Originally Posted By Phantom >>Skellington88, sometimes managers end up covering for CM's at the last minute and they don't have time to go to costuming and check out a costume to hop on an attraction for a break or whatever.<< If I recall, the most famous manager fill-in for a cast member running late happened on December 24, 1998 in Frontierland. That ended up being really, really bad show. Getting a third person in your Doom Buggy is downright pleasant compared to what happened then.
Originally Posted By imadisneygal Yes, that was a horrible day. For everyone involved. I hardly think this situation is comparable as grouping Guests was not the issue in 1998. There were several factors at play in the Columbia incident including the fact that a manager who had not been officially trained was helping to operate the attraction. It was truly a terrible day.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^That was so awful... I didn't know the circumstances, i.e., fill-in CM. <<I was a big fan of the in-costume days!>> I can imagine, imadisneygal. If we do wind up retiring in So. Cal. so I can begin a second career at Disneyland, I hope it will be as an attractions CM, but if it's a desk position (I'm doing too much of that now ;-) I'd want to have the hands-on experiences as often as possible. 999Haunts... Wow, what a weird day for you! Years ago I shared a ride through Space Mountain with a young boy of about 9 years old. Didn't think much of that because of the style of seats/restraints - very individualized. Your shared ride on BTMRR would have been the same for me. There's just too much open space in those seats. I rode alone last week while Mr. Alice shared a seat with our nephew. Sat in the very middle with my feet planted wide, just to keep from smashing MYSELF into the sides around corners. Glad to hear you stuck to your guns on Haunted Mansion! There's no way I'd share that dark, enclosed space with a stranger. jonvn... What would your reaction be? (Enquiring minds, you know... ;-)
Originally Posted By wonderingalice To clarify... Our nephew joined us on Monday, but the HM wackiness happened on Tuesday.
Originally Posted By monorailblue In order: SAFETY COURTESY: you aren't forced to sit with someone you don't know in close quarters SHOW: everyone wears a costume EFFICIENCY Again, in order: safety (first), courtesy (second), show (third), efficiency (fourth). Courtesy and Show are both, together and individually, MORE IMPORTANT than Efficiency. Or, they were, once upon a time. They should be still.
Originally Posted By dlkozy 999 Good for you! I too would have refused-too bad that it is busy, that is called job security. Maybe more training needs to happen in regards to not stuffing guests into rides for the sake of so called efficiency.
Originally Posted By pecos bill It may be more efficient to pack the rides, but it lessens, or even ruins the enjoyment for singles and the odd numbered guests who are asked to share. Although I do recall being paired with a very attractive lady once, and that turned out great!
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 LOL wonderingalice. We've heard that "3 to a Doombuggy" a few times now and I have been known to glance over my shoulder to make sure someone isn't following me in I am still laughing picturing your whole experience alice! The last time we rode with 3 was when DD was about 16 and we are still laughing about that sardine tin ride today I bought the little doombuggy toy with the ghost and Goofy in it and we shoved a little Tinkerbelle in the middle and it sits on a shelf in our office. DH occasionally rides Mulholland Madness as a single rider and sometimes is asked if he minds sharing a car. He always says that he doesn't if they don't. He usually gets a young child seated with him and he always hopes that they don't think he is creepy, then he realizes that they look at him like a grandfather They usually end up talking his ear off. Being in a Doombuggy or Thunder is way different. I could literally squish a young child around some of those turns on Big Thunder. 999, those families that talk back and forth all the way through Pirates drive me nuts, like they are home watching TV or something. The ride on Thunder sounds literally painful though.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^*LOL* It IS a sardine can with three people riding - unless the third person is teeny tiny! Mr. Alice was practically hanging out the side the time his mom rode with us. The guy on Tuesday never got his second leg inside. He was pretty lucky, really... He could have very easily lost his balance and fallen at the end of the moving walkway.
Originally Posted By sarahwithbaloo 999 I must say thank you so much for the honor you bestowed on Mikey by taking him on HM with you and PB (yes 3 to a doom buggy) he actualy sates now that it is his favourite closely followed by Pirates.(because his best friend is a pirate you know)
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Sarah, The pleasure was completely all mine! (and PB's) - Now that was a very cool third person to ride with for sure! I love how he absolutely absorbed everything. It was so cool to see the ride through his eyes! I've been on so many times that I take for granted the thrill of little things like the pop-up haunts and the shooting portraits.
Originally Posted By lesmisfan monorailblue posted "In order: SAFETY COURTESY: you aren't forced to sit with someone you don't know in close quarters SHOW: everyone wears a costume EFFICIENCY Again, in order: safety (first), courtesy (second), show (third), efficiency (fourth). Courtesy and Show are both, together and individually, MORE IMPORTANT than Efficiency. Or, they were, once upon a time. They should be still." I am so glad that you posted this!!!! i try to remember this when im working. Especailly the sunwheel. Over there we do what we call courtesy grouping, we ask if they mind sharing, if so awesome, if not its not the end of the world. Well there was one day were a couple of my newer CMs were yelling at me saying that i was ruining the count and we were not hitting our target. And she said the more guests in the gondolas the more happy guests there will be. I looked at her like she was insane and asked her who in the world told her that and she said someone from TDA. I just kinda laughed. "like they know what makes guests happy." was my reply. I told her if they referring to TDA even worked down here at the sunwheel for a day they will now that grouping everyone makes for more grumpy guests especailly when they don't want to group in the first place. And she was like remember our four keys, Efficency. and i was like dont you remember that is last in the four keys. I yelled back to her Courtesy before efficency! and that basically shut her up. Oy!
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Things like the Sun Wheel are such slow loaders that I don't mind riding with others, as long as they ask. In fact, that one can be quite fun with others, especially if they've never been on before and freak out at the swinging. Other slow loaders like Astro Orbiter and Dumbo... they shouldn't force strangers to ride together, but it kind of ticks me off when they let obvious friends who are only about 9 and could easily fit in one rocket have two rockets when the line is so dang slow.
Originally Posted By jonvn I mind riding with others. I don't have a problem with other people, as long as the time I am with then is about 30 seconds or less.
Originally Posted By imadisneygal So Monorailblue, I think your post means that the three-to-a-doombuggy is the issue, not the manager taking the spot for a costumed CM? I guess what I'm saying is...show comes before efficiency, so if they were to close the attraction due to short staffing it would impact the show more than just having a non-costumed CM in rotation for a short time. Do you think they should have closed the attraction instead of placing a manager in rotation? Or was your point more that Guests should not be made to ride with other Guests in the same vehicle? Just checkin' to see if I understood your post.
Originally Posted By alexbook >>Over there we do what we call courtesy grouping, we ask if they mind sharing, if so awesome, if not its not the end of the world.<< Seems to me that's how most rides at DLR are handled most of the time. As a single rider, I can't remember ever being told, "You must ride with this stranger." More often, it's a polite request, which is fine.
Originally Posted By threeundertwo >>I bought the little doombuggy toy with the ghost and Goofy in it and we shoved a little Tinkerbelle in the middle and it sits on a shelf in our office.>> LOL!!
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS <As a single rider, I can't remember ever being told, "You must ride with this stranger." More often, it's a polite request, which is fine.> You are very lucky, then, because I was only "asked" a few times. I was definitely "told" where to sit on the other occasions throughout my day Sunday.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS We also were shoved into the lines waiting for Indy. The CM kept telling us to move up, move up, move up. There wasn't anywhere else to go, but we were still told to move up, take all the available space. Not a great way to make new friends, I assure you. Many folks were saying how they were going to file complaints upon exiting because of how rudely we were treated there.
