Customer Service

Tarheelalum, so sorry to hear of your negative experiences! I’m glad you did find mostly pleasant CMs other than those unfortunate instances. When we were there 3 weeks ago, I will say we didn’t have even one iffy customer service experience. We were so pleased that we ran into many super great and kind CMs. I was particularly amazed at the guys at the DTD bag check. Even late in the day, super busy, they were uniformly cheerful, joking with us, pleasant. On our last day as we went back to the hotel, I stopped, turned around, and told them how awesome they had all been for our visits. They looked so pleased to get some validation for their hard work!

This is really sad to me. A very good thing when we share our pleasant observations, but these people are starved for even an iota of praise. They probably don't get it from their superiors and you can bet they don't get it from the thousands of guests they encounter, especially in security where the face-to-face interactions they're having can get more volatile. I can guarantee if we as consumers anywhere really were even a smidge more appreciative of the work people do that we'd get some stellar customer service, instead of having this expectation that everyone should be on their game at all times no matter what's going on in their work or personal lives. At the very least it is something that we as park goers can control. Because unfortunately Disney has turned into a mega corporation that cares more about profit than employee satisfaction.
 
I have dealt with rude CMs. One time IASW was down and I was getting ready to ask the CM if they had an ETA on when it'd be back. Before I finished my sentence she barked at me "WE DON'T KNOW!" I let it slide since I'm sure she had been asked that numerous times and to be fair, they usually don't have an exact time frame available.

Another time we had a very dismissive, unfriendly CM at check-in at DLH. They just seemed really tired and not into their job, answering mostly with one word responses. But again, I let it slide because we all have our bad days.

OP, I'm sorry you had some bad experiences this trip. It definitely takes you out of the moment for a bit. I hope the rest of your trip was wonderful though! :-)
 
Well, now that you bring it up 😉apparently on our last trip there was a little “ta do” at the Cantina that ended up with my daughter being thrown to the ground by a CM. I wasn’t there but it had something to do with a stool for a guest and another cast member and a fight. She is tiny and was just actually pushed in the back to get out of the way by one cast member trying to get to the other. We’re pretty sure neither are working there anymore. Her brother came and helped her off the floor and tapped the kid on the shoulder and told him to apologize (baby brother is 6’3” and an athletic 245 lbs) 😝.......they laughed it off but I was like really....in Disneyland?
 
I do need to add though my parents were with us. My Father is very ill. Late stages of a Parkinson’s is just one of his problems. I did find cast members went above and beyond for him. They were super sweet about letting him take what time he needed etc. We were all on a ride and when we came out my Mother was so excited because a CM had come over and brought them some water and visited with them.....so there were many instances looking back when we encountered many sweet CM (although they were not very nice at Carnation because they were waiting on him....he moves at turtle speed on his good days)
 

I've had CM's ignore me or not being particularly helpful within the park. I've had phenomenal service for table service and other places within the resort though, so I don't mind much. Pixie dust has always been something I've heard about but never experienced, but then, I don't go looking for it either (but always a little sad that it's never really happened for me).

I hope you get some Pixie dust one day 🧚🏻‍♂️
 
Not to go off topic, but maybe it will take this thread in a more positive direction anyway...! What is pixie dust? I think I understand the idea conceptually, but what are some examples of pixie dust in the park? CMs being... extra nice? Giving you a good table at a restaurant?
 
I had three separate, wonderful experiences today with some more mature custodial cast members. I do feel like some of the ride operators are more grumpy than in the past, but I also feel the customers have gotten worse.
 
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Not to go off topic, but maybe it will take this thread in a more positive direction anyway...! What is pixie dust? I think I understand the idea conceptually, but what are some examples of pixie dust in the park? CMs being... extra nice? Giving you a good table at a restaurant?

Yes or a free room upgrade, etc. Basically it's going above and beyond for you when they're not required to.
 
Not to go off topic, but maybe it will take this thread in a more positive direction anyway...! What is pixie dust? I think I understand the idea conceptually, but what are some examples of pixie dust in the park? CMs being... extra nice? Giving you a good table at a restaurant?
When they go above and beyond for you. Some pixie dust I’ve had is CM’s letting me go on a ride and not let me scan my replacement fastpass. So then I can still use it on another ride.
Back in December my aunt had tickets that needed to be picked up from guest services. Their system was being slow and not cooperating. It added an extra 40 minutes at the window. The CM gave my aunt maxpass for free (I have it on my pass), then gave us 6 multiple experience fastpasses (3 for DL, 3 for DCA). They could be for any ride including Peter Pan!!!
 
