Another rude castmember thread

[donalduck]

Theses people get paid pretty much below the poverty level and you really except every cast memeber to be happy and cheer all day long. Have you ever thought of the crap that they have to deal with every day?
Of course you are going to come across some that are grummpy. Everyone has a bad day. It could have been there bad day. I am sure you have had bad days.

 

[6packdoesdisney]

Just back from 8 day trip as well...LOL
We Definitely encountered a few rude CM's as well, and yes it is shocking when it happens....you just think, really???
Some of these kids get a little authority over the guests and yikes, some can be quite rude and drill sargeant like.
It used to be that you would nearly never have these incidents, but yeah, they are humans and many are young and immature and insecure.
And in the sweltering heat and massive crowds and BAM, a recipe for hostility and anger breaks out, even in Disney!
It's a part of life everywhere nowadays, unfortunately.

We really thought some of the other guests were horridly behaved.
Many, many line cutters! Several coolers on wheels to trip over.
These are the things we wish Disney would address, enforcing their own policies
would be a great place to start in thwarting the entitled, hostile guests, making unpleasant incidents soil other guests magical days!

 

[WDSearcher]

OP here. I turned around as soon as I heard she was having an issue. I definitely saw the glare and the panic on her face.

I wholly put the blame on Disney and the fact that they cut down on training. In both cases the cast members were doing their job, but it was more important to be "right" even if it meant giving me as the guest a bad experience. It's just so jarring since for years that never happened at WDW.

These kinds of comments always confuse me. Yes, training is fewer days than it was back in the first days of WDW, but the training process has been the same for at least a decade. If this is truly the first time in all your trips that you've had a rude CM, then it can't really be blamed on training, since training hasn't significantly changed in the past ten years.

But more than that ... I don't understand why it's so hard to believe that a Disney CM might just be the wrong person in the wrong job. There are a lot (a LOT) of people who take a job at WDW thinking it's going to be pixie dust and smiles all day. They think going to work will be the same as visiting as a guest. They come into Casting and say, "I'll do any job you have -- I just want to work at Disney World!"

So ... Disney puts them into whichever job they most need to fill -- usually Foods, Custodial or Turnstiles. And then that person discovers that working at Disney is just that -- WORK. Some people are not suited to it. They could get three weeks of training from Walt himself and STILL end up unhappy in their job and rude to guests.

 

[Luvchefmic]

These kinds of comments always confuse me. Yes, training is fewer days than it was back in the first days of WDW, but the training process has been the same for at least a decade. If this is truly the first time in all your trips that you've had a rude CM, then it can't really be blamed on training, since training hasn't significantly changed in the past ten years.

But more than that ... I don't understand why it's so hard to believe that a Disney CM might just be the wrong person in the wrong job. There are a lot (a LOT) of people who take a job at WDW thinking it's going to be pixie dust and smiles all day. They think going to work will be the same as visiting as a guest. They come into Casting and say, "I'll do any job you have -- I just want to work at Disney World!"

So ... Disney puts them into whichever job they most need to fill -- usually Foods, Custodial or Turnstiles. And then that person discovers that working at Disney is just that -- WORK. Some people are not suited to it. They could get three weeks of training from Walt himself and STILL end up unhappy in their job and rude to guests.

Absolutely agree with everything you said especially like the last line ! Well put

 

[Magpie]

These kinds of comments always confuse me. Yes, training is fewer days than it was back in the first days of WDW, but the training process has been the same for at least a decade. If this is truly the first time in all your trips that you've had a rude CM, then it can't really be blamed on training, since training hasn't significantly changed in the past ten years.

But more than that ... I don't understand why it's so hard to believe that a Disney CM might just be the wrong person in the wrong job. There are a lot (a LOT) of people who take a job at WDW thinking it's going to be pixie dust and smiles all day. They think going to work will be the same as visiting as a guest. They come into Casting and say, "I'll do any job you have -- I just want to work at Disney World!"

So ... Disney puts them into whichever job they most need to fill -- usually Foods, Custodial or Turnstiles. And then that person discovers that working at Disney is just that -- WORK. Some people are not suited to it. They could get three weeks of training from Walt himself and STILL end up unhappy in their job and rude to guests.

I was coming here to say this, but you already said it perfectly.

I've been reading these "castmember horror stories" for years, and someone always thinks it's because of "cut backs" or "kids these days" or the "decline of society". But the simple fact is, Disney's not going to heck in a handbasket. It's just that the more often you visit, the more the pixie dust wears away and the more sensitive you become to the small imperfections that were always there all along.

