My daughter made our rocket get evacuated on SM, City Hall tracking & other trip details!

bayareadisneyland

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Just returned from our trip. We usually do onsite/ offseason and this time did offsite (CMTPE) and peak season (March 16-19).

A few stories/ notes:

1. My 6 year old rode Space w/ her dad for the first time on Sat and LOVED it. Well, he couldn't come to the park the next day so she BEGGED me to ride. Well, I have a 80% rate of puking after the ride, but my daughter won. I told her I would ride. The auto gates open for us to get in our rocket and I step in first, sit down and I see her standing at the gates as they are closing. I have no idea why she didn't get on the rocket. She froze or wasn't paying attention (I will always load SECOND from now on). Anyways, I hear she WAILING at the loading dock as the rocket pulls away. There is a cast member standing at my rocket as we are stopped looking up at the control booth. She says "you are going to get to ride twice! Once without your daughter then once with your daughter!" For some reason, I blurted out "I'm going to throw up." She then went to the control board and instead of our rocket going to the right and going up to the ramp, we went left to a rocket storage area. They had to evacuate our entire rocket with a ladder. I was MORTIFIED. It only took a minute or so but I felt horrible and everyone was glaring at me. I was reunited w/ my daughter at the boarding area, we all got back on the rockets. I rode and then puked in the bathroom.

2. I have always gone to DL w/ 10am openings (with EE at 9am). I really liked the 8am opening! Sat and even Sun were great. Crowds were good, nice weather, we got a lot done. Monday and Tuesday were insane. I thought Sunday would be the worst day bc passes weren't blocked? Anyways, I think we are going to do Weds- Sunday next time.

3. CMTPE was great. Especially since we didn't need the extra hour in the morning from staying onsite. The pool was super small but I think the slides are fantastic for the under 10 crowd.

4. I went to City Hall to ask if they could move our Magic Pass to the next day. Matterhorn broke down at the end of the day. They had no problem w/ it at all but asked me to write my name and phone number on a piece of paper. Well, I got back to work and told the receptionist (she used to work at City Hall) she told me they track all of the "favors" they give out- yikes! I guess monitor for trouble guests. Won't be asking for anything in the future!

5. My son was dying to see Mr Incredible. On our last day, we spendt the morning on the pier waiting for him. We was really late- then a cast member came out and said he was busy chasing Bomb Voyage. Does that happen? How can a character run late and then not come at all? There was a huge line of people upset!
 
I waited on and off for a couple of hours to meet Judy Hops at DCA. She WAS on the schedule. Never showed up. It was confusing to even figure out where she appears (on/near a stoop apparently sort of near the LM store by the LM ride). I asked about 6 different CMs.

CM parking is really limited and they need to walk far to get to work. I guess some wear costumes to/from home.
 


I have always seens CMs taking the buses on Harbor or walking into DLR from Harbor in the last 7 years so this is not new and why on earth would it be a problem?

I have often seen rockets to the left as we go through the ride so you are not alone in needing to be evacuated like that - clearly they have it set up that way as these things happen from time to time. But yes, boarding second from now on would be a good idea as you have to boogie getting on that ride, they do not wait for you if you do not get on in time.
 
I have always seens CMs taking the buses on Harbor or walking into DLR from Harbor in the last 7 years so this is not new and why on earth would it be a problem?

I have often seen rockets to the left as we go through the ride so you are not alone in needing to be evacuated like that - clearly they have it set up that way as these things happen from time to time. But yes, boarding second from now on would be a good idea as you have to boogie getting on that ride, they do not wait for you if you do not get on in time.
It isn't a problem- I just thought it was against the rules! I don't remember seeing this growing up.
 


It isn't a problem- I just thought it was against the rules! I don't remember seeing this growing up.

You probably did and just didn't notice. Since DLR doesn't have tunnels like WDW does, they pretty much don't have a choice with wearing their costumes in public while not technically being "on-stage".
 
It isn't a problem- I just thought it was against the rules! I don't remember seeing this growing up.
They changed this quite a long time ago, but I believe you're correct that they didn't used to take the costumes/uniforms with them. I knew someone who worked there way back in the day (like pre-2000), and that's what she says.
 
5. My son was dying to see Mr Incredible. On our last day, we spendt the morning on the pier waiting for him. We was really late- then a cast member came out and said he was busy chasing Bomb Voyage. Does that happen? How can a charac

We were there last week and saw the Guardians of the Galaxy dance-off on Wednesday. We didn’t know exactly where to stand so we weren’t close up and decided to try to be up front on Thursday. We waited quite a while and then 5 minutes after it was supposed to start, we were told that there would not be a dance-off because Starlord was off “fighting” someone (I don’t remember the name). Instead Gomorra came out for a photo op. So why do they have things scheduled without actors? Did he have a hangover and just decided not to show up (This was at like 2:30 so not first thing.). Why don’t they have more than one actor to do these “shows” or characters?
 
