CM Attitudes

[ElenaJane]

I love Disney and WDW is still my favorite place. This last trip though I was really surprised with many CM attitudes. A lot of complaining! I think the new FP system may be wearing them down? At one point, when picking out my 4th FP I asked the CM how his day was going. He said he just came back on to work after crying for the past hour. He said, I was just getting tired of getting yelled at by guests all day. Wow.

 

[joxer1014]

So as I read all posts and those that stated they had a positive experience, I am left to wonder if the CM who made them happy was told. Cast members only receive a thank you 50% of the time. Even a simple hello is appreciated. Interaction is a two way street, and when a CM is stared at like they have three heads when they make magic it is hard to keep up the façade all day long. I have seen it first hand when a CM is using "Disney language" it is ignored or ridiculed. Of course this is just my opinion.

 

[catne]

we've noticed the distinct down-turn in CM attitudes over the last several years...we go about 5-6 times a year (live in Florida most of the year now) so we have been there all times of the year except the busiest part of the summer and no big holiday weeks. But January-May, and Sept-December multiple times, so it's not just end-of the season/busy season/CM frustration with the new systems...the change in attitude started before the change-over to the new FP system. We noticed it starting shortly after the economic downturn several years ago...like after the first big round of lay-offs happened everywhere. You'd think people that kept their jobs would be more apt to be on best behavior, but we saw the opposite. It was almost like they figured they were going to lose the job anyway so why bother doing anything extra any more?

And yes, I will say that the cell phones ARE an issue. There is a distinct generational thing going that says cell phones use comes before everything else...I see it even with younger relatives...they're texting away in church during weddings and funerals...so why wouldn't they think it's acceptable at work, too.

At WDW, I have twice been standing at a cash register waiting for the CM behind the counter to finish a very obvious personal phone call before starting to ring up my purchase. Have waited for assistance in a store while CM finishes text messaging. Have been loaded on a ride by a CM talking on a cell phone. NONE of these were supervisors, and from the end of the conversation I heard on the spoken phone calls, they were not business related in any way. No apologies for the delay while they finished their personal calls. In one case, the CM behind the counter actually went ahead and rang us up without ever stopping her conversation on the phone...didn't say a single word to us just kept chatting with her friend about the cute guy at the mall and after-work plans.

Found it hard to believe these were Disney employees...

Now, yes, we have also had great "classic" WDW employee experiences...over-the-top friendly...totally in-character CMs at rides...helpful, courteous and enthusiastic.

But that used to be the normal experience at WDW. Now it is more the exception.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

So many conclusions being drawn from a tiny bit of anecdotal experience -- even when some anecdotal experiences directly contradict -- I'll never understand that.

 

[maxiesmom]

That's the final straw. Time to roll out those next gen audioanimatronic CMs. Then we won't have to deal with those pesky humans and their unpredictable human nature. Plastic smiles and pixie dust sprinkles for everyone!

Wow I must be totally oblivious. I've never noticed the CMs sprinkling pixie dust on me. I had better stop focusing on my family and focus more on what the CMs are doing.

Maybe the guests had better check their attitudes. After all, if the CMs are getting worn down by FP+ is there any doubt who is wearing them down?

 

[ARAITHEL]

I have made "thank you" cards for exceptional CMs for this trip. We leave in 30 days! I think a kind word or a thank you is awesome from guests.

That being said: it'd like to add the following:

My boss owns a small business and employs about 140 or so people. He says that 1 out of every 10 people he hires is an exceptional employee.

Taking that "fact" onto consideration, WDW has approximately 66,000 employees. That means that there are (in theory) 6600 exceptional employees at WDW. Everyone else just "gets through their day" at work, IMHO.

 

[glenpreece]

It kills me when people have experiences like this. I tried twice to be a CM in Epcot in the Canadian Pavilion and was rejected the first time and then wait listed the second time. I would honestly do just about any job at WDW to be part of the Magic but noooooo, they wouldn't choose me. Same as at the Disney Store when I worked there (during children's place brief ownership) it was about hard selling not atual guest interaction. I hated it. Now that's it's by Disney again they won't even interview me cause of "limited availability" and the CM's at some of the store I go to are HORRIBLE but hey I don't have completely open availability I just live a Disney-fied life but nope not even a glance. You get what you hire. So I blame management for lack of training and who they are picking.

 

[glenpreece]

Wow I must be totally oblivious. I've never noticed the CMs sprinkling pixie dust on me. I had better stop focusing on my family and focus more on what the CMs are doing.

Maybe the guests had better check their attitudes. After all, if the CMs are getting worn down by FP+ is there any doubt who is wearing them down?

agree!!!

 

[tsme]

I teach teenagers, and I do not notice any issues with them not being social or engaging in conversation. I think that's a huge leap. I think the problem is people being rude over fast pass plus issues. I saw so many rude adults at Disney this time. One CM said she was called in to work on her only day off that week, and her next day off wasn't until the following Tuesday. I think it would be really hard for CMs to deal with rude people while being overworked. At AK, during a rainstorm, many people were crowded in a building waiting out the rain. A guy riding a scooter tried to go in, and a CM told him that it was too dangerous to drive a scooter in a crowd of people. The scooter guy snapped, "I don't care. I'm going in. If I run over a hundred people, so be it." And he drove in. That kind of thing would be irritating to deal with over and over as a CM.

