After me and the other two in my group were finished with the ride through of both Pirates and Jungle Cruise, the next stop was costuming, where all Magic Kingdom cast members receive their 'costumes' (aka uniformed outfits that are specially made for our individual role.)
If you too have been to the park, you might've walked along the main pathways going from land to land and seen many cast members wearing a white shirt, black tie, and blue vest with gold buttons walking around or standing by a collection of strollers. That costume lets you know that they are there to help you answer certain questions and hopefully make your day much easier.
The questions you will most often encounter as a cast member will be the following:
(#1. Where are the bathrooms?)
#2. What time is the 3 o'clock parade?
#3. Where can we go to see Mickey Mouse?
#4. What time does the park close?
#5. Where is my stroller?
#6. Is this ride scary?
#7. ¿Hablas Español?
#8. What is this ride?
#9. Where is the exit?
#10. Where's the handicap entrance?
#11. Can wheel chairs go in?
#12. How fast does this ride go?
#13. How long is the line?
#14. How do I get to Main Street?
etc. etc.
The list of questions could go on and on, but there's simply not enough time to go through more than these. Luckily I've answered them enough to know where everything is. They aren't in any particular order, but "Where's the bathroom?" always tops at number one because it is the most asked question of all.
Here is the reasoning behind most of the obvious questions. But the reason for asking may be different than what you may think. Don't lose your temper if you have to repeat yourself three times in a row. We've all been there and feel your pain.
#1. Bathrooms are clearly marked but blended in to the surroundings because we don't want to boldly advertise where people do their business. Restrooms can be found in some of the obscure corners of the park, hidden from the main walkways. Simply point out the nearest one to your guest. Ask a fellow cast member where it is before hand, or map it out when you're not working.
#2. Yes, of course the three o'clock parade begins at 3 o'clock. But I've found out that instead of pointing out the obvious and making them feel stupid, you should politely deliver this appropriate response: "The parade begins on Main Street at 3 o'clock. Then it reaches Liberty Square at 3:15 or so and ends at Frontierland around 3:30." It lets them know where they will be when the parade has already started so they can catch the beginning without maneuvering through large crowds.
#3. Mickey Mouse had a special meet and greet in Toon Town, but since the new renovation to Fantasyland is underway, I unfortunately don't know. But ask your coordinator/manager. They are kept up to date with these common knowledge questions daily and will usually keep you updated as well.
#4. The park closing schedule varies from day to day. Summer park hours are pretty long and once fall/winter rolls around, Weekends can be pretty long too. Review the white board located in almost every break room to see the park hours, estimated number of guests, parade times, etc. But the one thing Disney has ingeniously provided for cast members is a small booklet that can provide you with every bit of info you need. It's called a "Tell-A-Cast" and can be found in almost any break room or in the tunnels. (we will discuss tunnels later.)
#5. You should know...It's your job to know where everything is, right? You're a Disney cast member!!!! That's what the guests are thinking in their heads, but actually they need to do a little searching. Even when standing directly next to the strollers they will wonder if it is the right place to park them. At Pirates, sometimes we had to move stroller parking from outside to inside because of the rain. Naturally this will confuse the average guest. "I parked outside and now it's gone?!?!" But if he/she stopped shouting and looked past me standing at the building's entrance he would see that the mass collection of strollers is right behind me parked to the far left and right. But people don't always put strollers where they should go (of course). They will be found in many places, which gives you the authority to move them into the proper parking area. If the guest makes a fuss, please contact your coordinator.
