Been reading so many horror stories about bad CMs

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

In all our trips I've never encountered a grumpy CM.

I have had a few that weren't talkative but that doesn't bother me. I am usually so happy to be at WDW that I don't sweat the small stuff.

A lot depends on a person's own perception. I wouldn't worry too much about your trip, overall they do a great job.

 

[sherry8253]

We just returned from 10 delightful days at Disney and did not run into one rude or grumpy CM. Everyone was very nice. One CM saw us walking through a store in the MK and went out of her way to walk over and say she remembered us from a few days before and are we enjoying our trip. Everyone - hotel check in, golf course rangers, mousekeeping, store clerks, etc. were very friendly and helpful. Disney CM's are one of the reasons that our vacations at House of Mouse are so special!

 

[nwdisgal]

Go with a big smile on your face and a good attitude and you won't have any problems A smile is contagious...

 

[epcotfan]

I wouldn't worry. We've had great cast members whenever we've gone to WDW. Sure some are more outgoing and talkative than others, but that doesn't mean they are a bad cast member if they are not. I'd never say my trip was ruined because someone didn't "wish me a magical day." As long as the person I am interacting with is doing the job they are supposed to be doing, ie checking me in, or ringing up a sale I could care less whether they are laying on the pixie dust or not. I've found over the years there are people/guests who treat cast members like servants and expect way too much from them.

Edited to add: I've seen more "bad" guests over the years than cast members. Some people lose all manners when they vacation. I'm constantly amazed at the tourists who forget the words "please" and "thank you" when dealing with a cast member.

 

[Dis2times]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like we're going to have a great time. I'm sort of the ringleader of the family and I get things done, but I have a smiley face and cheery disposition at all times. Part Pollyanna, part Mary Poppins.

I appreciate the reassurance!

 

[Taja]

I've had only one less than wonderfully helpful CM in four WDW trips. She wasn't rude or anything, just determined to place me in the one area of CSR that didn't appeal to me! I had faxed a request for non-smoking and top floor, anywhere EXCEPT the ranchos area (I live in the real low desert--I don't want to vacation in a faux desert in the middle of Florida!). This CM was determined to place me in Ranchos.

Fortunately, another CM was free and came over and found me a perfect, top floor, water view room in Cabanas 8.

As I said, the first CM wasn't rude or anything, just not as helpful as I would expect, considering my request was pretty general.

 

[scrump]

We go maybe every 2 or 3 years, so perhaps we're not as frequent as some others on these boards, but I can't recall a single CM that has been rude. Indifferent, maybe, but that's not really a problem in my mind. Truly rude behavior? Never for us.

I'd say that's pretty good for a place that huge that has to service that many people on a consistent basis. You'll have a wonderful time!!!

 

[aubriee]

We were just at WDW last week (Jan 9th-Jan 15th) and the only rude employee we ran into was not really a Disney employee. She was at the Richard Petty Driving Experience. It rained, had to be cancelled, and she got the unpleasant task of telling all of us that it was nonrefundable and nontransferable. Her PR skills were horrible. She walked into the room with a BIG attitude, as if she was expecting all of us to go off on her and she was going to beat us to it.

Other than her, the CMs were just wonderful. I'm a southern gal too and believe me those CMs epitomize southern hospitality. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome and you always hear "Have a Magical Day " from them wherever you go. I did a split stay at the WL and AKL and both times when I checked in I asked for very specific views. Both times the CMs were wonderful, said 'let me see what I can do', and got me the exact, perfect view I asked for. I went downstairs early the morning we checked out at the AKL and asked if there was anyway they could print my airline boarding passes. At first the CM said I would have to go to one of the convention hotels (but they would be glad to do it). His superviser (Bruce) just happened to be walking by, heard us, and said no problem he could do it on his computer and would be glad to do it. Viola! in less than 5 minutes I had our boarding passes (free of charge, by the way). If you sit near the front, all of the bus drivers are very friendly and informative. I guess we must have looked lost or confused a few times, because several times CMs walked up and asked if they could help us. I had heard that some of the Princesses were a little snooty, but again we didn't see it. We did CRT and also saw Snow White, Beauty and Beast, and Cinderella in Epcot. They were absolutely wonderful with my 8 y/o GD--took alot of time to talk with her and never seemed to be in a rush. The people that ran the cash registers in the parks were all very friendly, accomodating, and usually asked where we were from and if we were having a good time. I think if your nice to them, most people will be nice to you. Again the only rude employee I ran into was at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

A good example is the lemonade post from above-it does sound like she was trying to make lemonade-is lemonade that expensive that if she wanted lemonade she couldn't afford that? The CM probably shouldn't have said anything, but the guest shouldn't have tried to take advantage of Disney either.

WHAT!! How is that taking advantage. I use lemon in my water at all times. And sweetener packets are on the table at MOST restaurants. I seriously doubt that decent lemonade could be made with a lemon wedge and some sweetener. The person who did this was merely making WDW's horrible tap water somewhat drinkable. For goodness sake- She wasn't filling her purse with the sweetener packs. Which BTW- I've seen many more people do.

 

[epcotfan]

I took the lemonade/lemon incident as the cast member using a little humour. I can't honestly believe the server was serious. If a waitress said that to me I'd think she was kidding.

