Tally of Operations Designed or Changed Possibly Due to Abuse

[Cinderella]

Actually - unless i dreamed this, which i doubt, I'm pretty sure that the skyway actually closed down after a CM was killed by it. Didn't one of the gondolas bump him on the head?

 

[joshsmom]

All I have to say about this thread is--people are MUCH more creative than I could EVER be!!! Some of the ways listed to circumvent the system have never even entered my conscious mind! I have heard (MANY times) about the resort mugs, but was pretty clueless about the rest. Man, if I would have done all that stuff I could have been staying at the Poly all these years!!!

 

[CherCrazy]

I remember reading about how people are making ADR or PS, LOL, not sure which it is at many places in the parks so that no matter where they are, they have seating. Those extras stop alot of families from getting seating.

Actually, all those ADR's worked in our favor last trip. So many people who make the ADR's are no-shows, so we were able to stand by at some restaurants and get right in.

 

[DawnCt1]

I think that there are at least two reasons why the Sky Ride was taken down. First of all, it wasn't very efficient, had limited capacity per hour and required more CMs per guest. Secondly, there were people throwing things below at guests. I remember talking to a couple of CM's who were disgusted by kids spitting from the Sky Ride.

I think it would be tough to regulate parking at Downtown Disney because they really do depend upon local customers to visit as well as out of town guest.

 

[disneynutt1225]

Actually - unless i dreamed this, which i doubt, I'm pretty sure that the skyway actually closed down after a CM was killed by it. Didn't one of the gondolas bump him on the head?

I remembered reading something about that too, but it turns out that wasn't the reason it was closed. I love google:

http://www.solarius.com/dvp/wdw/skyway.htm

 

[yeartolate]

Okay, here's a new one: The new deposit they're requiring for reservations at the California Grill. The stated reason for this deposit is to address the abuse of Disney's leniency with regard to double- and triple-booking ADRs at the more popular restaurants.

I have always been a bit peeved when I hear about folks double and triple booking. I see that as taking one away from someone else. I have no problems with the deposits myself, although it is a sad commentary that they are necessary. I also would have no problem with them refusing multiple reservations for the same time period.

 

[Syrreal]

I think that there are at least two reasons why the Sky Ride was taken down. First of all, it wasn't very efficient, had limited capacity per hour and required more CMs per guest. Secondly, there were people throwing things below at guests. I remember talking to a couple of CM's who were disgusted by kids spitting from the Sky Ride.

Actually, it only took 4-5 CMs to operate both sides (2 on each side and at the most 1 if they were keeping an eye on the middle) 6-7 if you count 1 on break on either side. Relaly no more than any other Fantasyland ride and less than most so I am not sure if that was an actual reason for closing it down.

 

[katerkat]

I was a CM when Fast Pass first was introduced, and I remember one guy going around and getting FPs at every available ride for his whole family; an hour later, they arrived and started using the FPs. Soon after, Disney started the one FP per hour, then one FP until your other FP expires, or whatever the new rule is. It was interesting watching them work out the kinks in the system as guests showed Disney how the FPs could be abused!

 

[bicker]

There used to be a one-hour shopping pass available, for folks wishing to go into a theme park for an hour just to make a purchase. While I don't remember reading anything specific, I cannot help but guess that the pass is no longer offered because some people were abusing the service to get free entry to the parks to take in an attraction.

 

[barkley]

There used to be a one-hour shopping pass available, for folks wishing to go into a theme park for an hour just to make a purchase. While I don't remember reading anything specific, I cannot help but guess that the pass is no longer offered because some people were abusing the service to get free entry to the parks to take in an attraction.

disneyLAND used to have a policy wherein you could order a meal from certain restaurants in the park and enter the park to pick it up (ususaly it was from the blue bayoo). you would call ahead with the order and the restaurant would relay your name and a pickup time to the guest services area at the entrance to the park. they stopped after they eliminated attraction tickets because people would enter, eat and ride the rides. same thing with "tea dancing" in the old carnation pavillion-you paid a flat fee to attend that only but people abused it.

when we went to wdw in november everytime we went to enter the parking lot adjacent to ssr lobby we would be asked for our name which they cross checked against some guest list.

 

[Disney Doll]

Last time I stayed at a MK resort, I just drove over to the last gate on the right, told them I was checking in to WL, and got waved through. Did the same when staying at CR and Polynesian.

It's been a year since I've stayed at a monorail resort, so the policy may have changed.

When we checked in to both CBR and OKW on our most recent trip(Janaury 5-13), when we said we were checking in, they asked our name, and checked on a list, but that may be a recent change.

 

[bicker]

Here's one that may or may not be the case: There is now a charge for a second DDE card, presumably because in previous years folks were getting additional cards for folks who were not family members.

 

[DawnCt1]

This one is mostly speculation I think: There was a lot of speculation about why the Skyride at MK was taken down, but one of the more distressing possibilities was the fact that there was concern about misbehaving guests deciding to use it to drop things on people's heads. (That didn't seem very plausible to me.)


I'm sure there are many others that folks can think of....

