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View Full Version : Lagniappe the NOS mime -- update (crossposted to all DL forums)



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marron-cream
09-25-2004, 09:11 PM
Lagniappe was walked out Monday with some lame excuse about "philosophies changing" and "not wanting to cause any controversy." (??) Dunno what that's possibly about. :rolleyes: But he asked me to convey his thanks and appreciation for all the warm responses he's received, and that he never realized how much DL guests cared about his presence. :)

He also asks that you please keep the letters coming. If you don't want to write, stop by City Hall and leave a comment. Management IS reading the mails and they are aware of the impact the decision is making.

Write to:

Adrian Fischer
c/o Disney Entertainment Productions
Talent Resources - TDA 329R
PO BOX 3232
Anaheim, CA 92802-3232

Thanks everyone!

AVP
09-25-2004, 09:23 PM
Wow. Someone asked me about him today, and I didn't know what had happened. I was really surprised to hear about this.

AVP

cryan71
09-25-2004, 11:15 PM
Let's see.

You are told that you will be layed off in two weeks.

You ask your friends to start a letter writing - city hall complaint campaign.

They post it on websites that Disneyland security obviously reads.

Then you are walked off and fired after your normal shift.

Yep, I could see this one coming.

Disneyfreak
09-25-2004, 11:30 PM
That is just wrong. I mean the way you sound is as if he got thrown off the property.

disneyperson
09-26-2004, 09:31 AM
What controversy? Since when is receiving letters of support creating controversy? As those of you who have read my past posts on this subject know, I was no fan of the mime personally. But to walk him off the lot after years of being a favorite DL personality? What did they think he would do on his last day, stage some sort of silent protest among the guests? (sorry I couldn't resist) Did management really think he'd cause a scene ? It seems to me they should have allowed him to leave gracefully and perhaps even with some sort of thanks for his years of service. To walk him out sounds very harsh. Was there another reason for him being fired other than budget cuts? I heard that the sax player was fired too. We loved to listen to him and he was very sweet and encouraging to my daughter about pursuing her own music.Was he also escorted out on his last day? Sorry about all the questions, , I don't really expect any answers to them. As much as I love DL, I've always known that Disney is not a very nice , in fact is often ruthless, company.

ftroop6
09-26-2004, 11:51 AM
My husband and I were at DL sept20-the 23rd. We went in to City Hall with a concern (large amounts of gum stuck under bridges in Potc) and also mentioned on the write up that we would really miss Lagniappe. The Cast member who took the complaint form didn't even mention the gum part but when she saw the mime comment she told us in a fairly frustrated voice that we just didn't understand all the circumstances. I was confused because the last I had heard was that he had received 2 weeks notice. If there was a problem of some sort I would have thought he would have been fired outright. I was hoping that we could have seen him one last time. He has always been a favorite of my whole family.

Photographer
09-26-2004, 04:08 PM
So letting go of a man who has worked in the park for many years and is supported by guests is let go. However the cast of Snow White that called in sick due to hangovers is still around. (scratches head)

ChipmunkStar
09-26-2004, 06:49 PM
To clarify:

When a cast member of ANY department quits or is seperated form the company, they are walked off the property. This is so that their manager(s) can get their Cast ID and Main Gate Pass and other company properties back (costume, etc.). I'm assuming that it was not a malicious "You're FIRED!" walkoff, but a simple walk off with a manager, standard of anybody in the park.

olegc
09-26-2004, 07:47 PM
So, the next thing CM Matt may bring from WDW is to shift the lines of the lands and put POTC into Adventureland - just like WDW. Heck, it's on the border, what's a little tree planting and shrub placement worth..

It think Matt has done some great things, and yes we fans don't know ALL the cirumstances of Lagniappe's employement issues, but there's this weird feeling of homogeneity coming over me that DLR will become WDW West instead of being unique...

You'll really know this is happening when they decide to raise the height of the buildings on Main Street to match florida's.

