I think most may know this, but you can ride in front of the Monorail if there is no one there. We had a family get off the rail as we were boarding at the Polynesian and they told us to go up front. We asked the attendants and they said sure. It was very cool as you are right with the driver and have a great view. the driver then gave my kids cards, I think they were monorail co-pilot cards, cool thing to do at least once!
To the CM's on the board: what is the one "tip" you can give us?
- Thread starter cab0ad
- Start date
DiliDaliDisneyFan
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2006
First, I LOVE this thread! Such wonderful tips! I'm HUGE on giving my thanks to everyone! And having a DH that works in food service as a career, we have seen these types of assumptions being made often. Let's just say, he'll still beat CEO's on the golf course.
Onto the topic at hand, this my favorite tip. Take a photo with some CM's and have them autograph your autograph book, too. I did this last time when I found myself with a page "left over" and we were ready to head out of the park. They seemed surprised but happy to comply. I must say, it's one of my favorite photos in our autograph book.
http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/Dalifriend/September%202008/FANTASTIC%20FLORIDA%20VACATION%202008/?action=view¤t=STA70537.jpg&newest=1
letthewookiewin
<font color=blue>"That's 'cause droids don't pull
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2006
I just love this thread!! It just keeps getting better and better. My DH thought it was so funny this morning that I was going over it again making notes on a Word document that I can print out with all the other info I'm taking on our (finger crossed) trip we are hopefully going to take next May. I just had to remind him that he's the one that spend hours and hours a week looking at World of Warcraft websites and a hunter spreadsheet making sure his dps is the best is can be.
OT - Nazran..I love the siggy. I never thought of combinning my WoW obsession in my siggy here. I would come and find you in game, but since you are an undead rogue and you guys love to eat us little gnome warriors, I'll just say "hi" here.
OT - Nazran..I love the siggy. I never thought of combinning my WoW obsession in my siggy here. I would come and find you in game, but since you are an undead rogue and you guys love to eat us little gnome warriors, I'll just say "hi" here.
OT - Nazran..I love the siggy. I never thought of combinning my WoW obsession in my siggy here. I would come and find you in game, but since you are an undead rogue and you guys love to eat us little gnome warriors, I'll just say "hi" here.
Lately my Dis planning/obsession has been conflicting with my WoW obsession. It's so hard to play and keep up with the boards at the same time. I took a month break from the game when I was first planning my trip. Now that everything is about set I'm back into the game.
Tenuviel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2009
ooooohhhhhh fellow WoW/Disney junkies!!!
Good to know I have kindred spirits! Draenei shaman/gnome death knight here....something about a little cute gnome be a death knight and/or warrior kills me!
letthewookiewin
<font color=blue>"That's 'cause droids don't pull
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2006
ooooohhhhhh fellow WoW/Disney junkies!!!
Good to know I have kindred spirits! Draenei shaman/gnome death knight here....something about a little cute gnome be a death knight and/or warrior kills me!
We should start a thread over on the community board for all of us that are WoW & Disney obsessed. Lets face it like people that I play WoW with don't speak DIS, most people on here don't speak WoW.
I'll say something in g-chat as simple as WDW and their like "ummm Hunnybunny we don't speak Disney can you put that in English please."
abarry90
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2009
We are not early risers and being on west coast time, we NEVER attempt rope drop. We get up around 8 or 9 (or sometimes later!) and while one of us gets DS dressed and ready the other goes and gets danishes and fills the refillable mugs. We eat/drink while waiting for the bus (occassionally having to stow our breakfast if we are lucky to time it just right!) and get to the park when we get there. Usually by that time the am bus rush is over which is a bonus.
When we get to the park we go get a fast pass then do the shows and short line rides. Sometimes we go swimming or take a nap before dinner. Then after dinner hit more short lines before the evening show (spectro, fantasmic, etc). After the evening show/fireworks the parks tend to really empty and the lines are pretty much non-existent. Especially the kid oriented rides (Fantasyland) but most others as well. Since we sleep in, we usually hang out until 11 pm or so (even with a little one) and get in a ton of rides. By the time we leave, the bus waits are usually pretty short too!
I was a college progam Disneyland custodial CM back in 1992. My best custodial CM advice (other than that yes! it sucks to be the invisible one stocking the restrooms for 8 hours straight!) is that often times the restaurant restrooms are less busy than the ones out in the open closer to rides. Our rule is that everyone uses the restroom before leaving the restaurant.
