PDA

View Full Version : PA Announcements



Pages : [1] 2

DisneyBob
12-12-2003, 10:41 PM
Does anybody know who does the park-wide PA Annoucements in DL park, announcing parades, fireworks, etc? Also, occasioally, I hear park guests being paged by the Resort operator. Where are these announcements done from? Are they live?
Thanks!

DisneyFan25863
12-12-2003, 10:56 PM
I think the Parade ones are prerecorded. I would think that guest paging and such is also prerecorded right before it goes live to make sure the announcer dosn't mess up.

Omar
12-12-2003, 11:04 PM
Originally posted by DisneyFan25863
I think the Parade ones are prerecorded. I would think that guest paging and such is also prerecorded right before it goes live to make sure the announcer dosn't mess up.

I think you're right about that. I know for a fact that the parade announcements are prerecorded. Not sure about the pagings, but we'll find out.

PhilMP
12-13-2003, 12:37 AM
Hmmm...I don't think the Guest pagings are prerecorded. The operators are probably just so experienced that it comes naturally.

If you ever call the TDA switchboard you think that the voice that comes on at first is a prerecorded greeting and "Can you please hold?" spiel, and then they ask you for your number!! I don't know, it kind of freaked me out the first time I called. :)

Phil

Polar33
12-13-2003, 02:16 AM
The parkwide pages are definately live. I usually hear the same voices doing them so I assume that there are only a few operators that actually have the privilidge to do a parkwide page. Although I do remember one time that a new operater muddled through the page so terribly, you couldn't understand a word. A while later one of the regular voices did the page again...I guess she must have been on lunch.

As for the person who does all the pre-recorded announcements, I'll have to get back to you on that...I do know that he is a full-time CM somewhere in the entertanment devision, however his name and other duties escape my mind right now.

Loric
12-13-2003, 02:32 AM
Over on the other coast again.. so there might be some differences.. but..

Parkwide announcements are to be avoided and only used as a measure to contact the family of a guest in an emergency.

(I think this is where DL and WDW differ.. you talk as though it happens often. At WDW, if it happens, there's a good chance something "unmagical" happened to someone and it gives all the CMs the creeps for the day.)

Anyways, it's a live speil coordinated through guest relations. The speil may only be initated by upper-level management.

Lesser annoucements, like parade information, fireworks info, and such is pre-recorded and controlled by the same systems that do the parades and shows.

In the individual attractions, the audio system allows for variations of a local speil. A CM can speak to either one specific location in an attraction, the entire "ride" portion of the attraction, or the entire "pavillion" including exterior areas from the main control panel. The How, When, and Why are dictated by strict guidelines.

mousey_girl
12-13-2003, 05:33 AM
When we were in DCA we heard a page, "Will the chaperones for -- school please contact security."

Everyone busted up at that one.

I have trouble hearing a lot of the pages, too much other noise in the background.

Doodle Duck
12-13-2003, 06:59 AM
Hi Disney Bob...

I know who the big beautiful Recorded Voice of Disney is, Parade, Fireworks etc....Disney has a rule that that person not advertise the fact.

If you eMail me I'll tell ya. No it's not me...

But a funny thing about Google...

If you do a search for Male Voice Over Disneyland (or Hollywood Trailers...or Daffy or any number of Male Voice Over searches)...

I come up in first position!! Just the way Google juggles the key words around and that my site is highly optimized for search engines.

wood_is_mine
12-13-2003, 08:20 AM
I'll I know is that the principal at my high school used to do the Spanish announcments over the PA system.

TheatreTech
12-13-2003, 09:22 PM
Originally posted by mousey_girl
When we were in DCA we heard a page, "Will the chaperones for -- school please contact security."

Everyone busted up at that one.

I have trouble hearing a lot of the pages, too much other noise in the background.
It went over in DL too. Today right?
They also made an announcement about due to overwhelming guest demand, there whould be a second showing of Fantasmic!
(Insert me "Yes, yes, yes, yes" followed by other people staring.)

Omar
12-13-2003, 09:45 PM
When someone gets caught stealing then they make a page for the parents of that person that stole over the PA system. If the parents are there I might add.

