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HBDisneyPrincess
06-09-2002, 09:07 PM
Oh Boy, did I debate about writing this one. Although I still haven't sent this yet, so I suppose I could still back out. :)

This was my experience:

I was at the second showing of Fantasmic! on Saturday night, surrounded by people who had never seen the show (I know because I was chatting with a few of them) and right behind a group of about 10 loud annual passholders/cast members (I know this becasue they must have mentioned they were passholders/cast members about thirty times, loudly, before the show began.)

While we were waiting for the show, the group talked about various people they knew in cast in crew, including the name of the charecter they were playing. "so and so's a pirate tonight, so and so's Pluto" (I'm making these up). They did this quite loudly.

Once the show began, they quoted things moments before or as they were being said, "hey...whats going on...uh-oh," and "you may think your so powerful...but this is my dream" for example. They also did Mickey's choreography along with him.

Now, I must admit, I've been caught singing along with Believe out loud (but not too loudly.) However, I thought that this behavior was overly distracting. Their moving hands and distracting voices pulled my concentration from the show.

Their comments before the show about people "playing" people bothered me, because it detracts from the magic...and there were kids around.

I don't know. I guess I was thinking back to 1992 when I first saw the show, and how I would have felt seeing it for the first time and having this experience. I don't think, by any means, it would have ruined the show, but I do think it would detract from the magic some what.

I am so excited when I am with people who have never seen the show before. I want first timers to have the best experience possible. I guess I was a little dissapointed by my fellow passholder's behavior. Perhaps they just didn't think about what affect they might have on others watching the show. Perhaps they just didn't think about it and got excited while watching the show. I certainly don't think it was their intention to ruin the show for anyone else.

I guess thats it. I just wanted to share my thoughts. My intent is certainly not to make anyone angry. It is just to express my feelings during the show and get some feedback. Maybe I'm way off or overreacting. Maybe I think to much. (I tend to do that.)

Has anyone else had an experience like this? Did you feel like I do, or do you think it is no big deal? I'm sure its a little of both out there. :D

Iceman
06-10-2002, 06:33 AM
These are the APs who give the rest of us a bad name. Sorry to hear about it, and I hope your first-timer friends weren't too distracted. :(

tikiboy
06-10-2002, 06:34 AM
I'm with you.

And though I don't know personally the people you speak of, I've seen their kind. They just want everyone else to know that they're "in the know."

Sorry you had to put up with that.

Ghoulish Delight
06-10-2002, 07:26 AM
Go mention this to City Hall. There's not much they can do about the APers, but the Cast Members? That's inexcuseable. I definitely agree with your point about the talk about who's playing what role. CM, as I understand, are instructed to NEVER talk about costumed characters as having actors inside in earshot of guests! That's a BIG no no. Some people may call this a nit-picky APer complaint and that I'm being elitist, but it sounds to me like the enitre cast needs some retraining about what is and isn't okay to say "on stage" whether you're in costume working or you're in civies.

RStar
06-10-2002, 08:40 AM
I am an APer, I love the parks and the vision of Walt Disney himself. I belive in giving the guest the best possible show. I belive that Disneyland should be kept the happiest place on earth.

So to that end, if I see a family taking a picture, I ask if they would all like to take one together and I take one for them. If I hear guests talking about where something is, I help them with directions. If I see trash on the ground, I will pick it up if I can do it discretely. I smile and help people out. Not because it's my job, I don't work at Disneyland and never have. I do it because I like to help people, and it only takes a few moments of my time. A few moments to a day guest means alot, but I have all the time I want. And after the APs got such a bad rap and they stopped having the AP parties because of the APs behavior I wanted to be an example. So I am ashamed of the AP and CM's behavior at Fantasmic! that night. Perhaps they didn't realize what they were doing, but they should have! And if they wanted to have a good time and discuss that type of stuff, they should have kept their voices down. To all APers (and CMs): Be aware of your surroundings, and be nice to those around you.

I'm sorry if I sound like a sap, or a Disney geek, but that's they way I feel. Take it or leave it, it's your choice.

Thank you.