OK - enough rumor ramblings :p

cryan71
09-26-2004, 08:29 PM
Okay, I guess I am the only one that really didn't care about Lagniappe. It really doesn't matter to me if he was there or not.

TP2000
09-26-2004, 09:12 PM
Okay, I guess I am the only one that really didn't care about Lagniappe. It really doesn't matter to me if he was there or not.

You aren't the only one cryan71. I'm sure he was a very nice guy, and talented in his chosen field..... but it doesn't matter to me if he is there or not.

And it doesn't surprise me one bit that an employee who supported and encouraged a letter writing campaign via the Internet after he was told he was being laid off had his employment cut even shorter by management. I would think it would be irresponsible of Disneyland management to handle the situation any other way considering the circumstances, regardless of how harmless or pleasant the guy is.

poohray
09-27-2004, 02:07 AM
I am appalled of the treatment of Lagniappe. I am very concerned that the current management might swing the pendulum all the way to the other side.

Matt Ouimet was heard to say "...people come to Disneyland for the rides." That statement is echoing in my head. As I initially agreed with his statement with nods. I realize that Disneylands big draw for the GF and I was the entertainment as well as the rides. The atmosphere with the various performers are a large part of the experience of a trip (for us its a seven hour drive one way) and for the current management lose sight of that would be tragic and a final blow for us to just give up on the DL trips. Recently I have realized that when we have a good experience at DL we make more purchases of Disney related merchandice here at home. Mess with the Heart of Disneyland "Where the magic began" and mess with the entire economics with the corporation.
Please, Mr Ouimet, hear our plea for a well balanced park as atmospheric entertainment is as important to the DL experience as the rides are, and the interactions the GF and I had with Lagginappe are priceless memories that we keep in our hearts. To me Lagniappe was more than a Mime he is the embodied spirit of Walt Disney himself.

sediment
09-27-2004, 09:19 AM
And he wasn't there all that long for that kind pedestal-putting-upon.
He seems to be a good enough mime to find work at many other parks in the area.
If it's that important, then act on it. Tell CM Matt that you won't go anymore. Tell him (and Iger) that you might not buy that nice Alladdin DVD when it comes out. Or that Mulan DVD. An, of course, try to follow through.

Maybe there is more behind the story that we haven't heard. Clearly, Lagniappe isn't talking.

nursemelis374
09-27-2004, 10:08 AM
I also have no idea who that mime was and I have been to DL a million times, probably just never noticed. I will add this, at my work it is customary for security to walk all people off the hospital grounds if they are terminated, regardless of the circumstances. It is basically a just in case type thing.

sediment
09-27-2004, 10:16 AM
It is very common these days. All those disgruntled ex-workers, and TV-movies about them.

SweetAurora
09-27-2004, 11:54 AM
A friend of mine works in the NOS area. She reported that Lagniappe had been personally going around (without costume) to CMS in the NOS area and asking them to sign a petition and fight for him to stay at the Resort.
The leads and managers in her particular area were very upset about him putting CMS in the middle, and supposedly threatened some CMS with termination if they helped Lagniappe out. According to my friend, even a WDW manager called her place of employment after hearing about the fuss and made sure that the CMS stayed away from "getting into trouble". Shortly after Lagniappe started doing this, he was walked out (last Monday).

That CM in City Hall was rude. I'm sure they hear a lot of it and may know the backstory behind Lagniappe's sad departure, but it's not a good idea to let that show onstage...

sdfilmcritic
09-27-2004, 01:55 PM
So letting go of a man who has worked in the park for many years and is supported by guests is let go. However the cast of Snow White that called in sick due to hangovers is still around. (scratches head)
Um. Can you fill me in on this story. I don't remember hearing about this.

sediment
09-27-2004, 04:35 PM
Al Lutz reported this a week or two ago.

sdfilmcritic
09-27-2004, 04:39 PM
I don't visit Mice Age very often. In fact I didn't even know about it until I had visited this site.