I have had 2 trips in the past 6 months, both trips were 5 days long. I cannot think of a bad CM experience. In fact, the opposite, so much attention to detail and friendliness was shown to me on both of those trips. I'm truly sorry, you were disappointed, but I'm hoping your experience was the exception and not the rule.
 
Not to go off topic, but maybe it will take this thread in a more positive direction anyway...! What is pixie dust? I think I understand the idea conceptually, but what are some examples of pixie dust in the park? CMs being... extra nice? Giving you a good table at a restaurant?

A couple years ago when they were selling Groot shaped bread, I went to buy one for my son and the place selling it had already closed so the lead gave me a loaf for free.

One time a few years ago at PPH, my son and I got upgraded from a standard room to a signature suite.

The last time we stayed at PPH for my birthday, they gave me a stuffed Stitch with balloons at check in, then sent a fruit plate to our room, with a birthday card.

These are all things I would consider pixie dust. :)
 
Not to go off topic, but maybe it will take this thread in a more positive direction anyway...! What is pixie dust? I think I understand the idea conceptually, but what are some examples of pixie dust in the park? CMs being... extra nice? Giving you a good table at a restaurant?
On a trip a few months ago, I really wanted Ariel to autograph something for me. Lines are hard for me so I utilize DAS, which doesn't apply to character M&G. I stopped by Royal Hall a few times a day for several days, but the lines were longer than I could do. On my last day, I explained my situation and asked the CM there if there was a good time to come back that day that might be more manageable. He thought about it for a minute, and then escorted me right in. That was major pixie dust that had me smiling for days afterwards.
 
My understanding is that a lot of behind the scenes stuff has declined, such as food offerings for the CMs. They didn't used to have to park far away and shuttle over. They didn't used to have to care for their own uniforms. Etc. Quite frankly, it used to be a more "elite" type of job, so it attracted and retained a higher caliber of employee.

I was chatting with a CM at Guardians of the Galaxy today and mentioned the construction for Marvel land. He said the closed area meant that for lunch he has to walk all the way around now, so it takes about 10 minutes to get to the employee break area. By the time he warms up his food, he barely has enough time to eat it before he has to start heading back. So yeah, I can certainly understand why CMs are grumpy if they're barely able to enjoy their breaks. My husband is of the retail generation where it's unprofessional to complain about your job in front of a guest, but it doesn't bother me. I did have a guy in the camera shop on my last trip who talked my ear off with his entire life story - including medical issues - while trying to help me find a photo and that was rather uncomfortable, but for the most part I've found CMs to be pleasant and helpful.
 
Thank you to those participating in this thread who are making the effort to keep the focus on the positive. Let's continue to keep the discussion on topic and respectful. This thread is a good example of how something that could have become very negative, didn't, thanks to a positive group effort. Well done, DISers!
 
TBH if I worked the front gate I wouldn't be happy either lol. You have to turn people away if they don't have tickets, are blocked out, their maxpass won't load, etc. Also, on a day like yesterday where it was packed, I'm sure the line to scan people through was long.

It's a bad position. DD#2 did it for a few months, and had a woman spit on her because her ticket was blocked for the day. The lead let the woman and her family into the park, and DD was talked to about her "customer service skills". All she did was tell the woman the day was blocked on her ticket, but she could purchase a ticket for the day at the ticket counter...just like she was trained to do. Put in her notice that day.

People at the gates get treated like crap, and they receive no support from their leads. It's all about 'guest recovery'.

With that being said, she did like working at the gate in the mornings. She always volunteered to find the family to open the park, and loved helping with the show.

She moved to Bong's for awhile, then onto Batuu. Pixie dusted when she could, by giving away a candy or helping entertain a small child while the parents decided what t buy; and was always game to talk about her "Porg sanctuary" while building scrap metal with guests.
 
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The only negative experience I had this trip - besides the disaster with the spirit jersey release - was at the new GCH Craftsman Bar. There was a convention in the hotel and staff was clearly more interested in catering to the visitors with a convention badge. No one felt responsible for our table. Got a manager involved and ended up with three servers after that, so easily rectified. ;)

Other than that I only have praise. Like tsumgirl said, just approach CMs if needed. Pretty much any time I have hesitated to do so the CM apologized for not reacting to me straight away, so it's really only a matter of getting used to it I think.