MouseWife
06-10-2002, 09:08 AM
RStar~
It's people like you who have actually let me have a 'family' picture. I take a lot of photos but never had been in them{or both hubby and I}. I would always offer to take pictures of people but no one ever offered back. Finally they did and I have family portraits.

Keep it up!!

MonorailMan
06-10-2002, 09:44 AM
Hope things go better next time. :)

Mad Madam Mim
06-10-2002, 10:59 AM
OH that is SOOOOO wrong, APers and CM's should know better. Some of these people will never come back to DL that was there one and only visit... :( How sad that they did that. :(

Hyperboy
06-10-2002, 11:30 AM
I like doing that stuff with my friends, but we aren't super loud about it, and try to keep the "obnoxious" level down to a minimum. Plus, we are usually standing towards the back of the viewing area if we follow along with the show (i.e. near the Haunted Mansion or the NOS restaurants), so it doesn't ruin other people's experiences.

mad4mky
06-10-2002, 12:56 PM
Originally posted by MouseWife
RStar~
It's people like you who have actually let me have a 'family' picture. I take a lot of photos but never had been in them{or both hubby and I}. I would always offer to take pictures of people but no one ever offered back. Finally they did and I have family portraits.

Keep it up!!

Same here. I think it's great when people offer...

Like at Epcot, some nice lady walking by offered...or even at DTD at WDW, in front of the Mickey & Friends winter scene. Made a great Christmas card!

When I was in Waikiki a couple of weeks ago, a couple stopped me while walking and asked if I could take their picture. "Of course I would!" I said. And on the Eiffel Tower! (but beware...don't hand your camera to anyone in a foreign country!).

It's nice when people offer!!:D

Lani
06-10-2002, 02:01 PM
That's as bad as people in movie theaters who "warn" you of what's about to happen.

I would report this to City Hall (or write a letter if you're not at the park regularly). Cast members should NEVER speak about people on stage and ruin the magic like that. How ghastly.

malin
06-10-2002, 02:45 PM
Sorry as well.But Im surprised you heard them.Fantasmic is just so loud.

RealDisneyLegend
06-10-2002, 03:30 PM
Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight
Go mention this to City Hall. There's not much they can do about the APers, but the Cast Members?


How did you know they were cast members? I doubt if they were.

1. Most cast members have seen F! so many times that they won't stand and watch it

2. Cast members don't like to advertise the fact when they're off duty

Ghoulish Delight
06-10-2002, 03:47 PM
Originally posted by RealDisneyLegend


How did you know they were cast members? I doubt if they were.

1. Most cast members have seen F! so many times that they won't stand and watch it

2. Cast members don't like to advertise the fact when they're off duty I was going off of what HBDisneyPrincess said in her original post.

"...and right behind a group of about 10 loud annual passholders/cast members (I know this becasue they must have mentioned they were passholders/cast members about thirty times, loudly, before the show began.) "

Sounds like they were the type who let being a CM go the their head.

Hades
06-10-2002, 03:51 PM
Some people may call this a nit-picky APer complaint and that I'm being elitist, but it sounds to me like the enitre cast needs some retraining about what is and isn't okay to say "on stage" whether you're in costume working or you're in civies.

Just what us good CM's need, another bust in the chops for actions that a few not so bright CMs do! Thanks for including us in the lot. I feel hurt!

It is bad enough that TDA is yanking us all around with all kinds of policy changes which make it near impossible to truely enhance the guest expirience and be personalble with you. For instance, in the merch locations, we are told that our guest interactions should only last about one and a half minutes per guest. Yet they want us to make sure that we guest service everyone?

