Grumpiest Cast Member

[MyKindOfDisney]

Who is the grumpiest cast member you've ever met?

About 8 years ago, we were at Hollywood Studios and stopped by the DVC kiosk and agreed to tour VGF in exchange for a Disney gift card. After the tour and the sales pitch, there was free ice cream promised at the end of the presentation. The kids were in their own area, so after we finished we picked them up and took them to get their free ice cream.

There she was. The only cast member I've ever met at a Disney park/cruise/etc. who was doing her job and just looked miserable. Not smiling, not looking directly at anyone when giving them their ice cream, and not responding to the "thank yous" from the kids.

I know everyone has bad days, and maybe this was one for her. And she wouldn't have looked out of place at an ice cream store across the street. But it speaks to the great environment that the cast members create, when she stands out from the crowd as much as she did!

Anyone else have a similar experience? Do they still give you ice cream after your DVC sales pitch?

 

[Sandisw]

As far as I know, no more free ice cream. And honestly, I am always just so happy when I am there, I have never encountered one!

Im a really social person and can strike up a conversation with a rock!!! Lol

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

99% of CMs we've interacted with at Disney parks around the world have been great.

The grumpiest, though, must be the CM we encountered at DL Paris's BTMRR in 2017. Back then they still did paper fast passed and we asked him if we could use the FP machine he was leaning on. He shrugged, didn't say anything, and kept on staring in the distance. I guess he was pensive that day? We weren't sure if that meant yes or no, so we waited for the other machine next to him to be available. While we were getting our FPs, we saw him picking his nose, then flicking off whatever was on his fingers all while he kept staring in the distance. We were really surprised by that nonchalant behavior and lack of awareness of guests that might be around him. Bad day, perhaps.

To end on a positive note and keep this DVC, we're constantly pleasantly surprised by the mousekeeping CM at Riviera. One time, my MIL called to get something in our 1BR kitchen looked at (can't remember what it was, but it was something simple, maybe an appliance just needed a bit of cleaning). The CM proceeded to clean the whole kitchen and wash all our used dishes by hand, while having a lovely conversation with my MIL. She then wiped a lot of our surfaces and was just so nice. MIL left a big tip for her at the front desk at the end of our stay.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Who is the grumpiest cast member you've ever met?

About 8 years ago, we were at Hollywood Studios and stopped by the DVC kiosk and agreed to tour VGF in exchange for a Disney gift card. After the tour and the sales pitch, there was free ice cream promised at the end of the presentation. The kids were in their own area, so after we finished we picked them up and took them to get their free ice cream.

There she was. The only cast member I've ever met at a Disney park/cruise/etc. who was doing her job and just looked miserable. Not smiling, not looking directly at anyone when giving them their ice cream, and not responding to the "thank yous" from the kids.

I know everyone has bad days, and maybe this was one for her. And she wouldn't have looked out of place at an ice cream store across the street. But it speaks to the great environment that the cast members create, when she stands out from the crowd as much as she did!

Anyone else have a similar experience? Do they still give you ice cream after your DVC sales pitch?

Maybe she was in pain, honestly, maybe it was all she could do just to stand there and do what she was doing!

 

[zackiedawg]

Fortunately I only ever encountered one grumpy cast member - Grandma Mary, a hostess at 50's Prime Time Cafe. Complained and moaned about all the annoying people and screaming kids and complainers she had to deal with that day. Of course, she was off-duty, sitting in my DVC villa, as we were getting ready to go out to dinner...she was my aunt. ON duty, she was a perfect Disney employee.

I have to say, Disney cast members are pretty darn good - even when I can see them having a bad interaction with guests, they stay patient and cordial. The worst I can say is seeing some visible stress on occasion from the CM, but I've never encountered rude or miserable. And that's spending over 1,400 days at Disney in my life so far (and having two relatives who were cast members).

 

[cruisehopeful]

I had one at Hearthstone in the Grand Californian lobby a few years back. I think she was the hostess. She was completely annoyed that I walked up and it escalated from there. When the hotel sent me the survey after my stay, I had a lot to say. I did include that maybe she was tired or sick, but I also mentioned that they need to hire more staff if they are going to overwork people to the point that they are mad that they have a customer.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I really can't recall any one specific "grumpy" cast member or negative interaction that I've experienced. I don't think it's a case of pixiedust blurring history, I suppose that I just try not to give space to negative people or interactions.