Omar

DisneyFan25863
12-13-2003, 10:16 PM
Originally posted by TheatreTech
It went over in DL too. Today right?
They also made an announcement about due to overwhelming guest demand, there whould be a second showing of Fantasmic!
(Insert me "Yes, yes, yes, yes" followed by other people staring.)



Unless the park was open really early today, I doubt that she heard the same one as you :fez:

PhilMP
12-14-2003, 01:02 AM
Originally posted by TheatreTech
It went over in DL too. Today right?
They also made an announcement about due to overwhelming guest demand, there whould be a second showing of Fantasmic!
(Insert me "Yes, yes, yes, yes" followed by other people staring.)

Don't you mean a third showing of Fan!

(Insert pictures of CMs groaning since Guests won't be leaving until midnight and will continue to buy hot chocolate and coffee, and urns are running out after five minutes of pouring.) :)

Phil

Germboy
12-14-2003, 08:54 AM
I'd always heard that about the ONLY time they do parkwide announcements is in the event of a death. Obviously, that's changed...if it was true to begin with. They seem far more common nowadays than they were, say 10-20 years ago.

I doubt that there are any restrictions placed upon the show announcers per se. Jack Wagner "Voice of Disneyland" and his wife (used to do PeopleMover narration)-- I want to say her name was MaryBeth (someone help me out on that one)--didn't seem to have any restrictions placed on them. He was commonly given credit for his appearances. In the late 80's he did announcements for the Epcot July 4th show and his name is all over the credits. He also showed up regularly at company functions. IN FACT, he used to give LIVE park announcements from in front of the train station on Main St. In addition to his announcements, he is also given credit for "discovering" the electrical parade theme. He is also responsible for the Christmas music you hear on Main St. as well--that funky 70's stuff that I hope they NEVER retire--it's Lawrence Welk!! (Pauses as younger padders say "Who?") His announcements are still heard everywhere in the park..."Yooooooour attention please. Theeeeeee Disneyland Limited, now arriving from a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom...", "Permenecer sentados, por favor!", "Attention Bobsled riders...due to technical difficulties we have momentarily stopped all bobsleds...", "Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Fantasy Waters!". He's also the electronic voice announcer for MSEP. Gosh I miss him.

Corey Burton is another guy whose voice is everywhere in the park. He's got his own website. Actually, he is the guy that does the voice for the trams. I'm sure he doesn't mind me saying...

You can tell I'm an audiophile, obviously.
:)

Omar
12-14-2003, 11:47 AM
His announcements are still heard everywhere in the park..."Yooooooour attention please. Theeeeeee Disneyland Limited, now arriving from a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom...", "Permenecer sentados, por favor!", "Attention Bobsled riders...due to technical difficulties we have momentarily stopped all bobsleds...", "Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Fantasy Waters!".

I don't think that is the PA we are talking about. We are talking about is where all the music stops and they call out a name such as:
"will the Disneyland operator dial ___"

That was what I was refering to. Anyways that is good infomation about the people who did the voices of the train satation, etc.

Omar

danyoung
12-14-2003, 12:29 PM
Originally posted by Germboy
You can tell I'm an audiophile, obviously.
:)

Nice to meet another VO nut there, Germboy! I also miss the great Jack Wagner. I remember the days when his voice was heard in the entry plaza outside the gates, before DCA. It was fun to just walk thru the parking lot and entry plaza late at night and still hear him talking about the options for admission media, etc.

I also really REALLY miss the great Thurl Ravenscroft on the trains. Not to take away from the current voice, but Thurl's was just so special, especially "and no smoking, please - the smoking lamp it out!" Ahh, memories . . . . .

Germboy
12-14-2003, 01:05 PM
I knew that Omar! That's why I made a distinction between "parkwide" announcers and "show" announcers. The parkwide announcements are the ones that were only made for deaths..."Blank...Blank...please call the Disneyland Operator."

Yes yes danyoung! Thurl and also Paul Frees on Lincoln and Adventure Thru Innerspace.

Disney's lost their feel for great voices...even in their feature animation. Eleanor Audley, the voice of Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter...so many distinctive voices. Nowadays, it's hard to tell Muriel the Mermaid from Pocahontas. They all sound like cookie-cutter Broadway showtune singers. But then again, that's just my opinion.

