Pardon, Are You Real?

[Zazu]

So I wasn't moving very fast. Okay, so I wasn't moving at all. It was late, and the last day of my week. I was just standing there in front of my attraction, watching a giggly toddler make a long game out of being taken out of his stroller. Dad kept trying to distract him, and kid kept putting arms and legs where they were least helpful.


Meanwhile:

"Let's ask him, Mom," pointing to me.

"Honey, he's just an animatronic figure."

"No Mom, he's real."

"Watch him, he's not moving," she observed, "You're not real, are you?"

"Hard to say ma'am," I replied, "My wife keeps asking me the very same question."


So if she thought I wasn't real, why did she bother to ask me?

Reminds me of another odd website: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~rmutt/sj/SJ-robots1.html.

[tourbunny]

totally not disney related but i did that once at harrod's in london. this gorgious black man was standing there not realy moving and they have awesome looking maniquins. i turned to my friend and touching that man's biceps i go " damn those maniquins are lokking better and better these days. i wanne take this one home!"
he turned around and yelled at me that he was real and some other four letter words. i could not stop laughing for hours.
i just thought of that, totaly random...

[Anonymous]

Working at HM everyone always asks if we are 'real'. It gets really annoying after a while.

[cheshire]

We get that all the time at Splash. Sitting at the base of c lift, guests ALWAYS ask "Are you real?" "Do you work here?" :shock: No we just jumped out of the log and are sitting here for fun.

[MagicBellhop]

Whenever I worked the Libraries at the Tower I was mistaken for a fake statue all the time. It was real rewarding to have people think that you were not real and then all of the sudden you start moving. It freaked them out. It was great!

[se8472]

Man I love the "Do you work here" question...

No I just dress up in this costum and stand here for my health during my vacation!

[Pschtyckque]

I was working on Indy. A guest had dropped something in the beginning of the queue with the skeleton and the urns behind the bamboo gate. A coworker was looking from the entrance side, and I had scaled the wall and was looking through a small opening in the exit side. I'm sure it looked odd, a guy dressed like Indy clinging to a wall.

So a guest poked me (not in a good place, either). I jumped, and she ran screaming.

Same thing would happen on Subs all the time. I often caught people trying to tie my shoelaces together, too.

[coldfire409]

Man I love the "Do you work here" question...
I alwyas answer that question no, and walk away from the guests. I would say 95% of the time the guests belive me and just walk away. A few times the guests realize their stupidity and then ask the question anyways. I hate it when that happens

[Dante101]

"Do you work here?"
"Yes I do." (then walk away quickly before they ask anything else)

[Pschtyckque]

My favorite was:

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

[Dante101]

"Can I ask you a question?"

"yeah, I think you can handle that - you look pretty smart. Just start off slowly; form the question in your head; be careful with the big words, and remember to annunciate..."

[TheManator]

This just reminds me so much at when Disneyland had a special makeshift Toy Story "land"...I think it was Disneyland...or WDW, I forget...anyways...in it, they had the army men stationary, kind of like those CMs dressed as statues at World Showcase, and would suddenly "come to life"...this women, who appeared to be in her 30s was standing right next to him, and she really freaked out screaming "I thought you were fake!"

(btw, can someone clarify my memory up to as where they had this? I want to say Innoventions, as it had the Genesis version of the Toy Story game playing, also had a giant Etch-A-Sketch machine, and had tons of Lite-Brite thing going on...)

[IndyBob]

Got it at Mansion all the time and at the Base of C lift at Splash. "Is he real Mommy" "Dont worry hunny he is programed to touch you that way":shock: or "Are you real".

[Polar33]

(btw, can someone clarify my memory up to as where they had this? I want to say Innoventions, as it had the Genesis version of the Toy Story game playing, also had a giant Etch-A-Sketch machine, and had tons of Lite-Brite thing going on...)
It was the Toy Story Funhouse. Around 1995-1996 I believe. It was located in the former Space Place patio area. The area that is now used for the Pizza Port patio, and Space Mountain fastpass and queue.

[RiaLucia]

I got asked if I work there at least twice. I never understood how.

I mean, I was custodial! My costume was everywhere! I carried a pan and broom 98% of the time! Are you kidding me!?

[SRT_GB]

Yesterday I had a guest call me by the name on my nametag AND THEN asked, "do you work here?"

[BRWombat]

Yesterday I had a guest call me by the name on my nametag AND THEN asked, "do you work here?"
That's pretty funny. But then, on my last Disney trip I had a half-dozen people ask me questions as if I worked there. Yes, I had a red Guest of Honor badge on, but so did my wife, her parents, and our two boys.

[RiaLucia]

That's pretty funny. But then, on my last Disney trip I had a half-dozen people ask me questions as if I worked there.
Three of my roommates from the college program and I went back this past New Year's for a reunion trip. One of my roommates in particular and I kept being approached by guests with questions! It's as if once you're a cast member, you're always a cast member and people just sense it! Though, technically, we four sorta still are pseudo-CMs as we're all Disney campus reps, but anyway, I find that uncanny.

