The Vacuum Good Night

[curtisl]

Tonight we were at the perfect spot to view "The Kiss Goodnight" at the MK. We sat right in front of the Partners statue at waited for it after park closing. We saw it alright. We only heard parts of it though, because THIS STUPID GIANT RED VACUUM CLEANER WAS MAKING A TON OF NOISE RIGHT NEXT TO US!!! How romantic. Why do I even bother? Why does the MK always piss me off?

-Curtis

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

Why does the MK always piss me off?

Because they don't care!!

You can take all the e-tickets and comparisons of Universal and chicken fingers and anything else you want to throw into the mix and this very thing is by far the worst offense. It cuts to the very heart of the philosophy.

The "Kiss" IS the magic. It is the realization of pixie dust!! It's that little something extra that makes Disney - Disney! And they simply don't care enough about it to keep it special. They care more about a street sweeper's overtime. How sad!!

Hey Scoop!!! I thought you said these guys ‘Got It’!!??

I guess not!

 

[raidermatt]

Maybe the vacuum guy was lonely, having no one to share the kiss with...

 

[HB2K]

And they simply don't care enough about it to keep it special. They care more about a street sweeper's overtime. How sad!!

It doesn't even need to be an overtime sitation. Why not just schedule someone for second shift?

Because, as Baron points out, they don't care.

It sucks.

 

[Luv2Roam]

we were both surprised to see on our last visit ---
Right before a parade (Spectromagic?), we were near the grassy area in front of the castle.
By the bridge leading into Liberty Square a CM drove a golf cart up, as far as he could without having to yell at people to get out of the way.
He dropped off another CM (woman) in a skin tight metallic leotard outfit.
We wondered what the heck she was. She bounded off.
Later -- we see her again. As a dancing butterfly in the parade.
Isn't that what the utildors and back stage are for?

 

[mcnuss]

We only heard parts of it though, because THIS STUPID GIANT RED VACUUM CLEANER WAS MAKING A TON OF NOISE RIGHT NEXT TO US!!!

Presumably this vacuum cleaner was being driven by a person? In my experience, if you go up to any Disney employee and politely explain the problem, they will respond. Not sure from your post if you tried this....but one time, I had a CM get in my DD's line of sight at the parade at Epcot. I sat there for a minute and stewed, then mentioned it. The CM not only moved, but moved DD to a better position and invited her into the parade.

 

[mudhen]

I never minded the vacuums......WHEN THEY CAME
OUT AT MIDNIGHT, and you knew you had had a full
day AND evening at the Magic Kingdom.

 

[HB2K]

Originally posted by mcnuss
Presumably this vacuum cleaner was being driven by a person? In my experience, if you go up to any Disney employee and politely explain the problem, they will respond. Not sure from your post if you tried this....but one time, I had a CM get in my DD's line of sight at the parade at Epcot. I sat there for a minute and stewed, then mentioned it. The CM not only moved, but moved DD to a better position and invited her into the parade.

While I applaud the reaction, why should a guest be put in a position where they would need to complain?

Why is the onus always on the guest to point out the problem vs the CM (and management) pro-activly dealing with the problem?

 

[WebmasterCricket]

Ok, I'm the odd bug out here, but I'm going to blame the guests again.

If everyone cared enough about the parks, there wouldn't be the need for the vac's at all. If the litter was kept to a minimum, there would just be CM's with the little portable dustpans. It's possible they are trying to keep one part of the magic alive while stabbing another in the back.

Which is worse, junk all over Main Street or not hearing 100 % of the music?

 

[Safari Steve]

FYI/OT just after park closing, Mickey shows up on the South side of the train station platform to wave and say good night.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by HB2K
While I applaud the reaction, why should a guest be put in a position where they would need to complain?

Because, oddly, sometimes the people who are doing a job (vacuuming) are just human. Perhaps this one vacuuming CM was thinking about something else at that particular moment, or was running late or early or just wasn't thinking. Surely we all have moments in our jobs where we miss what's going on around us simply because we're tired or we're preoccupied or whatever.

To expect every single thing and person and experience at Disney to be absolutely perfect, so that the guest never ever has a smidgen of anything to complain about is a great goal. But it's not gonna happen no matter how much management does or doesn't "get it." And it didn't happen in Walt's day either. So, knowing that ... let's pick our battles.

If the vacuuming CM was something that happened consistently -- if people were here complaining about it over and over again (and if it WAS happening nightly, people WOULD be here complaining), then yes ... blame Disney for not heeding guest complaints and fixing the situation. Write letters. Mount protests. But if this was a one-time thing -- if it had never happened to curtisl before in his multiple trips to the Disney parks -- what is the harm of simply asking the CM to turn off the vacuum? Because the CM may honestly not realize the impact of the vacuum noise at that particular moment.

