Kudos to the FP Police

[Syndrome]

I take it as a matter of course that the CMs at Disney "police" the FP line and stop all the SG behavior, i.e. people coming early, people trying to sneak in without a FP etc. The only thing I've ever seen 'em let people slide on is returning late on the same day, and I can sympathize with that (so many ways to get delayed).

But it was really brought home to me on my last trip to USF. We bought Premier APs, which give us FOTL access after 4 p.m., and we paid dearly for them (nearly $300 each, vs. a $99 renewal for the regular ones). For that kind of money, I expect the Express Line to be policed. Here are two incidents, both on the same day at the same ride, that really annoyed me. I was stuck behind the Loser Families in each of the incidents:

CM: You need a hotel key or Express Pass to go through this line.
SG (with hubby and kids in tow): HOW DARE YOU!! You jerks make me put all my stuff in a locker, and now you're telling me I have to show you something that you made me lock up?!?! Our keys are in my purse, and it's YOUR fault I don't have them. I am NOT going back to the locker, and you ARE going to let us through.
CM: Okay, go ahead.

Mind you, this is 6 p.m., with the park closing in an hour. There is no way this loser didn't know that you are supposed to have your key...but of course, I'd bet the farm that she didn't have one anyway.

Next incident, 15 mins. later on the same ride:
CM (looking at a family's purchased Express Pass, which allows them to use it ONCE on each ride): This is only good once on each ride, and you've used everything up.
SG: Uh, oh....uh....well, I didn't know...uh, are you sure...I thought..."
CM: Oh, it's okay, go ahead.
That really steamed me because he popped $20 for that pass, while I paid nearly $300, and I don't try to whine and weedle to use mine before 4 p.m. Since it was less than an hour before closing, he knew full well it wasn't good anymore. Wonder if he got away with that routine all evening.

So for you WDW CMs who put up with SG abuse at the FP entrances and refuse to give in, kudos to you!

[Main_Street_Merch]

Don't call the employees at Universal CM's. They aren't. They're employees.

[Syndrome]

Oops, please excuse my faux pas...force of habit! Guess I was due for a SGT of my own.

[CBeilby]

As someone who used to work at Universal (albeit Hollywood, not Florida,) please accept my most profound apologies, Syndrome. This really is unacceptable, and frankly, you should go back and talk to their leads or managers about the matter. When I worked at UH, I insisted that there be a Gate A pass of some sort if you used the line, no exceptions.

[Syndrome]

Actually I had some pity for the worker w/the first guest (you could tell she was used to coming on so strong that people back down just to shut her up)...doesn't make it right, but I could see he was taking the easy way out. The second time was the one that bugged me...you could see the SG clearly knew he was in the wrong, so it only enabled/emboldened him to let him do it. I hate to be a complainer, but if that seems to be a trend over multiple visits, I might have to make a complaint.

[Anna]

They are called team members. Just because you paid for a premier pass does that mean that the TMs can't do something nice for someone else? I've seen others get surprise fastpasses at Disney when I've had to run over to the fastpass machine and get one and then wait for the window. Is that fair? What about people who get comp tickets when I have to pay for my tickets? I've seen CMs at Disney give people free pins, merchandise, and gasp! even food, when I had to pay for mine. Where is the justice?

There is a $100 price difference between a Premier Pass and a Preferred Pass. With that $100, you get free valet parking, free water, a ticket to Halloween horror Nights, upgrades at the hotels, free express after 4:00 PM, and even more stuff. This adds up to much more than $100. Your complaining reminds me of the AP holders at Disney who think they deserve special treatment. You got express but then begrudged someone else who got it because they don't have a Premier AP.

Don't tell anyone but I got to go through the fastpass line at ToT without a fastpass once and even got to ride two times in a row without getting in line again. Why? Because a CM decided to do something special for me. Is it fair? Not really but it certainly made my day.

