It's been a long time since we heard from the cast members, so today's column is dedicated to the men and women of Disneyland who are out on the front lines making the magic. Some of these stories are about a humorous or difficult time they had at their job, and one is a plea to park guests. Remember, it isn't easy making happiness.
Back in 2001, I was working at Disneyland in Attractions (I was trained on it's a small world), so I also worked quite a few Guest Control (GC) shifts. One afternoon I was working GC at the Fantasyland Theater and a small boy poked his head through the bars for the handrail around the upper seating area. When he tried to pull his head back he realized he was stuck! He started to cry and I could see the panic in his eyes.
I went over to him and told him in a calm voice, “OK, I'm going to spread the bars apart and you pull your head back.” I made a very dramatic face and loud grunt while 'pulling' the bars apart. I could tell they barely budged, but the boy was able to get his head out of the bars. He looked at me like I was Superman. I asked him if he was OK and he said he was and thanked me, as did his family.
“All the world's a stage and we are merely players...” Was it “magic” or did I really bend those bars? I have so many fond memories of my time at Disneyland. Just thought I would share this one with you.
I work on the attractions in Fantasyland and I really wish that guests would just understand that there are rules and regulations (many set by a governmental agency known as DOSH—Division of Occupational Safety and Health) that cast members have to follow.
I'm sorry if you want all four members of your party to ride together in a Peter Pan boat. I'm sorry if you want your baby to ride on top of the lap bar. I'm sorry if you want your child sitting on the outside of a Dumbo elephant so that grandma can take pictures. I understand that some rules seem ridiculous, but what I feel like saying is that not only can I potentially lose my job over breaking these rules, but DOSH will shut the rides down if these rules are not obeyed.
Please understand that we don't enforce these rules because they are fun—I assure you we do not. We get yelled and screamed at by people because of them.
Please respect us cast members as people and understand our position.
I work at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at Disney's California Adventure. Anyone who has ever been in the trail can understand that sometimes it can be a little boring for the CMs. I am a new CM, with about four and a half weeks under my belt and I wanted to have fun while I work, so I decided to come up with some things to do. I also have picked some stuff up from other parts of the resort, and have used them in the trail.
The first is outside the trail at the greeter position. We have the Magic of Brother Bear show inside the trail. We have a huge wooden statue out front of Koda and Kenai. Some kids (and adults) will try to climb it, and we (the greeters) have to get them down from the statue (for safety issues with both the guests and the bears). One day, a little girl about 9 years old was trying to climb the bear. Another CM working with me was calling out to her to get off the statue. The girl wasn't listening, so I walked behind the bear to where she couldn't see me, and let out a big roar. The girl was so shocked that she ran down the highway, and the mother and father sat there laughing so hard that tears ran from their eyes.
Another thing I like to do at greeter is to scare guests (usually teenagers) who walk by at night. I will get up behind them, and then scream “Oh my God! It's a bear!” And I point at the statue. Well, one night, I got behind these two guys and yelled out. The one guy got so scared that he grabbed the other one, and tripped over his own feet. After helping the guys to their feet, they asked me to do it to them again, so I did.
Two days later, I was closing greeter when the two guys walked up behind me. “Excuse me... what's your name?” So I showed them the badge on my jacket, and then asked to see their badges. Then I asked to see their badges. Then one chimed in, “We've been calling you 'Bigfoot' all weekend long, I'm glad we got your name, now we can go recommend you!” It made me feel good.
The final story is when I work the cables. I will usually trade hats with riders, telling them that my ranger hat is magical. The best hat has to be the Princess Minnie. Here is this 6-foot-4, 300-pound guy (me) wearing a Princess Minnie hat in a ranger costume. The little kids always get a kick out of it. I will also tell jokes to the parents that wait by the rail and watch the kids. Some of them are cheesy jokes, and some I've picked up here or there. It keeps the parents awake. When I'm having fun during my shift and the guests are having fun (or scared out of their wits) I know I've done my job!
I am a Haunted Mansion maid, and just last night I was on the foyer position. It was a slow night and Fantasmic! was playing at the time. Two guys came up the line and saw me acting out the Peter Pan segment on the porch of the Mansion. Instead of laughing at me, they joined in! It was really fun.
