Anyone else notice that Entertainment Staff join character lines?

[genki3]

This quote upset me. It seemed very elitist to me. I have no idea why you even started this thread? If you really wanted to know why not just say. Cast members who are part of the show allowed to take pictures with the characters when they are not working? You would have gotten a response pretty fast. Without unintentionally putting down the entertainment staff. I was only talking about the entertainment staff because that is who you were talking about from your original post.

This is a forum for questions about DCL and what goes on, right? I noticed something that was strange to me, I asked a question, I got many answers to my question as well as many other unnecessary jabs at my differing opinion. Even if you were only referring to entertainment staff, I interpreted it differently. I've already apologized for offending. I am also sorry that I didn't know everything about DCL and its CMs special privileges ahead of my starting this thread. Lastly I'm very sorry that I didn't title MY thread the way you prefer.

 

[gismo1554]

He did tell us that the ship gets 'old' after a while and spending time in public spaces is not as fun as it was to begin with. After your 15th Pirate night fireworks I'm guessing the shine wears off. Now imagine that for 4 years?

lol what I would say is I'm clearly sad! I worked for a year in the Rose & Crown and Illuminations never got old! Maybe I needed to work there longer.

Completely agree with others that as long as they aren't pushing in front of people or being obnoxious (which to be fair could be paying guest too) then why can't they enjoy the ship in their downtime.

 

[MaleficentRN]

I can understand if employees are on vacation and they decide they want to go on a cruise that they've paid for. Then by all means, see you in the dining rooms, in character lines. But if you're working on the ship, it just doesn't seem right that you'd participate in the same activities like eating in the main dining room as regular paying guests.

Having worked in the service industry, maybe I'm a little sensitive to the vibe you're putting off. But, as others have noted, this seems elitist.
It wasn't just your use of the word "weird", several times, to describe seeing off duty CMs out in public, doing things I think are pretty normal if you work on a cruise ship, that bothered me. But when you say it doesn't seem right that they do so. A cruise ship is it's own community for the crew onboard. If you have some time off and don't want to stay in the crew quarters, where do you go? What do you do? Is it "weird" when you see CMs at Magic Kingdom on their day off? At Blizzard Beach? What if it was the captain dining in an MDR with you? Is that "weird"? If it's not hurting anyone, why should it bother you?

 

[Ariel484]

Having worked in the service industry, maybe I'm a little sensitive to the vibe you're putting off. But, as others have noted, this seems elitist.
It wasn't just your use of the word "weird", several times, to describe seeing off duty CMs out in public, doing things I think are pretty normal if you work on a cruise ship, that bothered me. But when you say it doesn't seem right that they do so. A cruise ship is it's own community for the crew onboard. If you have some time off and don't want to stay in the crew quarters, where do you go? What do you do? Is it "weird" when you see CMs at Magic Kingdom on their day off? At Blizzard Beach? What if it was the captain dining in an MDR with you? Is that "weird"? If it's not hurting anyone, why should it bother you?

That's what I'm wondering - should we expect the CMs to just sit in their staterooms twiddling their thumbs on their time off? I know they have a CM pool but that's got to get old after awhile...

 

[kamik86]

Personally I think its kind of awesome that the CMs get to enjoy the cruise during their time off. Someone that works retail is going to shop there on their time off and doesn't have to let regular customers cut in line when the lines were long... why should someone that works on the ship?

So a kid has to wait an extra 2 min. So what? Would you say the same thing about an adult couple of solo traveler (also not kids) in line in front of you. Why are some people more deserving of meeting the character then others?

 

[Ariel484]

Personally I think its kind of awesome that the CMs get to enjoy the cruise during their time off. Someone that works retail is going to shop there on their time off and doesn't have to let regular customers cut in line when the lines were long... why should someone that works on the ship?

So a kid has to wait an extra 2 min. So what? Would you say the same thing about an adult couple of solo traveler (also not kids) in line in front of you. Why are some people more deserving of meeting the character then others?

This childless adult thanks you.

 

[kamik86]

This childless adult thanks you.

This childless adult has definitely heard comments behind her in WDW lines for similar things "Why would adults want to wait for the characters anyway... they obviously know they are in costumes (at which point I thought... and since I can hear you now so does your child!)... why should they be allowed to take places from the kids" I was there because I wanted fantasmic Mickey to sign the picture I just drew of him in the drawing class that they probably thought was also only for children.... but I was happy and they looked miserable so personally I feel like I won overall, even without having to reply.

 

[jeffbear]

This is a forum for questions about DCL and what goes on, right? I noticed something that was strange to me, I asked a question, I got many answers to my question as well as many other unnecessary jabs at my differing opinion. Even if you were only referring to entertainment staff, I interpreted it differently. I've already apologized for offending. I am also sorry that I didn't know everything about DCL and its CMs special privileges ahead of my starting this thread. Lastly I'm very sorry that I didn't title MY thread the way you prefer.

Hey, look ... you started an actual discussion, which last I checked is why these boards are here. Good on ya.

