The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

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  • ManaByte
    Banned User
    • Sep 2005
    • 1217

    The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

    First we had a report/video of a Jungle Cruise skipper giving the worst spiel ever.

    Last night I watched the First 50 Magical Years again to escape the cold and the CM giving the spiel in there was even worse. He didn't even do it right and completely gave the wrong wording. Instead of "Shortly after Disneyland opened a young boy from Garden Grove rode his bike down to the park" he went "Steve Martin from Garden Grove drove to Disneyland and wanted a job." He was completely uninterested in being there, recited the incorrect spiel, and recited it so dryly and roboticly that Stephen Hawking would've delivered a more interesting and less robot-sounding spiel than this kid.

    Then there's the man-almost-woman bearded transgender person serving pizza in DCA. Yes Disneyland cannot discriminate, but it's not like a bearded almost-but-not-quite "girl" doesn't create some extremely uncomfortable questions for parents to answer on their family vacation to the park. Hell the "beard" violates the Disney Look, but that doesn't matter when it's another number to fill in on TDA's weekly hiring quota right?

    How long will it be until we get drug addict carnies operating Peter Pan while smoking? If I were to guess, I'd say May or June at the rate the hiring is going at the park.
  • fo'c's'le swab
    Blind to His Own Faults
    • Dec 2006
    • 8417

    #2
    Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

    I have never personally seen a bearded she-male working at Disneyland, but the Casting Department can only hire those who apply. If a living wage was offered, quality of applicants would rise significantly. I don't think you can reasonably blame the Casting Department on this one. I do agree that CM enthusiasm is not quite as high as in times past, but there are many great CM's out there STILL doing a great job, while being under-appreciated, and under-paid

    Comment

    • Sadako
      A New Kind Of Villain
      • May 2006
      • 1373

      #3
      Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

      To quote some of the best Jungle Cruise skippers...

      "I wish that were a joke"

      But then again, this subject has been argued over and over. Unless they pay living wages, for the most part they won't get quality workers.

      Personally, I've actually considered working part-time at the park for fun (My dayjob keeps me living amazingly well. Moreso than most 24 year olds nowadays), but they require you to pretty much have full availability and worst of all, they don't even give you enough hours until you reach Full Time status. I know my roomie had a horrid time getting enough hours until the peak holiday season hit, and then all she wanted was a day off.

      It's sad, but true...
      Julie Rei

      "Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." - Anton Ego (Ratatouille)

      "I suppose you have no choice but to revolutionize the world." -Mikage Souji (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

      Comment

      • JeffYardDog
        MiceChatter
        • Nov 2006
        • 2891

        #4
        Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

        Originally posted by Sadako View Post
        To quote some of the best Jungle Cruise skippers...

        "I wish that were a joke"

        But then again, this subject has been argued over and over. Unless they pay living wages, for the most part they won't get quality workers.

        Personally, I've actually considered working part-time at the park for fun (My dayjob keeps me living amazingly well. Moreso than most 24 year olds nowadays), but they require you to pretty much have full availability and worst of all, they don't even give you enough hours until you reach Full Time status. I know my roomie had a horrid time getting enough hours until the peak holiday season hit, and then all she wanted was a day off.

        It's sad, but true...
        Reportedly there was a (experimental?) program a while back to offer weekend-only casual jobs for people otherwise employed full-time elsewhere.

        Don't know if that went anywhere, is still in effect, or what - or what lines of business that were included.

        Comment

        • melmel
          CM for 4 years!
          • Apr 2005
          • 2225

          #5
          Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

          What a hurtful post about a CM's looks.

          Not all of us can be beautiful, and DIsney can't hire like the old days, only hiring the girls next door, and upstanding young gentlemen. Not only are they not paying to get them, there aren't many left.
          Member of the Disney Class of 2005
          Disneyland CM for 4 years.
          May 6, 2005 - present.

          Comment

          • symbolic
            MiceChatter
            • Oct 2005
            • 855

            #6
            Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

            Its pretty sad that people with full time jobs would want to work at Disneyland part time in order to save it from becoming a place that hires chain smoking tatooed carnies. It shouldnt be our job to voluntarilly save Disneyland. For christ sake, just pay people better.