[Syndrome]

Personally, I think "nice" things should be reserved for "nice" people (or at least random people like the Disney program), not a woman literally yelling at/berating the team member and obviously lying to boot or a family that I would be willing to bet my bank account was milking their used-up Express Pass all day. Niceness should be a random thing, not a reward for "cheaters." Perhaps I should come to the parks any old time I feel like it, berate the team members if they dare to tell me that's not 4 p.m. yet, and see if they'll do something nice for me too? :twisted:

(Oh, and you might want to read my post a little more closely if the above didn't make it clear. I was NOT begrudging others who had Express because they didn't have a Premier Pass. I was begruding others who DID NOT have Express but pretended that they did and who had a used-up pass.)

[Notatourist]

Anna-

Syndrome was being cool on this one. It was more of an apology to the folks who have to deal with not stupid guests but horribly obnoxious ones. Thanks Syndrome, I got it.

One slight correction...you're still in the Express line. You want Front of the Line access, try a VIP tour. That's the truest form of "what? there was a line?" access.

It's actually really great at Halloween.

[Anna]

Maybe my anger toward you was unjustified. It was the post that called team members "employees" that just seemed to be a little jab at Universal. I know that this site was started by Disney cast members but I thought it was a place for all CMs at any of the themeparks to post stories. We are all in this together, for good or bad. I love my job and respect others for the job they/we do with dealing with SGT.

Most "employees" at any themepark deal with angry or unreasonable guest. Sometimes we all bend to unreasonable guests, someitme we don't. I certainly don't think rewarding complainers is good but each CM or TM does this from time to time. It was the end of the day, you can continue to argue with them, refuse them entry, hold up the line while you handle them and then have a manager over-rule you. SG can go to Guest Relations at Disney or Universal and complain (Trust me the SG will change the story) and have a negative put on the castmember and then have Guest Relations possibly offer the guest compensation.

Personally, I wouldn't have let them in the express line and dealt with the consequences. Others may not. But the bottom line is we all have to make choices in our job and, sometimes, just handling the issue at the ride is better than getting managers, guest relations, and other guests in line involved. It's not like they let an entire Brazillan tour group in front of you. Letting those two families in line probably did not lengthen your wait time.

[Syndrome]

Thanks for explaining...the reference wasn't meant as a jab at all, just ignorance on my part. And believe me, I understand and respect what you have to deal with on a daily basis. I admit that I COULD NOT do it...I'd be ready to bitch-slap the SGs within the first hour...y'all have the patience of saints. That's why I'd never complain to Guest Relations about something like this...for all I know, the team member might have been in confrontations with SGs all day and just be sick of it by then. It's not about the wait time, but rather being disgusted with SGs who've obviously been working the system all day.

We did the VIP tour two or three times before we moved to FL and LOVED it. That was definitely FOTL, and also front seat on the coasters...so cool!! But even though there is wait time with the premier pass, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it, and it's going to be a godsend this summer. There's nothing like a late lunch/early dinner at Bubba Gump's, followed by some quality time on Hulk & Spiderman or Mummy and MIB.

[Anna]

Thanks for explaining...the reference wasn't meant as a jab at all, just ignorance on my part.

It wasn't you that used the "employee" reference so I definitely shouldn't have taken out my anger on you.



for all I know, the team member might have been in confrontations with SGs all day and just be sick of it by then.

Yeah, most likely as those Mummy guys get yelled out all day about lockers. The TM may have just been beat down by the end of the day. Who knows?

It's not about the wait time, but rather being disgusted with SGs who've obviously been working the system all day.


I apologize for assuming the worse in your post. I actually do agree with you that SG shouldn't be given favors but sometimes it happens for reasons we might not always understand. Sorry for going off on you.

[The Canuck]

Well, personally I have no problems with doing something nice for guests, imo you cross the line when you expect special treatment regarding a paid for privledge as outline in the original post.