It seems we are spending most of our time getting "coached" on the way things need to be done with the new policies, that the cast expirience is no longer pleasant. Now you want them to through another log on the fire? I'm ranting, I know, but please be more conciderate when making broad statements such as yours. It is not the entire cast that is at fault. Address these CMs and make your point of view known to them, or point them out to a CM that is there to address them. But somehow, I don't see that happening anytime in the future. *sigh*

RStar
06-10-2002, 04:14 PM
Hades,
I agree with you. For one thing it was already brought up earlier in the thread that it is a well known no-no to have a CM talk about who is in costume while on stage. It is obvious that it is the few that need to be reminded, and no new policies need to be put into place. The APs that think they are better than the CMs because the have to pay to be there and should be treated like a king can be just as annoying, don't you think?:D

No matter where you go you will find the small few who can ruin any situation for the others. Whether intentional or not.:(

So don't take it personal, not all of us APers think that way. I have enjoyed most of my contacts with the CMs. Much more than I can say about any other buisness I frequent.;)

Allysen1Derland
06-10-2002, 04:31 PM
OHMIGOSH!!!! Do these same AP'ers and CM's frequent all the Starbucks in Sherman Oaks and Studio City?!?!? (my neck of the woods) I swear they do! All obnoxious with their lattes while I'm waiting for mine! Whew! Now that I'm done grinding my little axe (sorry!), I just want to let HBDisneyPrincess know that she did NOT overreact at all! Back when I was a CM, I would never have dreamt of behaving like that! Honestly, I felt so lucky to be part of the magic and illusion of DL that I wanted to share in that "illusion" and let guests feel just as special as I did being part of it! (not that I'm even close to perfect! My girlfriends and I would always go into the park after our shift and flirt like mad with all the cute male CM's!;) ) C'mon, EXTREMELY loud CM's and AP'ers and other assorted joy killing party-foulers, let us enjoy the show! It really steams my clams! Besides, if you had any REAL Disney secrets to share, you wouldn't do it at Fantasmic! You'd know better and share it @ MP. :D
P.S.- 99.9% CM's and AP'ers are awesome! Please know I'm just referring to that tiny percentage out there that....well, isn't!

Ghoulish Delight
06-10-2002, 04:36 PM
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that all, or even the majority, or even a large number of CMs are like this. I simply meant that unless we can single out the people who are doing this, there is (unfortunately) no other way to get the point across than wholesale reminders. I know how much this sucks. I can't count the number of times I have to sit through inane, common sense explanations about what to do and not to do at my job simply because a few people are too moronic to figure it out without being handheld :rolleyes: . But I just try to keep in mind that hopefully the end result is a better workplace.

Again, I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

HBDisneyPrincess
06-10-2002, 06:01 PM
Well, I feel a lot better now. I agree with all of you. I know so many great CM's (my boyfriend happens to be one of the best of them) :) and I am grateful for all that the vast majority of them do to make everyones visit enjoyable. Even those "annoying passholders.

I'm one of those passholders that always tries to make people have a great time...I love Disneyland so much and I want people to feel the way I do. I take pictures of groups, I smile at people...and its so awesome to hear that others feel the way I do.

If anything, maybe someone will read this post and think twice before being overly noticable before and during a show. Maybe they just aren't thinking about how they are affecting those around them.

I dove the summer time, becasue so many people are there for the first time, or visiting after a long time away. The other morning I was in line and I heard a mom say to hear little kid, "Just think, all this was dreamed up by one man." I just love seeing people have a good time....

ok this is getting way sappy.

Anyways, I must say I'm not sure if it was passholders or castmembers who specifically said they knew people in the cast. I know they are trained not to...

A lot of what you said hit home...especially RStar...and hyperboy, I'm with you...when I'm walking by or in the back, I'm the first one to sing a long...i love to sing (though I'm not to good at it...)

Thanks for making me feel better. :)

SpacedOutCM
06-10-2002, 06:53 PM
Originally posted by HBDisneyPrincess
Once the show began, they quoted things moments before or as they were being said, "hey...whats going on...uh-oh," and "you may think your so powerful...but this is my dream" for example. They also did Mickey's choreography along with him.

Now, I must admit, I've been caught singing along with Believe out loud (but not too loudly.) However, I thought that this behavior was overly distracting. Their moving hands and distracting voices pulled my concentration from the show.

Their comments before the show about people "playing" people bothered me, because it detracts from the magic...and there were kids around.

Did you say anything to these people? I would have.