I've posted part of this this in the Halloween topic already, but I'll post here again:

The last 2 pin event trips to Paris were so bad, they almost made me forget that there's Cast Members who really care. The new Hidden Mickey Pins dropped half way through my trip. A really really cool release this year. I especially wanted one of the stylized Disneyland "D" pins, the one with the Cheshire Cat. It's pretty much considered the hardest one of the entire release, and it doesn't help that all Wonderland fans want it. We needed 2 as well because the friend I was with a lot of the time is a huge Wonderland collector too.

So a week into the trip me and another friend walked into a Cast Member who had a lot of the new pins on her lanyard. We got chatting, and she asked if I had found everything I wanted yet. I replied almost, but I was having no luck whatsoever with the D. My friend laughed and added that I had come from Germany and had been dragging him all over the park all week trying to find that D.

She went through her pockets, pulled out a pin and asked "is this time one you are looking for?" It was. I started shaking so badly, my friend had to officially trade her for it because I couldn't get the pin off my lanyard. I stammered thank you like a complete fool, and she only smiled and said that she loves when she can make magic.

Then the next day another CM saw my Rescue Rangers camera strap and randomly gifted me a Chip and Dale pin. Still a complete mystery to me how he saw that, he was doing crowd control at Fantasmic and the show was on. So really dark.

A couple of days later we got chatting to another CM at Star Traders about pins. He even remembered us from a few days before. We mentioned our Chessie D hunt and that the first one had gone to our completist friend, and that I was hoping to find myself that pin before we go. (I have a rule: even if I like a character I won't take the pin if a friend collects that character too. Most of them are completists who really want all pins of that character, and I am not destroying a collection for the sake of having a pin.) I was very pleasantly surprised there because one of the other CMs came up to me and asked if I wanted to trade for a Chipmunk pin she had seen on the board - I was wearing a Rescue Rangers shirt that day and had the Rescue Rangers as my camera strap as said above.

After our chat we went in line for Launch Bay, which we had mentioned to the CM at Star Traders. Suddenly he shows up in line, jokingly tells me "but you have to trade me something really good for it!" and holds out the Chessie D. Everyone who was around gasped, and I almost burst out in tears. He had gone backstage, found me the pin and then made the effort to track us down. That's going way beyond anything. And of course I gave him the biggest Paris pin I had with me in trade.

It's really all about how you approach the CMs. Pin trading gives you a good view of that. We saw some other traders descending like vultures on a CM who had new pins. She even apologized to us that these people had taken all good ones. The next day another CM again had so many new pins and we were laughing and telling him we'd have a hard time choosing - for the non traders, you can trade 2 pins per day per CM normally. He randomly allowed us to trade three.
 
The only negative experience I had this trip - besides the disaster with the spirit jersey release - was at the new GCH Craftsman Bar. There was a convention in the hotel and staff was clearly more interested in catering to the visitors with a convention badge. No one felt responsible for our table. Got a manager involved and ended up with three servers after that, so easily rectified. ;)

Other than that I only have praise. Like tsumgirl said, just approach CMs if needed. Pretty much any time I have hesitated to do so the CM apologized for not reacting to me straight away, so it's really only a matter of getting used to it I think.

I've posted part of this this in the Halloween topic already, but I'll post here again:

The last 2 pin event trips to Paris were so bad, they almost made me forget that there's Cast Members who really care. The new Hidden Mickey Pins dropped half way through my trip. A really really cool release this year. I especially wanted one of the stylized Disneyland "D" pins, the one with the Cheshire Cat. It's pretty much considered the hardest one of the entire release, and it doesn't help that all Wonderland fans want it. We needed 2 as well because the friend I was with a lot of the time is a huge Wonderland collector too.

So a week into the trip me and another friend walked into a Cast Member who had a lot of the new pins on her lanyard. We got chatting, and she asked if I had found everything I wanted yet. I replied almost, but I was having no luck whatsoever with the D. My friend laughed and added that I had come from Germany and had been dragging him all over the park all week trying to find that D.

She went through her pockets, pulled out a pin and asked "is this time one you are looking for?" It was. I started shaking so badly, my friend had to officially trade her for it because I couldn't get the pin off my lanyard. I stammered thank you like a complete fool, and she only smiled and said that she loves when she can make magic.

Then the next day another CM saw my Rescue Rangers camera strap and randomly gifted me a Chip and Dale pin. Still a complete mystery to me how he saw that, he was doing crowd control at Fantasmic and the show was on. So really dark.

