Comments on: Baja in my Westy: Side tracked by Disneyland

By: Chip Daniels

Chip Daniels — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:56:00 +0000

Disneyland was conceived by moviemakers, and was deliberately intended to be a theater set- “Backstage”, “Onstage”, and “Castmembers” are not corporate-speak euphemisms. Everyone involved takes it incredibly seriously.
When you go to Disneyland, what you are witnessing is a continuous show, and everyone there is conscious of that fact.

By: HB

HB — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Wow, it’s almost like he found out you were an influential media personality or something…

By: unclemike

unclemike — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:46:00 +0000

The term “cast member” was started by Walt Disney himself, as he felt that the people he was hiring for his new park each had a special and unique role to play, and weren’t just run-of-the-mill employees. Also, the park is “onstage,” and the employee areas are “backstage.”

By: Donald Petersen

Donald Petersen — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 06:47:00 +0000

Much as I hate to reveal my secret formula for a successful Disneyland experience to so broad an audience (for fear it will prove self-defeating), I can’t help but blurt out that you picked a pretty good time of year for it. Best thing, however, is to pick a Wednesday in January that is not too close to New Year’s or MLK Day. The holiday crowds have gone home, and you’ll find at least half-a-dozen attractions closed for maintenance (Small World out for the count both this year and last, but who misses that?), but from opening until school lets out around three, you’ll pretty much be able to walk right on to any ride you like with practically no waiting. And the cast members seem especially relaxed, as if the pressure’s slightly off when they’re not dealing with weekend/summertime/holiday crowds. And for those who might balk at January weather, I’ll just note that it somehow happened to be sunny and 80 degrees both last January and this on the day.

For the first time since my youth in the 70s, Disneyland feels totally worthwhile. I’ll never go there again except on a January Wednesday.

By: aperturehead

aperturehead — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 06:41:00 +0000

Do visitors to Disney resorts really refer to the paid employees as “cast members”? – I always thought this was some unbelievably perverse and misguided rumour! How funny! – I guess if calling themselves “cast members” helps their egos a bit, then more power to them!

By: alamode123

alamode123 — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 05:37:00 +0000

We go annually to Walt Disney World. Every trip I email both the good and bad to customer service, making sure to mention the names of cast members that went the extra mile. Cast members get recognized for good behaviour, culminating in a Disney Legacy award (not to be confused with Disney Legends). Yee-ha Bob from Port Orleans Riverside was this years recipient.

By: BSD

BSD — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:29:00 +0000

Did WDW just a couple of weeks ago, the customer service was the stand-out incredible part of a generally excellent (except for my health) vacation. Every single cast member was perfectly helpful and friendly — every reasonable request, and some unreasonable, were smilingly granted, every question was cogently answered, and every single cast member was nice about it and seemed so glad to help. Every “can you” was answered with a “yes” or “no, but”, and the “but”‘s were good alternatives.

Customer service is so important, and so generally neglected, that Disney Parks have won my loyalty forever.

By: sam1148

sam1148 — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:09:00 +0000

Yes, even the people that work in the Animation studio are Cast Members.

Also, if you make a return run for and have an hour or so to kill…Try “Trader Sams” at one of the hotels, I forget which one. So, there’s no admission price and you can just swing by for a bit. I think Cory did a link about it a while back.
It’s a Tiki bar with animatronics that activate for some drink orders and heavily themed after the Tiki Room and the now gone “Adventures Club” in WDW.

By: LogrusZed

LogrusZed — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 23:05:00 +0000

Every employee AFAIR is a “cast member”, even those working in the retail shops in malls.

By: Kevin Pierce

Kevin Pierce — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:28:00 +0000

I think it’s the Dinseyland characters that roam Times Square posing with tourists and hard pressing them for “tips”.

By: Charlie B

Charlie B — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Is the wheel huge and just about totally horizontal? I’ll never forget driving an ancient vanagon across the Millard E. Tydings bridge in gusting high winds.