OP, sorry you had the bad luck to run into a couple grumpy castmembers!

 

[disnut8]

A long time WDW visitor here. Yesterday, I had two encounters with cast members who were rude. Well, I had one and I witnessed another. Both instances took me by surprise because it just so unexpected at Disney! Both happened at Magic Kingdom.

Incident #1. Entering park with my 11 year old niece. She is using day 3 of a five day pass. On the previous days she has not had to use the finger scan. This time, the Cast Member told her to put her finger on. When that didn't work, he told her to try her thumb. Still didnt work. She was confused since she had not had to do this before and he glared at her. he was an older guy and was very intimidating to an 11 year old. I was ahead of her and turned back to see a look of panic on her face. He then asked me if it was a new ticket, I said no since this was our third day. He scanned it and told me it was a new ticket since there was no thumb print attached to it. This was said in a very accusatory tone like I was lying to him. I said, this is the third day she has used it, and she has not had to use a finger scan until now. He then let me know that we had been doing it "wrong" and he was right. All this while the line was backing up behind us. I wanted to say "whatever" but didnt. I am sure he saw it in my face though and kept on talking. It was as if he had to convince me that he was "right." He was holding her pass so we couldn't leave. I finally just held out my hand.

Incident # 2. Late afternoon in Magic Kingdom sipping my Starbucks latte on the patio tables by the ice cream store. We were sharing a table with another couple. My niece got up to get a napkin. As soon as she got up, a cast member pulled the chair away. The guy sitting with us stopped her and said "we are still using it." She gave him a really disgusted look. He called her on it and then she told us that she had to clear away the tables for a show that was starting at 5pm. It was now 4:15. She said she had to take the chairs away as soon as someone stood up. My new friend told her to wait as we were still using the chair. She got really angry. I started looking around and caught the eye of another cast member. He came over and got in front of the angry one. He told my niece (who was now standing there with her napkin), to sit down. He told us to take as much time as we needed.

Yes, it was hot. Yes, they might have been having a bad day. No, I didn't go and report them. I wasn't going to waste my time. However, I have never had these types of experiences at Disney before.

Okay, now I feel better.

On incident #1 - what happened on day 4 and 5 of the ticket? Did your niece need to have a finger scan? She was let into the park and I don't think she had problems with getting FastPasses so all was good.

On incident #2 - you got the chair back so no big deal.

I could never be a Disney Cast Member - just too many things to deal with. I'd be told to get finger scans for anyone with an adult ticket only to be told by an aunt that her niece never had to do that before. Well, I wasn't there but this is what I'm told today. I'm told to take chairs away so the area can be cleared for a show. I don't know where that girl went or when she's coming back so I do what I'm told to do.

Sorry that people feel the Cast Members need to be happy and perky all freaking day long. I can tell you that doesn't happen at my work at all. And I get paid a lot more.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

On incident #1 - what happened on day 4 and 5 of the ticket? Did your niece need to have a finger scan? She was let into the park and I don't think she had problems with getting FastPasses so all was good.

On incident #2 - you got the chair back so no big deal.

I could never be a Disney Cast Member - just too many things to deal with. I'd be told to get finger scans for anyone with an adult ticket only to be told by an aunt that her niece never had to do that before. Well, I wasn't there but this is what I'm told today. I'm told to take chairs away so the area can be cleared for a show. I don't know where that girl went or when she's coming back so I do what I'm told to do.

Sorry that people feel the Cast Members need to be happy and perky all freaking day long. I can tell you that doesn't happen at my work at all. And I get paid a lot more.

Sorry, but NO to everything. WDW would never have become more than an amusement park if their customer focus was as low as your expectations.

 

[Senator Tressel]

Turnstile CM has got to be the worst position in Disney (other than maybe parking). You stand outside in the hot all day dealing with ticket problems that you can't necessarily do anything about. They are trying to get people through as quickly as possible and it must be frustrating when things go wrong.

 

[Hisgirl]

In my opinion, we build Disney visits up to be almost 'other worldly' absent of all the stresses of work, the toils of homelife, snakes, snails and puppy dog tails (well, maybe not the snakes...according to a few posters...few is one too many IMO but that's another thread called "Why Snakes Don't Belong in the Magical Place")

Cast Members are just regular people, walking around with a sore foot, realizing they forgot to pay the Comcast bill, feeling a little light-headed from the heat, upset because the cat has thrown up but they don't have a day off till Saturday for a vet visit, or just feeling a little pissy cause they're on their period.

This is all just real stuff. Should they feel all happy and joyous because they're in WDW for heaven's sake and don't they realize this is the HAPPY PLACE? I guess it'd be great if they did (for their sake too) but folks are folks and life happens.