Another tip for those with pre-k kids who are not stroller bound but still get worn out with too much walking is to use the stroller when crossing from area to area, then "park" the stroller until you are ready to move on. Don't try to take it with you from ride to ride, especially during crowded times. For example if you are riding several rides in Fantasy land, find a place to stow the stroller for a few hours, preferably somewhere central and easy to return to but don't use it again until you are ready to head over to Adventureland. But at the end of the night, or when walking across Epcot, that stroller is SOOOOO worth having hauled on the bus!
Also, our son has an id bracelet that has his name, address and our cell phone numbers on it. He has worn it since he could walk and knows that if he is lost to show it to someone and tell them to call us. The info is on the backside so you have to flip it up and look close to read it. We all had these when I was a kid - hardly ever see them anymore though.
When we get to the park we go get a fast pass then do the shows and short line rides. Sometimes we go swimming or take a nap before dinner. Then after dinner hit more short lines before the evening show (spectro, fantasmic, etc). After the evening show/fireworks the parks tend to really empty and the lines are pretty much non-existent. Especially the kid oriented rides (Fantasyland) but most others as well. Since we sleep in, we usually hang out until 11 pm or so (even with a little one) and get in a ton of rides. By the time we leave, the bus waits are usually pretty short too!
I was a college progam Disneyland custodial CM back in 1992. My best custodial CM advice (other than that yes! it sucks to be the invisible one stocking the restrooms for 8 hours straight!) is that often times the restaurant restrooms are less busy than the ones out in the open closer to rides. Our rule is that everyone uses the restroom before leaving the restaurant.
Another tip for those with pre-k kids who are not stroller bound but still get worn out with too much walking is to use the stroller when crossing from area to area, then "park" the stroller until you are ready to move on. Don't try to take it with you from ride to ride, especially during crowded times. For example if you are riding several rides in Fantasy land, find a place to stow the stroller for a few hours, preferably somewhere central and easy to return to but don't use it again until you are ready to head over to Adventureland. But at the end of the night, or when walking across Epcot, that stroller is SOOOOO worth having hauled on the bus!
Also, our son has an id bracelet that has his name, address and our cell phone numbers on it. He has worn it since he could walk and knows that if he is lost to show it to someone and tell them to call us. The info is on the backside so you have to flip it up and look close to read it. We all had these when I was a kid - hardly ever see them anymore though.
Nazran
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2007
We should start a thread over on the community board for all of us that are WoW & Disney obsessed. Lets face it like people that I play WoW with don't speak DIS, most people on here don't speak WoW.
It's a little surreal when your WoW guildmates think your DIS obsession is nerdy
I am working on noble garden right now! Shaking my money maker!EDIT - You live in Keller and I live in Euless, we both play WoW, and both love DIS.... now THAT is a coinkydinky!
mickey&minnie04
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2006
QUOTE=zulemara;31356840]I always like to focus on "how things work" at WDW. Everything we do is done on a grand scale, so here are some tid bits, which can help you understand why things don't always go according to plan. These are based on WDW transportation:
1. The buses do not simply shuttle point A to point B. A bus will pick up guests at PoP century and take them to DHS. While approaching DHS, the bus driver contacts dispatch and dispatch advises what the next destination will be. Therefore, the bus carrying pop century guests might pull into the POR slot at DHS and pick up guests there. Although it looks like everyone on that bus came from POR, they in fact came from POP Century.
Part of this system is computerized. Of course we all LOVE computers because they are never wrong and never cause a problem right? So when a computer messes up or a dispatcher doesn't have their head on straight, you end up waiting 40 minutes for a bus. It could also be that a bus has multiple stops scheduled and fills up on the first stop. Therefore another bus has to be dispatched to stop number 2, causing yet another delay.
I'll be completely honest, I HATE the buses. I have had quite a few bad experiences as a guest when using them and it's because of those experiences that I talked to a bus driver at work one day and asked about this.
2. All the boats operate on a shuttle cycle. If a boat is tied up and secured at a dock, but the gate/rope is closed, you're not getting on that boat, so don't waste energy running towards it.
3. This is a universal tip to anyone visiting WDW. Although you might think you're the center of the world, you're not. Waiting for 1 more person, can mean ticking off the other people on the boat or even worse, 120 people waiting on the dock at our destination(this can apply to rides, shows, etc). So even though you want us to wait for you, don't take it personally if we don't. Once we set in motion the "casting off" procedure, we are not going to stop it.
4. opening a gate on your own, jumping a gate, or ducking ropes are the quickest way to make sure you don't get on the next boat. I am not kidding, if I see another kid jump a closed gate thinking he will get on my boat, I will sssooo make him go to the back of the line.
