Originally Posted By dldhistory For those that do not know what Maynard looks like here are a few photos of him: <a href="http://www.dldhistory.com/link2us.asp?ID=1595" target="_blank">http://www.dldhistory.com/link...?ID=1595</a> --Richard <a href="http://www.DLDHistory.com" target="_blank">http://www.DLDHistory.com</a> The Most Unique Disneyland History Site
Originally Posted By DlandDug Maynard is a personality. Disneyland used to have a lot of personalities who worked the attractions. Recognizing that guests often stand in long lines, personalities used to be encouraged. I have seen a lot of Maynard's "antics." I don't follow him around, nor do I avoid him. I will say that I never saw him detract from an attraction. I don't always like the schtick, but that's more a matter of taste in humor. A case in point is the Tiki Room. His spieling was spot on for this attraction-- just a bit silly, but still giving all the necessary information. As for his "swooping around the room," I did see him enter a couple of times during the audience sing-a-long. But it was only if the audience wasn't into the show. And this section is one of interaction. I absolutely understand people who find Maynard not to their taste. But I disagree with the judgement that he engages in bad show.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "But it was only if the audience wasn't into the show. And this section is one of interaction." I don't sing along with the attraction and yet I'm enthralled with the show. I've noticed that the chance that the audience won't participate in the show goes up when there are less people watching. If I'm in there with maybe ten or twelve other people near closing and Maynard decided to "swoop around the room" because he apparently decided we weren't into it, I would consider it bad show.
Originally Posted By USCSurfer Me too, Spokker. Sometimes I want to be left alone and take it all in myself.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones It's a hypothetical of course. But my point is that Disneyland is the show. Everything at Disneyland is designed to support the show. I don't get why a cast member feels the need to improvise on stage, unless the attraction was specifically designed for improvising. In the Tiki Room, the host starts the show, not to be seen again until the birds kick you out. Jungle Cruise, and to a lesser extent, the Haunted Mansion (well, until they clamped down on it in WDW) leaves room for improvising. I once heard Maynard spouting nonsense on the Astro Orbiter's PA system once as the thing was in motion. If Tomorrowland wasn't such a fatally flawed land to begin with I might have cared.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "Actually I saw Maynard today doing Guest Control on Main Street." Well, what did you think of him?
Originally Posted By DismayingObservation Heck, I still like him. Doug nailed it on #44. It goes back to the argument of whether or not you're engaging in interactive theater. I'd say yes. Disney refers to the staff as "cast members." Ergo, they are part of the overall effect of the giant theater you're walking through. Therefore, it behooves the folks who do certain tasks to do it well. That means doing the HM spiel with at least a sense of timing. Not everyone can do character voices, but most folks can be trained to emphasize the gags and puns. Maynard's Tiki Room spiel got in all of the salient points and he had the audience laughing at the same time. I might also add that his "aloha" got the biggest return I've ever heard. Swooping in during the show might have been questionable, but it was fun, mostly because of his sense of timing and of theater. Not every CM could do that and get away with it.
Originally Posted By liveforvacations I think he sound like loads of fun and I would be really pleased if he was the CM at the Tiki room when I was there!
Originally Posted By DismayingObservation Well, if this manic, rubber-faced lunatic comes out of the control room and starts in about "no smokey-smokey" and "no flashy-flashy," odds are good you'll have gotten your wish.
Originally Posted By Mickeyfan1 Well to be honest he was just walking along Main Street looking rather boared not interacting with guests with even a hello. I really have not followed the "Mynard" craze, just happened to notice his name tag and looked up however he just passed people by...no eye contact, literally nothing! Maybe it was just not his day...thought that should not be an excuse for ANY cast member IMHO.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Mickeyfan1 - that was very much my 1st experience with him. I met him in 2002 in Fantasyland and he rudely told us the park was closed, time to get out (we were enroute to the monorail station to go to the Hotel after riding Pinocchio or something. We then met him doing crowd control after Remember this March and he was a blast!
