White Rabbit Scuffle at DL - What Do You Think?

[*NikkiBell*]

The Orlando team discussed the misbehavior of the "White Rabbit" at Disneyland during today's show. What do you think about this story? Was the CM at fault? Why do you think DL does not have handlers for many of its characters? Will this prompt a change?

 

[disney david]

The Orlando team discussed the misbehavior of the "White Rabbit" at Disneyland during today's show. What do you think about this story? Was the CM at fault? Why do you think DL does not have handlers for many of its characters? Will this prompt a change?

that was not the first time a character in disney land did something they shouldn't because they didn't have a handler their to take care of it. so i think that the first thing they should do is make sure they put a cm at every character meet and great because they would of been able to avoid the two incidents.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQrZ3M4iJbo

 

[Cyrano]

Looks like the video has been pulled.

Whilst I agree with the discussion that the family were not nice, absolutely no way should a CM or friend of touch a child.

Characters should always have a handler IMHO

 

[Tony NY]

I agree with everone on the live show chat today along with Pete ask your self this whould you let any one put their hands on your kid.. this was a no bariner for me HELL NO... I seen the video no one win on this one the form the girls to dad and the CM for breaking charter... I just dont know why he had no handeler to keep the CM safe

 

[LionKingRules84]

I unfortunately came at the end of the rant for this for the live show today so I wasn't able to comment but I have to say after watching the video both parties were at fault, but yes I agree that the CM crossed the line at grabbing the girl and then talking(which is clearly heard in the video, that really shocked me). While the girls and even the Dad were pretty low and wrong the CM crossed the line there and should be reprimanded for it. I can only imagine what these CMs have to go through on a daily basis but clearly here he can't handle this job and needs to go, sorry touching anyone let alone a child is unacceptable behavior in any profession let alone a character at Disney Land.

This reminded me of when my cousin who joined us on one of our trips to Disney World when I was a kid actually pulled Donald Duck's tail. I think we have video of it but his reaction to it was pretty much just to stomp his foot and glare at my cousin quickly but went back to what he was doing which is what I would expect. No grabbing or talking just kinda gave a look and ignored it for the most part. I assure you my cousin got a scolding for it,he wasn't encouraged by anyone and I remember not being happy with him for doing it. He actually went on this trip with us without his parents so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

 

[kbelle8995]

I think both party were at fault. All characters should have handlers to defuse situations like this. I see the handlers all the time at WDW. Unfortunately, this is due to some people becoming aggressive or abusive towards characters. Punching them, pulling on their costume, you name it.

When I was a high school, there were high schools who got in trouble at Grad Nite for trying to throw characters in the lake. On watching youtube I read the comments to see someone stating that they punched a character to make him swear and laughing that the character potrayer got fired.

Should the White rabbit have talked or touched the child? Absolutely NOT. Disney should follow through with company policy on this. And there is a company policy.

But at 14 you are old enough to realize you are doing something wrong.

 

[doconeill]

First, let me say...the CM was wrong for what they did. Period.

But I think Pete is letting the girls in the case off way too lightly.

They are 14 years old - which means they really should know better. They weren't 4 year olds. By excusing them because they are 14, it would be open season on characters in the parks by teens, especially without handlers around.

I've seen the video, and I believe this was a total setup. It was not long ago with the Tigger incident - where a teen boy was getting his picture taken with Tigger, and began yanking on his tail, which resulted in Tigger turning around and thwaping the kid - not hard, but it was blown up by the people involved, the media, etc.

So pulling on a character's tail can elicit a response. I think the father was video taping the whole thing to see what response they could get - and of course got far more than they should have.

Both girls did this from behind - the rabbit was engaged with others at the time.

The second girl went up and used both hands - she wasn't just squeezing the tail, which was closer to what the first girl did - and gave several yanks. Or, and the angle doesn't show - she could have been doing something more vulgar.

So I think Disney's statement was spot on - they were in fact doing this specifically to elicit a response. But they also need to address the CM's actions, and they need to address the overall problem by leaving these CMs out to fend for themselves like that.