I don't mean for this to be a negative post, but I want to stress that Disney transportation is MASS TRANSPORTATION! It's not quick, it will never be quick, so get over it. If you want to watch the fireworks, then don't be on the dock at 8:00 waiting for a boat and complain about it when you can't watch them. If you have a hoop de doo reservation at 9:30 don't be on the dock at 9:15 at MK and expect to get there on time and be mad when it takes longer.
There are multiple operational hazards we go through every night. That wonderful electrical water pageant effectively stops all water traffic from 9:25-9:32ish and from 10:15-10:20ish because it goes through the water bridge during that time. We can't dock when it's performing, we can't leave when it's performing, and we can't be within 150 ft of it at anytime.
When ferryboats come through the water bridge from dry dock, we have to wait. If the ferry is by the contemporary, it issues an all call to hold traffic. We then have to sit while it gets all the way through the bridge before proceeding.
When the water level is low(like it is now) we have 3 routes operating off 2 docks. That means someone is gonna be waiting for an open dock, which throws off our cycles.
These are all things we deal with on a consistent basis and I know every other aspect of WDW has the same issues to put up with. They are things that are 99% out of our control. Yet we do our best to be as efficient as possible. For me, understanding why things happen helps me calm down when I'm upset. That's the reason why, when I know a delay has been very long, as the captain I will get on the mic and offer any guest the opportunity to talk with me about the delay. Not everyone does this and in fact I might be the only one, but I strongly believe that education yields understanding.
Now, what can you do to help your expectations? Be nice to the CMs who are transporting you. I have seen this theme multiple times in this thread and it really is true.
So be nice to CMs, and be patient!!! I have had many guests be friendly to me and it really really helps my day. So to all of you who have done that, I sincerely say thank you. Sometimes it's that funny little comment about the "cows in the pen" at the ferryboat that can cheer me up and make me laugh. That's infectious and effects the rest of my day![/QUOTE]
Thank you for opening my eyes to the way DIsney transportation works. It was never something that I thought much about, but I have a new appreciation for it now and when I am there in 6 days!!!!!! I will be sure to let all of our "drivers" know how much they are appreciated!
1. The buses do not simply shuttle point A to point B. A bus will pick up guests at PoP century and take them to DHS. While approaching DHS, the bus driver contacts dispatch and dispatch advises what the next destination will be. Therefore, the bus carrying pop century guests might pull into the POR slot at DHS and pick up guests there. Although it looks like everyone on that bus came from POR, they in fact came from POP Century.
Part of this system is computerized. Of course we all LOVE computers because they are never wrong and never cause a problem right? So when a computer messes up or a dispatcher doesn't have their head on straight, you end up waiting 40 minutes for a bus. It could also be that a bus has multiple stops scheduled and fills up on the first stop. Therefore another bus has to be dispatched to stop number 2, causing yet another delay.
I'll be completely honest, I HATE the buses. I have had quite a few bad experiences as a guest when using them and it's because of those experiences that I talked to a bus driver at work one day and asked about this.
2. All the boats operate on a shuttle cycle. If a boat is tied up and secured at a dock, but the gate/rope is closed, you're not getting on that boat, so don't waste energy running towards it.
3. This is a universal tip to anyone visiting WDW. Although you might think you're the center of the world, you're not. Waiting for 1 more person, can mean ticking off the other people on the boat or even worse, 120 people waiting on the dock at our destination(this can apply to rides, shows, etc). So even though you want us to wait for you, don't take it personally if we don't. Once we set in motion the "casting off" procedure, we are not going to stop it.
4. opening a gate on your own, jumping a gate, or ducking ropes are the quickest way to make sure you don't get on the next boat. I am not kidding, if I see another kid jump a closed gate thinking he will get on my boat, I will sssooo make him go to the back of the line.
I don't mean for this to be a negative post, but I want to stress that Disney transportation is MASS TRANSPORTATION! It's not quick, it will never be quick, so get over it. If you want to watch the fireworks, then don't be on the dock at 8:00 waiting for a boat and complain about it when you can't watch them. If you have a hoop de doo reservation at 9:30 don't be on the dock at 9:15 at MK and expect to get there on time and be mad when it takes longer.
There are multiple operational hazards we go through every night. That wonderful electrical water pageant effectively stops all water traffic from 9:25-9:32ish and from 10:15-10:20ish because it goes through the water bridge during that time. We can't dock when it's performing, we can't leave when it's performing, and we can't be within 150 ft of it at anytime.
