I conclude my informal interviews with Magic Kingdom Cast Members. How well did they do?

Pirates of the Caribbean

Older gentleman: “I can tell you anything you’d like to know...”

Young lady: “This attraction opened in... Disneyland’s opened in...”

Young man: “This attraction has a great history...”

(Each offered accurate history and many accurate facts.)

Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise

Me: “When did this ride open?”

Group of five Cast Members: “Ummm... Not sure... Probably a long time ago.... Like years ago...”

Me: “So do any of you know if it’s new or not?”

Group: “At least five or six years old... Maybe when the park opened... Maybe like 1980.”

Me (asking one of them who has worked at Walt Disney World for over ten years): So was it here when you started?”

Lady: “Ummm... yeaaah. Yeah.”

Me: “Was it based on the movie?”

Group: “No.”

Liberty Square River Boat

Me: “Is this the same as Disneyland’s Mark Twain?”

Young man: “Similar with the following differences.... Meet me up at the door of the wheel house and I’ll tell you more.”

Me: “EXCELLENT.”

(Up at the Wheel House)

Young man: “Come on in. You can ride in here. This is the Captains Quarters and up those stairs we have the Wheel House. We steer the wheel for show but the boat is guided by an underwater track. Would you like to sound the whistle and ring the bell?”

Me: “Do I!”

Young man: “Here’s the procedure. We sound the whistle and ring the bell for different scenarios...”

Me: “I’m from California and love Disneyland but would like to learn more about Magic Kingdom.”

Young man: “Absolutely. What would you like to learn about?”

(Excellent and memorable experience full of accurate history.)

Jungle Cruise

Me: “Were there ever live animals on this ride?”

Young lady (at the entrance): “No, although Walt Disney intended on using live animals at Disneyland.”

Me: “Did Walt Disney design this park?”

Second young lady: “Yes. All of it.”

Me: “I’m sure plans for this park changed a bit after his death, right?”

Second young lady: “I don’t think so.”

Me: “Did Walt design Epcot?”

Second young lady: “Yes he did.”

Me: “Not Epcot the theme park though.”

Second young lady: “Yes. Have you been over there? That was Walt’s dream for his Florida property.”

Me: “I think he wanted E.P.C.O.T. the city, not Epcot the way we know it today.”

Both young ladies: “NO. The theme park. The whole park was based on his ideas.” (It really wasn't.)

Adventureland Egg Roll Cart (Near the old Plaza Swan Boat waterway.)

Me: “Where were the Swan Boats?”

Gentleman: “I don’t know.”

Young man: “Around here somewhere.”

Lady: “There were two Swan Boat rides. One was by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The other shared a dock with Jungle Cruise.”

Me: “Two, huh? I hear they circled the Treehouse. Is that true?”

Lady: “No. There’s nowhere for them to go around the Treehouse.”

Me: “Looks like there’s a waterway right there.”

Lady: “No. It wouldn’t have worked.” (It did work.)

Pop Corn Stand at Big Thunder Mountain

Me: “Have they begun the new additions to the Big Thunder queue?”

Young man: “The what?”

Me: “The queue.”

Young man (looking to young lady): “You know what that is?”

Young lady: “No.”

Me: “The line you wait in to get on the ride.”

Young man and young lady: “Oh. No, they haven't.” (They had.)

Frontierland Merchandise Stand

Me: “Where were the Swan Boats?”

Two young ladies: “The what? No clue.”

Older lady: “They went around the moat.”

Me: “Only the moat?”

Older lady: “Yes.”

Me: “What can you tell me about Walt Disney World history?”

Older Lady: “Anything you’d like to know. I’m like a walking encyclopedia. There are names on Main Street windows.... Walt wanted to acquire all the land he could in this area...” (Provided mostly-accurate information about the Florida property.)

Parade Audience Control in Frontierland

Me: “Where’s Carousel of Progress?”

Lady: “Behind the Castle.”

Me: “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean the Carousel, I meant Carousel of Progress.”

Lady: “I’ve never heard of it.”

Hall of Presidents

(Those guys knew everything about everything, especially their attraction.)

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Me: “What was here before?”

Two young ladies and one young man: “Don’t know.”

Me: I remember something from when I was younger...”

Young man: “We probably weren’t even born then.”

Young lady (after hitting young man): “That’s so rude. You just called him old.” (I’m 32 years old.)

Second young lady: “Something to do with Lion King.”

Older gentleman: “Mickey Mouse show and maybe a Finding Nemo show but I’m not sure.” (He meant Mickey Mouse Review.)

Merchant of Venus gift shop:

Me: “Can you tell me about that model city visible from the Peoplemover?”

Young man (Operating Participant, non-Disney): “Yes, it represents Walt Disney’s idea for a city called E.P.C.O.T. I don’t know much about the model itself but I can tell you about the E.P.C.O.T. city concept...” (Provided accurate information.)

Young lady: “And Disney ended up building a city eventually. It’s called Celebration.”

Me: “That’s not even close.”

Casey’s Corner

Me: “When did this park open?”

Older lady: “I don’t know.”

Me: “What about Epcot?”

Older lady: “I don’t know.”

Me: “Do you know?”

Young lady (dancing behind the food counter): “Um, this park opened in 1971.” (Continued to dance around instead of getting me my corn dog nuggets.)

City Hall

Me: “I’d like to know more about the Progress City model I saw from the Peoplemover.”

Guest Relations lady: “No one here will know about that. Sorry. The morning people know more than the night people.”

Me: “Was that model moved here from Disneyland?”

Guest Relations lady: “No.” (It was.)

Me: “Wasn’t that city supposed to be built instead of EPCOT Center?”

Guest Relations lady: “Well Walt did design EPCOT Center.”

Me: “Not really.”

Guest Relations lady: “Yes because international CPs work in the different villas.” (Did she mean World Showcase pavilions?) “Ask a tour guide at Chamber of Commerce. They’ll know.”

Chamber of Commerce

Me: “Who can tell me about that model city?”

Older lady: “My manager.”

Manager: “I don’t know much about it. Come back in the morning. The tour guides know more.”

I can't say I was too surprised. Having worked in a variety of Magic Kingdom frontline roles, I saw countless coworkers incorrectly answer even the most basic questions. As many people on Twitter have mentioned, it's policy for Cast Members to say, "I don't know the answer to that, but I can help you find the answer". Sadly, this almost never happened on my little tour. Even worse, I was often told false information. It appeared that many quizzees felt it was better (and perhaps faster) to give an answer, albeit false, than to say "I don't know" then be required to help find an answer.

I must mention I was pleasantly surprised a number of times when Cast Members went above and beyond. They answered questions accurately then took it a step further. The River Boat experience, for example, is something I had not previously experienced. I rode the entire trip around Rivers of America in the Wheel House. It will be something I'll remember throughout my life. Kudos to everyone who cares enough to accommodate the nerdy inquiries of people like me.

NEXT TIME: Pop Quizzes: Disneyland

Pop Quizzes: Magic Kingdom [Part 1]

Pirates of the Caribbean Like You've Never Seen It

A Look at the Progress City Model- Then and Now

Magic Kingdom Map Found in a Main Street Wall

Swiss Family Treehouse Model