 

[raidermatt]

Some of these responses really take the cake...

So now guests are responsible for telling CMs that they shouldn't run industrial machinery when entertainment is being performed?

I don't know any other way to term that other than ridiculous.

Well, ludicrous wouldn't be bad either...

This was not a one-time occurrence. The vacuum cleaners come out every night, well before the Goodnight Kiss. I guess some nights you get lucky and they've already passed by, or haven't come back around when the Kiss happens.

But the point is, this is a policy issue, not a renegade CM with an industrial strength Hoover issue.

Which is worse, junk all over Main Street or not hearing 100 % of the music?

Neither are acceptable. How about dustpans to keep the "junk all over Main Street" under control (like during the rest of the day), then the Bradley Fighting Hoovers AFTER the guests leave?

 

[JiminyMac]

So now guests are responsible for telling CMs that they shouldn't run industrial machinery when entertainment is being performed?

I think the point is that you'll get a lot further with a polite request than just sitting around brewing about it and then posting your complaint on a message board - not that guests are "responsible" for managing the CMs. If you think that this is a pervasive, policy issue, then make your complaint to management. If you think that it can be chalked up to human error, then make a polite request to the offending CM.

Why is the onus always on the guest to point out the problem vs the CM (and management) pro-activly dealing with the problem?

Because if guests don't point out that something is a problem, then Disney will not know. They can't know what they don't know, they need us to help them understand that this is not acceptable.

I know, an argument can be made that Disney should know better than to run vacuums during the entertainment, but this is a company you're talking about. It is not perfect, and it never was, despite the nostalgia of those who believe otherwise.

Last but not least:

Why do I even bother? Why does the MK always piss me off?

Why do you bother? If they aggravate you so much, why do you keep going back? Sounds like you are a glutton for punishment!

 

[WebmasterCricket]

Originally posted by raidermatt
So now guests are responsible for telling CMs that they shouldn't run industrial machinery when entertainment is being performed?

Now I didn't say it, but I will defend the person who did. Since there seems to be a pattern developing here with "Mike's Super Vacs", someone needs to complain or it will go on without hesitation. Unsaid=unchanged in this case. Common sense seems in short supply these days in the kingdom, so someone needs to belly up to the Guest Services desk and let 'em have it.

Originally posted by raidermatt
Neither are acceptable. How about dustpans to keep the "junk all over Main Street" under control (like during the rest of the day), then the Bradley Fighting Hoovers AFTER the guests leave?

Why are these "Zambonis of the South" even needed?

Does anyone even remotely agree with me about the quality of the current guest’s attitude toward park cleanliness?

JC

 

[raidermatt]

I think the point is that you'll get a lot further with a polite request than just sitting around brewing about it and then posting your complaint on a message board - not that guests are "responsible" for managing the CMs.

Nonetheless, this is a message board, and the poster was posting a message.

If you think that this is a pervasive, policy issue, then make your complaint to management.

Maybe the OP did. I know I have, and so have other regular posters on this board. Again, this is where we discuss such things.

If you think that it can be chalked up to human error, then make a polite request to the offending CM.

Again, the CMs do not hotwire the vacuums and sneak them out of the vacuum barn every night. It IS a policy issue.

Regardless, the op said nothing about blaming the CM. The blamed the "stupid vacuum cleaner" and asked why MK was p'ing him off. Nothing aimed at a CM.

Because if guests don't point out that something is a problem, then Disney will not know. They can't know what they don't know, they need us to help them understand that this is not acceptable.

Again, many have. Still, that doesn't preclude anyone from being able to post about the problem here.

I know, an argument can be made that Disney should know better than to run vacuums during the entertainment, but this is a company you're talking about. It is not perfect, and it never was, despite the nostalgia of those who believe it otherwise.

Nobody said it ever was perfect, and yes, they should absolutely know better. Yes its a company, a company run by people who do understand the impact, but either don't care or have made the judgement that the impact is not important.

Does anyone even remotely agree with me about the quality of the current guest’s attitude toward park cleanliness?

I hear some people say guests litter more now, and others say its no worse than it ever was. (Its funny how some who say guests were cleaner in the old days accuse others of falsely believing Disney was better in the old days. It seems that subscribers to the "good 'ole days theory" like to apply it selectively...but I digress)

Either way, I don't care. If guests litter more now, then Disney needs to find a way to deal with it without penalizing guests who are trying to enjoy Disney's offerings. If that means bringing out an extra guy with a dustpan, so be it.

