The absolute highlight of my weekend was the Jungle Cruise Skipper Reunion on Saturday night. It was great to reconnect with people I hadn't seen in forever - some of them in at least 13 years. It was a small group but a fun group. It allowed us to catch up on what we had been up to, where we still wanted to go, and all the fun stuff in between. The night was kicked off the right way when Josh Troesh sat down with us, looked at Chad, and asked the one question about Chad's infamous spiel: "What were you thinking?" From there, all we could do is look back and laugh.
For those who don't know, let's skip down memory lane together. (BTW, this is based on my recollection, so others will have different versions of this story.) The summer of 1997 was my first at Disneyland. I split my time between the Jungle Cruise and guest control for "Light Magic." Being so low on the seniority list, I worked closing shifts. This is where I first met the one and only CHAD GORDON. He had been a CT (seasonal) for many years because he was going through law school at the time. He had been there before the Jungle Cruise had been rethemed to the 1930's style in order to marry it with Indiana Jones. He had been there since before the "approved jokes" had been put into place. I was trained with the approved jokes, so I didn't know anything else. He had taken the scenes in the ride and had made his own jokes for them. They were not nasty or inappropriate, but they were topical, ironic, and downright hilarious. I mean, calling the elephant bathing pool the "Republican National Convention?" That's damn funny! (A little birdie named Wikipedia tells me the Republican Party was formed in 1854 and first used the elephant symbol in 1874, but hey, apparently that doesn't work in the 1930s.) Chad was not the only one to use such unique jokes; in fact, many skippers had a set of jokes that were their own. With the exception of Grad Nite jokes, they were off the script but were not inappropriate.
However, there was a man named Bruce Kimbrell to consider. Bruce was the head of the Narrations department, which was the group of attractions that had spiels, such as Jungle Cruise and Storybook. Bruce had a very "my way or the highway" method of running things. He was not so fond of deviations from the script or any form of SOP. He wanted to rule the Jungle Cruise with an iron fist and had certain skippers in place that could keep him informed of the things that were going on when he wasn't there. Unfortunately, Chad is not a skipper who is up for being anyone's puppet. Chad knew he had nothing to lose because he was a skipper for the fun of it and was not afraid of management at all. Most of us who were still teenagers didn't have the same mindset, so it was easier for Bruce to instill some fear in us.
Bruce and Chad were oil and water. There was nothing Bruce could do to control Chad, and that drove him nuts. He had other managers telling Chad that guests were complaining, but everyone knew that was BS. Chad was one of the most complimented skippers on the crew. People waited for his boat. It wasn't that Chad was defiant for the purpose of being a pain in the ass; he just knew the difference between being coached and being bullied by someone on a power trip, and he knew it was all about the latter.
The biggest card Bruce had to play was Chad's status. As a CT, Chad had no seniority and no union protection. As an at-will employee with no union support, Chad really had no leg to stand on. Bruce finally played that card and fired Chad. Chad did not go down lightly and went to the media. Before I came to work that day I knew Chad was fired. This was before we had cell phones, text messages, and Facebook, so word had to travel quickly for me to know before my shift. This was one of the most shocking bits of news I had ever heard because it made me realize that Bruce was not a manager, he was a bully. He wanted to chop the head off the dragon, and he did it. I knew I would never be able to trust him if he was willing to let go of his best skipper because it bruised his own ego.
Unfortunately, it didn't end there. We all met at TGI Friday's over the next few nights, as we usually did after closing. The first night a letter started to circulate from an anonymous source named "Trader Sam" (the nickname for the figure at the end of the ride before approaching the dock) that spelled out everything that was going wrong at the Jungle Cruise. It chronicled Bruce's antics, including sending another manager to hide out in the jungle and spy on skippers giving their spiels. (Too bad that idiot wore a bright pink shirt while he was hiding.) Bruce found out about "Trader Sam" and started harrassing the CT skippers about his identity. Unfortunately, no one was talking. Even if people knew for a fact what was going on, the damage had been done because we could not trust Bruce. Eventually, someone did squeal, and shock of shocks, became a trainer and lead shortly after that. As the next few days bore on and we continued to hang at Friday's, we watched the massacre continue. Anyone who was a CT and was friends with Chad (AKA ALL CT's) were also fired. I remember calling my friend Sarah to confirm something, and she told me she was fired that day too. Her then-boyfriend walked away after that. I think the next day or the day after, I ran into scheduling and asked them to put me on Light Magic Guest Control for the rest of the summer. I was afraid to stay there. Even though I was CR (regular yearly) and subject to union protection, I was only 19 at the time, and if he had fired me I would have taken it. In fact, a couple of months later, someone told Bruce I had shared the story of the summer, and he looked me dead in the eyes and said, "If you were a CT, I would have fired you too." I stayed at Disneyland until 2005 and ran into Bruce periodically, and he never really could look me in the eyes after that. I don't know where Bruce is today (and really don't care), but I don't think he ever got over the threat to his ego that Chad was. He actually thought it was all of us against him, and it wasn't until he made it that way.