As for the original point, I think it does help to understand the roles of the various staff member on the ships and they they rank within the larger group in terms of privileges and expectations. I think it also helps to see those cast members in the entertainment staff as also being fans of the Disney product .... same as the paying guests.

Bottom line ... on the ships there's a couple of thousand guests, not the tens of thousands in the parks. If somebody has to wait an extra couple of minutes ... it's not an issue to me. But if it chaps somebody else's hide, then so be it. Personally I like that a lot of the cast members are fellow Disney nuts, as I think it adds to their connection to the guests.

 

[Ariel484]

This childless adult has definitely heard comments behind her in WDW lines for similar things "Why would adults want to wait for the characters anyway... they obviously know they are in costumes (at which point I thought... and since I can hear you now so does your child!)... why should they be allowed to take places from the kids" I was there because I wanted fantasmic Mickey to sign the picture I just drew of him in the drawing class that they probably thought was also only for children.... but I was happy and they looked miserable so personally I feel like I won overall, even without having to reply.

I've never heard comments like that in person but I read them here all the time...

 

[genki3]

I really just wanted to avoid replying to this thread anymore because many of you are misinterpreting me based on words I used. And lumping me with another poster who wrote they didn't like the CMs in the character lines. I NEVER WROTE THAT.

Having worked in the service industry, maybe I'm a little sensitive to the vibe you're putting off. But, as others have noted, this seems elitist.
It wasn't just your use of the word "weird", several times, to describe seeing off duty CMs out in public, doing things I think are pretty normal if you work on a cruise ship, that bothered me. But when you say it doesn't seem right that they do so. A cruise ship is it's own community for the crew onboard. If you have some time off and don't want to stay in the crew quarters, where do you go? What do you do? Is it "weird" when you see CMs at Magic Kingdom on their day off? At Blizzard Beach? What if it was the captain dining in an MDR with you? Is that "weird"? If it's not hurting anyone, why should it bother you?

Again and again and again, I am sorry for my inadvertent offense. I've tried to explain that I was referring to my thinking that CMs had their own dining area so them dining in the MDR to me wasn't right....OR SHALL I REPHRASE. It did not seem accurate to me that they dine in the MDR because I thought they had their own CM only dining area. And how I grew up and my age, well...damnit, we say "weird" A LOT. Usually it means "not normal". So yes I thought seeing CMs in character lines with me was not normal. I never said they weren't allowed to!

You all just need to chill out and not attack unless you really know the other person posting. I did NOT mean to offend. Stop harping on this!

 

[C6PT7]

I really just wanted to avoid replying to this thread anymore because many of you are misinterpreting me based on words I used. And lumping me with another poster who wrote they didn't like the CMs in the character lines. I NEVER WROTE THAT.

Again and again and again, I am sorry for my inadvertent offense. I've tried to explain that I was referring to my thinking that CMs had their own dining area so them dining in the MDR to me wasn't right....OR SHALL I REPHRASE. It did not seem accurate to me that they dine in the MDR because I thought they had their own CM only dining area. And how I grew up and my age, well...damnit, we say "weird" A LOT. Usually it means "not normal". So yes I thought seeing CMs in character lines with me was not normal. I never said they weren't allowed to!

You all just need to chill out and not attack unless you really know the other person posting. I did NOT mean to offend. Stop harping on this!

This is not an attack. Obviously they do have their own dining room to eat in, but i very very much doubt they are eating lobster tails, steak or the other fare that are available to the pax.
In fact a short search on youtube brings up some videos of what is on offer to the crew in there "mess" as they call it. the buffets do not look very appitizing to me, so i can appreciate it would be a great treat to them at the end of there contract to get to experience what the pax get to eat and be served on.

 

[genki3]

This is not an attack. Obviously they do have their own dining room to eat in, but i very very much doubt they are eating lobster tails, steak or the other fare that are available to the pax.
In fact a short search on youtube brings up some videos of what is on offer to the crew in there "mess" as they call it. the buffets do not look very appitizing to me, so i can appreciate it would be a great treat to them at the end of there contract to get to experience what the pax get to eat and be served on.

I agree that if I was a CM I'd love to partake in all the guest activities if I could. I just didn't know they were able to, until this thread of course.

 

[KT2038]

This is not an attack. Obviously they do have their own dining room to eat in, but i very very much doubt they are eating lobster tails, steak or the other fare that are available to the pax.
In fact a short search on youtube brings up some videos of what is on offer to the crew in there "mess" as they call it. the buffets do not look very appitizing to me, so i can appreciate it would be a great treat to them at the end of there contract to get to experience what the pax get to eat and be served on.

Haha yes we do have a Crew Mess buffet which we mostly eat in. It does get very boring and repetitive though eating similar foods every day for months. It's so much fun to get dressed up and go and eat in a restaraunt! It reminds us of home this as we have previously said is only available to certain CMs and not very often (there is a certain number of dining requests per contract per person) and we do pay for our meals with our crew accounts. Palo is again an even bigger treat (chocolate soufflé!!!!) and that is often given by managers as a reward for great work. We are never allowed to eat the food from quick service on deck unless we have been given it as a reward.