The turnstile area will never be the same...I knew it then. I know it now. :crying:

dude
12-14-2003, 01:19 PM
For the longest time I never knew what they meant when the "___ please call the Disneyland Operator" came on. It was partly because I was a little kid, and also it very rarely came on. Now I have talked to some CM's and they tell me that whenever they do that it means that someone in the park has committed some kind of offense that requires being held by security, either in Disney jail or not, and that is meant to tell the offender's party to contact the appropriate people so they can claim the offender and be escorted out of the park.

I have no idea who does those, it always sounds like the same woman every time. The last time I heard one was when the band from my school got kicked out of performing at DL for a year after someone kicked Buzz Lightyear.

Omar
12-14-2003, 01:47 PM
I can remember when someone went up to Buzz and just wacked him with his foot. In plain sight. I wonder if he though he would of gotten caught. I just have to sit back and laugh about that kid. I'm sure that the PA will announce the deaths in the park, but the only recent death at DL is the Thunder MT. ride. I have never been at DL when someone died. All I know is that the PA system is for more than just the deaths of the park.

Omar

Loric
12-14-2003, 01:55 PM
A thought...

People die fairly often in theme parks. People at shopping malls too though. Its a sorta fact of life that people die and well, sometimes they're at theme parks when it happens. Because no one make a big to-do and its not on the front page doesn't mean no one ever dies.

It just means its not your business, no one is trying to bum you out with the news, it wasn't anyone's fault and Mr. Mouse wont say a thing out of respect for the family.

Most common? People passing away waiting for an attraction - which is statistically accurate since you spend most of your time at the typical park in line.

Omar
12-14-2003, 02:03 PM
There is an exception to the theme park announcing over the PA at DL. It's Disney were are talking about here not an ordinary theme park. Disney is a well respected company. They don't want anyone to know if someone gets hurt or even dies in their park. When Disney starts to fault on their rides or attractions then they start to loose money and people start to sue Disney. I don't want that to happen no more then the next guy, but that is what will happen.

Omar

Loric
12-14-2003, 02:09 PM
Thinkin more..

I dont want to sound uppity or anything, but at the east coast parks, the "don't use the PA unless it's an emergency" is strict and has specific guidelines.

You need top level approval to do so.

I think maybe this relates to DL's "Slip" in show quality recently. On the East Coat, a CM hearing an all-call is unsettling at best because they know its not a good thing. Having worked in the parks for over a year, i can honestly tell you I heard them parkwide all-call twice.

From the sound of it, DL is using their system way too much. Their guidelines appear to have become laxed - a bit too laxed. The point is to keep the real-world out.

MickeyLumbo
12-14-2003, 03:25 PM
Originally posted by DisneyBob
Does anybody know who does the park-wide PA Annoucements in DL park, announcing parades, fireworks, etc? Also, occasioally, I hear park guests being paged by the Resort operator. Where are these announcements done from? Are they live?
Thanks!

Jack Wagner, the "voice of Disneyland", is, IMO, a tough act to follow. perhaps no one can match that attention grabbing, exciting, and authoritative vocal quality and resonance. I do not know who took the reins after jack retired...

the parade/show announcements are in fact pre-recorded, with every variation imaginable (5 minutes, 10 minutes, inclement weather, delays due to wind high above the Magic kingdom) prepared well in advance.

the "Disneyland Operator" is live and is used only when there is a security or medical reason to contact a responsible party.

Both sources of audio are in the same building, in different rooms separated by a wall and have windows that look out onto Town Square. the next time you are there, look above the center of the Main Street Opera House and behind those curtained windows are these "voices" of disneyland.

there is a non-descript door on the right, just before the BackStage Gates near Mad Hatter in Town Square... inside is a narrow staircase that will lead to a long hallway... in one room are the "Operators" - usually two , and next door is the Parade Control Room... complete with a wall map and tiny green lights that show where each float is as it progresses along the parade path.

shhh. mumms the word, ok

:cool:

DisneyFan25863
12-14-2003, 05:06 PM
I thought the Parade Control Room was above the Plaza Pavilion...:confused:

MickeyLumbo
12-14-2003, 05:23 PM
it could be... my experience is from several years ago. someone let me know where it is currently located... :cool: