I kid you not...one minute late...in line...turned away!

[DisneyParkLover]

I'd also like to add that the CM may not have been trying to be rude or smug. Sometimes a firm answer with a polite smile may seem smug/rude to someone who is already unhappy with the situation. I work in a job where I frequently have to tell people that I cannot give them what they want. Every single time, I apologize to that person and give a polite explanation of the reasoning behind why what they want is not possible. I have had many compliments from other staff on how polite and level headed I am even when people are getting angry at me. But nonetheless, I have had multiple complaints filed against me by people who said I was rude to them. I'm not saying that was the case here. Maybe the CM really was rude, but it does seem like people tend to project their anger about a situation onto a person who has no control over it.

 

[FigmentIsTheBest]

Late is late, with attended consequences.

Good lesson for all the young and many of the "young at heart" to learn.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Sorry but you were late. Even if its just by one minute, its still late. I understand when nature calls, you gotta go. But you have to realise that being late has consequences no matter what the reason is.

 

[yooperfan]

If she truly was not sympathetic, she wouldn't have given passes for the next show, which, by the way, meant people in the stand by line for the next show didn't get the seats you got even though you missed your fast pass. Everyone has their own way of seeing things, including how they are being treated.

 

[RustManFan]

Rules are rules

 

[larryz]

I would expect this kind of behavior from a Six Flags park.

Not WDW.

 

[Dis703]

We were turned away from Little Mermaid as well. I can't remember the return time at this point as it was last year but somehow I thought it was a 30 minute window and it was 20 or less. Something along those lines. In the end, we were 3 minutes late and turned away. At the time it came was after a major meltdown for one of my twins and DH getting crankier than the kids so quite a disappointment, but now I know for next time.

 

[goofyernmost]

I would expect this kind of behavior from a Six Flags park.

Not WDW.

One of the reasons why WDW has become a disaster area is because they don't follow their own rules often enough. And even when someone, through something that is completely their own fault doesn't get the magic that they expect, then it's WDW that is negatively impacted. In a situation like this, no one was mislead concerning the consequences. FP, of any name, has a window purposely put there. If we decide that somebody has a brother in law whose friend got in after the window means that this is how it works. That causes nothing but the massive disorganization that makes many peoples experience less then wonderful or compared to Six Flags. That is just hogwash. It is my personal feeling that Disney needs to vigorously enforce all it's rules and before long these types of disappointments will end thus relieving the stress felt by many.

 

[perditax]

I'd also like to add that the CM may not have been trying to be rude or smug. Sometimes a firm answer with a polite smile may seem smug/rude to someone who is already unhappy with the situation. I work in a job where I frequently have to tell people that I cannot give them what they want. Every single time, I apologize to that person and give a polite explanation of the reasoning behind why what they want is not possible. I have had many compliments from other staff on how polite and level headed I am even when people are getting angry at me. But nonetheless, I have had multiple complaints filed against me by people who said I was rude to them. I'm not saying that was the case here. Maybe the CM really was rude, but it does seem like people tend to project their anger about a situation onto a person who has no control over it.

Not only that but I bet it's difficult to be convincingly "empathetic" when you've been getting yelled at by people all day.

 

[ArwenMarie]

That's a tough one, I would have been annoyed too. I guess the thing is, they have to close the door on someone. Glad it didn't ruin your day!

 

[ilovemk76]

My family and I had some wonderful experiences during our recent February trip to The World, but there was one experience that we just can't shake. We had a FP+ for The Little Mermaid Show at DHS. We came out of One Mans Dream and stopped to use the restroom. We arrived at the FP+ entrance to Mermaid with about five families in front of us. They let the five families go, and when they got to us, the pulled the rope closed and said we were one minute late for our FP+ and that we could not come in. I thought they were joking at first, and I said something like "Well we almost made it" as a joke, thinking that the CM was just messing with us. She then repeated that we could use the FP+ for the next show, but we would not be able to attend this showing. I asked her if she was serious and she said that we had missed our time. I told her we were in line and that the other five families were let in, but she said we arrived to the line later than our time...one minute late...I kid you not...one minute late. The stand-by line was already closed, so my wife, daughter and I just stood there, mouths agape, not truly believing that they were not going to let us in...to the Little Mermaid show on a Thursday afternoon! Not Toy Story...Not seven Dwarfs Mine Train...THE LITTLE MERMAID SHOW! I was so stinking mad that I had to walk away because I did not want to be a poor role model for my daughter, and, by rule, I was wrong...nor did I want it to ruin a beautiful trip we were having...all in all, it WAS only the The Mermaid show. But, in all my years going to Disney, never, NEVER, was I turned away from a ride or a ADR for being a few minutes late. Heck, we were 25 minutes past our Test Track time on this last trip and the CM said "close enough" to us and let us through after a brief explanation. The CM at The Mermaid Show was smug and took pleasure in telling us we couldn't see the show. I don't know if it is FP+ or what, but, in my opinion, this was absolutely ludicrous! Am I off base here? Has this ever happened to you...ONE MINUTE...when I was IN LINE!?

Were there other people behind you in the FP+ return line?

 

[minniemous]

I agree with posters that it was probably due to the nature of the venue that the cut off time is non-negotiable. If your fast pass time window is an hour for a live show than I would guess that if you are are late in that window there is nothing they can do. I do think the CM could explain this to you and that would go a long way. Offering the next show was a a nice offer but explanation of why the one minute made such a difference would have been good. It is possible this happens a great deal and the Cm's gets to hear complaints from a lot of people and perhaps are tired at having to explain herself time and again.

Do not blame you for being upset about being late 1 minute late given they generally let you in much later on other rides due to dining running later than expected or any host of other reasons.

 

[bumbershoot]

she said we arrived to the line later than our time...one minute late

Did you arrive to the line 1 minute past the end of your FP+ window? Meaning the families in front of you would have taken a bit of time to get in, and so you were beyond 1 minute late when you got to the entrance?

said we were one minute late for our FP+

Or did you arrive at the CM 1 minute late?

Regardless, with shows, there are strict times set for when seating is absolutely finished.

When Tusker House gave the "tickets" to the Nemo show, there was a very strict timeframe to enter there. The one time we went to use them, we were too late. We were beyond that time. In that case, those ticketed people got in first, so we just jumped over to the standby line.

The stand-by line was already closed

But since apparently they do the standby line at LM Show first, that wouldn't have worked for you. Since the standby line was already stopped and you were getting to the FP line too late, it sounds like the show was starting right then. They can't have people coming in after a certain time. Very few proper shows can.

in all my years going to Disney, never, NEVER, was I turned away from a ride or a ADR for being a few minutes late

A show isn't a ride or an ADR, though.

 

[mshanson3121]

I skimmed, but... I'm pretty well with everyone else. Unfortunately, you were late. You chose to do a ride that meant you were cutting it very close for your FP, you chose to go to the bathroom... your choices made you miss the show - not the CSM. If they allowed everyone in that was "just one minute late!"... the system would be in shambles. Does anyone ever stop and think about how tired the CSMs must get of hearing that? How tired they must get of having to be made out to be the bad-guy, because people like to push it to the last minute? There HAS to be a cut-off at some point, and it has to be enforced, you were the person.

Instead of grumbling and blaming the CSM for your decisions, I instead would be grateful that she was generous enough to offer to allow you to use your FP for the next show! She didn't have to do that. She was sympathetic and tried to accomdate you, to the best of her ability. Gratitude would have been a better response.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

It's my understanding that they let FP+ people in first and THEN the stand-by line. If the stand-by line was already closed, that would mean you missed the opening of the FP+ line and likely all the seats in the theater had then been filled by stand-by, with maybe a couple left for the FP people in front of you. Just bad timing that they filled it right before you and cut it off at you.

That's what I was thinking but then I wasn't sure if the OP meant the line was full and closed or empty and closed. I thought they loaded FP+ first, and then standby. So it couldn't have been because of a full theater if the standby line was full and awaiting entry. But could have been if the standby was empty and closed.

 

[nkereina]

That's what I was thinking but then I wasn't sure if the OP meant the line was full and closed or empty and closed. I thought they loaded FP+ first, and then standby. So it couldn't have been because of a full theater if the standby line was full and awaiting entry. But could have been if the standby was empty and closed.

The standby line doesn't always empty out. Especially since they've implemented FP+ here. If the theater holds 100 and there are 100 people in standby, maybe half or less of those people will be let in since FP+ takes first priority. Last time we did LM, before FP+, we got cut off and were told to wait for the next show. There was maybe 20 of us left to wait.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

The standby line doesn't always empty out. Especially since they've implemented FP+ here. If the theater holds 100 and there are 100 people in standby, maybe half or less of those people will be let in since FP+ takes first priority. Last time we did LM, before FP+, we got cut off and were told to wait for the next show. There was maybe 20 of us left to wait.

Right, that makes sense. But I thought the FP return times were scheduled to enter ahead of standby, so I couldn't figure out how she was turned away with a fastpass that was 1 minute past the window if they hadn't started taking the standby people in yet.

 

[nkereina]

But I thought the FP return times were scheduled to enter ahead of standby, so I couldn't figure out how she was turned away with a fastpass that was 1 minute past the window if they hadn't started taking the standby people in yet.

If the show was at say 10am, usually the FP window is something like 9:30-9:50. I suspect the FP window opened up, FP people were allowed in, then stand by people were allowed in, and then OP showed up very close to 10am - after the standby people had already been let in and then cut off. Sounds like there were a couple seats left after they cut off the stand by line, which they let the FP people fill in, but not enough for OP & family.

 

[larryz]

It is my person feeling that Disney needs to vigorously enforce all its rules and before long these types of disappointments will end thus relieving the stress felt by many.

Well, that's how Six Flags does it.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

If the show was at say 10am, usually the FP window is something like 9:30-9:50. I suspect the FP window opened up, FP people were allowed in, then stand by people were allowed in, and then OP showed up very close to 10am - after the standby people had already been let in and then cut off. Sounds like there were a couple seats left after they cut off the stand by line, which they let the FP people fill in, but not enough for OP & family.

I've noticed that most people holding a fastpass for a show will arrive well before the window even opens anyway. Which sort of defeats the purpose of giving a time window if people at the end of the window don't have a good chance of getting in.