It would be great if people were overly kind and nice all the time, especially when interacting with people who have just spent over $4,000 to come be served and entertained, but I guess people let their own lives dictate their attitudes. We ran into kind folks our last trip except for two CMs who obviously didn't speak english. At all. That was annoying and unnecessary.

Quite frankly, the older I get, the more I'm seeing people acting out their irritations. Road rage was unheard of in the 60s and 70s. Not sure what is happening, but I think the whole world could use a shot of 'nice'. Just my two cents.

 

[belle032]

OP-I'm very sorry you had those experiences. There is no cause for CM rudeness in your case and you didn't deserve it.

However, I don't see the need for someone to post a horrified thread EVERYTIME there is a less than amazing CM interaction. I rarely see posts complimenting a great CM and i know that those interactions happen. It's unfortunate we take the time to post so many negative things and overlook positive ones.

I was a CM for over 3 years and can speak firsthand about not being paid enough or dealing with rude and entitled guests. It wasnt all pixie dust everyday, but 99% of the time I adored my job. We are humans, not animatronics as some people like to think, an we do have bad days. I'm not making excuses but add a bad day to 100 degree heat, a busy park and stressed out guests and sometimes it turns out less than magical. Don't let it ruin your vacation!

 

[Gizmo4]

On incident #1 - what happened on day 4 and 5 of the ticket? Did your niece need to have a finger scan? She was let into the park and I don't think she had problems with getting FastPasses so all was good.

On incident #2 - you got the chair back so no big deal.

I could never be a Disney Cast Member - just too many things to deal with. I'd be told to get finger scans for anyone with an adult ticket only to be told by an aunt that her niece never had to do that before. Well, I wasn't there but this is what I'm told today. I'm told to take chairs away so the area can be cleared for a show. I don't know where that girl went or when she's coming back so I do what I'm told to do.

Sorry that people feel the Cast Members need to be happy and perky all freaking day long. I can tell you that doesn't happen at my work at all. And I get paid a lot more.

No way would I pay to vacation at Disney if they weren't happy and perky. That's where I go to escape "real life." I realize they are human and everyone is going to have off days, but craba$$es simply shouldn't work at Disney, imho.

 

[momabaarjo]

Going out there on a limb...feel free to cut it off...but I am really tired of threads like this! Not everyone is going to have a magical day...we are all entitled to bad days. I can't even imagine the stress of a CM job every day dealing with people who demand the things they do. I have overhead some crazy things and seen people treat CMs really rudely and downright TERRIBLE!
Next time a CM is what you consider rude and crude, maybe you could do something magical for them, like smile and say thank you or tell them that you hope they have a better day!

 

[DreamnDisney]

In my opinion, we build Disney visits up to be almost 'other worldly' absent of all the stresses of work, the toils of homelife, snakes, snails and puppy dog tails (well, maybe not the snakes...according to a few posters...few is one too many IMO but that's another thread called "Why Snakes Don't Belong in the Magical Place")

Cast Members are just regular people, walking around with a sore foot, realizing they forgot to pay the Comcast bill, feeling a little light-headed from the heat, upset because the cat has thrown up but they don't have a day off till Saturday for a vet visit, or just feeling a little pissy cause they're on their period.

This is all just real stuff. Should they feel all happy and joyous because they're in WDW for heaven's sake and don't they realize this is the HAPPY PLACE? I guess it'd be great if they did (for their sake too) but folks are folks and life happens.

It would be great if people were overly kind and nice all the time, especially when interacting with people who have just spent over $4,000 to come be served and entertained, but I guess people let their own lives dictate their attitudes. We ran into kind folks our last trip except for two CMs who obviously didn't speak english. At all. That was annoying and unnecessary.

Quite frankly, the older I get, the more I'm seeing people acting out their irritations. Road rage was unheard of in the 60s and 70s. Not sure what is happening, but I think the whole world could use a shot of 'nice'. Just my two cents.

Very well said!!!

 

[Granny square]

Agreed.

And I know I'm probably going to get slammed for this, but the OP says that when her niece was having problems with her ticket, that they guy working gave her niece a dirty look. The OP then states she turned around to see what was going on. No way to know if there was a dirty look or not if she was ahead of her niece with her back to her. Just because her niece was panicking, that doesn't mean the CM was being mean to her at that point. And I have to admit I would probably start to panic if my ticket didn't work too!

Not to excuse the way he spoke to both of them, but I think they are supposed to do the finger scan if they are 10 or over. Still if that is indeed correct there is a nice way to explain it.