I work mainly at Catch a Flave in Paradise Pier, and for years this con man comes to make my life miserable. I've been a lead for about three years, and a little after I turned lead this man started showing up. It was a different lead who noticed it first, but he'd come up days in a row, at about the same time when we had our afternoon rush, and he'd wait patiently in line. When he got to the front, he'd tell us about how his “niece” dropped her butter pecan cone, and if he could get a replacement. He'd always be very well-mannered and nice about it, so we never thought twice about giving it to him. Until he kept showing up, giving us the same story, days in a row. And he never changed it—or the flavor.
So we have lovingly named him the “butter pecan” man. We've tried all sorts of things to discourage him, but he always found a way around it. Since we're Disney, we can't come right out and say, “Stop coming here. I know you don't have a niece. We started trying to stall him and calling a manager/security guard up so they could have a look at him, but that never worked. We started saying that he needed a receipt to prove he bought a cone, so he started picking up receipts from the ground. Then we started saying that since I was the only cashier, I didn't remember serving him, so he started buying a cone, then coming back within 10 minutes to claim his second “free” cone since his “niece” dropped it.
At one point he started using a wheelchair, so I got the Disneyland Resort number off the back and told security so that when he turned in the wheelchair, he would be caught.
He stopped coming for a couple months, and I thought for sure that I had beat him, but that was just false hopes.
I thought about giving him a cup when he orders a cone to say that it's just for his niece so she won't drop her cone. I've thought about hiding a camera so I can take a picture and post it on the inside wall with “beware the butter pecan man!”
But I think I've finally fixed our problem. About six months ago, I was on cash register, and the other lead, Amanda, was on my drawer for a couple of guests while I went in the back to wash my hands. As I was coming back through the swinging door, she turns to me and says, “It's the butter pecan man!”
It had been a couple months since the last time I saw him, so I was unprepared for it. I got back on cash and started talking with him about his niece (who I'd love to meet one day) and saying how it's a shame I never see her and that he should bring her around sometime. I started saying how he's such a nice uncle to bring her into the park all the time, he must be her favorite. He got a little uneasy and started to try and end the conversation. He got his cone and didn't come back that day.
He's come back once in a blue moon ever since, and every time I talk about his niece and he doesn't come back for another cone. Although a couple months ago, his niece's annual pass was going to expire and he wasn't sure if she'd be renewing...
Then I saw him a couple weeks ago and he said that she would be renewing after all. Then he proceeded to tell me that she would have the next two Mondays off due to holidays, so I told him I'd be sure to pass the word along to Amanda so she could watch out for them so she could meet his niece. I did pass the word along, and he never dropped by.
I think we've finally found a solution for our “butter pecan man”!
Outdoor Vending CMs often have to deal with the strangest requests from
guests. File photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
One time I was working the pretzel cart next to Innoventions on my last day at Disneyland. (I'm a CT-Seasonal). This lady wanted to purchase one Mickey Mouse pretzel. The price nowadays is $3.25 with or without cheese. She didn't want the cheese and insisted she should only pay X amount for the pretzel. Well I said it was the same price with or without.
Steam began shooting out her ears when she insisted she paid less at another pretzel stand.
Standing my ground and being polite, I told her this is the Disneyland policy.
She said, “The hell with you and Disney,” and flung the pretzel into my chest!
I was actually shocked so I really didn't respond. She took off with her kids. (Nice display of parental modeling.) After the incident I was upset a little but figured this lady has issues deeper than a pretzel and $3.25.
This always happens when working popcorn: Do you have churros? When working churros: Do you have popcorn? When working ice cream: Do you have hot dogs?
What's the deal, people don't like to read or what? Forget about reading, how about looking at the cute pictures of what the cart actually sells? Go figure.
My all-time favorite: What time does the 8 o'clock parade begin? Scary... because they're parents.
Not so funny: A guest came up to me and asked, “I noticed Big Thunder is closed again, who died and how many?” Ouch..
(Send an email to Shoshana Lewin)
When she's not at Disneyland, Shoshana Lewin is a copy editor and contributing writer for a weekly publication in Los Angeles.
Like Walt Disney, she grew up in Chicago and went to school in
Missouri. While obtaining her bachelor's degree in journalism at the
University of Missouri-Columbia, she worked as "Plush Princess" at the
Disney Store and was given the title of "Biggest Disney Fanatic" by her
colleagues in the Disneyland College Program. During her time at
Disneyland she operated nine Fantasyland attractions and worked guest
control for both Fantasmic! and Tomorrowland.
She tries to bring a little Disney into every aspect of her life - from
the greeting on her cell phone to the charms on her bracelet - and
reminds everyone that all you need is faith, trust. and pixie dust.