A couple of days later we got chatting to another CM at Star Traders about pins. He even remembered us from a few days before. We mentioned our Chessie D hunt and that the first one had gone to our completist friend, and that I was hoping to find myself that pin before we go. (I have a rule: even if I like a character I won't take the pin if a friend collects that character too. Most of them are completists who really want all pins of that character, and I am not destroying a collection for the sake of having a pin.) I was very pleasantly surprised there because one of the other CMs came up to me and asked if I wanted to trade for a Chipmunk pin she had seen on the board - I was wearing a Rescue Rangers shirt that day and had the Rescue Rangers as my camera strap as said above.

After our chat we went in line for Launch Bay, which we had mentioned to the CM at Star Traders. Suddenly he shows up in line, jokingly tells me "but you have to trade me something really good for it!" and holds out the Chessie D. Everyone who was around gasped, and I almost burst out in tears. He had gone backstage, found me the pin and then made the effort to track us down. That's going way beyond anything. And of course I gave him the biggest Paris pin I had with me in trade.

It's really all about how you approach the CMs. Pin trading gives you a good view of that. We saw some other traders descending like vultures on a CM who had new pins. She even apologized to us that these people had taken all good ones. The next day another CM again had so many new pins and we were laughing and telling him we'd have a hard time choosing - for the non traders, you can trade 2 pins per day per CM normally. He randomly allowed us to trade three.
I pin trade with the CMs, as well, and it does expose you to some of the negative guest interactions they have to go through on a daily basis. It's eye-opening to see their smiles fall, and just being kind can really help to cheer them up.
 
I pin trade with the CMs, as well, and it does expose you to some of the negative guest interactions they have to go through on a daily basis. It's eye-opening to see their smiles fall, and just being kind can really help to cheer them up.

Yeah, that's what I always try to do. I've seen it happen too often that they were treated as "walking props with lanyards." Horrible.

One year we had a trader with us who actually told me to "use my excited tourist routine." My friend just looked at him weirdly and said "that's no routine, that's her personality." That "tourist routine" guy doesn't hang out with us anymore.

Last year I had it happen that a CM prompted me - the obvious tourist - a couple of minutes over a board until I realized there was a really good pin on there. There was another trader behind us who I had some negative encounters with before. I am pretty sure she was trying to keep that pin away from the other guy.
 
What is pixie dust?... CMs being... extra nice?

Stories of CMs sprinkling pixie dust on guests are great. I'm always glad to hear them.

There's another concept that we don't hear about as often called "reverse pixie dust" -- guests being extra nice to CMs. We can't do as much for them as they can do for us. We can't upgrade their rooms, walk them to the front of lines, or comp their desserts. Reverse pixie dust usually has to be spread a single speck at a time. But one speck can make a huge difference in someone's day.

The story @avalon451 told of going back to thank the guys at DTD bag check and how obviously pleased they were at the validation is a great example of reverse pixie dust. She didn't just say, "Thanks"; she went out of her way to say thanks. More of us ought to do that.

Sometimes the best reverse pixie dust is just being understanding. When an interaction doesn't go the way you had hoped, just be gracious. Don't demand to speak to a lead. Don't rush off in a huff to City Hall to complain.

I appreciate @StarlitNight05's story above of getting a snappish "We don't know!" response from a CM. I'd be willing to bet that those words weren't out of the CM's mouth before she regretted the way they sounded. And StarlitNight05 could have escalated the situation. We've all read of guests getting far more agitated over equally benign and even lesser offenses. But instead she recognized the stress the CM was under and graciously overlooked it.

And when you respond the way that avalon451 and StarlitNight05 did, it not only improves CMs' days, it makes your own day a lot better, too.
 
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I had a friend that worked as a CM in a restaurant in WDW in college and she told me it felt no different than working in a fast food place. Not just because the pay is the same but the overall experience itself.

I worked fast food in college and let me tell ya, I had some people treat me terribly. I once had a lady throw her tacos at me over the counter and hit me smack in the face because she was so furious we forgot to take the lettuce off. Some people get a weird power trip over knowing an employee isn’t within their own personal power to respond back. So they take advantage of it. This happens at Disney just like anywhere else. I would argue the potential there for guests to be rude is further escalated by the higher prices than a Taco Bell.

I always go out of my way to be nice to the CMs and the majority of our experiences are usually positive anyways. There’s a whole other question of how Disney pays/treats their employees too and how that’s changed over the years to consider in this as well. Look at the recent struggle they went through for pay equity in Anaheim. The reality of the job from their eyes might not be the happiest and you bet that will impact guest relations.
 












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