            Comment

            • Druggas
              Hooterville, USA
              • Feb 2005
              • 10402

              #7
              Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

              Ruh roh.
              sigpic

              This has been a Filmways presentation dahling.

              Comment

              • JeffYardDog
                MiceChatter
                • Nov 2006
                • 2891

                #8
                Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                Originally posted by melmel View Post
                What a hurtful post about a CM's looks.

                Not all of us can be beautiful, and DIsney can't hire like the old days, only hiring the girls next door, and upstanding young gentlemen. Not only are they not paying to get them, there aren't many left.
                Maybe the girl's next door aren't what they once were but they ARE still hiring them.

                The past always looks better in retrospect than it did at the time.

                And even though I'm an old codger by some measures, some of those tatoo-ed, pierced, and otherwise unfamiliar looks still come in all kinds of varieties personality-wise including some sweet, kind, and otherwise quite nice. Too bad if Disney can't look past the externals sometimes. Perhaps extreme adornments might be excluded (though it would hard to determine where to draw the line) but they need to move a little closer to the 21st century.

                Comment

                • SexkittenGwen
                  New MiceChatter
                  • Jan 2007
                  • 41

                  #9
                  Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                  the girls next door are workin at hooters makin more money =D
                  haha j/k
                  sigpic

                  Comment

                  • EagleWings
                    Banned User
                    • May 2005
                    • 3365

                    #10
                    Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                    Not all cast members are bad..

                    Comment

                    • Lore
                      Animatronic
                      • Mar 2005
                      • 1865

                      #11
                      Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                      I was at Disneyland last Sunday and was amazed at how attractive and in theme the cast members I saw were. A smile on every face, and no anachronisms like sunglasses. (I think period accessories should be issued for themed areas.) I didn't even see the "average overweight american" or so many churro carts.

                      I felt like I was in a well cast movie, or perhaps had actually traveled back in time. It was good to see the old Disneyland back for moment, even if it was just a fluke. I have to admit I didn't stay long. I guess I feared breaking the illusion. It was a nearly perfect 2 hours though.

                      Comment

                      • Alyssa3467
                        Member
                        • May 2006
                        • 595

                        #12
                        Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                        Originally posted by ManaByte View Post
                        First we had a report/video of a Jungle Cruise skipper giving the worst spiel ever.

                        Last night I watched the First 50 Magical Years again to escape the cold and the CM giving the spiel in there was even worse. He didn't even do it right and completely gave the wrong wording. Instead of "Shortly after Disneyland opened a young boy from Garden Grove rode his bike down to the park" he went "Steve Martin from Garden Grove drove to Disneyland and wanted a job." He was completely uninterested in being there, recited the incorrect spiel, and recited it so dryly and roboticly that Stephen Hawking would've delivered a more interesting and less robot-sounding spiel than this kid.
                        I hope this person was green and/or nervous... otherwise, they should perhaps think about moving to another line of business, where memorized speils aren't required.

                        Then there's the man-almost-woman bearded transgender person serving pizza in DCA. Yes Disneyland cannot discriminate, but it's not like a bearded almost-but-not-quite "girl" doesn't create some extremely uncomfortable questions for parents to answer on their family vacation to the park. Hell the "beard" violates the Disney Look, but that doesn't matter when it's another number to fill in on TDA's weekly hiring quota right?
                        Ok, now that's not cool. While I agree that facial hair is an issue, the person's gender identity should not be. How do you know the person is transgender to begin with? I've seen some non-transgender women with more facial hair than some of the transgender women I've met are even physically capable of growing. And that's without electrolysis or laser hair removal or whatnot. It's almost like the debate on gays in the Parks...

                        How long will it be until we get drug addict carnies operating Peter Pan while smoking? If I were to guess, I'd say May or June at the rate the hiring is going at the park.
                        Originally posted by JeffYardDog View Post
                        Originally posted by melmel View Post
                        What a hurtful post about a CM's looks.

                        Not all of us can be beautiful, and DIsney can't hire like the old days, only hiring the girls next door, and upstanding young gentlemen. Not only are they not paying to get them, there aren't many left.
                        Maybe the girl's next door aren't what they once were but they ARE still hiring them.

                        The past always looks better in retrospect than it did at the time.

                        And even though I'm an old codger by some measures, some of those tatoo-ed, pierced, and otherwise unfamiliar looks still come in all kinds of varieties personality-wise including some sweet, kind, and otherwise quite nice. Too bad if Disney can't look past the externals sometimes. Perhaps extreme adornments might be excluded (though it would hard to determine where to draw the line) but they need to move a little closer to the 21st century.
                        I'm not sure if Disney is alone requiring a conservative look in the workplace. I like the guidelines the way they are, although if someone who doesn't meet the guidelines applies, I don't think they should be turned away unless they refuse to conform.

                        Comment

                        • ladydragon55
                          living to haunt
                          • May 2005
                          • 636

                          #13
                          Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                          Originally posted by SexkittenGwen View Post
                          the girls next door are workin at hooters makin more money =D
                          haha j/k
                          What is even worse they are getting more respect there too!
                          "I could never convince the financiers that Disneyland was feasible, because dreams offer too little collateral."
                          --- Walt Disney

                          :yea: Member of MiceChat Gold!

                          :thumbup: Lover of the Haunted Mansion and
                          Nightmare Before Christmas

                          :captain: Dreaming of Pirates!

                          Still waiting to go to my first meet

                          sigpic



                          Comment

                          • disneyhound
                            Silent Lucidity
                            • Nov 2005
                            • 1712

                            #14
                            Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                            Originally posted by melmel View Post
                            What a hurtful post about a CM's looks...
                            Yuck, yuck, yuck...

                            Comment

                            • SavannaQueen
                              New MiceChatter
                              • Sep 2006
                              • 84

                              #15
                              Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                              Originally posted by melmel View Post
                              What a hurtful post about a CM's looks.

                              Not all of us can be beautiful, and DIsney can't hire like the old days, only hiring the girls next door, and upstanding young gentlemen. Not only are they not paying to get them, there aren't many left.
                              Personally, I'm glad they don't pay as much attention to appearance when hiring as they used to, otherwise I probably would have been cast someplace far backstage.

                              Comment

                              • TP2000
                                MiceChatter
                                • Feb 2005
                                • 1184

                                #16
                                Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                                Originally posted by melmel View Post
                                What a hurtful post about a CM's looks.

                                Not all of us can be beautiful, and DIsney can't hire like the old days, only hiring the girls next door, and upstanding young gentlemen. Not only are they not paying to get them, there aren't many left.
                                It's not hurtful. And it's not because this person isn't "beautiful". I think I know who he is talking about because I saw almost the exact same type of person at Tomorrowland Terrace last week. I didn't post about it because I figured I would be flamed by the Political Correctness Police. I've been thinking about it reading this thread, and I feel I should share my experience even if it "offends" someone or fails to pass a Political Correctness litmus test.

                                This Disneyland Cast Member Host was a 40 something year old man with a lined face and heavy five o'clock shadow. About 5'10", regular masculine build, and white with a skin tone that gave the appearance of central European ancestry. He was wearing a very cheap looking brunette wig that went about six inches past his shoulders. It had visible bobby pins in it holding it down, or to his real hair underneath. The wig was flat, straight hair with no curl to it, and it had short bangs above his forehead. He had the mannerisms and behaviors of a man, and he was wearing no discernible makeup. (The five o'clock shadow was most noticeable though.) His expression was rather bored looking and he just went about his business of clearing and wiping down tables. There wasn't a spring in his step or a sparkle to his eye, he just looked like a bored 45 year old man bussing tables at a fast food joint.

                                And it would have been just another mediocre CM doing his entry level job. Except he had that cheap looking wig on! I'm all for modern diversity and inclusion. But this was not a Transgendered person living their life as a specific gender and making an effort to fit into societies expectations of that specific gender. This was just a middle aged man who needed a shave wearing a cheap brown wig, and it was rather creepy looking. He had done absolutely nothing else to impact his appearance or mannerisms to take on a feminine role in society. He was just a guy wearing a cheap wig.

                                He made me do a double take because his appearance was so alarming with just the first glance. I can easily imagine that many Disneyland visitors would be uncomfortable around him, or would be very confused if they approached this CM to ask him where Autopia is or when the next parade was.

