Here now, a little annoyed :/

[mom2rtk]

Did not read beyond the first page, but I agree with the above poster.

We also just got back a few weeks ago, and unlike what some others have said, we had 'no' problems or saw any 'attitudes' in 'any' of the CM's.

Guess it's a lot in the eye of the beholder, we smile and interact with them and that's what we see in return. We definitely didn't see anything that we could say negative about in our treatment by them.

The guests? Another story!!!!!

Or it's possible you didn't have the exact same CM interactions as the OP?

 

[::Snow_White::]

I'd like to apologize on behalf for those rude Cast Members, we definitely see it as guests as well on occasion and as much as I'd like to fix it, I can't. As a past and current CP, it's really the luck of the draw. My current work location, management, and cast members are absolutely amazing and I love my job. My first CP I loved, but I realize now how little we were given comparatively. Obviously, every CM should be saying hello and acknowledging the guest.

For examples on the longer conversation, early this week the park was low attendance, our lines were shorter so I was able to have a full length conversation with almost every guest that I spoke with. Yesterday, it was packed, our line was out the door and I don't think I had time to ask more than 5 guests where they were staying at all day. As much as I'd like to spend 10 minutes with each guest, part of our job is to be efficient so guests spend the least amount of time in line and the most amount having fun on rides with their family.

I mean, I just ran into a CM at Epcot the first day at Flower and Garden who I found to be extremely rude to me when I asked for a cup of water, and he was definitely not a CP. It's not particularly one or the other, I've had more bad experiences with older CMs than any CP ever, but it just depends on the day, the situation, the weather, basically everything. I just say thanks, smile, and move on with my day.

Anyway, if you have a really bad experience with a cast member, whether highly inappropriate or just plain mean, definitely ask to talk to a manager or go to guest relations. Just take into consideration the situation and whether you felt like it was intentional or not. I assume it's quite a reprimand and I would be devastated if a guest was to turn my name over because of a misunderstanding when we try as hard as we can. And if you find a cast member to be outstanding, stop by Guest Relations and turn their name and workplace in, they often have papers to fill out stating why you appreciate that cast member and it's absolutely awesome to receive those!

 

[CQuinn]

Did not read beyond the first page, but I agree with the above poster.

We also just got back a few weeks ago, and unlike what some others have said, we had 'no' problems or saw any 'attitudes' in 'any' of the CM's.

Guess it's a lot in the eye of the beholder, we smile and interact with them and that's what we see in return. We definitely didn't see anything that we could say negative about in our treatment by them.

The guests? Another story!!!!!

That's the thing though, I smile and interact and there have been enough occasions where the CM acts like there isn't even a human in front of them. I say hello and thank you and get no response. This isn't all of the time of course, but it's happened quite a bit. I don't need them to ask me how my day is going or where I'm from, but a quick hello or you're welcome would be nice.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I am very glad that I started my adult life with a tour in the Army. It still puts everything else in my life into perspective. Relative to those years, I haven't worked a day in my life since my service ended.

WDW is not some kind of sweat shop. I have held many jobs in America which required so much more of me for far less pay.

 

[CQuinn]

As a past and current CP, it's really the luck of the draw. My current work location, management, and cast members are absolutely amazing and I love my job. My first CP I loved, but I realize now how little we were given comparatively. It's also up to management to correct behaviors. While it is our job to be sunshine all day long, sometimes we may have a guest scream in our face and 5 seconds later we have to be at a register with a guest. As humans, some of us can brush it off, and others it can effect more.

For examples on the conversation, early this week the park was low attendance, our lines were shorter so I was able to have a full length conversation with almost every guest that I spoke with. Yesterday, it was packed, our line was out the door and I don't think I had time to ask more than 5 guests where they were staying at all day. As much as I'd like to spend 10 minutes with each guest, part of our job is to be efficient so guests spend the least amount of time in line and the most amount having fun on rides with their family.