 

[EKW]

During college, one of the jobs I took to support myself was as a cashier at Chuck E. Cheese. The store I worked at wasn't the dinky ones you see now...it had two dining areas, huge animatronics, and a full arcade. Occasionally the manager would call on me to be Chuck E. for a birthday party...or the occasional scheduled "surprise" appearance that was part of the animatronic show.

Having a "guest" punch the nose, pull the ears, tug on the costume, make inappropriate sexual comments, etc. was a pretty regular event. Usually, it was just annoying. But, in some cases it was painful. I had bruises on my face more than once from the punching...one of my coworkers who wore glasses had a huge cut.

What you see and hear in the White Rabbit video is the father egging his daughters on. They follow daddy's order, and harrass the character. I don't know if what they did was painful or just annoying, but it was surely unneccessary.

I agree that the characters should have handlers 100% of the time. Anyone over the age of 5 who hits, pulls on, pushes, etc. a character should be given a warning. If they persist, they should be asked to leave the park. If the trouble-maker is an adult, they should be charged with assault and banned from the parks.

Their behavior not only affects the character, it ruins the experience for those waiting in line.

Unfortunately, there's no law against being a boor or an idiot...and, while what the CM did was out of line, people who choose to entertain themselves by annoying and bullying others shouldn't be surprised when the people they are bothering react!

The family in question was waaay out of line. If they were just acting stupid, as opposed to actually being stupid, maybe they learned something from this!

I'd add...if you encourage your kids to purposely do things to annoy, bother, or bully others, you shouldn't be surprised when someone who has common sense (since you obviously don't!) teaches them the lesson that they should have learned from you! The world isn't going to give your kids a break because their parents are idiots!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

During college, one of the jobs I took to support myself was as a cashier at Chuck E. Cheese. The store I worked at wasn't the dinky ones you see now...it had two dining areas, huge animatronics, and a full arcade. Occasionally the manager would call on me to be Chuck E. for a birthday party...or the occasional scheduled "surprise" appearance that was part of the animatronic show.

Having a "guest" punch the nose, pull the ears, tug on the costume, make inappropriate sexual comments, etc. was a pretty regular event. Usually, it was just annoying. But, in some cases it was painful. I had bruises on my face more than once from the punching...one of my coworkers who wore glasses had a huge cut.

What you see and hear in the White Rabbit video is the father egging his daughters on. They follow daddy's order, and harrass the character. I don't know if what they did was painful or just annoying, but it was surely unneccessary.

I agree that the characters should have handlers 100% of the time. Anyone over the age of 5 who hits, pulls on, pushes, etc. a character should be given a warning. If they persist, they should be asked to leave the park. If the trouble-maker is an adult, they should be charged with assault and banned from the parks.

Their behavior not only affects the character, it ruins the experience for those waiting in line.

Unfortunately, there's no law against being a boor or an idiot...and, while what the CM did was out of line, people who choose to entertain themselves by annoying and bullying others shouldn't be surprised when the people they are bothering react!

The family in question was waaay out of line. If they were just acting stupid, as opposed to actually being stupid, maybe they learned something from this!

I'd add...if you encourage your kids to purposely do things to annoy, bother, or bully others, you shouldn't be surprised when someone who has common sense (since you obviously don't!) teaches them the lesson that they should have learned from you! The world isn't going to give your kids a break because their parents are idiots!

I haven't heard the podcast, but based on this thread, I agree with this post.

 

[WizardLarz]

Some people are thinking that the same CM was performing as the White Rabbit in this and the Family that is claiming racial discrimination. Although possible it might be 2 different CMs. What ever the case this CM over stepped and should be removed from this job or like Pete said simply fired.

I thought it was odd that there was no handler to take care of the matter. If this Character did have a handler then they should have signaled something was wrong, and left "the Stage", then off Stage they could have gotten advice from a Manager & Security.

Hopefully Disney will run a Refresher course will all their Charater Actors and handlers as to the proper responce when something like this occurs, so that it never happens again.

 

[kbelle8995]

During college, one of the jobs I took to support myself was as a cashier at Chuck E. Cheese. The store I worked at wasn't the dinky ones you see now...it had two dining areas, huge animatronics, and a full arcade. Occasionally the manager would call on me to be Chuck E. for a birthday party...or the occasional scheduled "surprise" appearance that was part of the animatronic show.