                                I have heard that CM's who work in the restaurants can be moved from one park to another, so I am willing to bet this guy I saw at Tomorrowland Terrace a week ago is the same guy wearing a wig at Pacific Wharf Cafe in DCA.

                                As for there not being many clean-cut, polite young people left to work entry level jobs, that's hogwash. There is an In N' Out Burger 5 minutes from my house that consistently has EXCELLENT employees who are exactly like the sparkling hosts and hostesses Disneyland used to be populated with up until about 5 years ago. Those kids are out there and willing to flip burgers. Disneyland just refuses to pay the wages and offer the employee treatment neccesary to get them.
                                Last edited by TP2000; 01-14-2007, 01:15 PM.

                                Comment

                                • Wally
                                  Fastest Man Alive
                                  • Dec 2006
                                  • 1659

                                  #17
                                  Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                                  Remember guys, there is nothing in the Disney Look guidelines that prohibits facial hair on females. If they are capable of doing, they can grow them out like ZZTop and nothing can be done about it because they are still following the rules.
                                  "If we cut the budget are you going to be the one standing at the exit explaining to guests why the ride they just rode is a piece of crap?" - - John Lasseter

                                  Comment

                                  • Alyssa3467
                                    Member
                                    • May 2006
                                    • 595

                                    #18
                                    Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                                    :blink:

                                    Comment

                                    • ManaByte
                                      Banned User
                                      • Sep 2005
                                      • 1217

                                      #19
                                      Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                                      Originally posted by TP2000 View Post
                                      It's not hurtful. And it's not because this person isn't "beautiful". I think I know who he is talking about because I saw almost the exact same type of person at Tomorrowland Terrace last week. I didn't post about it because I figured I would be flamed by the Political Correctness Police. I've been thinking about it reading this thread, and I feel I should share my experience even if it "offends" someone or fails to pass a Political Correctness litmus test.

                                      This Disneyland Cast Member Host was a 40 something year old man with a lined face and heavy five o'clock shadow. About 5'10", regular masculine build, and white with a skin tone that gave the appearance of central European ancestry. He was wearing a very cheap looking brunette wig that went about six inches past his shoulders. It had visible bobby pins in it holding it down, or to his real hair underneath. The wig was flat, straight hair with no curl to it, and it had short bangs above his forehead. He had the mannerisms and behaviors of a man, and he was wearing no discernible makeup. (The five o'clock shadow was most noticeable though.) His expression was rather bored looking and he just went about his business of clearing and wiping down tables. There wasn't a spring in his step or a sparkle to his eye, he just looked like a bored 45 year old man bussing tables at a fast food joint.

                                      And it would have been just another mediocre CM doing his entry level job. Except he had that cheap looking wig on! I'm all for modern diversity and inclusion. But this was not a Transgendered person living their life as a specific gender and making an effort to fit into societies expectations of that specific gender. This was just a middle aged man who needed a shave wearing a cheap brown wig, and it was rather creepy looking. He had done absolutely nothing else to impact his appearance or mannerisms to take on a feminine role in society. He was just a guy wearing a cheap wig.

                                      He made me do a double take because his appearance was so alarming with just the first glance. I can easily imagine that many Disneyland visitors would be uncomfortable around him, or would be very confused if they approached this CM to ask him where Autopia is or when the next parade was.

                                      I have heard that CM's who work in the restaurants can be moved from one park to another, so I am willing to bet this guy I saw at Tomorrowland Terrace a week ago is the same guy wearing a wig at Pacific Wharf Cafe in DCA.

                                      As for there not being many clean-cut, polite young people left to work entry level jobs, that's hogwash. There is an In N' Out Burger 5 minutes from my house that consistently has EXCELLENT employees who are exactly like the sparkling hosts and hostesses Disneyland used to be populated with up until about 5 years ago. Those kids are out there and willing to flip burgers. Disneyland just refuses to pay the wages and offer the employee treatment neccesary to get them.

                                      That sounds almost like the person working in DCA, except this guy was wearing makeup.

                                      Comment

                                      • MasterGracey
                                        Dateline Disneylander
                                        • Jan 2005
                                        • 8154

                                        #20
                                        Re: The DLR Casting Department is in the toilet

                                        I'm frightened.

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