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Kuzcotopia
07-04-2003, 11:25 AM
In the Jungle cruise thread, someone mentioned "pilot twang" as a kind of rhythym or a cadence that JC skippers fall into.

I've noticed it being particularly bad for years on Storybook Canal Boats. It's a really peculiar accent almost, that defies explanation or parallel.

The tour guides at universal, or anywhere I've taken a tour may have their own quirks, but it doesn't seem to be passed-on from generation to generation. And it's always different. But on Storybook, even though the pilots seem to be so young they are surely on their first or second year as cast members, they certainly have mastered a twang I find almost impossible to imitate.

I swear that even 15 years ago I noticed the same twisty vocal inflections that turn the words "Wolf-Proof-Bricks" into a swirling sing-song that makes it into at least 8 syllables.

WOO-lf proo-OOO-ooof brr-IIII-iiiikssss


Anyone else notice this? Is this something that is encouraged, discouraged, winked-at?

Anyone find this annoying or endearing?

otisney
07-04-2003, 11:35 AM
Although I haven't noticed what you are speaking of, I would like to warn anyone from stepping on a Storybook Land Canal Boat that is piloted by...

...Thomas. :mad:

I had a horrible cruise with Thomas the last time I was there. He was essentially pretending to be a Jungle Cruise skipper: telling horrible jokes and trying to pass himself off as being goofy or funny. :rolleyes:

In my opinion, this is completely contrary to the way they are supposed to spiel the attraction. It's supposed to be sweet and innocent, with emphasis on the miniatures and the cute stories. :)

"Monstro sneezed so hard, his tail blew right off. And that is our entrance into Storybook Land..." :)

I waited 45 minutes for this particular cruise, and needless to say, I was completely upset and devastated. :mad:

Has anyone else encountered this type of spiel on Storybook Land Canal Boats?

Cadaverous Pallor
07-04-2003, 12:02 PM
Kuzcotopia - yes, I've noticed the Storybook twang. To me it seems obvious that they encourage the sing-songy style, as evidenced by the fact that almost all Storybook skippers use it, as you have noticed. It reminds me of someone reading a bedtime story to a child and trying to make it sound all cutesy.

I am ok with this style of delivery for this ride. I would guess that getting everyone to say it like this rules out possibility for a rough-sounding skipper, spitting out the spiel because he's had a bad day, or sounding bored by the whole thing. Not to say they still aren't bored.... ;)

Kuzcotopia
07-04-2003, 12:09 PM
CP,

Bored is just what it sounds like to me. Like a bored person sing-songing by rote.

I would like some eye-contact and some active engagement. I've had parking-tram spielers with more personality and audience interaction.

I guess in my perfect world we'd have storytellers in those boats, talking and singing to children like Danny Kaye in "Hans Christian Andersen".

jerjer2005
07-04-2003, 12:15 PM
if you see a patern in any attraction its probably part of the "character" of the cast members... now i never said that they always do it or do it properly ;)

101 in the hippo pool
07-05-2003, 01:22 PM
It was me that brought up the "pilot twang". That accent is hack. The thing is, they are not hiring professional stand-up comics or actors to work these rides. These are normal people and sometimes, they just aren't funny. Most skippers learn from imitation. They hear a joke they think is funny, they mimic it (hence jokes I came up with in 1990 still being used today and I'm sure I used others jokes that came before me). The voice is annoying, what you are hearing (on JC at least) is someone attempting to deliver a joke but being uncomfortable and concentrating too hard on their voice. I am a stand-up comic and I hear variatons of "the twang" at amateur nights occasionally which always inspire me to ask the person if they ever worked at d-land.

Cadaverous Pallor
07-05-2003, 01:57 PM
I don't blame CMs for being bored of giving a spiel over and over. Being a stand-up comedian would involve saying your lines once a day at worst, film actors repeat lines only until the scene is wrapped, and stage actors only have to perform a few times a week. These poor CMs have to say the whole spiel every 15 minutes for their entire shift, every day of their employment at Storybook. Even the most enthusiastic people would get bored.

Kuzcotopia
07-05-2003, 02:03 PM
The people at Universal don't seem to have a problem with it.


Honestly, they CAN find people willing to be enthusiastic about the job.

But it takes people enthusiastic about THEIR jobs to find them.

When I applied to work at Disneyland in college, I would have given anything to be a skipper. Best job in the park, imho.


Well, except for flying Tinkerbell. But I'm too tall for that job, lol!

danyoung
07-06-2003, 05:54 AM
Originally posted by otisney
I had a horrible cruise with Thomas the last time I was there. He was essentially pretending to be a Jungle Cruise skipper: telling horrible jokes and trying to pass himself off as being goofy or funny. :rolleyes:

I wonder if he's the same lad I suffered through on the Railroad about a year ago. He kept interrupting the taped dialogue with his own schtick, which would have been much more appropriate on the JC. Mind you, this was when the immortal Thurl Ravenscroft still did the narration, and was as much a part of the ride as any of the sights you see. And here's this yokel who won't shut up, yapping out bad humor even into the Grand Canyon Diorama! Really painful, and very unappreciated.

cemeinke
07-06-2003, 09:31 PM
I've noticed it more on Storybook than JC - sometime with comic results.

One poor storybook captain, got lost in her spiel and let out a delightful sing-song as we entered the Cave or Wonders, "This is where Aladdin and Jasmin first....Oh..."

It was wonderful to see he first catch herself for being in the worng place in the spiel and see the embarressment highten as she realized the double entandre she just mistakenly alluded to. The MousePadders on board were quite amused by her mistake and I have to say, it made the ride on this occasion.

idesign
07-14-2003, 10:12 AM
I love the "twang". I't part of the tradition for me, I love the way it seems to have stuck after all these years.

It's a bit of a mystery, I suppose. Iv'e heard it before tho, Stewardesses on airlines seem to have the same delivery.

Klutch
07-14-2003, 02:35 PM
Originally posted by otisney
"Monstro sneezed so hard, his tail blew right off. And that is our entrance into Storybook Land..." :)

Has anyone else encountered this type of spiel on Storybook Land Canal Boats?

Now, perhaps I'm misunderstanding you, but the "...his tail blew right off!" line was used whenever I visited DL as a kid. It was the same when I visited last October. So, I don't think that part was the guide improvising.