WDW Last Man Standing....

[mb187143]

my friends and i were officially the last guests in Epcot one night in June of 2002, we had late reservations at a restaurant, and ended up the last people in the park. During the course of the meal, a CM came in and asked if we were resort guests, and if we entered through future world or the international gateway. We were staying at CBR, and told him this. By the end of our meal, he was waiting for us to escort us to the front of the park, but said the park manager needed to speak with us. We were 18 at the time, and were sure we were getting into trouble. Instead, we all got to pick out an item off of one of the carts in the park as a souvenier for "closing" the park. When we left, there was a bus waiting to take us back to CBR.

 

[park]

my friends and i were officially the last guests in Epcot one night in June of 2002, we had late reservations at a restaurant, and ended up the last people in the park.

Similar to this, late night from an 8:45pm ADR at Les Chefs de France about 10 years ago. My wife and I ended up leaving near to 11 o'clock. It was a slow time of year (sometime in September). We didn't have the park manager come or get souvenirs However, the restaurant folks told us we were the last ones. Asked us if we wanted a ride and we said yes. There was some kind of a trolley (memory is not clear, I felt like it was a bus but it wasn't full-sized. Might have been electric). They picked us up in front of France and took us to the front. We were let off at the fountain, and they turned on the fountain show/music for us. We actually got a ride from Security in one of their SUVs back to our car. The lot was *almost* empty (I wondered who the remaining cars belonged to).

 

[BAMLuvMickey]

Collorary question: Do you think that the last official guests get the most official 'boot' of the evening?

If you try to stay, my sense is you quickly learn that those sweepers mean business and are not to be messed with.

^ pretty much...the last time i was there, i was at MK with my cousin and our 6 kids(my 2 her 4) she hadnt been on Splash yet and I had, so we went just before WISHES started. I got stuck with mine and her youngest(no biggie) and she and the other 4 got in line for the ride. I watched all of WISHES with the younger 2 and waited for them to come get us. They were the only ones we saw come off the ride and she said they were the only ones on their log. We walked through to Adventureland and stopped for "one last pic" at POTC...As we were taking our picture, a cast member(was sort of rude) and ushered us back to the castle and proceeded to tell us where the exit wasevery cast member we passed looked at us like we were freaks!....We were the ONLY people standing by the castle....there were MAYBE 20 people on Main Street leaving...
However, we stood there and saw "the kiss goodnight" and it so awesome. I had never seen it before...then we left...

 

[frndshpcptn]

As a CM who used to close the parks...it's was SO frustrating to have guests that lingered (or tried to linger) well after park closing.

I usually had things to do after work (or plans with friends) and to have to stay an hour or two past my scheduled shift drove me nuts.

Sorry to say...

As a regular guests now, I do understand the temptation - but I try to respect the fact that the current CMs have a life outside thier job and my desire to hang out shouldn't trump thier need to go home.

 

[scion5220]

However, we stood there and saw "the kiss goodnight" and it so awesome. I had never seen it before...then we left...

What is this?

 

[nytimez]

As a CM who used to close the parks...it's was SO frustrating to have guests that lingered (or tried to linger) well after park closing.

I usually had things to do after work (or plans with friends) and to have to stay an hour or two past my scheduled shift drove me nuts.

Sorry to say...

As a regular guests now, I do understand the temptation - but I try to respect the fact that the current CMs have a life outside thier job and my desire to hang out shouldn't trump thier need to go home.

I tend to side with CMs on most things. But on this one... sorry. No sympathy here.

 

[frndshpcptn]

I tend to side with CMs on most things. But on this one... sorry. No sympathy here.

Why not?

Curious....

 

[nytimez]

Why not?

Curious....

I've had a lot of jobs where I've had to stay late at work for any number of reasons. I think most people do. It's an occupational hazard in many jobs, including yours. Sorry... but that's just the way it is and you know that going in.

Also, the flipside of the coin is what someone posted earlier in the thread: Some CMs love it because the OT pay builds up... and they want the extra cash.

So if you want to go home early but the CM next to you would love to stay late to earn the OT pay, who's right? Who's wrong? Am I wrong for staying late because you want to go home? Or am I wrong for leaving because the guy next to you could use every last cent on his check to pay for food and gas?

 

[frndshpcptn]

I've had a lot of jobs where I've had to stay late at work for any number of reasons. I think most people do. It's an occupational hazard in many jobs, including yours. Sorry... but that's just the way it is and you know that going in.

Also, the flipside of the coin is what someone posted earlier in the thread: Some CMs love it because the OT pay builds up... and they want the extra cash.

So if you want to go home early but the CM next to you would love to stay late to earn the OT pay, who's right? Who's wrong? Am I wrong for staying late because you want to go home? Or am I wrong for leaving because the guy next to you could use every last cent on his check to pay for food and gas?

In my opinion - you are wrong for staying late and lingering after Park close. But that's again, it's only because I've BTDT (on both sides) that I feel that way.

I have both perspectives here - as the CM and as the paying guest. When I was a CM, I wanted to go home at the end of a long day. While I know it's "vacation" for the guest - it's not vacation for the people who work there. Staying late once and a while - happens. In every job. Doing it all the time because people can't get moving and get out of the Parks at night...annoying.

And yes - if Disney knows this is a "thing" they should probably schedule accordingly so people expect to be working that late. And maybe now they do. It's been a while since I worked there at this point.

As for OT, in my experience (and again - it's only my experience - other CMs clearly feel differently).

 

[mesaboy2]

What is this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by60t_xQC0w

 

[scion5220]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by60t_xQC0w

Ahh...so if you get on a ride right at closing you miss this, huh? They do it at closing time, not at "hanging around to see how long I can stay" time, right? Or how long after closing?

 

[nytimez]

In my opinion - you are wrong for staying late and lingering after Park close. But that's again, it's only because I've BTDT (on both sides) that I feel that way.

You're actually wrong on this. Disney could easily and politely get everyone out relatively quickly. They choose not to do so. So... again... tough luck. The park remains "open" so people can shop, not fight for a seat on the bus, etc. etc. It's a courtesy to a guest who is paying a ton of money to be there -- and if that's a great inconvenience in your life, you're in the wrong line of work. Sorry -- but that's just the reality.

Ahh...so if you get on a ride right at closing you miss this, huh? They do it at closing time, not at "hanging around to see how long I can stay" time, right? Or how long after closing?

Nope, they do it at "hanging around time." In other words, they do it when you'd be "wrong" for being there to see it, according to the previous poster.

It's the Forbidden Fruit of the Magic Kingdom.

 

[scion5220]

You're actually wrong on this. Disney could easily and politely get everyone out relatively quickly. They choose not to do so. So... again... tough luck. The park remains "open" so people can shop, not fight for a seat on the bus, etc. etc. It's a courtesy to a guest who is paying a ton of money to be there -- and if that's a great inconvenience in your life, you're in the wrong line of work. Sorry -- but that's just the reality.



Nope, they do it at "hanging around time." In other words, they do it when you'd be "wrong" for being there to see it, according to the previous poster.

It's the Forbidden Fruit of the Magic Kingdom.

I will now be compelled to stay until I see them.

Do they do it after evening EMH as well?

 

[nytimez]

I will now be compelled to stay until I see them.

Do they do it after evening EMH as well?

I believe so. I believe they do it a few times -- at least twice, anyway. Once about half an hour after the park closes, and at least once again another 30-60 minutes after that. This is a guesstimate. I'm sure if you check the Steve Soares site or something there may be exact times for it.

 

[frndshpcptn]

You're actually wrong on this. Disney could easily and politely get everyone out relatively quickly. They choose not to do so. So... again... tough luck. The park remains "open" so people can shop, not fight for a seat on the bus, etc. etc. It's a courtesy to a guest who is paying a ton of money to be there -- and if that's a great inconvenience in your life, you're in the wrong line of work. Sorry -- but that's just the reality.
QUOTE]

I'm actually not wrong. We did get almost everyone out rather quickly. We are just so good at the subtle (and polite) "kick you in the behind to get you out the door" that you don't seem to notice we are doing it. And yes, we left the shops open at the front of the Parks so that as we swept people out from the back, we could still get some additional dollars on your way out to the transportation areas.

We moved a large number of people out in the designated timeframe. It's the 2-6 "hangers on" who were the annoying ones.

 

[nytimez]

I'm actually not wrong. We did get almost everyone out rather quickly. We are just so good at the subtle (and polite) "kick you in the behind to get you out the door" that you don't seem to notice we are doing it. And yes, we left the shops open at the front of the Parks so that as we swept people out from the back, we could still get some additional dollars on your way out to the transportation areas.

We moved a large number of people out in the designated timeframe. It's the 2-6 "hangers on" who were the annoying ones.

The quote "you are wrong for staying late and lingering after Park close" from your previous post is factually incorrect. Disney does not want you to leave the moment the park closes. They want you to stay as long as there's money left in your wallet.

We moved a large number of people out in the designated timeframe. It's the 2-6 "hangers on" who were the annoying ones.

Again, no sympathy. Sorry. Them's the breaks.

 

[scion5220]

I believe so. I believe they do it a few times -- at least twice, anyway. Once about half an hour after the park closes, and at least once again another 30-60 minutes after that. This is a guesstimate. I'm sure if you check the Steve Soares site or something there may be exact times for it.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

As a CM who used to close the parks...it's was SO frustrating to have guests that lingered (or tried to linger) well after park closing.

I usually had things to do after work (or plans with friends) and to have to stay an hour or two past my scheduled shift drove me nuts.

Sorry to say...

As a regular guests now, I do understand the temptation - but I try to respect the fact that the current CMs have a life outside thier job and my desire to hang out shouldn't trump thier need to go home.

I can understand that....I hate it when someone drops by the office right when I'm about to leave for the day. Let's say, in a prefect world, and the park cleared out quickly......How long are CMs scheduled to work after closing? We won't STOP or hang out to wait....just walk slowly!

 

[Celidh]

Sorry -- but I can't really sympathize. No one to blame but you for this. Certainly not Disney.

Well, that was rude!

I wasn't asking for sympathy and we weren't deliberately trying to stay late like some people do. Believe me, I wanted to get out of there as badly as anyone else. The first instance, my son was in the bathroom with stomach problems and couldn't help it. The other situation at mk, there were still other people around us too, so it's not like we were the only ones there on main street.


Having worked in restaurants and retail, I totally understand how employees feel with customers make them stay late and I would never intentionally do that to someone.

 

[nytimez]

Well, that was rude!

I wasn't asking for sympathy and we weren't deliberately trying to stay late like some people do. Believe me, I wanted to get out of there as badly as anyone else. The first instance, my son was in the bathroom with stomach problems and couldn't help it. The other situation at mk, there were still other people around us too, so it's not like we were the only ones there on main street.


Having worked in restaurants and retail, I totally understand how employees feel with customers make them stay late and I would never intentionally do that to someone.

Give it a rest. Your mom is so old and weak she can't stand, yet she's not in an ECV you had no problem dragging her around MK all day, right up to (and beyond) park closing? And then you had the nerve to demand your own bus?

No wonder you felt pushed out of the park. I'm surprised they didn't chase you out!