 

[alyssa810]

We too have had many, many positive experiences with CMs...at Disneyland Paris on the other hand- you want to see a lack of Disney enthusiasm?? We were there on our honeymoon and I couldn't believe how un-Disney-like the CMs were!!!

 

[MAGGIED]

our last trip was to the POFQ and the CM's were GREAT- and all the ones we met throughout our stay were wonderful - I am glad we have had such positive experiences....

 

[agotta]

Being a past cast member, as is my husband, I take CM's encounters very serious. I have noticed over the past couple years, when we go back, that CM's seem to get a little ruder, and don't quite take the "magic" to heart. I took my job as a CM very serious, whether I was in WDW or whether I was in a Disney store in Upstate NY. With that being said, there are a TON of great CM's out there. If you do encounter some bad CM's, remember that the majority of them out there love working at Disney and will go out of there way to provide the magical guest experience!!

Amanda

 

[BCV23]

I haven't read all the replies but just want to reassure you. The VAST majority of CMs are wonderful. It is one of the main reasons we keep going back. Most really seem to care about providing their guests a magical experience.

Things can get blown way out of proportion on these boards and some reports should also be taken with a huge grain of salt IMHO.

Don't worry....hospitality, manners and magic are alive at WDW!

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Not that there are not some truely bad CM's out there, but I think that for the most part, the guests cause the problems more then the CM's and the CM's react to that because they are human. I think that if you go in expecting upgrades, exceptional service above and beyond the even above and beyond they offer, demand things, etc. you are going to run into a "bad" CM. If you are polite and accomodating to the fact that Disney is a busy place and not everyone is going to get everything they want, you will be fine.QUOTE]
I agree with this. I was trying to remember when we've ever had a rude CM, and I couldn't remember one. We've had mishaps, but more often than not the CMs were extremely pleasant about things whether they were going well or not. I was remembering once when we stayed at GF and when the bellman showed up (when we were checking out) I asked him, "Are things busy today?" (we'd had GWBush at the hotel earlier in the week and the resort had been crazy) and he replied kind of rudely, "No." and I replied, "That's nice for you then," nicely back to him. I'm not so self centered to think that someone who isn't in a talkative mood or in an unhappy one should be complained about. What if something terrible has just happened to him? Why hold onto it like I should ALWAYS be treated like a princess or the CM should be written up? Just my perspective, I guess. But I don't let unpleasant people in everyday life (like on freeways, for example) bother me, either. I just don't worry about it and don't internalize it as it has nothing directly to do with me unless I make it so by holding onto it. I like to think positively!!!

 

[TammyC]

We were just at WDW last week (Jan 9th-Jan 15th) and the only rude employee we ran into was not really a Disney employee. She was at the Richard Petty Driving Experience. It rained, had to be cancelled, and she got the unpleasant task of telling all of us that it was nonrefundable and nontransferable. Her PR skills were horrible. She walked into the room with a BIG attitude, as if she was expecting all of us to go off on her and she was going to beat us to it.

Other than her, the CMs were just wonderful. I'm a southern gal too and believe me those CMs epitomize southern hospitality. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome and you always hear "Have a Magical Day " from them wherever you go. I did a split stay at the WL and AKL and both times when I checked in I asked for very specific views. Both times the CMs were wonderful, said 'let me see what I can do', and got me the exact, perfect view I asked for. I went downstairs early the morning we checked out at the AKL and asked if there was anyway they could print my airline boarding passes. At first the CM said I would have to go to one of the convention hotels (but they would be glad to do it). His superviser (Bruce) just happened to be walking by, heard us, and said no problem he could do it on his computer and would be glad to do it. Viola! in less than 5 minutes I had our boarding passes (free of charge, by the way). If you sit near the front, all of the bus drivers are very friendly and informative. I guess we must have looked lost or confused a few times, because several times CMs walked up and asked if they could help us. I had heard that some of the Princesses were a little snooty, but again we didn't see it. We did CRT and also saw Snow White, Beauty and Beast, and Cinderella in Epcot. They were absolutely wonderful with my 8 y/o GD--took alot of time to talk with her and never seemed to be in a rush. The people that ran the cash registers in the parks were all very friendly, accomodating, and usually asked where we were from and if we were having a good time. I think if your nice to them, most people will be nice to you. Again the only rude employee I ran into was at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

WHAT? If the Richard Petty thing gets cancelled because of rain you are just out all of your money? I've never done it, or really want to for that matter, but recall that it was expensive.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

When we were there in Nov my husband and I kept commenting on how all the castmembers were so friendly.. right down to the ones who were taking care of the garbage!! Everyone of them would say hello with a smile on their face.
I saw more of this this time than I have in the past. This was my husband's first time there and he could not get over it. He said he has never seen a group of people who were so nice and friendly ( and some of them were doing some pretty thankless jobs!!!!)
We were VERY impressed!

 

[Ladyhawke10]

My cousin is a CM at Disneyland and it a very sweet person!

 

[Jovo]

99.9% of the CM's are everything you would expect them to be. Wonderful. There is always the bad apple here and there. The good outways the bad, by FAR!

 

[PCFriar80]

golf course rangers, mousekeeping, store clerks, etc. were very friendly and helpful.

Golf course rangers?!!! Wow, if they could only be that way up here!! Give those guys and gals a cart, an orange flag and authority..........man you think they worked for the defense department!!