Same with staying in the MK park during hard ticketed events (Not so scary). I can see why people complain about it, since they paid for the right to see the special parade/fireworks and to stay in the park late, only for someone else to stay in the park and possibly take the better spots for the parade/fireworks (I am aware they can't use the attractions).

And yes as I said I support doing something nice for someone, but in terms of Universal's express pass this shouldn't be done by having been pressured into it by someone who didn't want to wait in a longer line.

Sorry if I tured this now civil topic into a hot debate again. But I wanted to voice my opinion here.

[MagliteL13]

Yeah, most likely as those Mummy guys get yelled out all day about lockers. The TM may have just been beat down by the end of the day. Who knows?

I apologize for assuming the worse in your post. I actually do agree with you that SG shouldn't be given favors but sometimes it happens for reasons we might not always understand. Sorry for going off on you.

As a TM at USF (RotM), we get complaints about our lockers all day long. Granted, most of us hate dealing with the lockers just as much as the guest. The lockers not only help us keep our safety up, but also our efficiency. Without them, our wait would be a lot longer as people would struggle to comfortably put away their bags on the ride before we could dispatch their car.
With the express pass, some times it's easier and nicer to just explain to them the policy and use the easy way out to keep the line moving. Most people don't realize that the express passes can only be used for one use per attraction and you can usually tell those people who are trying to cheat the system.

As a CM at Disney, I try to reward those that are nice as a thank you. If I'm working FP distribution and someone comes up to me with a park ticket that was left in the machine, I usually try to give them earlier FPs as a thank you. If I get bumped from a position to load, I'll try and grab a family looking to ride and bring them right upstairs. Things like that aren't going to impact the wait or the attraction that much, but will impact the family quite a bit (I do the same thing at USF, too).

[leftcoaster]

As a TM at USF (RotM), we get complaints about our lockers all day long. Granted, most of us hate dealing with the lockers just as much as the guest. The lockers not only help us keep our safety up, but also our efficiency. Without them, our wait would be a lot longer as people would struggle to comfortably put away their bags on the ride before we could dispatch their car.
With the express pass, some times it's easier and nicer to just explain to them the policy and use the easy way out to keep the line moving. Most people don't realize that the express passes can only be used for one use per attraction and you can usually tell those people who are trying to cheat the system.



I understand the need for lockers. I just don't like it that they are so darn small.

On our last trip to USO, my wife and I had to use 3 lockers because we couldn't fit all our stuff in one locker. Some might say 'well then you have too much stuff.' Not so. We each carry a backpack which is not full. And I usually carry my monopod.

[Driver_dylan]

I can tell you from experiance as a former TM and as a guest that the lockers are not as secure as they appear to be. I shall explain:
I am a professional photographer, who on his off time enjoys photographing the old facads such as the RH Macy's, and sting ally. Once while on RotM ( my friends, all made up of TM's, and CM's, (yes we do hang out togather without, well, you know, :blowup: ) got me to go on.) I was told that my camera was persona non gratta. No problem, I put my camera in the lockers thinking they were secure, right? Not really, though the locker took my fingerprint and was locked when I left, when I returned no more than a hour later, My camera and film bag, an aprox. $5,000 value, was not.
Apparently some clever crook was able to fool the ride manager and security and had them open the locker. Worse yet was the Universal claimed that they take no responcibility for the theft. Thankfully I am not an SGT, and every piece of my equipment is insured for the full value at purchase. :light: All I had to do was turn the matter over to my insurance company, but most guests are not that lucky, or do not know of these types of insurance policies.

[Polar33]

Apparently some clever crook was able to fool the ride manager and security and had them open the locker. Worse yet was the Universal claimed that they take no responsibility for the theft.I have a feeling that Universal would have a tough time convincing a judge that they were not responsible for theft when they were technically direct (albeit unknowing) accomplices to the theft.