When ferryboats come through the water bridge from dry dock, we have to wait. If the ferry is by the contemporary, it issues an all call to hold traffic. We then have to sit while it gets all the way through the bridge before proceeding.
When the water level is low(like it is now) we have 3 routes operating off 2 docks. That means someone is gonna be waiting for an open dock, which throws off our cycles.
These are all things we deal with on a consistent basis and I know every other aspect of WDW has the same issues to put up with. They are things that are 99% out of our control. Yet we do our best to be as efficient as possible. For me, understanding why things happen helps me calm down when I'm upset. That's the reason why, when I know a delay has been very long, as the captain I will get on the mic and offer any guest the opportunity to talk with me about the delay. Not everyone does this and in fact I might be the only one, but I strongly believe that education yields understanding.
Now, what can you do to help your expectations? Be nice to the CMs who are transporting you. I have seen this theme multiple times in this thread and it really is true.
So be nice to CMs, and be patient!!! I have had many guests be friendly to me and it really really helps my day. So to all of you who have done that, I sincerely say thank you. Sometimes it's that funny little comment about the "cows in the pen" at the ferryboat that can cheer me up and make me laugh. That's infectious and effects the rest of my day![/QUOTE]
Thank you for opening my eyes to the way DIsney transportation works. It was never something that I thought much about, but I have a new appreciation for it now and when I am there in 6 days!!!!!! I will be sure to let all of our "drivers" know how much they are appreciated!
lisalonglash
Yes, I love Pluto!
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2007
Where did you get the ID bracelet? I was thinking about doing the bead bracelet thing, but yours sounds better!
Thanks! 
My oldest DD is 14 and it just might be tempting to do the same!!
hdietsche1
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2007
I usually have extra cs meals left and have bought lunches for others. Oh the crazy looks sometimes. But another thing that spreads a little less pixie dust is to make your last stop downtown disney. We use up our last meals to get sandwiches to go, with some nice cookies or brownies. We stash them in our bags for the airplane. It saves rumbly tummies if there are any delays.
awe060
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2009
We should start a thread over on the community board for all of us that are WoW & Disney obsessed. Lets face it like people that I play WoW with don't speak DIS, most people on here don't speak WoW.
So did anyone start a WOW thread?????? i would LOVE to be able to read and write with it
combat rogue here .
These are some of the greatest tips I have found. I love the stories about spreading the love around. We are going to WDW in two weeks. I can't hardly wait to try some of these tips. I love to thank people for doing a good job. We forget that so many times with our busy schedules. I love to see the people's faces when you let them know you appreciate what they are doing. Especially the bathroom cleaners.
I really like the tip about having the notecards and getting CM's names and turning them into Guest Services. It's so important to let people know they are doing a good job not just complaining because they can't always meet every "request", some people just can't be pleased.
I really like the tip about having the notecards and getting CM's names and turning them into Guest Services. It's so important to let people know they are doing a good job not just complaining because they can't always meet every "request", some people just can't be pleased.
were is the best place to sit if you are scard of splash mountan but yet you want to try it
Nazran
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2007
So did anyone start a WOW thread?????? i would LOVE to be able to read and write with it
combat rogue here .
Thread started.
Treat all the CM's nicely and surprise surprise, they will treat you nicely. I have had a group in front of me be total jerks to a Check-in person and not get the room/ ADR they wanted but I have gotten it right after them by just being considerate and polite, asking rather than demanding. We always pay attention to and use the CM's name and write them down if they have done some out of the ordinary to put in a good word for them.
We have had Bus Drivers drop us off directly at another hotel for Breakfast Ressies without us even asking I think by simply greeting them nicely as we have boarded the bus.
It's just that Golden Rule thing. It's really surprising how nasty some people can be on their vacation at the happiest place on Earth.
We have had Bus Drivers drop us off directly at another hotel for Breakfast Ressies without us even asking I think by simply greeting them nicely as we have boarded the bus.
It's just that Golden Rule thing. It's really surprising how nasty some people can be on their vacation at the happiest place on Earth.
oh thats a great one, thanks! I have to ask, are upgrades just really random? Like the "next person in line is going to be lucky", or "I really like this person, so I feel like upgrading them if I can". How exactly does that work? (checking into the BCV in 10 days, will I get lucky? oops, I shouldn't have asked, my bad, lol)
Do you think seens it will be the day before my b-day they will upgrade me at
pop centery
that is so awsom so just bring a empty bottle that way all you have to bring are the flavor packets if you like it that way that is much easyer to carry
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