 

[davper]

The grumpiest was a bus driver. Leaving epcot and got to the bus awaiting its schedule time to leave. Informed the bus driver that my wife was in a scooter. His response was, I am just leaving and I already have a scooter. I could see that no one was in the fold up seats for the 2nd scooter, so I pushed back. He started to defend his position. It wasn't until said "don't put yourself out, I'll just send out a complaint to guest services". I took his name and bus number. This is when he finally got his *** out of the seat to let my wife on.

I never could find where I could make a complaint. The app only has a place to to praise cast members.

This was OCT-25

 

[davper]

As far as I know, no more free ice cream. And honestly, I am always just so happy when I am there, I have never encountered one!

Im a really social person and can strike up a conversation with a rock!!! Lol

So your the one I see talking alone in the corner. ;-)

 

[jo-jo]

We had a few odd encounters.

One not with me directly ( I was feeding DGD ). Baby center, someone with a specials needs child (maybe about 10-12) came in with special needs stroller/wheelchair. CM kept saying stroller is not allowed in. Mother said it's wheelchair, CM wouldn't budge. Finally Dad picked up child and carried her into the bathroom. Leaving upset mom with wheelchair.

Once eating at garden grill.....Hi how are you etc, gets food, comes back to check... And then the server sat down and told us about her rotten job and her mom is moving etc etc. We stopped eating. It was so odd.

Last one, years ago, we were standing by water by italy, wanted to get really good spot for fireworks. Was there hour or so already. About 2 dozen other people were also there. Maybe 20- 30 min before fireworks, CM comes by and says, you all have to move, this area is reserved for people who paid more than you. People started complaining and he held out his tag, saying get the name right when you complain.

 

[muppets3d]

The only untoward thing I saw was once on Big Thunder, a group of international students were in the cars that couldn't speak English and weren't paying attention so they didn't hear/understand the cast member instructions to push down and pull up on the lap bar. The cast member jerked the lap bar with a bit of a hateful force, I suppose because she felt like she was being ignored.

 

[zackiedawg]

Once eating at garden grill.....Hi how are you etc, gets food, comes back to check... And then the server sat down and told us about her rotten job and her mom is moving etc etc. We stopped eating. It was so odd.

I had a server sit down and chat once at Rainforest in Disney Springs. I was sitting on the patio section outside, and it was about 45 degrees that night - I was the only person sitting out there (I love cold weather because I never get it down in S. Florida). The waitress seemed chatty and since it was a little slow, at one point she just took a seat and started chatting about living in Florida (she had moved there recently), the job, Disney in general - everything was positive, not complaining. I was dining solo, having just checked in over at Saratoga and was just grabbing a late bite somewhere close. I didn't mind as she was cute and I was single and solo, so it was a fond memory!

 

[KPeterso]

Probably 10-12 years ago now. Waiting at DTD (it was definitely still DTD at the time) - it was all under construction - and it was downpouring hard. We get to the stop for Wilderness Lodge and wait under what little cover was available with 2 drivers awaiting shift changes. Bus pulls up to our stop and saw Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wildeness on it. Both drivers said - oh look, there is your bus. And then assistd getting my mom get on the bus in the hard rain on a scooter. Only people who get on there but others were already on the bus.

We get to Fort Wilderness and everyone gets off the bus except us. Driver comes back and says lets get you unhooked and off the bus. We look at him confused and said, no we are going to Wilderness Lodge. He proceeds to start yelling at me that he is not going there and that we are getting off here and we could take the scooter with us or he could drive off with it. Oh and told me that I could not read as I was at the wrong stop and the bus did not say it was going to WL. I told him to go check the bus marquis as it absolutely said WL too. And he did pull up to the WL stop at DTD. He did agree finally it did say WL on the front and that he guessed he pulled into the WL stop as there was a bus at the Ft Wilderness one. But apparently, I should have known that he was not going to WL. Now remember, there were 2 bus driver cast members at the stop when we boarded who also said there is your bus.

He absolutely 100% refused to take us to WL. So we got off (and it was still downpouring) and had to ask a few drivers how to get to WL from Ft Wilderness as I knew there was a bus. Driver for one of the loops to the settlement finally took pity on us and called in and said he would be taking us to WL. I got off the bus and told my mom to go to the room and went straight to the front desk to have a chat with the front desk. To say they were horrified (and so was the transportation department who the front desk connected me with) is an understatement. A lot of apologies and follow ups from both with us.

 

[Sandisw]

So your the one I see talking alone in the corner. ;-)

Sure am! Come say hi next time!!!!

 

[VGCgroupie]

People are allowed to be grumpy sometimes. The job is hard. So I will say my worst was when a CM at Aulani was giving me backhanded insults in a VERY nice tone and manner. I would rather her have been upfront grumpy.