Do I think guests who litter need to be smacked around a bit? Sure. There's no excuse for it. I know I don't do it, and would say something to anyone in my party who I witnessed doing it.

That makes it even more frustrating when somebody tells me the reason I have a vacuum cleaner roaring through my Disney home videos is because some lout from Philly dropped his hot dog wrapper on the ground.

It can be addressed without bringing out Disney's 28th Mechanized Vacuum division.

 

[HB2K]

Beacuse if guests don't point out that it's a problem, then Disney will not know. They can't know what they don't know, they need us to help them understand that this is not acceptable.

I know, an argument can be made that Disney should know better than to run vacuums during the entertainment, but this is a company you're talking about. It is not perfect, and it never was, despite the nostalgia of those who believe it otherwise.

Disney is (arguably was) a entertainment company. If they can't figure out that the Bradley Fighting Hoovers (TM RAIDERMATT) interupt someone's paid for experince, then Disney has greater problems.

The majority of people will not complain. They will just leave and not come back. It's just a matter of Disney finding their straw.

It's not the consumer's responsibility to inform a company of it's short comings. It's the company's responsibility to see & correct them, no matter what business you're in.

Because, oddly, sometimes the people who are doing a job (vacuuming) are just human. Perhaps this one vacuuming CM was thinking about something else at that particular moment, or was running late or early or just wasn't thinking. Surely we all have moments in our jobs where we miss what's going on around us simply because we're tired or we're preoccupied or whatever.

I don't know what job you're in, but if you consistantly make the same mistake (and this is a recurring problem) you won't be employeed doing that job very long.

It's simple. The CM should not be able to TOUCH the vacuum until the park is closed and the guests are OUT.

That eliminates human error from the equasion, unless the CM can't tell time.

To expect every single thing and person and experience at Disney to be absolutely perfect, so that the guest never ever has a smidgen of anything to complain about is a great goal. But it's not gonna happen no matter how much management does or doesn't "get it." And it didn't happen in Walt's day either. So, knowing that ... let's pick our battles.

If the vacuuming CM was something that happened consistently -- if people were here complaining about it over and over again (and if it WAS happening nightly, people WOULD be here complaining), then yes ... blame Disney for not heeding guest complaints and fixing the situation. Write letters. Mount protests. But if this was a one-time thing -- if it had never happened to curtisl before in his multiple trips to the Disney parks -- what is the harm of simply asking the CM to turn off the vacuum? Because the CM may honestly not realize the impact of the vacuum noise at that particular moment.

Disney should strive to be perfect. If you don't strive for it, you can't attain it.

That said it won't happen. Human error comes into play. But by striving to be perfect, you don't have policies such as this where the Bradley Fighting Hoovers parade down Main Street USA (Did they have those in the 50's? I didn't think so either) you are NOT striving for perfection....and thus, the guest is given a decision:

A) Tell a CM about it every time you encounter it
B) Don't say anything, and eventually you give up and stop coming back.

Based on the attendance numbers we can see what option more and more guests are choosing.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by raidermatt
Some of these responses really take the cake...
This was not a one-time occurrence. The vacuum cleaners come out every night, well before the Goodnight Kiss. I guess some nights you get lucky and they've already passed by, or haven't come back around when the Kiss happens.

OK fine. But where in the original post does it state this? For those of us who aren't in the park every night to witness this, how, from the original post, do we know that it wasn't just a bad timing fluke that happened to this one person?

I know that the vacuum cleaners come out every night, but on nights I HAVE been at MK during the Kiss Goodnight, my viewing and listening have never been impacted by them. In fact, I've never seen a vacuum cleaner until I'm walking out afterwards. So ... to me, this is an isolated experience. To you, I've apparently just been lucky.

Forgive me.

 

[KNWVIKING]

.... been spending alot of time watching CNN ? War coverage ?

 

[raidermatt]

.... been spending alot of time watching CNN ? War coverage ?

How'd you guess?

OK fine. But where in the original post does it state this? For those of us who aren't in the park every night to witness this, how, from the original post, do we know that it wasn't just a bad timing fluke that happened to this one person?

Sorry if that came across as jumping on you for not knowing... I sometimes forget that not everyone has read every discussion we have had on this board.

Yes, based on past posts from other posters, they do come out every night, or at least most nights, before the "Good Night Kiss". I was there last May/June on 4 different nights and they were out in the Plaza and on Main St. each of those nights within 10-15 minutes of the fireworks ending. I actually have the noise on one of my camcorder tapes.

 

[Sandy541]

I have been to MK a hundred times. What kiss are you talking about?