Originally Posted By DismayingObservation Hmm...that's really weird. We all have off days, but that's no excuse. I'm disappointed to learn this.
Originally Posted By LuLu I'm sick of CMs with *zilch* personality begrudgingly telling guests to move away from the walls in HM stretching room, or whatever. I've met Maynard a few times (I was with Dave in March) but haven't experienced his schtick on an attraction, but I'd like to! Better a bit over-the-top than bored, and boring.
Originally Posted By Disney and beyond Being the WDW man here, I've never experiance this man, but this topic reminded me of a experiance of my own a WDW's unfortunate tiki room. On our last trip there in August, my sister wanted to see the show, so I reluctantly went. We took our seats and the CM was doing this hilarious speil, most of which I have forgotton. The three parts I do remember, were when he went over the no eating rule, and starts staring at this couple who were eating, and he stared at them for ten seconds before they notice and he said slyly "Gottcha." Then after going over the whole thing, he says "Now reach under your seat and grab your 3D glasses" and about half the audience did it, which was epic funny. The third was the part where he was going to hand it over to Jose, and he's like "And now presenting our host Jose!" five seconds of scilence and he repeats himself, then five more seconds and then he goes "Jose, Wake up...." Thne he goes for the stick and pretends he is going to hit him like a piniata before taping him like normal. I loved every minute of it.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "I'm sick of CMs with *zilch* personality begrudgingly telling guests to move away from the walls in HM stretching room, or whatever." Haunted Mansion cast members are supposed to have "dead" personalities. Also, the majority of cast members are not aspiring theater majors. They are mostly older teenagers and young adults who need a part-time job and some work while they try to get through school or whatever. At $9/hour I doubt Disney could demand that every cast member perform perfectly with the show 100% of the time. Cast members are already asked to park on a lot two blocks away and board a cramped bus to get to work, adhere to a strict dress code, deal with strict codes of conduct, and provide excellent customer service at all times of year, rain or shine, hot or cold, while middle management types badger you about your performance the entire time. That is a lot to ask for a job that pays a very low wage. Cast members are more than welcome to leave if they don't like it, and many do. Companies like In-N-Out provide better pay, more comprehensive benefits and more opportunity. If you've got a bright head on your shoulders it's relatively simple to find a job that pays as much or more than Disneyland but requires little effort, allowing you to spend more time studying for school, for example. So when the employee at the Haunted Mansion isn't performing to your expectation, consider keeping all this in mind when you plunk down a couple hundred dollars for your annual pass.
Originally Posted By DismayingObservation I agree that while the pay isn't the greatest, it's still a job which, in many cases, requires some sort of sense of theater. If the CM agreed to the $9 wage, he/she should hold up their end of the bargain and perform the job to the best of their abilities. I have, in recent years, taken a stopgap, minimum-wage job in a convenience store to try and make ends meet. I showed up on time, did the job and did it well. I mopped floors, cooked hot dogs and hamburgers, rotated stock, worked the register, etc. I don't mind admitting that I have a strong work ethic. You're correct in saying that not everyone who works in Disneyland is a performer. The musicians certainly are. Ditto the parade staff. Since we're using the Haunted Mansion as an example, it would be nice if the same consideration could be given to those who operate the stretching room. Logistically and in all fairness to this discussion, this is impossible. They have to put whatever body they can at that control (no pun intended) given the turnover rate and what I'm sure are a lot of unscheduled days off on the parts of those involved. So, the result really is a "dead personality" at the controls. To my way of thinking, it wouldn't take much to improve one's delivery just by listening to how Paul Frees did it; heaven knows they're a captive audience. Again, that's just my way of thinking.
Originally Posted By LuLu It's really not that hard to put a little personality - "dead" or not - into reciting the HM "warnings." Honestly, if the CMs don't want to be onstage and "get into" the job, perhaps they should be doing something else. No one's asking for perfection. My point is I'd rather have a CM who's "into" his job than one who appears to wish they were somewhere, anywhere, else. That's my preference - you're welcome to yours as well.
