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View Full Version : Disneyland Rail Road's loss



ishthroat
01-28-2002, 10:00 PM
Well once again the Pressler kingdom strikes again.
Because of the new rotation system and other shotty
work type issues, Disneyland lost a great cast member
today.

You may have remembered him as the Disneyland Rail
Road cast member who made the trip around the park
fun and unpredictable.

Mark O'connell left Disneyland as of today to head to
Santa Barbara where they don't penialize workers for
having fun and showing customers a good and enjoyable
time.

MickeyD
01-28-2002, 11:37 PM
Originally posted by ishman
Mark O'connell left Disneyland as of today to head to
Santa Barbara where they don't penialize workers for
having fun and showing customers a good and enjoyable
time.

Is he going to work on the train at the zoo? Slightly OT, but that's the best part of that zoo. Well, that and the Giraffe with the crooked neck.

MonorailMan
01-29-2002, 02:56 AM
Originally posted by ishman
Well once again the Pressler kingdom strikes again.
Because of the new rotation system and other shotty
work type issues, Disneyland lost a great cast member
today.

You may have remembered him as the Disneyland Rail
Road cast member who made the trip around the park
fun and unpredictable.

Mark O'connell left Disneyland as of today to head to
Santa Barbara where they don't penialize workers for
having fun and showing customers a good and enjoyable
time.

NOT MARK! Man I feel Like YELLING! at someone Up top, Time to pull out my stationaire, Pressler, your getting a letter! :mad:

danyoung
01-29-2002, 04:18 AM
Let me say up front that I don't know who Mark is. But by his description, he sounds like a young man who was conductor on a trip I took about a year ago who just wouldn't SHUT UP! He interrupted the recorded spiel many times, not sneaking in during a pause but chopping hard into the spiel with his own inanities. His patter was much more appropriate to the Jungle Cruise than to the railroad. It got to be just too much as we entered into the Grand Canyon - I finally had to lean out and ask him to please be quiet. So now, of course, I felt like the rude idiot. Altogether a bummer of a trip.

The train of course isn't an E ticket by any means, but it's one that I've always enjoyed at least once a trip since I was 6 (that's about 39 years of visits, folks!). And the great Thurl Ravenscroft's narration is an important part of that trip. We need conductors who will safely get us on board the train, yell "BOOOAAARRRDDD", and then let the ride be the ride.

Again, maybe this young man that ruined my trip wasn't Mark. Perhaps Mark knew how to interject his own humor in a more appropriate way. Anyway, losing a job sucks under any circumstances, and I hope he does well.

blusilva
01-29-2002, 03:41 PM
I usually don't do "me too" posts, but I gotta say, I agree with Dan.

I don't know if Mark was the guy who irked me so much with his inappropriate "Jungle Cruise-like" spiel on the train a few months back. But to whomever that CM was, all I can say is I hope he found a job more suited to his talents.

And good luck to Mark as well.

tinkfreak
01-29-2002, 04:53 PM
I have also encountered this particular conducter. Good ridance, if he and Mark are one and the same. Once I even heard him say "****ed off" during one of his spiels. SOOOOOOOOO not Disney.

ishthroat
01-29-2002, 08:27 PM
I agree with all three of you, up until the point where you disagree. I am sorry you're wrong, but Mark was awesome.

blusilva
01-29-2002, 10:22 PM
Whatever. I just hope I never have to suffer cynical wannabe standup comedians on the train again. Because next time, I am going to go to City Hall. I didn't last time, figuring it was a one-time fluke. Apparently not.

ishthroat
01-29-2002, 10:43 PM
I know for a fact over the years Mark was there, he received many
compliments from guests at City Hall.

You may disagree with me, but most of the people who I watched on the train (and I watched ppl for hours upon hours.
Ask Fantasmicfan of my lunacy) generally loved Mark and his unique delivery on the train.

How many times can you hear Tony the Tiger say that the train has circled Disneyland enough to go around the world 150 times?

Plus his commentary upon arriving at Tomorrowland announcing that Tomorrowland is the home of long passed attractions as the People Mover, Rocket Rods, Captain E-O, the submarines, etc.

FantasmicFan82
01-30-2002, 02:38 AM
That's Ish's new Saturday Ritual, Sit on the train... and get taken--- may i shouldn't say that. that wasn't Ish's fault, I swear, i heard the story from Se---- shhh.
too bad, i'd go with ish on saturday, but for me to get the day off, he's end up working... at least for now anyways (until Bruno gets - LOL[sorry for the inside jokes]).

danyoung
01-30-2002, 08:01 AM
Ishman wrote:

>How many times can you hear Tony the Tiger say that the train >has circled Disneyland enough to go around the world 150 >times?

The point is, I only get to hear him say that a couple times a year. It's interesting that you pick that one quote. On the average visit, I'll arrive in the afternoon and immediately jump on the train. Hearing that quote, for some reason, is my confirmation that yes, I'm finally HERE!!! It may not be much to most people, but it's an important part of MY magic, and I don't like it messed with or covered up.

Ghoulish Delight
01-30-2002, 08:17 AM
You know, as much as I love the Jungle Cruise, I think there are WAY too many wannabe JC captains in the park. And on attractions such as the RR, where the recorded spiel is part of the magic, the wisecracks just are out of place. I mean, imagine if Maynard picked up the intercom and made wisecracks all through HM? I don't think that would go over to well.

The Jungle Cruise, nearly from day one, has been about the relationship with the captain, the captain keeping you entertained, and the captain telling jokes. That's what people ride the Jungle Cruise for. The RR is about the recorded spiel. It's what people want. It's what most people expect from the experience. I say keep the sarcasm on the longest river in Anaheim and out of the rest of the park. Some day, there won't be a single attraction without some CM making disparraging remarks about it, and where's the magic in that?

AVP
01-30-2002, 02:36 PM
One nice thing about parking in Downtown Disney is that I get to miss the "I failed the Jungle Cruise audition and now I'm working in the parking lot" spiel that the tram RTs love to deliver. Please, guys, tell me when the park opens and when it closes, and forget the rest of the jokes!

AVP