Looking back on the different memories of that summer, and from sharing stories, I see that that experience has bonded us for life. When we got together, it was like nothing had changed. Chad still stays in touch with some of them and has now reconnected with more. We can look back on it now and laugh, but that summer helped to shape my understanding of the very bright line that can exist between management and front line employees. And you know what? Fire us, write us up, do whatever you want to us. We are family forever now, and I am so greatful for it.
The reunion not only made me realize that we will be friends forever, but it also made me realize much of how I view myself is in my head. I knew I was an immature brat when I was working there, but I felt like everyone else thought the same thing too. Some did, I'm sure, but others didn't really remember me for that. Debi, one of my favorite people from that time, said, "Amy, I remember your smile." That helped me to relax. If I was young and immature, then we were all young and immature. I always feel like people remember each other from the last time we saw them, but in reality, we remember people the way we want to. If Debi remembers me for my smile, then chances are, others remember me the same way too. Thank you, Debi! You seriously made my day with that one comment.
The reunion was a blast. We all realized we need to do it more often, maybe once a year if possible. Time will only stand in our way if we allow it to. Too many people weren't there that should have been. High schools and fraternities/sororities have reunions; we can too.
Reflecting on my vacation, part 2
I went to Disneyland twice this weekend - Friday and Sunday. Saturday night was dedicated to spending time with old friends, which will be covered in another post. That night was too much fun and didn't lead to me getting to sleep until very late - again, see that post when it comes.
Sunday morning we had made breakfast reservations at 8am for Carnation Cafe. It was to be my three cousins, my friend, and my cousin's boyfriend. By the morning of, it we lost the boyfriend and the friend, so it ended up being the four cousins. I made it to the gate by 7:45 am, as I said I would. I had all the tickets, so with the exception of the one cousin who had a pass, the other cousins had to pick up their tickets from me. Leading up to the reservation time of 8, I got texts saying they're on their way, the structure was crowded, the trams were slow, etc. They showed up to the gate at 8:25 am - 40 minutes later than we had agreed on. What's more is that not one of them apologized for being late. I had already made my way to the Cafe to let them know the rest of my party was running late and we ended up making our (not at all tasty) breakfast. I made the decision to not let the tardiness bother me and still tried to make the rest of the day enjoyable.
Here's where it ended up bothering me upon reflection. I had way too much to drink the night before and was mildly hung over with only 3 hours of sleep, but I was there on time. In fact, I was a little early. What was their excuse? They know to allow time for trams, and the parking lot, and anything that can delay them. If I had told them they were being signed in at 7:30, they would have been on time because I have always made it clear that they better be on time or they don't get in. Why, then, do I not get the same consideration? Why did they think it was okay to be late, and then to not apologize for it? What that makes clear is that their time is valuable and mine is not. It is perfectly acceptable for anyone, especially family, to wait on them. The reason I think this is because they did not apologize once. Had they apologized, I may think differently.
I know they will read this, so understand this: from now on, my time is valuable. I can have a blast in the park by myself. I do not need to wait for you. This is not just at Disneyland, this is everywhere. If I can be on time feeling as shitty as I do, so can you. I will not wait anymore. I am sick and tired of waiting on people who do not consider anyone else's time valuable. I hope you remember this. And the next time you are late, I hope you apologize and don't do it again. Not just to me, but to anyone else you keep waiting.
Sunday morning we had made breakfast reservations at 8am for Carnation Cafe. It was to be my three cousins, my friend, and my cousin's boyfriend. By the morning of, it we lost the boyfriend and the friend, so it ended up being the four cousins. I made it to the gate by 7:45 am, as I said I would. I had all the tickets, so with the exception of the one cousin who had a pass, the other cousins had to pick up their tickets from me. Leading up to the reservation time of 8, I got texts saying they're on their way, the structure was crowded, the trams were slow, etc. They showed up to the gate at 8:25 am - 40 minutes later than we had agreed on. What's more is that not one of them apologized for being late. I had already made my way to the Cafe to let them know the rest of my party was running late and we ended up making our (not at all tasty) breakfast. I made the decision to not let the tardiness bother me and still tried to make the rest of the day enjoyable.
