How do you feel about trash hauled through DL and other theming no-nos?

[Disney Babe]

Just wondering if anyone is as picky as I am about DL. What do you think when you see trash cans being hauled/pushed through streets, CM's in costume in the wrong land, and chefs in full uniform walking from one place to another? Of course, where the chefs are concerned I tried to make believe they were part of a character crew from Ratatoille - even though they had no personality about them.

Would it do any good to write to DLR management and voice my displeasure?

[Clotho]

I don't think anything of it at all. There is too much other wonderful stuff distracting me!

[NotaGeek]

Just wondering if anyone is as picky as I am about DL. What do you think when you see trash cans being hauled/pushed through streets (I don't think there's anyway else to get the trash backstage!), CM's in costume in the wrong land, and chefs in full uniform walking from one place to another? Of course, where the chefs are concerned I tried to make believe they were part of a character crew from Ratatoille - even though they had no personality about them.

Would it do any good to write to DLR management and voice my displeasure?

Hmmm. I think I would rather see trash being hauled out in bins through the park then having trash pile up and strewn around the Park. I think that part of modern Disney means that during times CMs have to help out in other lands (crowd control in the evening for instance). Considering that the biggest complaint is the cost of Park entry, maximizing the work force in the Park by cross-usage of employees is a classic business model for keeping costs down and seems to make sense.

I think that writing in to voice your opinion is your right. But, I am fairly certain it won't matter as Disney is trying to do as good a job as possible with paying as little as they can to the much deserving CMs.

I get more annoyed when I see CMs walking through the park with to-go lunches on their breaks than I do with any small work related efforts they are required to perform.

[Disney Babe]

Yeah, I meant the non work related CM's in costume in other lands.

What happened to using the underground passage ways? Are they too congested now? Just curious to know why the change in the past 2 or 3 years.

Is there more trash now than ever before or are there less accessible back stage areas? Maybe it's not trash bins I'm seeing, but some sort of large containers? I just can't see why they can't find a backstage entrance without hauling large bins all over. Perhaps the design of the park has changed so much that backstage entrances (called "backstage" for a reason) got covered up?

I know that it is a classic example of business to pull your employees from one area to work in another, but Walt Disney broke that mold with the innovation of the idea of his theme park as being a "stage" and employees are "castmembers". He seemed to have a more detailed oriented point of view. I just sometimes see things that I think he would definitely not be happy with.

[Disney Babe]

I just want to add, without going back to edit my last post, that $63 for one day is way to much to spend not to have the same attention to "staging" detail that Walt inspired. If the attention to detail was there at $20, $25, $35, $40, why not now? If the company wants to be cost effective maybe they should cut back in other ways. I don't think the Disney company is hurting. I'm really not a Disney cynic, but I think they are making quite enough money to hire as many "castmembers" as they need.

[Melanie]

What happened to using the underground passage ways? Are they too congested now? Just curious to know why the change in the past 2 or 3 years.

Are there underground passageways (utilidors) at Disneyland? I know there are backstage areas, but thought the utilidors were only at WDW.

[kaerbear178]

Are there underground passageways (utilidors) at Disneyland? I know there are backstage areas, but thought the utilidors were only at WDW.

I don't think it's possible to have utilidors in California.

Hmmm. I think I would rather see trash being hauled out in bins through the park then having trash pile up and strewn around the Park. I think that part of modern Disney means that during times CMs have to help out in other lands (crowd control in the evening for instance). Considering that the biggest complaint is the cost of Park entry, maximizing the work force in the Park by cross-usage of employees is a classic business model for keeping costs down and seems to make sense.
I get more annoyed when I see CMs walking through the park with to-go lunches on their breaks than I do with any small work related efforts they are required to perform.

Ditto, I was pretty much going to say the exact same thing before I read this post.

[Clotho]

No, there are no Utilidors in Disneyland. That is a Disney World unique thing. Perhaps that is the confusion Disney Babe? Trash always has to be moved around somewhat in front of the guests to get to the backstage doors where it can be moved out of sight.

[teamblackwell]

Hi all,
For me, part of the charm of DL is the close interaction guests have CM's. A charm that WDW does not have(so much). I really don't care what costume their wearing or what their carrying or toting around.

[NYdaily]

I know what you mean Disney Babe -- I'm used to the Utilidors of WDW which means CMs can "magically" appear and disappear wherever they want -- and seeing Tomorrowland CMs in Frontierland is wierd and I don't like it.