DefyingGravity
09-27-2004, 08:43 PM
So, the next thing CM Matt may bring from WDW is to shift the lines of the lands and put POTC into Adventureland - just like WDW. Heck, it's on the border, what's a little tree planting and shrub placement worth..

I'm not sure if you are serious or not, but I don't think we need to worry about that happening. If I'm correct, the reason PoTC is in Adventureland in WDW is because there is no New Orleans Square. And PoTC does not fit well in Liberty Square (or whatever it's called.) So that's why PoTC is in Adventureland. I think NOS was basically created for Pirates. Plus, the Blue Bayou is so clearly NOS, and that and Pirates go together.

Then again, maybe you were just joking. If you were, sorry!
:fez:

poohray
09-27-2004, 11:01 PM
sediment wrote
He seems to be a good enough mime to find work at many other parks in the area. Tell CM Matt that you won't go anymore.

I was refering not only to Lagniappe, also the rest of the atmosphere entertainment that has been let go recently. The saxophone player, and others in NOS have been let go and this hole in the entertainment is very noticeable. When I was a "guest" in DL in the seventies there was a plethora of live musical entertainment in various places in the park. In recent visits I have noticed a stark contrast to the Good ol' days in the live music presentations. with even more cuts in the entertainers coming at a quick pace, raises concerns for the very rich atmosphere of Walt Disney himself had intended to be present in the park.

SoCalDude
09-28-2004, 12:18 AM
When I was a "guest" in DL in the seventies there was a plethora of live musical entertainment in various places in the park. In recent visits I have noticed a stark contrast to the Good ol' days in the live music presentations. with even more cuts in the entertainers coming at a quick pace, raises concerns for the very rich atmosphere of Walt Disney himself had intended to be present in the park.

hey when I was there a few hours ago there was 3 guys banging on trash cans going around before the parade.. now if that is not music I have no idea what is!!!

lol :fez:

Morrigoon
09-28-2004, 12:53 AM
While it may not be the "classiest" or most politically expedient move to make, I don't blame him, honestly. And for the record, it's supposed to be customary to be walked off property on your last day. As it happens, neither of my "last days" were known to be my last day or I'm sure I'd have gotten walked off too. (For example, dropping to seasonal, then having to quit later for scheduling reasons). I remember well-liked managers who were simply moving up in the world (going to other companies), who were walked out very pleasantly by fellow management. Sort of a friendly thing.

But back to Lagniappe.... while I tend to dislike mimes in general, he was of exceptional talent and I thoroughly enjoyed every interaction I had with him. If you let something like this slip by, what's to stop them from going after Rod next? Hey, let's fire Mickey while we're at it!

If they want to tie Lagniappe to profits the way they can Rod, perhaps they should pick a (large) restaurant area for him to "work"? Then they can see for themselves the financial difference he makes. Better than losing him, anyway.

shaydie
09-28-2004, 06:04 AM
I don't care for mimes and never noticed this guy.

But I wholeheartedly agree that they need to stop getting rid of live entertainers! When I was little, I wasn't too interested, I just wanted to go on the rides. Now that I'm an adult, I realize how much they add to the atmosphere of the park. A HUGE amount. If I just wanted rides I'd go to Magic Mountain.

I did see saxophone players on Main Street USA when I went about ten days ago... but I don't know if that's who you're refering to.

So anyway, I think that it sucks about the mime. I can see his viewpoint much more than I can corporate's. How long was he there? That's sad. :crying: And NOS probably has (had?) the best atmosphere there, alongside Main Street.

Maus
09-28-2004, 06:55 AM
sediment wrote
The saxophone player, and others in NOS have been let go and this hole in the entertainment is very noticeable.
I am much more upset about this than the mime. The jazz sax player was an authentic touch to the New Orleans "streetmosphere." Anyone know his name? I could get behind a campaign for him.