At Disneyland, Fantasyland cast members (myself included) would rope off Toontown and Sleeping Beauty's Castle, as well as every ride in Fantasyland so that in case of a fire, nobody would burn to death. It's a nice gesture. We'd stand guard with our orange crowd control sticks and redirect people around the Matterhorn if they're trying to get to "it's a small world" or Tomorrowland, once in a while shaming knuckleheads who ducked under the ropes.
I remember working alongside some firemen, really cool guys with a lot of life experience. We'd talk until the fireworks went off. I have a lot of respect for the Disneyland fire department. If I'm not mistaken, they're mostly (if not all) retired firefighters who happen to work at Disneyland because... well, why not? One of them told me his wife pushed him to work there for free tickets, and so that he'd have something to do.
Every time we'd block off Fantasyland, we'd also block off the restrooms. This led to a lot of angry individuals trying to get to the nearest one.
"Are you serious?", they would ask when I told them the second closest restroom was in Tomorrowland. I've rarely ever seen so many angry faces in such short amounts of time. I once had a discussion with a fireman, a guy who has most likely stared death in the face time after time, who agreed with me when I said that working at Disneyland was hard. Of course, every job should be at least a little challenging, otherwise it's purgatory with a paycheck. What made working at Disneyland so tough was that you really get invested with people's plights. And often, they'll take it out on you even while you're in the act of helping them. You just have to endure it.
Storybook Land during the fireworks was a little different from the ropes. We'd stop right on the canals to get a view of the show in our boats, our guests right there with us, surrounded by fireworks shot off in Toontown and Fantasyland. Sounds great on paper. As it turns out, it'll do a number on your ears. I recall a few little kids freaking out from the noise, trying to hide deep in their parents' embrace. Of course, once you're on the ride, you're in it for the whole shebang. That's why we warned everyone as they boarded around firework o' clock.
Once in a while, the booming voice of Disneyland's announcer would come on and say "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls (always leaving out transsexuals and hermaphrodites), due to high winds, Disneyland will not be showcasing its fireworks display...".
One night, that voice made the cancellation announcement while I was on the Storybook dock and a teenage kid in line started bawling. I asked him what was wrong and he replied, in a British accent, "I'm crying because there's not going to be any fye-uh wuks tonight!" I had no idea other people liked them so much until then. I've always known them to be nifty, but for some people, they're really awe-inspiring.
Once in a while, the booming voice of Disneyland's announcer would come on and say "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls (always leaving out transsexuals and hermaphrodites), due to high winds, Disneyland will not be showcasing its fireworks display...".
One night, that voice made the cancellation announcement while I was on the Storybook dock and a teenage kid in line started bawling. I asked him what was wrong and he replied, in a British accent, "I'm crying because there's not going to be any fye-uh wuks tonight!" I had no idea other people liked them so much until then. I've always known them to be nifty, but for some people, they're really awe-inspiring.
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