I mean, I just ran into a CM at Epcot the first day at Flower and Garden who I found to be extremely rude to me when I asked for a cup of water, and he was definitely not a CP. It's not particularly one or the other, I've had more bad experiences with older CMs than any CP ever, but it just depends on the day, the situation, the weather, basically everything. I just say thanks, smile, and move on with my day.

Anyway, if you have a really bad experience with a cast member, whether highly inappropriate or just plain mean, definitely ask to talk to a manager or go to guest relations. Just take into consideration the situation and whether you felt like it was intentional or not. I assume it's quite a reprimand and I would be devastated if a guest was to turn my name over because of a misunderstanding when we try as hard as we can. And if you find a cast member to be outstanding, stop by Guest Relations and turn their name and workplace in, they often have papers to fill out stating why you appreciate that cast member and it's absolutely awesome to receive those!

I'm glad there is a way to let them know the cast members that have been outstanding! I've been writing names of the really awesome ones we have encountered to do just that.

I haven't had any experience bad enough to want to talk to a manager or anything like that. It's just bummed me out a bit is all. One example that really got me was at the food court at my resort hotel. I grabbed a quick service meal and a pastry (snack credit). It was pretty slow there at the time with a couple registers completely open. I walked up to the CM said hello and smiled, I told her I was going to use dining plan credits and without saying a word to me she rang me up, then told me I could scan my band. As I was scanning and entering my pin another CM came up and they started talking while she handed me my receipt without even looking in my direction. I started to walk away and then she acted really annoyed and told me she still needed to ring my snack credit. Nothing extremely horrible or anything but just not great. I wouldn't speak to a manager or want to get anyone in trouble but it just kind of upset me. Again, I'm sensitive and pregnant right now so maybe normally I wouldn't have even noticed.

 

[HM]

I work in the customer service industry, have for 19 years now. I have worked in HR for the last 4 years at my company, hiring and training people. Unfortunately, we now live in a time where a lot of people want a paycheck, but they think all they have to do is show up, and not do the work. And that's if they come to work. I can,t believe how many people NEED this job, but then call out once a week. If I hire ten people, I'm lucky if there are 2 left out of the ten in six months. Sadly, good work ethics are hard to come by this day and age. I'm not say everybody is like this, there still people out there that do have a good work ethic, those people are just harder to find. I'm sure Disney deals with this too.

My sister hires for the place she works. They pay a better than average wage, and she encounters everything you mention. Work ethic doesn't seem to exist in many people these days. I can't figure it out. It's the most frustrating part of her job. They look good on paper and even in an interview (though many don't pass that part) and then they start 'working' and she's like "who is this person?"

 

[JimmyV]

First they had to deal with a considerable mess around FP+ ... and whether you like the system or not, it was an absolute mess of a roll out. Many CMs commented on many boards, and people like Kenny and Josh and others reported from their contacts just how frustrated CMs were with FP+ and the issues surrounding it. Indeed even after the roll out phase, considerable issues persist which adds to the workload of CMs and creates tension between guests and CMs.

A little bit of a thread drift story to put this in focus. We had the (mis)fortune of going to WDW in the February during the first week that they rolled out FP+ in earnest. Prior to that, the old FP machines were running in tandem with the new FP+ system. But once they removed the old machines, FP+ was all there was. Guests at a Disney resort could get FPs in advance, (I think it was a week or 10 days, or something like that), and off site guests (including the Swan and Dolphin where we stayed) were limited to "day of" FPs. As part of the roll-out, Disney dispersed an army of CMs with I-Pads to help guests book their FPs. It was a nightmare. On our first day in a park (AK), knowing about the recent change, we went immediately to the first I-Pad CM we could find. It took her 10 minutes and about 8 tries to link all of our tickets to the system. Then it took her another 15 minutes of trying, and trying and trying to get us FPs. She never was able to get us a FP for EE, but she suggested that this was probably a "bug" and that we should try to find another CM with an I-Pad later in the day and it would probably work. (We did, and she was right). All the while she was helping us, she tried to maintain a positive attitude, but there was a lot of "hurumping" and lip biting and upward hair blowing and obvious exasperation on her part due to the fact that she was pressed into action with little training, having to interface with a system that had more bugs than the Bug's Life show. She even said as much. When we finally finished with her, and she with us, a sizable line had built behind us of anxious and confused guests. I looked the CM in the eye and said something like (and I am paraphrasing here because I can't remember it word for word): "I don't envy you. You have obviously been thrown into a stressful situation dealing with a system that isn't ready for use, and you are probably going to hear and earful from angry guests all day. But my hope is that at the end of the day, you remember one thing. You helped one family who greatly appreciates what you are going through, and you made us very happy." You could see the tears well up in her eyes as she whispered "Thank You."