 

[squirk]

It's not just the use of "weird". Your comments, as they read, are peppered with words and phrases indicating suspicion, some ulterior motive on the part of the CMs, or some level of inappropriateness because it made no sense to you that cast members - whether they are entertainment or not - might want to enjoy the ship just like the real people they are.

I noticed CMs from the shows "pretend" that they are regular guests

Why the assumption that they are "pretending"? They are real people who might love Disney as much as the rest of us, and wanted to have a night out?

The Wishes girl even posed with one of her legs bent back cutesy-style.

??? Lots of women do that when posing for pictures. I'm not sure why this sounded an alarm in your head as evidence that she was being disingenuous on some level.

You can say they're enjoying their time off, but that just doesn't make sense to me.

Why doesn't enjoying their time off on a beautiful ship like that make any sense?

And I really don't buy that they are really out on a date! And at main dining time too, imagine that! Such coincidence! No way. Just doesn't make sense to me.

More suspicion, and sarcastic at that. Do you really think that the crew dining areas are anywhere near as nice as any of the MDRs?

But if you're working on the ship, it just doesn't seem right that you'd participate in the same activities like eating in the main dining room as regular paying guests.

This is example of where you say "right" and it sounds like you are meaning "appropriate".

And again the words "pretend" was backed with the words "or at least they seem to be."

Again, suspicion.

I've tried to explain that I was referring to my thinking that CMs had their own dining area so them dining in the MDR to me wasn't right.

They do have their own dining area. It's not anywhere near as nice as the MDRs and I don't think it would take a huge leap in imagination or logic to realize that.

So you may say that you didn't mean to denigrate the CMs or suggest that they should not walk among us, and I'll take you at your word that that's true, but your varied comments gave a lot us a different impression.

 

[C6PT7]

Haha yes we do have a Crew Mess buffet which we mostly eat in. It does get very boring and repetitive though eating similar foods every day for months. It's so much fun to get dressed up and go and eat in a restaraunt! It reminds us of home this as we have previously said is only available to certain CMs and not very often (there is a certain number of dining requests per contract per person) and we do pay for our meals with our crew accounts. Palo is again an even bigger treat (chocolate soufflé!!!!) and that is often given by managers as a reward for great work. We are never allowed to eat the food from quick service on deck unless we have been given it as a reward.

KT2038,
On the vlogs and blogs i've watched and read, the staff seem to not like the food much?
Obviously without causing your self any problems with dcl, what do you think of it? How much does it cost? i understand if you would prefer not to say!

 

[KT2038]

KT2038,
On the vlogs and blogs i've watched and read, the staff seem to not like the food much?
Obviously without causing your self any problems with dcl, what do you think of it? How much does it cost? i understand if you would prefer not to say!

Do you mean the crew mess food? In my opinion there isn't anything wrong with it. It's just a bit boring and repetitive. We have a meat dish, a chicken dish, a fish dish, veggies, salad and rice. We do do special days and have hot chips for example, or thanksgiving. It's included in our contract so we do not pay. If we eat in an MDR we do get a discount, again one of our perks.

 

[C6PT7]

Thanks for your reply @KT2038! Sounds like dcl is better than rci or carnival for crew food!

 

[KT2038]

Thanks for your reply @KT2038! Sounds like dcl is better than rci or carnival for crew food!

Haha DCL certainly look after us! For example, last year we sailed through hurricane odile. The whole crew got a day off at WDW as a thanks for the extra work we did during the hurricane.

 

[C6PT7]

Haha DCL certainly look after us! For example, last year we sailed through hurricane odile. The whole crew got a day off at WDW as a thanks for the extra work we did during the hurricane.

Rightly deserved as well! i hope you all had a great time!

 

[genki3]

It's not just the use of "weird". Your comments, as they read, are peppered with words and phrases indicating suspicion, some ulterior motive on the part of the CMs, or some level of inappropriateness because it made no sense to you that cast members - whether they are entertainment or not - might want to enjoy the ship just like the real people they are.

Why the assumption that they are "pretending"? They are real people who might love Disney as much as the rest of us, and wanted to have a night out?

??? Lots of women do that when posing for pictures. I'm not sure why this sounded an alarm in your head as evidence that she was being disingenuous on some level.

Why doesn't enjoying their time off on a beautiful ship like that make any sense?

More suspicion, and sarcastic at that. Do you really think that the crew dining areas are anywhere near as nice as any of the MDRs?

This is example of where you say "right" and it sounds like you are meaning "appropriate".

Again, suspicion.

They do have their own dining area. It's not anywhere near as nice as the MDRs and I don't think it would take a huge leap in imagination or logic to realize that.

So you may say that you didn't mean to denigrate the CMs or suggest that they should not walk among us, and I'll take you at your word that that's true, but your varied comments gave a lot us a different impression.

Are you proud of yourself for this post?? Do you enjoy pointing out EVERY WORD written by someone just to get at them?? I'm sure you've spell-checked and re-read EVERY WORD YOU'VE WRITTEN yourself and happy with everything you've posted. I wish I can be just like you.