#6. "No the ride is not scary, it's fun! Disney wouldn't have approved if the rides were not meant for children." But Disney would prefer you stick with the following response to this question....Example: "This ride contains darkness, drops, loud noises, and disturbing images." But please elaborate with the guest. When they ask, they don't want mystery. They want to know if something wont make their bad ticker flat line. ^^^---^^---^^------------------------- Pirates of the Caribbean has a drop, but it's barely as tall as it is from the floor to the ceiling of the queue area. It's very brief, and the rest of the way is very slow with gentle turns to the left and right. If someone is still not convinced, it's better to say that this ride probably isn't for them and ask that they wait for the rest of their group to exit. The last thing you want is a paranoid guest causing a scene, putting a halt to ride operation due to panic and injury. Little Children especially, if they refuse direct the parents to the exit from the loading area.
#7. Speaking a second language is a HUGE plus. Disney is host to tens of thousands of people per park per day and has been labeled the world's number one destination on several occasions. I've encountered more Spanish speaking people than others, but French and German are also among the top five. Italian, Portuguese, and sign language are also helpful languages. If you can fluently speak any of these languages, please make it known during your interview. It may help your chances getting in.
#8. Be blunt, not harsh. Guests are allergic to reading signs. Even standing at The Haunted Mansion with the eerie music, sounds of crashing thunder, the gravestones and eerie lights in the windows? They wonder what ride it is. I'll give most people credit, their universe doesn't revolve around all things Disney like mine does. But how can someone avoid seeing the giant black sail out front that reads "Pirates of the Caribbean"?!?!
#9. Ask if they're looking for the ride or park exit.
#10. For most rides, it is in line with everyone else. But you will be informed on all emergency exits, procedures of assisting G.W.D's (guests with disabilities), and evacuation procedures. It is imperative that those with a mental disability be directed to the proper entrance. Those who have mental disabilities often have difficulty in large crowds, enclosed spaces, load noises, or extreme changes in their overall environment. If someone brings you an orange "Guest Assistance Card" read it carefully. You then need to ask the above questions to be sure they can't simply enter through the standard queue to avoid causing a back up. Sometimes it's easier (aka more efficient) for people to follow the crowd, but it's not all that important. If they seem nice. Go ahead and make their wishes come true.
#11. Most rides are wheel chair accessible. If there was a ramp going up to the loading area, it should be okay to send wheelchairs through. Just have them make sure they can transfer from the chair to their car/boat/whatever with or without assistance. If they say without assistance, that is terrific. If they say that they'd better have some help, tell them that only family members may assist them. And if not, they must give you permission without encouragement. If they simply cannot transfer, they cannot ride. Most rides aren't able to carry passengers and their chairs for safety reasons. The park spent hundreds of thousands just testing the ride over and over to ensure that every scenario is taken into account.
#12. They are not designed to kill you with excessive speed. But sometimes speed is the guests one and only fear. Please inform them if the ride is even mildly fast so that there are no surprises. Guests can be very short fused with a cast member if they feel they've been lied to. Give them no reason and no excuse, so that when a manager is called to address a potential issue the guest will feel stupid and you will be clear.
#13. There is a magical clock that keeps the guest informed of how long the estimated wait time is. Our most popular rides on the busiest day can have nearly a 2 hour wait time. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad seems to be the top contender. Pirates has the bragging rights to achieving over 1,000,000 guests through the ride in just one month, the highest ever for any MK attraction. Oh wait, but there's another side to this question. The guest really wants to know how looooong the line is. It makes more sense considering the guest in walking on crutches. Plenty of people are going through the line on scooters, with canes, or with obvious minimal use of their legs. Someone with bruised ankles doesn't want to round the corner and find another 100 feet or so of line left to go through before reaching the entrance. Give them your honest guesstimate and maybe check up on them later to see if it's moving well enough along for them.
#14. Its plain enough to follow the maps direction. Everything is closer than it seems in the Magic Kingdom. But guests will often comprehend the usage of landmarks. That's what the benefit of Spaceship Earth is to Epcot or The Tree of Life is to Disney's Animal Kingdom. Therefore, Cinderella Castle is the the ultimate landmark for a guest who has lost his/her way. Tell the guests to find Cinderella Castle in order to find Main Street because the two face each other at the hub.
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