The moral of the story is that CMs are often put into very stressful situations that result from decisions made in conference rooms in Burbank and elsewhere, by people who do not understand (or care) about the ramifications those decisions have on the rank and file. And "suck it up Buttercup" is a silly and insensitive way to approach what they are going through. In the moment that I was interacting with that CM in AK, seeing the angry mob building behind me, watching her poke away at an I-Pad that didn't want to do what she needed it to do, "Get over yourself and smile" was the last thing in the world that would have popped into my head to say to her.

 

[dfb]

And if you find a cast member to be outstanding, stop by Guest Relations and turn their name and workplace in, they often have papers to fill out stating why you appreciate that cast member and it's absolutely awesome to receive those!

As a CM can you tell me what is the best way to submitt a positive comment for a CM post trip? A specific email address for this?

Our last trip we stopped by guest relations Animal Kingdom to submitt a positive review for 3 CMs with whom we had some great interaction. The folks at guest relations didn't seem to be too interested in submitting the paperwork. I think part of the problem was a language barrier. Everyone there that day were from South America which should be no problem since I've toured SA quite a bit in the military but for some reason our comms/attitudes weren't meshing. Even after speaking to the supervisor there, I did not get a warm fuzzy that the CMs would get any recognition for our experience. On a post trip survey, we again expressed our appreciation of the CMs mentioned before but since we've got no feedback we are still not sure the CMs ever got the recognition. Plus this was mixed in with other comments about our trip that was not so favorable which I think took away from thier recognition.

 

[SingingMom]

My opinion is there are two different type of CP. The first type is the college student who is looking for a semester off to gain work experience and have fun at the happiest place on earth. The second type is the college student or graduate (you can apply within 6 months of attending school) who would like a "foot in the door" to the wonderful world of the Disney Company.

Both go in with wide eyes and excitement. But, when the reality of the crazy hours, low pay, and demanding guests, (not to mention living with strangers and sharing a bedroom where your only private spot is a twin bed) hits them, they react in different ways. Some are happy to push through the disappointment or stress, while others are counting the days until they can leave. Some are given wonderful assignments, others are given very undesirable ones. They only know a "category" when they accept the internship. The actual "assignment" is given when they arrive. My DD adored her first assignment. She was asked to extend and her current assignment is not stellar. Yet, she hopes to build a career with Disney, so she's continuing giving 110%, it's just a bit more exhausting/difficult on a daily basis. I believe this experience is just as important as the first. She's growing professionally and personally.

What I'm trying to say, is it's not CPs or part time CMs or full time CMs... it's unique humans reacting to different circumstances.