SteveCJB2001
06-10-2002, 11:02 PM
Well I'm proud to say that I was in a group like that on Friday. Disneyland is a place where my friends and I like to have fun. I do understand that many people have never seen it before and hey thats life (not trying to be mean about it). What you described above was almost exactly what my friends and I were doing and hey at first I thought it was us until I read that it was on saturday and not friday night). What Im trying to say is I understand the effect of the "Disney magic" on a person when they first experience Fantasmic! For many of us thought (Im not speaking for all AP's and CM's but just the ones I hang with), we just love the show so much (thats the who reason we are there sitting on the hard floor for 3 hours before the show) that we experience it differently. And I'm sorry that your experience was dissapointing. Im not saying I'm going to stop enjoying things like the way I enjoy them but it seems like you just happened to be at a so called "wrong place at the wrong time". Now you may think im something I'm probobly not allowed to say and I know people are all gone be up on my for saying what I said but I really don't care. I go to Disneyland to have fun and as long as no one is being hurt in anyway physically and emotionally then hey I'm gona stick with it.

FantasmicFan82
06-11-2002, 02:28 AM
I've got to side with steve on this... I do the follow along thing all the time. I'm not loud, I don't know who's who in the show, I don't sing loudly along with the show, but i do sit there for a couple to a few hours to get my good seat and enjoy the show. Sorry HBDisneyPrincess, I can see how a bunch an Fantasmic Groupies can spoil it, but that's the way i enjoy the show.

danyoung
06-11-2002, 07:19 AM
Originally posted by SteveCJB2001
For many of us thought (Im not speaking for all AP's and CM's but just the ones I hang with), we just love the show so much (thats the who reason we are there sitting on the hard floor for 3 hours before the show) that we experience it differently. And I'm sorry that your experience was dissapointing. Im not saying I'm going to stop enjoying things like the way I enjoy them but it seems like you just happened to be at a so called "wrong place at the wrong time".

So, if I read correctly what you're saying, you think that your enjoyment of the show and the way you express it is more important than any distress you might cause to those around you? Please, God, never let me stand near you during a show - fists might be thrown! I just can't believe that, after reading this thread, that you wouldn't maybe learn that your antics are irritating to others, and maybe consider readjusting your approach to the show. I too am a huge fan of the show, and have watched it dozens of times. I'm somewhat of an amateur conductor, and would love nothing more than to stand in front of the waterway with arms waving. I'm sensitive enough, though, to realize that this would be distracting to those around me (not to mention making me look like a total geek), so I've never lived out this fantasy. C'mon, Steve, give a little consideration to your fellow Fantasmic! viewer, and consider toning it down a bit.

jason
06-11-2002, 07:39 AM
i find some of the responses the problem with the world today ... this is what I want to do and I'm going to do it and I dont care what impact it has on anyone else .

the first time i saw this was with my 4yr old daughter on my shoulders ... we just rounded the corner when it was starting and stoped to watch .... i swear you could hear her screaming " where's mickey ? mickeeeeeey !" (when he dissapears in a puff of smoke ), half way across the park . i'm sure if there was a group saying the lines with the show and saying who's playing who she would'nt have thought it was REAL !!! .

just try to remember ... when you behave like this , it destroys the magic for some little kid who isn't impressed that you know the words or know so and so ... that's the real peter pan to them .

i hope when you have kids you sit down with them before you go to the park for the first time and explain alll about how it all works ... how much it costs ... that it's not real .... don't forget to mention about santa & the easter bunny

jason

Ghoulish Delight
06-11-2002, 08:15 AM
Originally posted by SteveCJB2001
I go to Disneyland to have fun and as long as no one is being hurt in anyway physically and emotionally then hey I'm gona stick with it. Have you ever seen the reaction of many children when they accidentally find out that Mickey isn't really Mickey?. Or when they miss their favorite part of a show because some jerk thinks their singing is more important than that of the performers'? By screaming along with the show, you are hurting the experience of other, paying guests, and quite likely hurting some poor child emotionally, as you put it.

It's just plain selfish and childish.

If you want to sing along, go buy the CD and sit at home and do it. Or stand somewhere out of the way where others can't hear you. These people paid to get in, and stood to get their spot, to see and hear the paid performers, not you. Get over yourself and allow others to enjoy the show.