Having a "guest" punch the nose, pull the ears, tug on the costume, make inappropriate sexual comments, etc. was a pretty regular event. Usually, it was just annoying. But, in some cases it was painful. I had bruises on my face more than once from the punching...one of my coworkers who wore glasses had a huge cut.

What you see and hear in the White Rabbit video is the father egging his daughters on. They follow daddy's order, and harrass the character. I don't know if what they did was painful or just annoying, but it was surely unneccessary.

I agree that the characters should have handlers 100% of the time. Anyone over the age of 5 who hits, pulls on, pushes, etc. a character should be given a warning. If they persist, they should be asked to leave the park. If the trouble-maker is an adult, they should be charged with assault and banned from the parks.

Their behavior not only affects the character, it ruins the experience for those waiting in line.

Unfortunately, there's no law against being a boor or an idiot...and, while what the CM did was out of line, people who choose to entertain themselves by annoying and bullying others shouldn't be surprised when the people they are bothering react!

The family in question was waaay out of line. If they were just acting stupid, as opposed to actually being stupid, maybe they learned something from this!

I'd add...if you encourage your kids to purposely do things to annoy, bother, or bully others, you shouldn't be surprised when someone who has common sense (since you obviously don't!) teaches them the lesson that they should have learned from you! The world isn't going to give your kids a break because their parents are idiots!

ITA. Your post stated it well. There needs to be consequences for people's actions. The White Rabbit should be Punished but these guests who do this should not be let off scot free either.

I really liked the "three strikes" your out idea.

 

[SA mom]

We visited Disneyland last summer and the character meet and greets were chaotic at best. At any given time there are 8-10 characters out in Town Square with very few handlers. Mary Poppins had to organize her own line and those that cannot speak are at the mercy of the crowd to form a line.

Coming from WDW experience, we found this a little like Lord of Flies.

When reading up on Disneyland, I found all sorts of statements about how characters weren't as popular and lines were shorter. Baloney! They need handlers. It will protect the cast members and the guests.

 

[lilmrsellis]

First, let me say I'm a mother of 2. I would not want anyone touching my children and the CM should be reprimanded and retrained. I wouldn't have to worry about it, though, because I would jerk a knot in my own kids tail! With all that said, what those girls did was harassment and possibly even assault (the legal definition of assault is the threat of violence) and the father...don't even get me started. The fact that they didn't complain because they knew they were wrong pretty much sums the whole thing up.

 

[sayhello]

During college, one of the jobs I took to support myself was as a cashier at Chuck E. Cheese. The store I worked at wasn't the dinky ones you see now...it had two dining areas, huge animatronics, and a full arcade. Occasionally the manager would call on me to be Chuck E. for a birthday party...or the occasional scheduled "surprise" appearance that was part of the animatronic show.

Having a "guest" punch the nose, pull the ears, tug on the costume, make inappropriate sexual comments, etc. was a pretty regular event. Usually, it was just annoying. But, in some cases it was painful. I had bruises on my face more than once from the punching...one of my coworkers who wore glasses had a huge cut.

What you see and hear in the White Rabbit video is the father egging his daughters on. They follow daddy's order, and harrass the character. I don't know if what they did was painful or just annoying, but it was surely unneccessary.

I agree that the characters should have handlers 100% of the time. Anyone over the age of 5 who hits, pulls on, pushes, etc. a character should be given a warning. If they persist, they should be asked to leave the park. If the trouble-maker is an adult, they should be charged with assault and banned from the parks.

Their behavior not only affects the character, it ruins the experience for those waiting in line.

Unfortunately, there's no law against being a boor or an idiot...and, while what the CM did was out of line, people who choose to entertain themselves by annoying and bullying others shouldn't be surprised when the people they are bothering react!

The family in question was waaay out of line. If they were just acting stupid, as opposed to actually being stupid, maybe they learned something from this!