 

[leebee]

DD22 has twice been accepted into the College Program. Going in, before she ever accepted the job, she knew her role, her hourly pay, her housing situation, and the cost of housing (deducted before being paid). She knew she'd have varying numbers of hours each week, but that during busy times she might be working almost constantly. Roles are assigned based on what the applicant says they want (they get to rank all roles when they apply for the program, indicating those they are interested in, their level of interest, and those that they wouldn't accept) and, of course, on Disney's needs. I don't believe that Disney has a CP role that pays "just" minimum wage, and none that pay below. SO... for those who think that these students don't know what they are getting into, or that the pay is crap, etc. (ok it is low, but minimum wage is lower), well... I don't buy it. These kids know what they are getting into when they accept the job. Being part of the CP lets you list working for Disney on your resume, and regardless of your actual role, it's a wonderful reference to have.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

That's awesome that she had a great time!! I was also interested in the CP while I was in college, they pushed hard on my campus. It seemed fairly straight forward, the information was right there. It was pretty clear to me that many people would be doing work like quick service restaurants, gift shops, stands. I also found it pretty easy to search for blogs and message boards of people that were in the CP so I had a pretty good idea of what it would be like. It still sounded like fun to me but I decided it wasn't worth pushing back my graduation date. So I think most of the CP people know what they are getting into.

That being said, I will repeat that the cast members I'm referring to were not CP. In fact I specifically remember seeing NYU on a name tag of a CM that was super pleasant on Jungle Cruise (she was not the skipper either).

I know you said your interactions with the CP CMs were great. I was responding to the many comments afterward blaming the CP for the decline of modern civilization .

 

[larryz]

See? Regardless of how you feel now, you are still planning on a future trip.

Like others have said, there is all this whining and complaining, yet people still go back.

Sounds like a syndrome. I haven't decided whether it's "Stockholm" or "Battered Tourist."

 

[EricInPA]

I'm just venting a bit, it didn't ruin my vacation or anything. It is disappointing though, excellent customer service has always seemed like a natural a "Disney thing" to me, and was quite clearly an expectation at even Disney Store training, so it's been noticeable when it's really not there

Totally fair, and I think it's important to understand where everyone is coming from with these issues. If someone gets genuinely poor customer service, anywhere, they have a right to feel a little let down or undervalued. The perspective of long time guests that do see a legitimate decline in service is important, but also those of us who have only recently started traveling to WDW and recognize that Disney's current level of service is still amazing.

Regarding CP CMs:
This article by Steve Porter is great (and read the comments too).
http://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-...am-living-learning-and-working-for-the-mouse/
Talking to friends that participated, no one has ever said anything other than "it was incredibly hard work, but I loved every second of it". This quote from the blog really stands out:

Most guests are great, but a very small percentage of guests can make your job a nightmare. Some days I had guests screaming in my face for things I didn’t do. It can be overwhelming.

Because of that (knowing first hand from working retail CS), I try and improve a CMs day as much as they try and improve mine. I know that every guest shouldn't be obligated to do that, but it's important to me and requires little or no effort.

 

[Dug720]

I think the college program gives college CMs the impression that the work they do at Disney is going to give them work experience appropriate to the degree....but really, it's just a way to hire minimum wage workers. Now, that's not to say that being a CM doesn't give you a foot in the door if you desire to work for the Disney Company or Disney World in later years! I have a close friend from college who did a summer internship at Disney...and now is a manager there in Animal Kingdom....and her brother got a job there as an engineer! So... I think it all depends on the expectation of the college CM. 95% of the CMs I have encountered have been fantastic; but you always get a few that are just not stellar, they are only human after all.

I wonder if they have changed how they are selling it. I have a friend who considered it a few years ago because she wants to be an animator. They were very clear with her that the first year is the park/resort stuff like rides, shops, servers, etc. and that if that was successfully completed there could be the opportunity to move into a more career-oriented internship.

 

[disneyseniors]

As a CM can you tell me what is the best way to submitt a positive comment for a CM post trip? A specific email address for this?

Our last trip we stopped by guest relations Animal Kingdom to submitt a positive review for 3 CMs with whom we had some great interation. The folks at guest relations didn't seem to be too interested in submitting the paperwork. I think part of the problem was a language barrier. Everyone there that day were from South America which should be no problem since I've toured SA quite a bit in the military but for some reason our comms/attitudes weren't meshing. Even after speaking to the supervisor there, I did not get a warm fuzzy that the CMs would get any recognition for our experience. On a post trip survey, we again expressed our appreciation of the CMs mentioned before but since we've got no feedback we are still not sure the CMs ever got the recognition. Plus this was mixed in with other comments about our trip that was not so favorable which I think took away from thier recognition.