Here's where it ended up bothering me upon reflection. I had way too much to drink the night before and was mildly hung over with only 3 hours of sleep, but I was there on time. In fact, I was a little early. What was their excuse? They know to allow time for trams, and the parking lot, and anything that can delay them. If I had told them they were being signed in at 7:30, they would have been on time because I have always made it clear that they better be on time or they don't get in. Why, then, do I not get the same consideration? Why did they think it was okay to be late, and then to not apologize for it? What that makes clear is that their time is valuable and mine is not. It is perfectly acceptable for anyone, especially family, to wait on them. The reason I think this is because they did not apologize once. Had they apologized, I may think differently.
I know they will read this, so understand this: from now on, my time is valuable. I can have a blast in the park by myself. I do not need to wait for you. This is not just at Disneyland, this is everywhere. If I can be on time feeling as shitty as I do, so can you. I will not wait anymore. I am sick and tired of waiting on people who do not consider anyone else's time valuable. I hope you remember this. And the next time you are late, I hope you apologize and don't do it again. Not just to me, but to anyone else you keep waiting.
Reflecting on my vacation, part 1
This weekend I went to Disneyland with a friend and her children, ages 13, 10, and 7. For the two older ones, they had been enough times to have experienced the big rides and to remember what they liked. Also, they were old enough to know about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the other mythical creatures who completed our childhood. The 7-year old hasn't made it that far yet. This was the first trip to Disneyland since he was 2 and I was able to sign them in. Essentially, this was his first trip. Understandably, he was trepedatious about certain rides. I suggested starting him on Big Thunder Mountain instead of Space Mountain because at least he could see what was coming; his mother disagreed. Instead, she insisted on taking him on Indiana Jones, Tower of Terror, and all of the other big rides that are not as easy to introduce to smaller children. He did not ride California Screamin', but he did love Soarin' Over California, as we all did. I am not suggesting that I know more about her child than she does, but I have seen enough children over the years to know that forcing them to go on a ride they're not ready for even once can be enough to sour them for the rest of the day. Parents think their kids are ready for a ride because they see other children younger or smaller who can handle it just fine; or, they think they should be able to handle it because the video games they play are mature enough for this ride to not matter. I know the importance of baby steps when it comes to something that can genuinely freak a child out, and in a place like Disneyland, when the park is as slammed as it was, do you really want to add one extra level of stress to a day that is already going to be tough to make it through?
Sadly, this was not the part of the day that bothered me when it came to mom and her 7-year-old. It bothered me much more that she was telling him how everything worked before he had a chance to see it. She was telling him not to worry about the snowman on Matterhorn because it was just a pair of lights. She told him he wouldn't like the Haunted Mansion because he wouldn't like the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas," even though he hadn't seen it and doesn't know what to compare the mansion overlay to. She told him about the people inside the character costumes, and how "Tinkerbell flies" from the Matterhorn and crashes into someone in back, and everything that could ruin the experience for him. While I can see how a child of that age is able to clue in to what is really going on around him, is it really necessary for his mother to be the one to spoil it all for him? Why is it she cannot support the magic that Disneyland has worked hard to create so that he can be as fulfilled by the experience as possible? There are tactics parents can use to make their children understand how things work without giving it away. For example, when we were leaving, the 7-year-old asked how the Wicked Queen in "Fantasmic!" changed into the Evil Witch. We told him it was magic, just like Harry Potter. He said Harry Potter wasn't magic, it was special effects. I laughed at that because to me, that's about as much as a 7-year-old should believe at that point. Unfortunately, I'm sure after I left that mom told him about the ol' switcheroo that takes place when the smoke is at its thickest.
Why was it necessary to be so blatant about how these things happen? Why was it necessary for mom to destroy any hopes of magic and not give her the son to be fully immersed in the experience? Is it because she has lost the ability to relate to the innocense and nostalgia of childhood? Is it because she herself has become jaded and feels that she is lying to her children by giving them an illusion to believe is truth? If she had daughters instead of sons (something she said she's grateful to not have), would she prevent them from coming to the parks in their princess dresses because she thinks it's stupid to believe in such a thing? Sadly, I think so.
