4. How did we get outside?

This one was actually asked a few years ago by my then-boyfriend. An architect from Prague, and an utter realist who prided himself on his inability to suspend disbelief, he was genuinely stunned by Pirates of the Caribbean. When we reached the end of the drop and passed by the ships trading cannon fire, he looked around in confusion. As we began passing through the town, he leaned over and asked me this question in a completely earnest manner.

Never mind that we had entered the attraction on a bright, hot, cloudless afternoon and it was now dark and cool “outside,” he was totally convinced that we were really outdoors. When I explained how the attraction worked, and that we were actually inside a very large show building, his mouth fell open in shock. He spent the rest of the ride squinting into the darkness trying to make out the distant walls.

5. Do you know where I can buy a hot dog?

This question was reported to me by a friend who once sold hot dogs at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Apparently an older couple approached his hot dog stand and asked, in complete seriousness, where they could purchase a hot dog. He stared wordlessly at them for a moment, so they repeated the question.

After a few awkward moments, my friend grabbed a pair of tongs, reached into the hot dog twirler, and pulled one out. Still holding it in the tongs, he waved the hot dog in the couple’s faces and asked, “Do you mean a hot dog like this?”

The woman smiled broadly and nodded excitedly. “Yes! Yes! Just like that one!”

My friend replaced the hot dog in the twirler before answering, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I have no idea.” The couple shrugged and walked away.

While this was definitely not my friend’s most shining moment as a cast member, I’m not quite sure what I would have done in that situation. To this day, I can’t figure out what they were thinking. My best conclusion is that they must have thought his cart was a set piece and not an actual vending station. Obviously, he should have handled it with a genuine smile and a, “You can buy one right here!” But if nothing else, this example proves that both guests and cast members are only human.

Cast members and team members hear many unusual questions, and their job is to answer them as accurately and completely as possible. No matter what question you have, or how silly it might seem, never be afraid to ask. Odds are good that the person you are asking has heard something even more bizarre earlier that day.