I don't remember a specific email address for this, but I did send an email to the one they advertise. Sorry, just can't remember what it is!
My husband and I did Keys to the Kingdom and were very impressed with our tour guide. He was knowledgable, friendly, helpful, all-in-all, just a great CM and tour guide. We got an email back about our email stating that they appreciated our comments and that "John" would receive a commendation letter in his file. I think it said more about him and his career, but can't remember exactly what they said.
So, I do think an email to Disney would be the best way to reward those wonderful deserving CM's
'

 

[dfb]

I don't remember a specific email address for this, but I did send an email to the one they advertise. Sorry, just can't remember what it is!
My husband and I did Keys to the Kingdom and were very impressed with our tour guide. He was knowledgable, friendly, helpful, all-in-all, just a great CM and tour guide. We got an email back about our email stating that they appreciated our comments and that "John" would receive a commendation letter in his file. I think it said more about him and his career, but can't remember exactly what they said.
So, I do think an email to Disney would be the best way to reward those wonderful deserving CM's
'[/QUOTE

Thanks

Yes I think I've used this email:wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com I'll try it again. I just didn't know if there might be a different method/email specifically to give an attaboy

 

[larryz]

I don't remember a specific email address for this, but I did send an email to the one they advertise. Sorry, just can't remember what it is!
My husband and I did Keys to the Kingdom and were very impressed with our tour guide. He was knowledgable, friendly, helpful, all-in-all, just a great CM and tour guide. We got an email back about our email stating that they appreciated our comments and that "John" would receive a commendation letter in his file. I think it said more about him and his career, but can't remember exactly what they said.
So, I do think an email to Disney would be the best way to reward those wonderful deserving CM's
'

I've always received acknowledgement of any letter I've sent to Disney.

Walt Disney World Guest Communications
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

 

[Clare Voince]

I work in the customer service industry, have for 19 years now. I have worked in HR for the last 4 years at my company, hiring and training people. Unfortunately, we now live in a time where a lot of people want a paycheck, but they think all they have to do is show up, and not do the work. And that's if they come to work. I can,t believe how many people NEED this job, but then call out once a week. If I hire ten people, I'm lucky if there are 2 left out of the ten in six months. Sadly, good work ethics are hard to come by this day and age. I'm not say everybody is like this, there still people out there that do have a good work ethic, those people are just harder to find. I'm sure Disney deals with this too..

This doesn't prove to me that people don't have a good work ethic. This shows me that what you're offering them isn't worth the effort. I work in customer service (1-800 number rep) too, but for the federal government. We have almost zero turn over because new hires make $35k, get 2 1/2 weeks vacation, 2 1/2 weeks sick, 10 federal holidays, 401k matching up to 5%, a great pension, and good health benefits. As a seasoned employee (20 years) I get even more.. I made $58k, last year and I get 5 weeks vacation. It is a very stressful job, but no one leaves the job unless they have to or they get promoted. Most teleservice places are $10 an hour and have horrible turnover. This is why. If you're paying people the same crappy wage they can get anyplace else, what's the point? You get what you give, and if you're only offering crap, that's all you're going to get.

 

[Enjoying Life]

Our last trip, I saw CM's on their cell phones a lot. Also, one CM made a wise remark when I asked a question. That never happened before. What you see taking place at Disney with the cast members is not their fault though. All the blame is squarely on the shoulders of Disney management, but it's really a case of corporate policies rather than incompetent managers.

What they teach you in college for business management is completely different than what is going on in corporate America nowadays. These corporations don't want happy dedicated workers. They would have to pay them more. They don't want teamwork. They don't anything that is going to upset their greedy apple cart.

 

[Jennasis]

Do other companies still even see "Disney" on a resume and think WOW?