I have always seens CMs taking the buses on Harbor or walking into DLR from Harbor in the last 7 years so this is not new and why on earth would it be a problem.

I am an old fart. First visit was in 1972 at 4 years old. I find it a big turn off. Back in the day Disneyland was held to the highest of standards. For the outrageous cost of admission today I wish they would continue to hold themselves accountable to the highest of standards now. I have seen the cost to quality and value ratio continuously go down as the decades roll on. There was a time when all CM were cast and not just employees going through the motions. That includes not wearing costumes out of one land and into another and certainly not wearing costumes out on the streets of Anaheim.
 
I used to work there in college (a long time ago lol). Back then there was a costume department and locker rooms. Once you arrived on property you would go to costuming, pick up your costume, go to the locker room and change. You also were not allowed to wear a costume in a land it didn’t belong in. So no fantasyland costumes in Tomorrowland, etc. At the end of your shift you turned your costume back in to be cleaned.

It no longer works like that. There are no longer locker rooms or a large costume department. People are given costumes that are their responsibility to care for, which is why you now see people in costume arriving for work.
 
It no longer works like that. There are no longer locker rooms or a large costume department. People are given costumes that are their responsibility to care for, which is why you now see people in costume arriving for work.

So sad IMHO

Even when I worked at Burger King as a teen they cleaned our uniforms. So sad shareholders profits have trumped the show to this level.

I still love DLR but if show keeps being sacrificed and prices keep rising my Disneyland time will be diluted with visits to Knotts and Universal.

It's not just CM quality but also so many other intangibles that keep getting sacrificed. Lack of PP. Tacky scrim. MP that glitches when you pay a premium.

The quality value proposition at Disneyland is quickly dropping to the point I'd rather check out the other theme parks in the area.

Of course none of this really matters as I'm sure record revenues are coming with SWGE
 
They changed this quite a long time ago, but I believe you're correct that they didn't used to take the costumes/uniforms with them. I knew someone who worked there way back in the day (like pre-2000), and that's what she says.
My best friend worked as a CM in the late 90s and this is true. She changed into her uniform after she clocked in and changed out before she clocked out to go home.
 
Whoa. I wasn’t judging anyone. I grew up going to DL in the 80s and 90s and never saw anyone wearing a uniform outside of the park. I thought they all stayed at the parks. That is al I was asking. And, in fact, it sounds like there was in fact a policy change. So no one is judging the workers. It was just different (for me) to see people wearing them in this context.
 
The CM uniform thing was part of the Paul Pressler era at DLR. The following is from Wiki: "...At Disneyland, Pressler was known for cost-cutting measures such as reducing customer service training, having workers wash their own uniforms and closing rides and shows early. He attempted to discontinue a disabled discount but was forced to back off after backlash. With the cost cutting, Disneyland was profitable while attendance declined..." CMs started wearing their uniforms home to wash them on their own. So much for the magic of keeping everything backstage.
 
I guess monitor for trouble guests. Won't be asking for anything in the future!

You had bonafide issues. There’s no need to worry.

Does that happen? How can a character run late and then not come at all? There was a huge line of people upset!

Remember how you were sick after space mountain? It’s like that. People get sick. They have tummy problems. They get too hot. Etc. Maybe he got a phone call on break that his mom was in the hospital. Yes it happens.

One last thing- there seemed to be a lot of cast members in costume on Harbor- waiting for the bus, walking to their cars, eating McDonalds, etc. I thought that wasn't allowed?

It’s allowed.

That includes not wearing costumes out of one land and into another

Without tunnels how do you do that?

Back then there was a costume department and locker rooms. Once you arrived on property you would go to costuming, pick up your costume, go to the locker room and change.

How much unpaid time did you have to take into your day to park, walk, get to costuming, get your costume, change, and get to your position? Then reverse?

I resented having to get to amazon early to turn on my computer and log in to be ready for the first phone call lol. (Pay basically started when you logged in)

Let alone all that wasted time!

Even when I worked at Burger King as a teen they cleaned our uniforms.

Jack in the Box 1986 I had my own uniform shirt and hat that I took care of. Nothing new to me.
 
I kind of love seeing the CMs in uniform crossing the street on Harbor and identifying where each of them is going. YMMV.
 

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