What's next? Valets not responsible for giving away car keys to anyone without a stub? Day cares not responsible for giving away children to any ransom person who walks in with a sob story? :rolleyes:

[Syndrome]

I'm always surprised that the TMs don't make me take off my mega-fanny pack (gotta be prepared with water bottle, cell phone, rain ponchos, kitchen sink etc.) and stash it in a locker, but I always push it to the side and make sure that it doesn't interfere with the restaint device, and so far I've always been allowed to ride Mummy, Hulk, etc. with it.

Yesterday I had to wonder: Does it drive you guys crazy when guests come through the line with those giant stuffed animals? I won one yesterday at USF, and it was too late in the day to have it shipped to the front, so we had to drag it with us there and also at IOA (HAD to get in some Hulk and Spidey rides before we left). Since the lockers are too small, the TMs at each ride held it for us, and they were all so nice about it. I felt bad about foisting it off on them...winning it was a total fluke (the "muffin tin" pitch game).

[Anna]

You can go to Lost and Found at either IoA or US and they will hold it for you until you leave for the day.

[leftcoaster]

I'm always surprised that the TMs don't make me take off my mega-fanny pack (gotta be prepared with water bottle, cell phone, rain ponchos, kitchen sink etc.) and stash it in a locker, but I always push it to the side and make sure that it doesn't interfere with the restaint device, and so far I've always been allowed to ride Mummy, Hulk, etc. with it.

Yesterday I had to wonder: Does it drive you guys crazy when guests come through the line with those giant stuffed animals? I won one yesterday at USF, and it was too late in the day to have it shipped to the front, so we had to drag it with us there and also at IOA (HAD to get in some Hulk and Spidey rides before we left). Since the lockers are too small, the TMs at each ride held it for us, and they were all so nice about it. I felt bad about foisting it off on them...winning it was a total fluke (the "muffin tin" pitch game).

When the TM asked how many, you should have said, "three" (you, hubby, and the stuffed animal). :p:

[BarryH]

Yesterday I had to wonder: Does it drive you guys crazy when guests come through the line with those giant stuffed animals?

I was on the Hulk coaster at IOA one day. The guest that sat beside me had a 3 foot tall stuffed dog that won at a skill and pitch game. He just put it at his feet and waited for the ride to run. The Team Member took the dog away and hid it behind the console.

Oh, VIP tours at Universal Orlando are great! If you do one, be sure to ask for Chris. She's a chick, not a dude. :)

[Syndrome]

At Six Flags Great America the guy would have probably gotten away with it! When we lived in Chicago, I knew how to win a couple of the games there (quarter pitch and hoola hoop toss), so I always had a giant Dalmation or some other huge, godawful thing. I made it a personal challenge to see just how many rides I could carry it onto. By the end of the season, they are braindead there and could really care less.

[wetrat0]

Don't call the employees at Universal CM's. They aren't. They're employees.

Some of those other parks call their employees Cast Members or Team Members.

Frankly, I wish I were an employee. I always thought "Cast Member" sounded stupid and "Team Member" sounds like you're working at Target.

[ktulu]

Some of those other parks call their employees Cast Members or Team Members.

Frankly, I wish I were an employee. I always thought "Cast Member" sounded stupid and "Team Member" sounds like you're working at Target.

I always get a chuckle at "Attention Target Team Members..."

and how they have their "stroke the employee" meetings in the front lanes (at least at the target near us they do). "Margie got blah blah blah, *clap clap clap*"

[hulkcoaster]

At USH we are team members, but a lot of the in park signs say Cast Members Only, so I call myself that since it sounds better.

[ktulu]

At USH we are team members, but a lot of the in park signs say Cast Members Only, so I call myself that since it sounds better.

They probably used to say "Team Members Only" but the SG's thought "hey, I'm part of the team!" and went back there, plus all the employees from Target who figured they were entitled. So USH sent their spies and they came back and said "Disney does it this way" and that is how the Cast Member Only signs at USH were born.