When I was at DLR last month I was approached with a question, but it was about where I got my Mickey ears embroidered. When I answered, however, I went into full on CM mode with my flat-palm pointing and clear-cut directions and everything. My mom and grandpa thought it was the cutest thing.

[Tara_Lee3]

My favorite response was always:

Do you work here?

I pretend to work, they pretend to pay me. :wink:

[CMDad]

Yeah, my son used to get that all the time. Yeah, this is the way he always looks, right! :roll:

http://www.geocities.com/headtrippe/hmh4.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/headtrippe/hmh2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/headtrippe/hmh7.jpg

[Stduck]

wow those costumes look so familiar....hehehe

Yeah half our aprons say MK on them as well as the vests for the men.

I get the are you real question a lot at the Mansion. I usually reply "No"

[CMDad]

One of the things he liked about working at HM was that he could do things he couldn't ordinarily do/say.

His standard reply?

"Are you?"

[Stduck]

I've been poked and grabbed at all while standing at load 2 or the expanding room. I've used "Are you?" Maybe its because I am an art major and I notice things others don't but damn the guests sure don't see anything. (How many times have I been mowed down from behind?)

[GMC]

i had a guest jab her finger into my arm (hard enough to hurt her finger) while at south advance the other day. and since i was done watching my vehicle advance, i turned to her, and rather rudely asked, ", ouch, Can i HELP you!?"

"No, I was just checking if you were real."

"yes, well at diseny we leave our most complicated (m)anamatronics just laying around where anyone can poke, prod, touch, hit, spit on, and other wise MIAM them. *words in red are thoughts. Please continue up the stairs.

[Main Streeter]

"yes, well at diseny we leave our most complicated (m)anamatronics just laying around where anyone can poke, prod, touch, hit, spit on, and other wise MIAM them. *words in red are thoughts. Please continue up the stairs.
GMC, in your next few posts could you put a little more "feeling" into your blandness? :wink:

[GMC]

Is that some sort of sick joke!? It better not be, because i sure don't appreciate it. TTFE tataforever!

[Main Streeter]

Is that some sort of sick joke!? It better not be, because i sure don't appreciate it. TTFE tataforever!
Excuse me? Sorry! Pardon me! Sick joke? What??? No, was trying to be humorous GMC. Won't try this EVER again & humbly apologize.

[Stduck]

Is that some sort of sick joke!? It better not be, because i sure don't appreciate it. TTFE tataforever!
Stop using and altering my line.

[CujoSR]

Chill both of you, before I get angry. :evil:

[GMC]

sorry guys that was a bit over the top of me, i've been VERY sadistic lately, not really sure why, so if i come off rude, well it's because i'm being rude, but don't take it personally. (this has been a disclaimer) I should be returning to my normal cheery self. Day one of this week started with three in a row guest concerns (consisting of me being yelled at, and being told i was wrong, rude, and asshole, and that i should be fired, and i was of course right about the situation, and the guests became more angry when my lead yelled back and the stupid bithces.) resulting in two near security concerns, and one actual security concern, where guests were banned from the attraction. Day two was just long. Steam trains on day three, pretty chill, no issues there, not even a whistle stop, even got to go 101 for phase 2 pyro. today was just long but I didn't have any issues either, was nice to see some of my friends that have been in school. As far as being a jerk here, sorry, i'll try and not be.

[acciofirebolt29]

I gotta put my story here. I used to work in the cookie shop (RIP) on Main Street in MK at WDW. I was the cookie baker in the window facing the street baking in front of people as they walked by. I used to stand real still some times because I knew people would think I was fake, sure enough when I moved it made people jump out of their skin.

In other times I would be moving around doing my work and then I would walk out to door to get something and the people in line would freak out thinking I had been fake the entire time. It would really shock them...I had a lot of fun with that!!

Nice site BTW, very funny and a great service to CM's everywhere!!

[Dack48]

The best part about this question is that sometimes the guests will ask the Audio-Animatronics as well! Thats right.
During my CP I worked at Innoventions, back in the days of the Communications Dream Fourm- presented by Motorola. We had an A-100 named Starnac (looked like a cross between SIR and the Timekeeper).

"Wow, is he real?"
"Does he talk" (as he is doing his spiel)

But its great when they try to carry on a conversation with him. Asking him random questions, expecting him to reply. These are the times when you can really mess with the guests. You gently tell them that they are asking the wrong questions, and that I know what to say! I had the timing down on this thing perfectly, and asked the question during a lull, and he replied!

ME: "Hey Starnac, what do you see in your crystal ball?"
Starnac: "Oh! I see a bright and wonderful future..."
Guest (to me): "Wow, how did you do that?"
ME: "Disney Magic :) "

Man, I miss Starnac...so many great adventures...