Actually I think that the Skyride speculation is indeed possible. I remember when it was still running, talking to a cast member on a couple of occasions, and being told that teens were spitting on guests below. That revelation came when DS#2 complained about a large group of teens chanting and stomping through Space Mt. She said, "it was probably the same group we caught spitting from the Skyride, it happens all the time"

One major loophole that I used was when WDW was on a mix of paper tickets for the minor parks and the "gold key card" for the inclusive packages. The inclusives, Grand Plan, World Vacation, were indeed bargains if you knew how to use them. It always had to start on the first day of check in. To deal with the desire to want to spend time in the theme parks and time on the recreational areas and restaurants, we would check into any resort that wasn't on the plan. We would spend 3 or 4 days "off plan", buying passports, cheaper meals etc. Then, the day of the plan we would switch hotels early in the morning, start with breakfast and do a five day plan. During that time I would "purchase" water park tickets, TL, RC, Discovery Island, Pleasure Island, etc everyday with the gold key card. A ticket for everyone on the plan. Sometimes we would get to those areas, often not. We booked meals at 8 am, 2 pm and 8 pm. We water skiied daily, went horseback riding, rented sprites, etc. We didn't spend much time in the theme parks. The minor park tickets never expire and I am still using them on vacation. River Country and TL tickets can be evenly traded for Blizzard Beach. The CM was so impressed with the "antique" TL ticket that she couldn't bring herself to stamp it. Same with the RC ticket. I definately netted far more than my out of pocket $$$.

 

[bicker]

Referring to seeing Illuminations while dining on the terrace at Rose and Crown:

Most of the people around us were just sitting around with drinks so just because people are done eating around 7, if they are there for the fireworks, they'll just hang out until 9. A lot of people go to R&C for that. Good luck!

Wow, then the situation is getting a lot worse. Typically, they asked folks to leave if they were finished with dinner by 7:30. In a way, sitting having drinks at a restaurant dining table for an hour and a half is a type of abuse (after all, there is a bar area inside, for that). I wouldn't be surprised to see such abuse, one day, get translated into hard-ticket (top-dollar) seating for Illuminations at Rose and Crown, similar to what they've done at CRT. (I actually am not sure, but I think that might be a good thing.)

 

[Lewisc]

The general public was invited to view MK Fireworks from the observation deck at the Contemporary. The internet and guide books made this so popular that Disney had to curtail it.

Every internet site was suggesting faxing room requests. It got to the point where these faxes are basically ignored.

MYW dining doesn't have child and adult credits. Some guests try to use all their credits for adult meals. This is permitted but I'm not sure how many guests Disney expect will use this strategy. If Disney decides to change this policy internet sites that suggest "using your children as a license to print money" may be partially responsible.

A CM makes an exception to allow for pool crashing. The pool isn't crowded, maybe the person has a friend staying there and maybe the person might stay there in the future. Disney now has a fence around SAB and probably needs security to check people at the POLY pool.

Tying up tables by making dessert only reservations, lingering for hours with free coffee refills at CG to watch Wishes or staying for hours at Rose and Crown to watch Illumionations are other examples of practices that might lead to future restrictions.

 

[bicker]

Yup, I just read another message about that: Access to the observation deck at the Contemporary Resort has been restricted to registered (and credit-card secured) California Grill diners only.

 

[bicker]

From this thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=12390304&postcount=2

In reference to the Disney Dining Experience cards...

My "guess" is that charging for the second card was the easiest way for Disney to deal with abuse. I recall reading quite a few posts in which posters asked how to obtain cards for people who did not fit the criteria for the second "free" card. Lots of rationalizations provided as justification.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

This one is mostly speculation I think: There was a lot of speculation about why the Skyride at MK was taken down, but one of the more distressing possibilities was the fact that there was concern about misbehaving guests deciding to use it to drop things on people's heads. (That didn't seem very plausible to me.)....

No, it's plausible. It wasn't things. It was spit. I was a victim. On our first trip. I was in tears becuase it landed on forhead and ran down into my eyes and nose before I could get to a bathroom and we had nothing to wipe it off with except clothing. My Dad actually took his shirt off to wipe me clea and a CM asked him to put it back on. Believe you me, that didn't go over well. You don't want to mess with my Dad when it came any of his children (and I was young at this point). When we took it to guest relations, they apologized, offered all sorts of things (I cannot remember if we took anything, but it certainly was not our intent to "get" something from them), and said it was a growing problem. As we were walking out, another family with a young child (older than me) was walking in and they were furious. The same thing had happened. Later that day, it had been shut down temporarily.

People cannot seem to behave themselves when it comes to this type of thing. It's a problem on ski lifts, too. At the Luxor in Vegas, someone spit from the internal hallway balconies onto my plate at a restaurant below. I think I was up with my plate and in the manager's face beofre my parents and brother ever figured out what was going on. Again, on our way into the restaurant, there was a couple fuming becuase the same thing had just happened to them.

Maybe it's my luck... ever been pooped on by a bird though.

 

[bicker]

I got hit by bird poop in January, in Frontierland.

I wasn't the only one -- there were about half-dozen of us hit about the same time.

Thanks for the confirmation about the skyride, though. It's sad to think sometimes about what leads Disney to make the changes they make.

 

[momof2inPA]

I think the finger scan is more to keep people from selling their unused park hopper days.