Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS IMO, it was very crowded, and hot, until about 6pm. Then the crowds thinned and it seemed like things went back to normal. CMs were a little nicer and not yelling at you so much. The only good thing about it being crowded is that there were a lot more character sightings that usual, and Jack Sparrow was all over the place in NOS. We even got to ride the PL/TSI raft with him.
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL "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." monorailblue Totally agree with you and old Disney on this monorailblue. >>>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?<<< imadisneygal As an old HM cast member, there is no reason for the "manager in street clothes" to be at the load position. If help was needed, he/she should have been at the entrance/foyer where the show is the weakest. It is easy enough to have the rotation "bump" around you until you are no longer needed. And unless I'm mistaken, there is a utility/monitor position between unload and load belts that was added to rotation sometime after I left. If so, this too is not seen by the guests, where a manager can work in street clothes. If they absolutely needed to be inside, then grab a HM cape to cover the clothes and theme yourself. It may have changed in the 2 decades since I was there but attraction coats and capes were kept in the offices for this exact purpose. As for the 3 to a doombuggy thing...WOW, if that's todays SOP, then Disney is sure asking for trouble. "You and one or two loved ones" sure, that's how it has always been and its even the Ghost Hosts' speil. But as a parent I'd be upset if my kids were forced to ride in the dark, trapped in close quarters with an adult stranger. THIS should never happen, especially in the Mansion. But then again, I have alot of issues with the way things are run now days in the park. Especially on an environmentally immersive attraction like HM. What can I say, we did it far better in the old days ;-)
Originally Posted By monorailblue <<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?>> Yes and no. See post #43 for additional thoughts, but if both ERs are running and they are short on CM, they can drop an ER for the 20 minutes needed to get the manager costumed. What if the manager weren't available? What would they do? They would go reduced capacity or 100. That's what every place does. See, Show IS more important than Efficiency. That's the standard. We've seen in the last decade way, way too much elevation of efficiency. It has cost lives on at least two Attractions, and has reduced the Show expectations to almost nothing. Sigh.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice Something I didn't mention before... The management CM was very intrusive to the show... He was standing in the closed-in "V"-shaped area to the left of the guests, among the tall candle stands - between the stantions/chains and the faux wooden handrail that borders the moving walkway. And, of course, he was shouting his directions loudly. His clothing was very light colored, too... He stuck out like a sore thumb... Two-Way radio, cord and earpiece, and all.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 wonderingalice, I had chuckles to myself all day yesterday just thinking about your experience I wonder if the camera's caught his shining moment? 2/3 I wish I knew how to post a pix of my little doombuggy
Originally Posted By wonderingalice With all the cameras around that place - no doubt! Wonder if anyone knows an unscrupulous Haunted Mansion CM that would be willing to pop it out to YouTube for our continued enjoyment... heh heh heh... ;-)
Originally Posted By redlegtwo A long, long time ago I was a single rider waiting in a long line to ride Space Mountain. I don't think they had single rider passes at that time. The guy in front of me was a single rider, and he had a terrible body odor. When we reached the front of the line the CM told me to get in the seat next to him. I refused. The CM was upset, but I didn't want to ruin my ride experience. I got to ride by myself. Going to Disneyland back then was not something I could do very often.
Originally Posted By dlkozy Good for you, redlegtwo! You should have not been asked to compromise your experience for the sake of an over zealous CM.
Originally Posted By jonvn That's right. Just say no. If someone tells you to do something you don't want to, tell them to stuff it and don't do it. Unless it's a safety issue, then if you don't want to ride with someone tell them to get lost.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^And give the intruder a shove... Knock 'em on their patoot and laugh. ;-)
Originally Posted By monorailblue <<That's right. Just say no. If someone tells you to do something you don't want to, tell them to stuff it and don't do it. Unless it's a safety issue, then if you don't want to ride with someone tell them to get lost.>> Don't be absurd. You should sit exactly where the CM says, even if that's in the lap of a total stranger. The CM shouldn't ask you to do it, he should just order you to do it, and you'd better shut up and do it. That is the proper way. You should have to sit with anybody who happens to be nearby. Indeed, when eating, I believe the CMs should direct you where to sit, just to make sure that not one single chair goes wasted. So what if you don't want to eat with that family? There is space there. If a CM says to sit there, you shut your trap and do it. And, of course, don't mention that you didn't care for the offerings in DCA. That is impermissible under any circumstances. Am I right or am I right??
Originally Posted By Lady Starlight I went with my DD and her best friend and we managed to sit together in ONE Doombuggy.. All I can say is THANK GOODNESS both the girls have little backsides cause we were like sardines in a can. Much giggling did abound throughout the ride though due to it.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^Especially when you almost tipped over backward coming down the roof out of the attic, right? ;-)
Originally Posted By SunshineOR I have to speak up in support of the poor confused man. I could see myself doing the same thing in the same circumstance. If you don't go on HM often, the loading can be very intimidating with jumping in vehicles on a moving floor. If someone looking like a person of authority was barking about three people needing to be in each one, I could see myself panicking and jumping in with strangers. If they're yelling about three in a buggy, you don't want to look like the jerk hogging one to yourself and don't know that it's okay to do that. I just have to speak up for the poor devil. Some of us don't think quickly on our feet and have been raised to react to voices of authority rather than question barked orders. We don't go to Disneyland often, and our family often has moments of panic trying to figure out how to load and unload on unfamiliar rides quickly. Most of you go so often you probably can't remember the early days before you were totally comfortable with the loading procedures, but it can be confusing and stressful on someone who's trying to see, understand and do something totally unfamiliar so quickly. I'm sure he was very embarrassed and it probably made for an unhappy Disneyland memory for that visitor.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice Although I don't remember ever feeling lost or confused about loading/unloading, even as a child at Disneyland, I understand what you're saying, Sunshine. It was still funny/strange at the time and STILL shows that the intrusive management CM could have handled things much better. We were more than halfway to the end of the moving walkway when the guy attempted to get in. I can't explain why he felt the need to coming running up to doombuggies that were well outside the initial load area. Aside from the management guy, there were costumed CMs at the beginning and end of the walkway who should have directed him, too.