But even in WDW you'll see CMs pumping gas in costume and things like that -- I think that is just the way the biz is run now. I think it is better for the employees of Disney -- who usually get the short end of the stick -- so in a sense it makes for happier CMs -- which makes for happier guests (in theory).

[Chescat]

I think that was a lessons learned when they built WDW. When Walt built DLR the option of underground wasn't even though of and would be too costly to do now. Also living in earthquake country, there is a tendency not to do something like that. Wouldn't want to see Sleeping Beauty's Castle sink after one of our many quakes.

[tinkwest]

Those CMs emptying and picking up trash throughout the DLR are some of the friendliest and most informative CMs I have met. They don't mind stopping to say "Happy Birthday" if you are wearing a birthday sticker/pin or to help you with directions to an attraction or to suggest where you can find a good meal. And if you need a park map they will usually have one available for you. It makes me feel good every time I see them swoop down to pick up a piece of paper dropped on the ground or empty a trash can before it gets to overflowing. They are a big part of what makes DLR a clean and inviting place to visit.

[2Epcot]

Anytime you have a chance to do something again, it usually gets improved, and that is what happened between Disneyland and WDW. The utilidors at WDW were designed so not only trash, but store merchandise and cast members could be all moved backstage, and not on stage. The little bit that is undergound at Disneyland, is no comparsion to what was created for WDW.

[Disney Babe]

Thanks for your answers. I guess I didn't realize that DL has no underground passages. Maybe my misunderstanding came from growing when DL came into existance, and then WDW was being built. There were probably quite a few rumors going around. I probably heard as a kid that Disney built underground passages in DL as well. And I never questioned it. (Especially because of the way Tomorrowland Stage went beneath the ground.) Anyway, I'm glad I asked this question because now I know.

I do wish that things were a little different. For instance, I saw two chefs walking from place to place and, as long as they were "on stage" I think they should look up and at least look like they belong instead of like they were just passing through. Maybe give a little nod as they pass close to someone. It just seems odd to see someone you know must work there yet they act as if they aren't really "there".

I have done community theater in the past and I can't imagine someone coming onto a stage in the middle of the performance without acting as if they are "on". The example that tinkwest gave is how I think CMs should behave.

But, still what I don't really like is the huge containers being pushed across streets. I'm not talking about people changing trash cans. I just don't like things that look almost as big as the trash bins behind apartment buildings being pushed through guests. And at park closing they are sometimes brought out into Main Street and the trash is emptied from the trash cans into the bins. You would think the grounds crew could do that after hours. However, I try to tell myself I am in the Main Street of Walt Disney's home town and it is early in the morning when that sort of thing would be happening in a real town.

[SignguyTom]

A couple of years ago I was in Tomorrowland and overheard a group of teenagers giving some of the trash guys a hard time. They were saying stuff like, "Wow...glad I don't have your job..." and "Is this the best job you could get...?" They were being mean and condescending, but the CMs just ignored them.

Well, I thought that was completely uncalled for and rude. About the time I was shaking my head wondering if their parents really never actually taught them manners, these guys broke out the drumsticks and began their "STOMP"-like percussion routine. At the end of their performance (AWESOME, btw) one of them said loudly "Wow! We LOVE our job!" Though they seemingly said it to nobody in particular, I know it was directed at that group of kids - you know, the ones with BOTH feet in their mouths! Poetic justice at its best!

[ChipDale]

I do wish that things were a little different. For instance, I saw two chefs walking from place to place and, as long as they were "on stage" I think they should look up and at least look like they belong instead of like they were just passing through. Maybe give a little nod as they pass close to someone. It just seems odd to see someone you know must work there yet they act as if they aren't really "there".

CMs are human, not robots. They aren't always going to act the way that everyone wants them to. Give them a break.

I don't think anything of it at all. There is too much other wonderful stuff distracting me!

Well said!

[B_W_Mickey]

CMs are human, not robots. They aren't always going to act the way that everyone wants them to. Give them a break.

Here Here!!

[Disney Babe]

I wasn't thinking of CMs as robots, but as performers. Isn't that the idea behind the name "castmember"?

Signguy Tom, your story is really cool!

[teamblackwell]

Hi,
Disney Babe, your an AP holder right?

[Disney Babe]

Hi,
Disney Babe, your an AP holder right?

Oh, how I wish!