Why is it that some people on this site are so quick to run up one side of you and down another?????? Sometimes I think that people have not read the post they are replying to carefully before they assume bad motives. Usually when people post an opinion, they do so tactfully, but then they get flamed as if they were intentionally trying to step on other people's toes! Sheesh!!!

Anyway, on another note, why is your sig line:
Termanecer centados por favor???

 

[Disneynutcase]

Re: my signature line.

If I was to act like other individuals on this posting, I'd get all huffy and tell you that I've explained the signature at least twice before, and then make you feel inferior for not knowing what it meant.

But I'm a nice guy, so I'll be happy to tell you.

It actually is a twist on some of the recorded announcements at the end of Disney rides. The recording says "Permancer centados por favor" which roughly translates to "Remain Seated Please."

My sister, the big dope, loved to spend the day telling us to "Termancer Centados Por Favor," thinking she was saying it right. What it roughly really means is "Finish being seated please."

It's a family joke that no one really gets but maybe a half-dozen people--all of whom except me don't log onto this web-site.

 

[cymbaldiva]

:lol: That's funny! As for anything else, like I said before, a lot of WDW really does bug the p*** out of me, but somehow the magic moments in between all of the aggravation (sp?) make it all worthwhile...

Any thoughts?

 

[raven]

Originally posted by Disneynutcase

Again I have never called WDW info lines, but have done it out here for Disneyland. Do you actually get to speak to a live person, and, if so, how?

Yes, there is an info line that tells you everything you need to know about your day at the park. You have to have called before just to get you through faster or it can wind up taking forever to find the information you need. It is a recording but it is kept very well up to date. As soon as an attraction is closed or times have changed, they will feed the information into the computer and the recording will change to the correct information.

If that doesn't work, contact a Disney Resort and ask them for the current information. That's probably your best bet.

 

[2much2do]

Originally posted by Disneynutcase
Re: my signature line.

If I was to act like other individuals on this posting, I'd get all huffy and tell you that I've explained the signature at least twice before, and then make you feel inferior for not knowing what it meant.

But I'm a nice guy, so I'll be happy to tell you.

Thank for tqking the time to explain your sig yet again. I am relatively new to this site, and I guess I must have missed the explanation before. Anyway, it makes sense to me now, so I won't have to correct you on your spanish, LOL! :animwink:

 

[Disneynutcase]

Re: things Disney does that bugs the...

As far as the parks go, I honestly only have ever had a few complaints. To me, there's just the ultimate mind mellower. I went to school at USC and me and a group of friends would always pick a day at the begining of finals to go Disneyland and mellow out a bit before cramming. It was always the best trips.

I've probably already stated my biggest gripe. My only other one is that they sometimes cram too many people into parks (particularly out my way and these parks are way smaller than Florida's) and it makes me uncomfortable--just way too hard to move, let alone see things.

In thinking back, what unnerved me the most about what happened during 4/5am was that WDW had all us early arrivers line up about 6 people across, then about five minutes later (at about 8:20) they had newcomers and people in the back of the line fill in all space between the TTC gates and the ticket booths. It got clogged up really bad.

Now aside from the fact that there had been no security check-point at all, meaning anyone could've had anything in a pack, I'm sure this situation was breaking some kind of fire code because if something was to cause the crowd to panic, several people would've been crushed or badly trampled.

I actually talked to a fireman neighbor of mine over the weekend, who said he was surprised that Disney did this and didn't let some of us move forward into at least another holding area in order to thin the crowds out. They could've let us get up to the monorails and ferry, holding back some people at the TTC gate just to thin it out.

As it was, we probably waited another 10 minutes in this crush of people before they opened the gates, and, fortunately, everybody was nice, no one in a big rush, and we all eventually squeezed through the eight or so four-feet-wide gates that they finally opened.

With all the little kids (including four in my party) this situation made me very uncomfortable. Top it off with the day we were there being right in the midst of the suicide bombers and you're left to thinking while you wait all this time, "one kook with an evil idea, and MAJOR damage can happen." Not that I'm trying to give anyone ideas. It's just that in all the stupidity that they do in putting two dumb excessive warnings about the way the ride vehicles will eventually turn in SSE at Epcot, they allow something else potentially dangerous to happen.

I know they can't be perfect. And I know from all the CM posts that all sorts of things go one in MK prior to opening to get it ready, but there were a few ways to make this seem safer, let alone less frustrating.

Okay, now you got me venting again. L.O.L!

Again, never had a huge complaint about any attractions at the park (although there are a few lines from certain shows and rides that are fun to make fun of). But I find some of their policies sometimes dumber than hell.

And I work in Hollywood, having been on and around the real Disney Studios lot many times with a lot of friends who have worked for Disney, and I've found that a lot of the bone-headedness seems to originate from the executive offices out here. It's like they live to out-think themselves and overstrategize everything, all in a vain way to make an extra buck off of us, the paying public.

Then again, I'm here on this website because they've always been able to capture and enrapture my imagination. It really is a unique entity when you think about it.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Thought that's what executive offices were for - to make boneheaded decissions for everyone else to live with! :lol: