Just got back! Not-too-bright CMs-City Hall, Castle Walkthrough

[jlima]

Just got back! DS8 wanted to go through the Castle Walkthrough AGAIN last night. We got to the park about 8:30 pm and I though the Castle would be closed for the fireworks but he REALLY wanted to go; and since City Hall was right there I thought I'd ask. I asked the CM at the door to City Hall if it closed for the fireworks and she said "No, it's always open!" So off we went, and the CMs at the end of Main Street directing people for the fire works said the castle was definitely closed for the fireworks. Just a waste of time that was totally unnecessary, because of a CM giving out bad information. We ended up going back to the castle at about 10:30 . . . and ran into not-so-bright CM #2.

We walked around the castle to the left, on the walkway that goes between the Tinker Bell toy shop and the castle. Since we had waited in line there earlier in the day, we went to the same place. There was NO ONE on the path and only one family in front of us as we approached where we had waited in line earlier in the day. So it looked like there wasn't a line . .. NOT! The CM working the door at the Walkthrough had allowed a HUGE crowd of people to gather at the door, without asking anyone to actually form a line. As DS8 and I walked up the sidewalk, I heard her say "Ladies and Gentleman, can I ask you to form a line along this path and stay to your right." So DOZENS of people started to walk past us and the line sort of formed right around us; and we were maybe the 3rd group of people in the Walkthrough when it re-opened after the fireworks. There aren't any stanchions there, or anything that looks like an area to form a line; why didn't she do any guest control earlier?

Other than that, good trip!

 

[bumbershoot]

Yeah, it's a weird area. When we went, we were lucky because it was really obvious who was there for it...there was us, and in front of us was a group of about 15 female Taiwanese Buddhist monks wearing comfy brown robes. Hard to get in between them and not be obvious.

 

[Disney Dreams]

J...I asked the CM at the door to City Hall if it closed for the fireworks and she said "No, it's always open!" ...

Maybe she meant City Hall??? The castle (and part of Fantasyland and ALL of ToonTown) is not accessible to guests every night that has fireworks.

...why didn't she do any guest control earlier

Well....
- She might not have been the CM there earlier.
- They may have been short-staffed for a time period.
- The crowd may have been a few big parties that all showed up at once.
- They may have just re-opened post-fireworks and all of the people entered at once.

There are lots of possible ways that scenario could have occurred. What I hear from your story, though, is that she took control of the situation and created and orderly line.

- Dreams

 

[LucyDingo]

This is probably a dumb question...

Is the "castle walkthrough" something special? Or are you just talking about the walkway that goes through the castle?

 

[Sherry E]

This is probably a dumb question...

Is the "castle walkthrough" something special? Or are you just talking about the walkway that goes through the castle?

It is the recently re-opened Sleeping Beauty animated story. It was closed for a looooong time. You walk up some steps, as I recall from the old version that closed years ago, then you walk through the Castle and see different animated-animatronic scenes from the Sleeping Beauty story, with different effects and sounds. And in between each 'scene,' there are big storybook pages that you read to let you know where you are in the story. It was cool. I haven't seen it in so long I barely remember it, but look forward to seeing it again this weekend.

 

[pixiewings71]

This is probably a dumb question...

Is the "castle walkthrough" something special? Or are you just talking about the walkway that goes through the castle?

The castle walk through is where you walk through Aurora's Castle and you can view scenes from the movie. This has been closed for quite a while and they reopened it not too long ago. It's really neat, you literally walk through the castle.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is probably a dumb question...

Is the "castle walkthrough" something special? Or are you just talking about the walkway that goes through the castle?

It's the Sleeping Beauty themed "go up stairs and all around then downstairs" thing that used to be there and then was closed and now is opened again thing.

 

[pixiewings71]

Molly, Sherry, it looks like we all answered at the same time. LOL

 

[Sherry E]

Molly, Sherry, it looks like we all answered at the same time. LOL

Yep! We are all quick on the trigger - at least we know we all have the same accounting/memory of what the walk through is! Actually, I don't recall - what year did the walk through close down? I was trying to remember when I last 'walked through' the walk through! I know I used to go through it a lot during the '80s.

 

[LucyDingo]

Sounds interesting. I've never seen that. I haven't been to Disneyland since November 2007. And I never went to Disneyland before 2004. I don't recall ever seeing it there between those dates. So hopefully I'll get a chance to see it next month.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yep! We are all quick on the trigger - at least we know we all have the same accounting/memory of what the walk through is! Actually, I don't recall - what year did the walk through close down? I was trying to remember when I last 'walked through' the walk through! I know I used to go through it a lot during the '80s.

Yes, we are. I don't remember, all I know is I've only seen it once before.

Sounds interesting. I've never seen that. I haven't been to Disneyland since November 2007. And I never went to Disneyland before 2004. I don't recall ever seeing it there between those dates. So hopefully I'll get a chance to see it next month.

You know, I think it was closed down after the 911 attacks. So well before 2004. I hope you can walk thru too, it's really quite neat. And I know they've changed it so I'm very excited to walk thru it myself next month.

 

[jlima]

Maybe she meant City Hall??? The castle (and part of Fantasyland and ALL of ToonTown) is not accessible to guests every night that has fireworks.

That's what I thought, but DS8 insisted I ask . . . and what I asked was, "Is the Castle Walkthrough open during fireworks?" and the response I got was, "Yes, it's open all the time."

Well....
- She might not have been the CM there earlier.
- They may have been short-staffed for a time period.
- The crowd may have been a few big parties that all showed up at once.
- They may have just re-opened post-fireworks and all of the people entered at once.

There are lots of possible ways that scenario could have occurred. What I hear from your story, though, is that she took control of the situation and created and orderly line.

- Dreams

It was obvious that it was re-opening after the fireworks, but the big crown of people was just being re-shaped into a line, and at least one little girl that passed us ask her dad, Why are those people in front of us? and the Dad said, Because they cut the line. WHAT?!? I was where I was supposed to be! I waited there for 20 minutes earlier in the day! Yes, the CM solved the problem, but it was a definitely a situation where the CM was being reactive instead of proactive.

 

[jlima]

Yes, we are. I don't remember, all I know is I've only seen it once before.



You know, I think it was closed down after the 911 attacks. So well before 2004. I hope you can walk thru too, it's really quite neat. And I know they've changed it so I'm very excited to walk thru it myself next month.

We asked the CM the first time we went in; he said it closed on Sept 11, 2001.