She knew who I was

[AquamarineSteph]

Wow, I feel so unloved! Nobody's ever greeted me by name (and I use ME and online check-in).

The greeting we got last year at ASMo made me feel like I was checking in at a Motel 6 (not the most warm-fuzzy or caring front desk CM's on that trip).

Guess there are a lot of single moms checking in with a daughter so they're not sure which family we are?!

Don't feel like the only one not greeted by name. We've stayed several times at moderate level resorts on site, and regardless of whether we drove there, used ME from the airport or online check-in, nobody ever greeted us by name. In fact, I'd say that the one consistent detail despite changing resorts was that it always felt like we were in the way of the CM's doing more important things. And just to clarify, there were never large crowds checking in when we were. We were maybe like one of three or four families each time.

So perhaps that particular bit of magic is random and sporadic or specific to certain hotels?

 

[MSSANDRA]

I wish you guys had not told me about the gate guy calling ahead.....We were greeted by name last year at CSR and I attributed it to pure magic. It WAS 7:00am and we WERE the ONLY family checking in sooooo. People just love to be addressed by name.
We have a new principal at our school this year and when they kids came to open house.....he was addressing the majority of kids 1-5 grade by name. He was hanging out in kindergarten, greeting these kids and parents and taking pictures of him with each kindergartener. When we dropped off the kids a couple days later, he greeted them by name as well!!! We later learned he had studied the year book from the previous year till he knew those kids names, and then studied his kindergarten kids pictures and his notes till he knew them. Made a HUGE impression on kids and parents.

 

[bumbershoot]

I've never been greeted like this, not at the DVC resorts we've stayed at, POR, CBR, or AS sports.

But that's OK; I wouldn't like it, personally. DH and DS would love it, even though they would absolutely get our name wrong (we don't have one family name...DH and I both kept our names and DS is hyphenated), but I would just be weirded out by it.

 

[Robo]

People just love to be addressed by name.

Some do.

I wouldn't like it, personally.

I dislike it when I don't know the person who is calling me by name.

Car salesmen.
Retail store clerks.


For awhile, Walmart was having their checkers call customers by name when
they used their charge cards.
The practice was largely stopped when so many customers complained about it.

This new Disney FP+/MyMagic+ has an element of "magically" calling guests by name...
We'll have to watch and see if it becomes a HIT, or a MISS.

 

[jennifer in canada]

Our family of four did the pirates cruise this trip and a similar thing happened, but I have no idea how they would know our family by name from that....there were lots of families there already checked in. At the time we said oh, we must be the last family to check in, but as we watched there were tons after us so it could not have been that!

 

[Disney mom12]

This happened to us at animal kingdom kidani a couple years ago. We used online check in and magic express and happened to fly first class that trip. I don't know what let them know it was us but it was a nice feeling to be greeted, have them call over bell services to help with our carry on stuff and escort us to the check in counter to finish up. I don't know if it counts as pixie dust officially but to me it did!

This happened to us last year at Kidani as well, and I'm hoping it happens again in October. It was an awesome way to kick off the magic! We also used online check in and magical express, so they must just assume based on what time your flight arrives.

 

[RandFamily]

We've had this happen numerous times at the Beach Club but not at other resorts. I just completed our post-trip survey from having stayed at Kidani and one of the questions they asked was whether we were greeted by name before we checked in, so they must be training CM's to do this and wanting it to happen.

 

[ZehnJahren]

This happened to us too, when we stayed at YC (but not at the CR or AKL). We checked in at security and drove up to the valet area; when they opened my car door and addressed me as "Ms. X", my mom shot me a look and I shot her a raised eyebrow. Not something I was expecting!

 

[MOM POPPINS]

We were greeted at the Boardwalk recently... the man in the guard shack used what looked like a walkie talkie .. talked to someone and said we had arrived.

 

[ZoZo]

Maybe by the 5-inch red, white and blue
name badge you were wearing?

.

Hee hee.

 

[aVASTGrl]

The only time I've had this happen was at YC last year. I thought it was something new they were trying maybe! Of course, I was only one of two people checking in from the DME arrival so they had a 50-50 chance of being right

 

[gr8leg8]

We have a new principal at our school this year and when they kids came to open house.....he was addressing the majority of kids 1-5 grade by name. He was hanging out in kindergarten, greeting these kids and parents and taking pictures of him with each kindergartener. When we dropped off the kids a couple days later, he greeted them by name as well!!! We later learned he had studied the year book from the previous year till he knew those kids names, and then studied his kindergarten kids pictures and his notes till he knew them. Made a HUGE impression on kids and parents.

A great principal is worth their weight in gold!!
My DD is just about to graduate from 5th. We've been at the same school since Kinder. Her principal still doesn't know her name. She even calls teachers by the wrong name.

 

[fairestoneofall]

we were greeted by name at the Contemporary on our last trip. i just assumed the guard called ahead. it was nice though. i consider it a "perk" for a deluxe.

i think it would be harder to do at a Value (which we've never been greeted by name) because they are usually more people checking into those resorts. i don't anticipated being greeted at AofA in October.

 

[ghtx]

I dislike it when I don't know the person who is calling me by name.

Car salesmen.
Retail store clerks.


For awhile, Walmart was having their checkers call customers by name when
they used their charge cards.
The practice was largely stopped when so many customers complained about it.

This new Disney FP+/MyMagic+ has an element of "magically" calling guests by name...
We'll have to watch and see if it becomes a HIT, or a MISS.

I would guess that most people like being called by name when it's by someone who knows them, e.g. a waiter at a favorite restaurant or a clerk at a bookstore that you frequent.

But most people don't like it when it's obvious that it's some corporate ploy to create artificial congeniality, e.g. reading your name off of a credit card or scanning your RFID-enabled bracelet.

Suum cuique.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

Since this thread is about an experience that occurred at a Disney Resort, I've moved it to the Disney Resorts board.

 

[LisaCM614]

we were greeted by name at the Contemporary on our last trip. i just assumed the guard called ahead. it was nice though. i consider it a "perk" for a deluxe.

i think it would be harder to do at a Value (which we've never been greeted by name) because they are usually more people checking into those resorts. i don't anticipated being greeted at AofA in October.

LOL Nope no official greeter but there were cast members at the front door.
Check in at AoA even with doing online check in was quite different from the deluxe!