They do tend to want to blame the user rather than the cms or system.

Our door keys and tickets had huge problems at akv in January. Each time they accused us of trying to cheat the system (because breaking into the free laundry room is my goal in life) of using someone else's key and being pushy when my mom went to get her room key 2 hours after they said it would be ready in half and hour.

Each time they figured out they were wrong. And every time they wound up offering apologies and compensation of some sort. Little stuff and we didn't ask for compensation. The managers offered when they realized that the problem was theirs and that their people were rude and wrong.

 

[Granny square]

Theses people get paid pretty much below the poverty level and you really except every cast memeber to be happy and cheer all day long. Have you ever thought of the crap that they have to deal with every day?
Of course you are going to come across some that are grummpy. Everyone has a bad day. It could have been there bad day. I am sure you have had bad days.

Yep. Just like I expect my camp counselors and life guards to do the same. If you can't take a Jon and do it well at the rate you accepted find another job.

 

[dwheaton]

I think there are several main issues here. With Disney getting larger crowds each year and likely not expanding payroll (this is an assumption and not based on data), then its cast members will likely face more stress and responsibilities in their jobs. When you add that to the Florida heat, it's going to create some tension. Families get tired and cranky, and cast members get worn down by the experience.

That said, Disney continues to raise prices and create expectations of "magic" that sell the idea of it being apart from reality. When you combine that with the standards set in the '80s and '90s of cleanliness and friendly behavior, they're competing against an unobtainable standard. That doesn't mean they shouldn't try to get there, but they're selling something that just may not happen.

So how do they fix it? And is it even fixable? I would love it if they returned to a focus on service where the company made its name in the early days of Disney. However, the modern leadership takes a more shareholder-based approach to the parks. They're looking for "efficiencies" and ways to cut SG&A, and one method is cutting back training. I think most of cast members are great and mean to do their best, but this thread and others remind us that there are going to be gaps.

The other issue that is fixable for me is the infrastructure and cleanliness issues. Unlike the challenges of training all the cast members to never blink, these come down to spending the money on staffing and rehabs. If they cut back on those areas (and it looks like they have), that's when you really notice the lack of magic. There are reports that RSR already has broken ride elements, and I've heard the same of the new TT. This may be beyond this thread, but I think it's all related.

 

[WDSearcher]

No way would I pay to vacation at Disney if they weren't happy and perky. That's where I go to escape "real life." I realize they are human and everyone is going to have off days, but craba$$es simply shouldn't work at Disney, imho.

I totally agree!

Unfortunately, when someone is looking for a job, they seldom say, "I'm totally going to be a craba$$ if you hire me." People interview at their best. They say that they can't WAIT to work at Disney and that they've been Disney fans all their lives. They smile and say they'll do anything just to get their foot in the door. And sometimes, they DON'T want to work for Disney. At all. But they need a job, so they say what the interviewer wants to hear and they go to work doing a job they knew they were going to hate when they started. But unless they say that flat-out when they apply, Disney doesn't know that they're not suited for the job until they're ON the job. It's not always obvious.

 

[darnheather]

Theses people get paid pretty much below the poverty level and you really except every cast memeber to be happy and cheer all day long. Have you ever thought of the crap that they have to deal with every day?
Of course you are going to come across some that are grummpy. Everyone has a bad day. It could have been there bad day. I am sure you have had bad days.

Sorry but I don't think what you get paid entitles you to be rude to anyone. They are in the customer service business. That means keeping the customer happy and having a bad day once you get home.

 

[Traveliz]

Sorry but I don't think what you get paid entitles you to be rude to anyone. They are in the customer service business. That means keeping the customer happy and having a bad day once you get home.

I also don't believe what generic you paid for the vacation allows you to be rude/abusive to the cast members. The stories are sad...

Liz

 

[dpswift]

We just got back from an 8 day trip as well... It had been3 years between trips and i was worried after reading threads like this. Just for the record, every single CM we experienced had that same old magic... Joking with the kids, smiling, waving... one guy drove past the bus stop one morning waving and blowing bubbles! a few looked really hot but then again so did we! Sorry to hear about your experiences but I think we need to do more to acknowledge the thousands of CM who make our trips so magical.

What you said about bubble blowing reminded me of the CM at AoA that we saw drawing characters on the pavement with water. He was so much fun to watch.

After almost 10 years of working in retail I believe that at times people come into a store just to take out their rage on some unsuspecting worker. Unfortunatly on my many trips to Disney I have seen too many people that seem to feel that they are more important than everyone else.