I got an email from

[NHMickey]

a manager in Epcot. It was releated to our last trip but that is not what this post is about.... At the end of the post he had in his tag line... "Do a Take 5 Today" Well I had to see what this ment and I asked him about it. He wrote back that it something he tries to instill on the Cast Members. Take 5 minutes out of your day to make a guest "Feel the Magic". I was wondering... do you have any stories to tell about how a CM or a group of them has Taken 5 to show you the Magic of Disney???

 

[Talking Hands]

In June right after I got out of the hospital I went to WDW for the weekend. On Monday I went o MK. It was a very fustrating morning with problems with the buses, people hitting my broken leg and missing the show that I wanted to see with the Sign Language interpreters. I was literally in tears with pain and fustration. Somehow it got back to Mark that someting was wrong. He came and found me at the parade to check on me and see if he could help. It made me feel so good that he would take the time to do that. A very special castmember.

 

[Dan Murphy]

As posted on “Just Say Thanks Board!”, September 1, 1999:

Over the past year, various CM's at CRO have taken copious notes from me as I called periodically to "get a better deal", ask questions, etc. They have gotten to know me over the year, as they do put a lot of conversation notes in their computer system. Each time I called, they would usually say, "Let me read your notes", and then ask how they could help me. As we talked, they, also, would add new notes.

I finally had what I thought was a good package of price and tickets for a 7-night/8 day stay (MKC). However I was constantly trying to get a lagoon view for a truly memorable trip for all the family; but was not successful with that last piece, (lagoon view). It was not available with the MKC and the difference between a MKC garden view and a non-discounted lagoon view was just too much. I was willing to pay more but the rooms weren't available at any price.

On a call about 2 weeks ago to CRO to try again, (we all know to keep trying), I talked to CM "Xenia". She asked me to wait a minute while she read my "case". She let out a sigh and said, "My, you have been through a lot". And then, "How may I help you tonight?" I told her my request, (lagoon view, and, if available, I can pay more, but hopefully not too much more). She initially responded, "I don't thing so." But a moment later, before I could respond to yet another turn down, she said, "Let me go check a few things. Can you wait a couple minutes?" I said, "Sure". Well, about 5-7 long minutes later she comes back and says, "Are you still there?" I said, "Yes". She went on, "Tinkerbell just flew by and sprinkled some pixie dust--you and your family have their lagoon view room". I was so pleased, I was ecstatic. I thanked her abundantly, and then asked her the damages, (increase in price). She said, "Tink said-same price, no increase". I was staggered and it took me a minute or so of tears in my eyes with accompanying silence to speak to "Xenia". During my silence, she said, "I know you've been through a lot and when we can help people, we love to do it; you deserve it".

Well, we are <90 days to go. I am so happy for my family and hope so much they will enjoy, (kids being older and such).

My thanks to "Xenia" and the magic that Walt brought to us all and continues on in many CM's

Thank you, Xenia!”

 

[Rajah]

One visit while DH and I were on our way to the Fantasmic stadium, I had one. I'd had a bad day and was in a really bad mood. Well, I was wearing my Tigger Safari Hat as we were walking, and we passed by two CMs who were heading the other direction.

One shouted TIGGER!! and looked at me. Not an uncommon reaction from CMs, but this one said he wanted to see me bounce because Tiggers don't walk, Tiggers bounce. I grumbled something about this tigger being tired, and he said something like "aww, c'mon, just one bounce?" So, I bounced. Now how can anyone who loves Disney like I do do a Tigger-bounce and not end up smiling?

That CM (who I'm pretty sure could tell I was in a grumpy mood) ended up breaking my bad-mood shell so that by the time Fantasmic actually started, I was in a good mood again.

 

[Teejay32]

I have a story from 2001. I'd taken my DD5 to WDW for a long weekend and we met up with a friend there. We wanted to see the new Animal Kingdom Lodge and made reservations at Boma. We wandered around the resort a little and saw the animals, pronounced the place wonderful, and sat down to wait for Boma to open. The lobby was starting to fill up...DD is very shy. Crowds sometimes bother her. She was sitting very quietly - too much so, in my opinion, we were worried about all this 'quietness' at the time and that was partly the reason that we were down there. Anyway, DD was just arranging her pins, away from the crowd a little bit.

This man suddenly appears in front of her, a very tall man wearing a large African necklace. He looks down at her pins. "Aren't those nice." She looks up at him, way up. "Would you trade me this one" - he points to an Ursula pin I think - "for this?" He points to his necklace. My child was just learning the ropes of pin trading. She stares at her pin for a minute, then scrutinizes the necklace. Solemnly, she nods. He laughs. "I think I have something you might like better though, I'll be right back." Then he was gone.

Right before the restaurant opened he appeared again. "Do you have this one, " he asked her. He opened his palm, and there's a pin in it. She shook her head.
"Well, here you go. Do you have this one?" Another pin.
"No, I don't" and she's smiling now.
"How about this one?"
"No, not that one either!" She takes the three character pins, delighted. There's a crowd starting to gather around her, young people wanting to see them or make trades. He holds up his hand, to my friend. (Probably thinking that was who DD belonged to) "...and this one, maybe you'd like to hold for her." He smiled. "Yes, I would. Thank you very much!" It was an AKL CM pin (Opening Spring 2001), and the man giving it to us was Mr. Norm Noble, General Manager of the Animal Kingdom Resort.

To her it's a momento of the just-Mom-and-me trip (without little sister), and one of her first 'pin trades'. I like it because it just reminds me of someone - a very busy someone - who went out of his way to make a little girl smile. So it'll always be one of our treasures.

 

[Laurabearz]

Okay this isnt as "big" as the others yet it really made me feel speical.....

THis past trip (Sept) was just my and hubby and baby to be.... I was feeling wretched most of the trip.... (but blessed to be preggo again)

DH and I were strolling around MGM and had walked by the Dinosaur in the lake (across from H&V) Niether of us knew what they sold there, but knew it was food of some sort..... The CM behind the counter looked really bored because NO ONE was buying anything.....

Anyway we decided to take a rest and admire the Dino, when a customer walked up and bought an ice cream cone with jimmies..... I jumped up and shoutedTHE DINOSAUSR HAS JIMMIES!!!!!!!!!!! and ran over.....

I ask the guy for a tiny vanalla cone with chocolate jimmes.... he made it and handed it to me.... I asked how much and he said nothing..... anyone who got that excited over jimmies deserved a free cone.

Made my WHOLE DAY! And I might add brought a tear to my eye.... (and again now just thinking about it.... (dang us women and their pregnacy hormones! LOL)

 

[CamColt]

I posted this recently, as it just happened in August, but taking 5 is exactly waht these CMs did for us.
We were at Test Track debting about waitingitn he 50 minute line. There were no FPs left and we didnt really want to leav emy mother stuck with our 2 younger kids for that long, while DH & I took my neice on the ride. So we debated and then were approached by 3 CMs. To make a long story short they offered us a chance to skip the line. They made us sing the Mickey Mouse Club song in front of TT. They even videotaped it for me(with my camera). It was so much fun and showed that the magic is still there. They made our day!

 

[helenabear]

When I was 6 years old, I had gotten a really cute canvas bag at MK. I went onto the Speedway and when I got out of my car, I accidentally left it there. We went to the lost and found and no one reported it so they brought us back to the Speedway and the CMs there checked every single car that came through on the lane I had driven in. Granted the bag never showed up, but the fact that they went through so much for one little bag was truly wonderful