I'd add...if you encourage your kids to purposely do things to annoy, bother, or bully others, you shouldn't be surprised when someone who has common sense (since you obviously don't!) teaches them the lesson that they should have learned from you! The world isn't going to give your kids a break because their parents are idiots!

I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but I *have* seen the video on facebook. I totally, 100% agree with you on this. I can't believe that the father is complaining, considering what he and his kids did. Yes, the CM reacted wrongly. But that family should have been booted out of the park. What a horrible example they are setting. Especially the father.

Sayhello

 

[monorailrabbit]

I finally listened to the podcast today and was very surprised at how lightly he went on the girls! I agree the CM was WRONG and I am no way condoning his behavior but seriously why aren't there handlers? The father is OBVIOUSLY egging them on, the girls are doing it with the intention of getting a response, and seem pretty pleased with themselves when they do! "Because they are 14" isn't much of a defense. 14 is plenty old enough to know how to behave and that this is improper! How about the dad? He obviously isn't 14! Grr... some people!

p.s. That Pluto video.... holy cow! I can't even find words for that one!

 

[monorailrabbit]

First, let me say...the CM was wrong for what they did. Period.

But I think Pete is letting the girls in the case off way too lightly.

They are 14 years old - which means they really should know better. They weren't 4 year olds. By excusing them because they are 14, it would be open season on characters in the parks by teens, especially without handlers around.

I've seen the video, and I believe this was a total setup. It was not long ago with the Tigger incident - where a teen boy was getting his picture taken with Tigger, and began yanking on his tail, which resulted in Tigger turning around and thwaping the kid - not hard, but it was blown up by the people involved, the media, etc.

So pulling on a character's tail can elicit a response. I think the father was video taping the whole thing to see what response they could get - and of course got far more than they should have.

Both girls did this from behind - the rabbit was engaged with others at the time.

The second girl went up and used both hands - she wasn't just squeezing the tail, which was closer to what the first girl did - and gave several yanks. Or, and the angle doesn't show - she could have been doing something more vulgar.

So I think Disney's statement was spot on - they were in fact doing this specifically to elicit a response. But they also need to address the CM's actions, and they need to address the overall problem by leaving these CMs out to fend for themselves like that.

THIS!

 

[Mickeyflower]

I haven't listened to the Podcast yet so I can't comment on that. I have seen the video and I am (sadly) not surprised in the least to hear the father encourage his daughter to yank on White Rabbit's tail. No, he should not have "broke character" and spoke, but good lord, did you see how hard she yanked? She is DEFINITELY old enough to know what she did is wrong. My 3 year old niece knows it's wrong to yank on anyone like that. I completely understand the urge to want to throttle a bratty teen (teenagers are natural birth control for me ), but are supposed to be the adults.

I worked at DL while I was in college in the late 90's and the only time I saw handlers were during high capacity days for the popular characters only. I do see handlers for characters at other parks though. I hope Disney is seeing a pattern emerge and starts assigning handlers, or for characters to go out in pairs.

 

[DSNY4ever]

Hmm, so this video is no longer up? I am definitely curious to see this now. I can't stand annoying teenagers...or worse BAD parents! I can't truly comment since I haven't seen what the rabbit did, but I don't think I can totally blame him based on what people have described of the Dad egging his teenage daughter to pull his tail. Interesting... But I also have never seen a character without a handler?

 

[sayhello]

Hmm, so this video is no longer up? I am definitely curious to see this now. I can't stand annoying teenagers...or worse BAD parents! I can't truly comment since I haven't seen what the rabbit did, but I don't think I can totally blame him based on what people have described of the Dad egging his teenage daughter to pull his tail. Interesting... But I also have never seen a character without a handler?

http://www.travelerstoday.com/artic...character-assaults-14-year-old-girl-video.htm

Sayhello

 

[Stitch_lover_Sith]

Wow is all I can say. Sure the CM should not have cornered the girl like he did but really the family knew they did something wrong. They did not go up to security and tell them about the incident. They waited till they got home and posted the video on youtube and then they filed a lawsuit.

Disney should ban the two girls and their father for life and the CM may need to get retrained in another area of the park. Certainly not as a character thats for sure. Both girls knew they were doing something wrong.