Wow! The guy on the scooter sounds like a real butthead.

 

[chuss]

So many conclusions being drawn from a tiny bit of anecdotal experience -- even when some anecdotal experiences directly contradict -- I'll never understand that.

I find it interesting hearing about people's recent experiences interacting with CMs during their trips, particularly those who have a lot of history at the parks. It's only natural to try to draw conclusions.

Short of a CM job satisfaction survey and/or a customer satisfaction survey, not sure what other evidence people would have?

 

[ArwenMarie]

We went to WDW last November during testing. Stayed onsite. Perceived a definite decline in the moods of the CMs. No one was ever rude but so many of them looked miserable.

We went to Universal in February, stayed onsite. The employees there, both at the hotel (Portofino) and the parks, were noticeably more cheerful and more relaxed than those at WDW during the prior trip. Now they weren't all happy-happy like the stereotype of the Disney CM portrays. Just normal and relaxed.

Anyway, I blame the decline on FP/MDE/MM and constant cost-cutting that puts extra strain on the system.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I think a lot of this is expectation of the CMs. Too many people expect to walk up, not engage a CM at all, yet have them suddenly do something to make their experience more magical. I've never had a CM not engage me back when I say hello to them and ask them how's their day.

As for the cell phone thing, it's unfathomable that WDW allows CMs to use theirs in the parks. I worked in retail management for 9 years, first rule of working in one of my stores was your cell phone goes in a locker at the start of your shift, and comes out at the end. 2 offenses and you were fired (Barring emergency circumstances.) Why WDW wouldn't implement such a rule is baffling.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

It's only natural to try to draw conclusions.

Doesn't mean it makes any logical sense to do so.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think a lot of this is expectation of the CMs. Too many people expect to walk up, not engage a CM at all, yet have them suddenly do something to make their experience more magical. I've never had a CM not engage me back when I say hello to them and ask them how's their day.

That has been my experience as well. Way too many people are being rude, and then expecting the CMs to do a happy dance and cover them with sunshine and rainbows. I get that it is their job and they should be nice, but News Flash! We should all be nice!!!!!

You can't treat people like dirt and expect them to be super de doo happy. On the job or not.

 

[DebbieB]

I don't think I remember ever getting "sprinkled" on Peter Pan.

I never heard of it before this.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I never heard of it before this.

That's because CM attitudes have been going downhill since... when was your first trip??

 

[Luvchefmic]

I think a lot of this is expectation of the CMs. Too many people expect to walk up, not engage a CM at all, yet have them suddenly do something to make their experience more magical. I've never had a CM not engage me back when I say hello to them and ask them how's their day.

As for the cell phone thing, it's unfathomable that WDW allows CMs to use theirs in the parks. I worked in retail management for 9 years, first rule of working in one of my stores was your cell phone goes in a locker at the start of your shift, and comes out at the end. 2 offenses and you were fired (Barring emergency circumstances.) Why WDW wouldn't implement such a rule is baffling.

I won't call anyone a liar but there is a rule at WDW and if a cell phone was used in the manner that was described, the CM would have been terminated on the spot. Not buying the version at all. Two encounters also, no not buying it.

 

[Amanda999]

FWIW, I can only remember a handful of times when we have been "pixie dusted" on Peter Pan's Flight, and I have been going to WDW since 1971.

Been going since 1976 and have never been pixie dusted on PP nor heard of it.

(That said, I don't dispute the OP's general point. I'm here now and maybe 1 in 10 CMs are really nice and or engaging. My unfounded guess is pay. The job doesn't attract the more skilled people it use to?)

 

[Missyrose]

Yup WDW never had any rude guests before FP+

No one said there weren't rude guests at Disney pre-FP+. Just making the logical leap that the uptick in issues associated with a completely new parks-wide system would leave more guests cranky and lead to more burned out CMs.

I love Disney and WDW is still my favorite place. This last trip though I was really surprised with many CM attitudes. A lot of complaining! I think the new FP system may be wearing them down? At one point, when picking out my 4th FP I asked the CM how his day was going. He said he just came back on to work after crying for the past hour. He said, I was just getting tired of getting yelled at by guests all day. Wow.

I feel so badly for the park CMs, there are people who don't even set foot in the parks making decisions about how the new system will change or be implemented and those people never have to encounter any blowback from it, the CMs in the parks on the front lines do. They have been taking a beating this year and I don't blame the ones who are completely burnt out from it.

 

[Miskey]

We went two weeks ago. I had no problems with any of the CM's The HM CM's told us all to move to the middle of the room, the TofT CM's were appropriately creepy, and the young female CM's kept their composure when being screamed at by grown men while keeping lanes cleared for parades. I have no idea if anyone sprinkled on me.

I work 8 hours a day. I wonder if at anytime during those 8 hours, there could be a look on my face that could be perceived incorrectly.

As far as the magic, pixie dust moments not happening, I think too many people read about other guests receiving this or that and then they go and demand the same. Too many entitled guests constantly demanding pixie dust and then compensation when they feel they were dusting enough.

I never saw a CM with a cell phone, and do not believe they would be allowed to have them during working hours