Disney Headlines for December 19th, 2023
Disney theme parks have faced a challenging decision over the past few years.
Once Disney finally settled on a response, I’m afraid the company got it wrong.
We’ve got a frustrating lead topic in this week’s batch of Disney Headlines.
Disney Bans Good People
A few months ago, I started hearing rumors from people inside and outside Disney.
In a few isolated instances, longtime Disney tour guides had received bans from the park.
Yes, some people who do a lot of good at Disney theme parks just suffered humiliation and financial loss.
The process here involves security and some awkward discussions. It’s pretty grim.
Cast members identify someone they believe is working as a third-party tour guide.
The person gets stopped and provided with a trespassing notification from Orange County police.
Then, they must leave the premises, even if they own valid admission for the day.
If you’ve ever had someone at work box up your stuff and have security escort you from the building, it’s a lot like that.
Of course, it’s worse because your office security people aren’t real law enforcement officials. The ones at Disney are.
You can imagine how mortifying it would feel to enter the Most Magical Place on Earth, only to learn that they deem you a criminal.
Sadly, that’s exactly what has transpired here. But to evaluate the why of it, we must backtrack a bit.
What Are Tour Guides?
As a reminder, Disney sells a VIP Tour service for a pretty penny.
I’ve discussed the process here a few times in the past. It’s…pretty great.
A Disney cast member wearing a unique plaid outfit greets you at the park – or your hotel lobby if you prefer – and then escorts you everywhere.
This person possesses a rare amount of power over attraction queues. The individual can place your traveling party in the Lightning Lane anywhere.
In some instances, like Pirates of the Caribbean, they can even use a hidden entrance to allow you to cut almost the entirety of the line…legally!
I mean, you’re paying for the privilege of special service at Disney theme parks. So, Disney does it right.
Of course, the cost is price-prohibitive to most people. Disney charges several hundred dollars an hour for its VIP service.
Also, you must book a window of seven hours or more, thereby ensuring you’re paying several thousand dollars for a single Disney visit.
I often describe VIP Tours as a bucket list option for most people. Having done one of these, I would definitely say it’s fun to try.
However, you’ll also find better uses of your money. And that’s where the problem begins.
Disney officials are acutely aware of the pricing for their VIP Tours. Historically, they have looked the other way on some tour tactics.
For example, you’ll find some popular social media communities wherein guests “share” VIP Tours.
Disney allows up to ten guests per VIP Tour. So, groups of strangers split the cost and meet at the parks, often for the first time.
In these scenarios, Disney still gets its money. With third-party tour guides, the situation works differently.
What Does a Third-Party Tour Guide Do?
I’ve heard a great deal about third-party tour guides over the years, but I’ve never used one.
As such, I’m mostly using hearsay and secondhand information here. So, I apologize in advance if I get anything wrong.
The idea of a third-party tour guide is that you’ll gain something akin to the knowledge of an official VIP Tour Guide, a cast member.
However, the person you’re paying doesn’t work with Disney nor have they received any Disney training.
You can already understand why Disney wouldn’t love the idea.
Casual fans would struggle to distinguish official tour guides from third-party vendors until they see the Plaid outfits the Disney cast members wear.
Also, you’re not getting anywhere near the same services or privileges. These outsider tour guides cannot help you skip the lines anywhere.
Again, they don’t work for Disney, so they lack those abilities.
Still, what they do have is knowledge of experience about the inner workings of a theme park visit.
Many third-party guides spend 300+ days annually at the parks. It’s like a second home to them.
The difference is that they’re not playing when they’re at Disney. They’re on the clock, attempting to perfect the vacations of strangers.
These guides will bring park vacationers water, try to find that special piece of merchandise, or suggest the best times to ride the various attractions.
Many of them have decided that they can best help others by teaching them the right ways to approach a park visit.
I find that quest quite noble. These people could spend their days any way they choose. But they make Disney better for others.
Of course, they monetize this pursuit by selling their services. And that’s why we’re having this conversation.
Disney Bans Third-Party Guides
The Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, and other services confirmed the rumors this past week.
Reporters from these publications reached out to former third-party vendors, who confirmed the worst. In fact, it’s somehow worse than the worst.
Without warning, Disney started ejecting recognizable unofficial tour guides from the parks.
These paying customers suddenly lost access to Disney, which left them AND their vacation friends scrambling.
Since the vendors were now banned from Disney, they couldn’t fulfill their obligations to guests who had paid in advance for their services.
Ergo, they had to provide refunds on top of the fact that they suddenly lost their entire business model overnight.
As an additional, almost cruel form of punishment, they could no longer spend their days at Disney theme park.
As a reminder, that was the home away from home for many of them. They turned their love of Disney theme parks into their work life.
Now, Disney has banned these people for at least one year without any means of protest or arbitration. Disney calls the shots, and that’s that.
As MickeyBlog reported, some of the stories are heartbreaking.
We’ve frequently discussed the escalating costs of housing in Central Florida.
Seemingly overnight, these people lost their primary means of income.
Many had to move from the state. Also, their resumes have giant gaps since they were self-employed Disney park visitors.
Final Thoughts about a Lousy Headline
Everything about this is terrible, and I’m frankly disappointed in Disney for not handling the situation better.
An in-person warning or an official announcement about impending policy changes would have been so much more professional.
Seemingly overnight, Disney officials anti-Scrooged as their hearts shrunk three sizes.
This is the type of decision we’d expect during the Bob Chapek era, not the Josh D’Amaro/Bob Iger one.
I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I’m really bummed that Disney handled this so poorly.
This one falls into the category of “the beatings will continue until morale improves,” which isn’t the least bit Disney.
Hopefully, some fans will complain enough that they’ll shame Disney into correcting an easily fixable error.
You know who these people are, Disney. Just undo the bans and let them back in the parks. It’s the right thing to do.
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Feature Photo: Disney