*GRR* Interpretation of the "official" rules

[MaliaMichelle]

I finally got into another VMK staff members room yesterday. She was wearing a Lion pin. I was so excited. Get up to her, ask her for the lion, she says she's out. I ask if I could have the one she was wearing and I would give her two good pins for it and she replied that she was "saving it for someone". How is that fair? Why tease everyone? Just take it off then.

Overall, it was a fun weekend hanging out with Dis and all, but the trading with the staff part was total frustration!!

 

[Maleficent2]

"SAVING IT FOR SOMEONE!" OMG please report this! That is the most I can not even find words that describe how angry that make me. What if you were a child and asking for this pin!

I amspeakless and that does not happen often(as most of you know )

 

[Pixiebell]

I'm wondering if Disney really anticipated how well VMK would take off, and didn't plan enough staff to run and look after the site.

As far as I am aware, there are approximately 10 staff for VMK at the moment (please correct me if I am wrong!), to monitor 13 hours that VMK is open. There are now roughly 2600 people online at peak times, even if all staff members are online, that makes 1 cast member for 260 guests! How on earth can they be expected to do their job properly, when they have that many people to answer questions to, make trades, catch spammers and to ensure there is no hanky panky going on?!

The simple solution to this is DISNEY NEEDS TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE!!
If there had been even just 5 or 6 cast member rooms available at the same time this weekend, maybe the event would have had a lot fewer problems as highlighted in the posts above (possibly part of the reason for such long queues to get into the rooms, is that people were just hanging round and chatting after their trade, instead of allowing someone else to come in).

 

[Maleficent2]

I think you are a little short there here is the list as put together on VMKforums and I have added it to the Guide for reference.

VMK Game Designers / Testers

Yavn
AmericaSings
Alyuel
Foe
Fusco
Lasse
Morgil
Nico
SillySyl


VMK Staff

VMK_Annie
VMK_Babs
VMK_Bingo
VMK_Blue
VMK_Dinky
VMK_Ione
VMK_KittyCat
VMK_Lion
VMK_Matt
VMK_Mocha
VMK_Phinny
VMK_Ting
VMK_Tink
VMK_Red
VMK_Runo
VMK_Snail
VMK_Zoo

 

[Pixiebell]

Thanks for that, I haven't even heard of a few of those, let alone seen them!

I would still be concerned with those staffing levels to cope with the requests and chat of over 2000 people at a time (heaven only knows how many requests and contacts they have each day!)

 

[BriarRosie]

at disneyland cast members HAVE to trade with you. i believe the only way they dont have to is if you have a disney pin that is from an unauthorized source, but most cast members dont know enough about the pins to spot one. there are some lanyard only pins, exclusive to cast members and if they are wearing it you can trade them.

the only things they can not trade are holiday pins. these are special ones like 4th of july, "i worked there" 50th aniverary pin, etc. if these are not on a lanyard and just on the cast member him/herself they do not have to trade.

i feel that since those are the official DISNEYLAND/WDW rules that VMK staff, who are pretending to be actual CMs while in the game should have to obey those rules, end of story!

You're almost right, but not quite complete in your answers. Cast members cannot trade their recognition pins, and only what they have on their lanyards, which is true. (But some locations have cast member pin books for trading, too.)

And, there are even MORE exceptions:

• Cast members won't accept a trade if they have two of the same pin you're offering already on their lanyard
• Cast members will only trade with children 12 and under if they're wearing a blue/green lanyard
• Cast members can trade off their black lanyard to adults and kids alike
• Cast members at the World of Disney (WDW) will organize a trade queue using playing cards. Go to the Villains room and find the pin trading table. If trading is in progress, you'll have to wait for playing card distribution in a few minutes. You're allowed three trades in the pin book.