It really wasn't fun in the overall experience to be in the park with her and her children, and that's a sad thing to say about someone I have been friends with for so long. The park had about 60,000 people, if not more, and she insisted on seeing every major ride and Fantasmic! in one day. She was genuinely annoyed by the people and the wait times. She was genuinely annoyed with me when I took the single rider option on Indiana Jones and waited 20 minutes, while they waited the full hour and a half. She didn't give me the opportunity to tell them that if I had seen them in line on my way up, I would have joined them instead of taking the single ride. All of these elements are what can cause someone with a Type-A personality to explode, as she did. I found the best parts of the day were when I took her older children onto Screamin', and when I met up with other friends to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, one of the most fun rides I had been on in years. She made the experience more about her than her children or even me. When it came time for dinner, she was annoyed that she had to schlep her children all over the park because they were such picky eaters that they couldn't all agree on one location, and it would have cost her $60 to feed them. Of course, if she had bought a full-size cheese pizza for $22, that would have been easier. (BTW, parents, if your children are picky eaters to the point where you have to prepare different meals for each of them and it's not because of allergies, that's your fault. You allowed it to happen. They eat what's being served or they don't eat. When they learn that the pickiness disappears.)
At the end of the day, I broke away from them because it was the only way I would not go off on her for being so damned high-stress. I didn't need people around me who would act like that all day. I didn't need people who would bitch about what they couldn't control rather than go with the flow and work with the things they could control. Disneyland is stressful enough. I love her - she's my oldest friend and we'll always be friends, but I am not likely to spend the day at Disneyland with her again any time soon.
Sadly, this was not the part of the day that bothered me when it came to mom and her 7-year-old. It bothered me much more that she was telling him how everything worked before he had a chance to see it. She was telling him not to worry about the snowman on Matterhorn because it was just a pair of lights. She told him he wouldn't like the Haunted Mansion because he wouldn't like the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas," even though he hadn't seen it and doesn't know what to compare the mansion overlay to. She told him about the people inside the character costumes, and how "Tinkerbell flies" from the Matterhorn and crashes into someone in back, and everything that could ruin the experience for him. While I can see how a child of that age is able to clue in to what is really going on around him, is it really necessary for his mother to be the one to spoil it all for him? Why is it she cannot support the magic that Disneyland has worked hard to create so that he can be as fulfilled by the experience as possible? There are tactics parents can use to make their children understand how things work without giving it away. For example, when we were leaving, the 7-year-old asked how the Wicked Queen in "Fantasmic!" changed into the Evil Witch. We told him it was magic, just like Harry Potter. He said Harry Potter wasn't magic, it was special effects. I laughed at that because to me, that's about as much as a 7-year-old should believe at that point. Unfortunately, I'm sure after I left that mom told him about the ol' switcheroo that takes place when the smoke is at its thickest.
Why was it necessary to be so blatant about how these things happen? Why was it necessary for mom to destroy any hopes of magic and not give her the son to be fully immersed in the experience? Is it because she has lost the ability to relate to the innocense and nostalgia of childhood? Is it because she herself has become jaded and feels that she is lying to her children by giving them an illusion to believe is truth? If she had daughters instead of sons (something she said she's grateful to not have), would she prevent them from coming to the parks in their princess dresses because she thinks it's stupid to believe in such a thing? Sadly, I think so.
It really wasn't fun in the overall experience to be in the park with her and her children, and that's a sad thing to say about someone I have been friends with for so long. The park had about 60,000 people, if not more, and she insisted on seeing every major ride and Fantasmic! in one day. She was genuinely annoyed by the people and the wait times. She was genuinely annoyed with me when I took the single rider option on Indiana Jones and waited 20 minutes, while they waited the full hour and a half. She didn't give me the opportunity to tell them that if I had seen them in line on my way up, I would have joined them instead of taking the single ride. All of these elements are what can cause someone with a Type-A personality to explode, as she did. I found the best parts of the day were when I took her older children onto Screamin', and when I met up with other friends to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, one of the most fun rides I had been on in years. She made the experience more about her than her children or even me. When it came time for dinner, she was annoyed that she had to schlep her children all over the park because they were such picky eaters that they couldn't all agree on one location, and it would have cost her $60 to feed them. Of course, if she had bought a full-size cheese pizza for $22, that would have been easier. (BTW, parents, if your children are picky eaters to the point where you have to prepare different meals for each of them and it's not because of allergies, that's your fault. You allowed it to happen. They eat what's being served or they don't eat. When they learn that the pickiness disappears.)
At the end of the day, I broke away from them because it was the only way I would not go off on her for being so damned high-stress. I didn't need people around me who would act like that all day. I didn't need people who would bitch about what they couldn't control rather than go with the flow and work with the things they could control. Disneyland is stressful enough. I love her - she's my oldest friend and we'll always be friends, but I am not likely to spend the day at Disneyland with her again any time soon.