[TwistedMethod]

I find it odd how I can be in one of the parks, MK for instance, off work in plain clothes with my cast I.D. hidden and Guests still come up to me somehow knowing I work there asking me questions. I was walking to catch up to a friend one time and heard a lady asking me if I worked here, I was already so far past her I just looked back and kept walking. Most of the others I'll help just because I have nothing else to do at the moment. One day I'm going to ask them how they know I work there. Must be my "Disney Look". I really don't know...

[aliceindisguse]

Instead of the run of the mill, "Do you work here?" question, today I got, "Did I see a nametag on you?" I just thought, sure did but I wish you hadn't cause I've got 2 minutes to run across Fantasyland from the Village Haus to the Matterhorn.....

[leftcoaster]

I find it odd how I can be in one of the parks, MK for instance, off work in plain clothes with my cast I.D. hidden and Guests still come up to me somehow knowing I work there asking me questions. I was walking to catch up to a friend one time and heard a lady asking me if I worked here, I was already so far past her I just looked back and kept walking. Most of the others I'll help just because I have nothing else to do at the moment. One day I'm going to ask them how they know I work there. Must be my "Disney Look". I really don't know...

Maybe it's your "Disney aura" that you acquire when you start working for the mouse. :eek:

[LittleDollClaudia]

I had that happen to me when I went to D-land on my birthday. I had not one but three different guests ask me where certain attractions were. I was sitting in the smoking area by the Columbia at the time. I keep telling Cujo and Polar that Disney brands it on your forehead in special ink that only guests can see. It doesn't wash off. Believe me I've tried.

[ExR2P2]

Buzz Lightyear used to frequent our restaurant. He would come and hang out by the breadsticks, trying to "upsell" for us. He'd lean on the counter and wait for people to walk up to him. Then he would point at the breadsticks, and a lot of people would pick them up, thinking they were supposed to take them. (A lot ended up being returned, which we had to throw away.)

A couple of times he would bring Woody with him. Woody would stand behind where we stock the trays and grab a stack. He would sit there perfectly still and people would grab trays from him like he was just decor. When a small kid would seem hesitant about taking a tray, he would slowly bend over and offer him one. Smaller children would really freak out. We thought it was funny as hell, but I think Woody was told not to come back. He made the kids cry.

[Sweetums]

Sorry folks, I haven't been on the board in a looooooooooooong time. But I'm back, and hopefully I'll post a little more often. Anyways, to get us back on topic, I have one of my own "are you real" stories to share. It's bad when a guest asks you that, but when a stage manager asks,... it's just shameful.
So I'm sitting backstage at Beauty & the Beast wearing just the pants & feet. The main portion of Beast (the head & torso with cape attatched) is on it's T-bar stand. I'm sitting and gabbing with the rest of the cast as we get ready for show when the stage manager comes over. Now granted, she's new, but she walked right past me and proceded to go to the Beast Head and say to the face "Excuse me, Beast, would you mind doing a meet & greet for a wish-child after the show?" All of us characters sitting on the ground were in shock! we didn't know whether to laugh out loud, or try to point out her mistake politely. All the while we're watching her continue on saying "Hello? Beast? Are you okay?" At which point I said, "Um, hello...I'm right here behind you." The look on her face was priceless! Now I know most people would say you never see black people blush, but I swear we saw it happen that day.
:eek:

[Ottar]

Guests still come up to me somehow knowing I work there asking me questions.
Heh - I can relate to that - when I was last in the parks here in Europe as a guest several CMs came up to me asking questions too!!! :twisted: :p:
I Think it has something to do with your tone of voice and your general way of behaving - most people don't sound and look very confident when they are not "at home" with the surroundings...

[Buggy]

I've never been a CM, but I get questions from other guests too. If you look like you know what you're doing, you'll get questions.

I have also gotten an "are your real" moment, sort of. My girlfriend and I were going to dine at Victoria and Alberts and decided to dress in Victorian costuming, since we both have a nice collection.

As we waited in the lobby of the hotel for a cab, a young girl passed by with her father. She pointed at us and asked, "who are they, daddy, who are they?" It was cute.

[RebuildtheKingdom]

Heh - I can relate to that - when I was last in the parks here in Europe as a guest several CMs came up to me asking questions too!!! :twisted: :p:
I Think it has something to do with your tone of voice and your general way of behaving - most people don't sound and look very confident when they are not "at home" with the surroundings...

You know, you may have just figured out the mystery of how guests can recognize an off-duty CM. They don't look lost or confused. :D:

[BRWombat]

I'd never thought if it this way, but this could be the key. I don't think I look like a CM any more than anyone else in my family, and we all are wearing the red name badges. But I do feel at home and know what's going on when at in the parks, more so than the rest of my family. This could explain why I get most of the questions.

A Jungle Cruise skipper 21-gun salute to Ottar and Buggy for explaining this!