Magic on demand - is this a new phenomenon?

[Boopuff]

My DD is a CM at a resort. Lately she's noticed a lot of people "demand" some Disney Magic from her. Examples: One afternoon she was working the "pin trade" board. Guest looks over the board and says "I want to trade for the new holiday pin" CM: "Sir we trade what's on the board" Guest" I know you've got the pins in the back so go make some magic for me and get one!" (!) The next day a young man approaches the cashier and asks for a bottle of wine. CM asks to see id. (standard procedure if you're young) Young man says "Look it's Disney make the wine magically go into my bag I have my Magic band" CM "we need id sir" Man "Look I've got a kid I'm old enough" Man leaves... comes back with ID turns out he's 22!

She says more and more guests "expect" freebies, or special treatment every day. I guess just experiencing WDW just isn't enough for some people!

 

[Oomiak]

We live in a day when more and more people feel entitled. I'd even say boards like this have created the problem to a certain extent. I've seen a lot of people complain here because the didn't experience the same "magic" that they read about here. The special moments and secrets are blasted out on the web through forums and social media and then they aren't secrets or special anymore.

 

[Accident]

She says more and more guests "expect" freebies, or special treatment every day. I guess just experiencing WDW just isn't enough for some people!

The me generation can finally afford to get in the front door..

 

[anniemae]

We live in a day when more and more people feel entitled. I'd even say boards like this have created the problem to a certain extent. I've seen a lot of people complain here because the didn't experience the same "magic" that they read about here. The special moments and secrets are blasted out on the web through forums and social media and then they aren't secrets or special anymore.

This is true I think. Now everyone expects the same special treatment, and they get upset if they don't get it.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

We live in a day when more and more people feel entitled. I'd even say boards like this have created the problem to a certain extent. I've seen a lot of people complain here because the didn't experience the same "magic" that they read about here. The special moments and secrets are blasted out on the web through forums and social media and then they aren't secrets or special anymore.

What a miserable way to live. Just being on vacation - and at Disney World no less, someplace where most of the world can only dream of visiting - wouldn't be enough in itself; not receiving extras/freebies would be a disappointment. I'd much rather feel appreciative for the small kindnesses, and be happy for others who have received magic, than be entitled, jealous, and disappointed.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I know it's not funny in the moment when you're the CM dealing with it, but 'make the wine go magically in my bag I have my Magic Band' is kind of funny

I think it's their commercials that make people think this. Magic magic magic. They just had that new Broadway musical type commercial or promo this week on the Parks blog, they must have said magic 100x. And the one with the front desk CM with the wings telling the family they could eat with princesses and ride the Mine Train.

 

[BK2014]

I'd even say boards like this have created the problem to a certain extent. I've seen a lot of people complain here because the didn't experience the same "magic" that they read about here. The special moments and secrets are blasted out on the web through forums and social media and then they aren't secrets or special anymore.

I agree with this as well. DW and I went on a Disney cruise last fall. For the year before the cruise, I spent a lot of time researching on the DCL section of disboards. One of the things a lot of people mentioned loving about their cruises was that their stateroom hosts were so friendly, and that they really got to talk to and know their stateroom hosts during their cruise. On our cruise, our stateroom host never talked to us, and seemed to go out of his way to avoid coming near our room when we were there. But, he did an excellent job of keeping our room clean and everything. So we were completely satisfied with the condition of our room throughout the cruise, but I couldn't help but wonder why our stateroom host wasn't as friendly as we had been expecting.

 

[jackieinJuneau]

I know it's not funny in the moment when you're the CM dealing with it, but 'make the wine go magically in my bag I have my Magic Band' is kind of funny

I think it's their commercials that make people think this. Magic magic magic. They just had that new Broadway musical type commercial or promo this week on the Parks blog, they must have said magic 100x. And the one with the front desk CM with the wings telling the family they could eat with princesses and ride the Mine Train.

Agreed I think its the Disney marketing, a very small % of people do the kind of research that would bring them to the boards but everyone views the adds. Plus I think a lot of people feel their expectations are in proportion to the prices and I think the boards do a better job of setting realistic expectations. If all my information were Disney propaganda and how much it coast, I might think Disney would grant whatever wish I had.

 

[MataHari22]

My DD is a CM at a resort. Lately she's noticed a lot of people "demand" some Disney Magic from her. Examples: One afternoon she was working the "pin trade" board. Guest looks over the board and says "I want to trade for the new holiday pin" CM: "Sir we trade what's on the board" Guest" I know you've got the pins in the back so go make some magic for me and get one!" (!) The next day a young man approaches the cashier and asks for a bottle of wine. CM asks to see id. (standard procedure if you're young) Young man says "Look it's Disney make the wine magically go into my bag I have my Magic band" CM "we need id sir" Man "Look I've got a kid I'm old enough" Man leaves... comes back with ID turns out he's 22!

She says more and more guests "expect" freebies, or special treatment every day. I guess just experiencing WDW just isn't enough for some people!

A lot of people act like this, unfortunately, and it's not just at Disney World.

 

[KateP85]

It's not a completely new thing; I haven't been a CM for over three years now, and I remember guests demanding magic all the time! I loved creating little magical moments for people, but more and more when I did it for someone, everyone around them wanted the same thing.

I think Disney absolutely creates part of the problem. They use the word magic so often, guests really go into their vacation expecting it to be out of this world magical. It also costs so much money, I think people feel more entitled to ask for little extras all the time.

Boards like these, social media, and the internet in general, do play a part. One family experiences something magical, and everyone reads about it online. At least one of those people will go to Disney expecting the same, and complain when they don't get it.

 

[cassie58]

I know it's not funny in the moment when you're the CM dealing with it, but 'make the wine go magically in my bag I have my Magic Band' is kind of funny

I think it's their commercials that make people think this. Magic magic magic. They just had that new Broadway musical type commercial or promo this week on the Parks blog, they must have said magic 100x. And the one with the front desk CM with the wings telling the family they could eat with princesses and ride the Mine Train.

Totally agree about that commercial! DD and I laughed about you walking into your hotel and asking for those things when we all plan 6 months in advance and can barely get them! I really can't believe people are walking around demanding magic when the whole idea is the magic is unexpected, which makes it special. We had two pin situations with DD - 1st trip pin trading she was trading with a CM, and really wanted a special anniversary pin he had, but wasn't sure she wanted to give up another princess pin she had gotten the day before. She knew she had to choose, and decided to go for it, and she walked back over to show us the new pin. A few minutes later, the CM came over and gave her the other pin back because he saw how much she loved it - very sweet and unneccessary.

The 2nd time, we were in Epcot, and she had gotten a SM pin the day before in MK to mark having conquered it. When walking into Innoventions, we noticed it was gone, probably fell off her lanyard. We retraced our steps, but couldn't find it. We went to ask if they had any of the SM pins for sale in Epcot or if we needed to hop over to MK to get another one. They ended up giving her a voucher to pick any pin from the cart to replace it - she still remembers both of these years later. We are looking forward to the magic of seeing the castle light up while changing colors and walking through the snow in FL at the Osbourne Lights - that is plenty for us!

 

[DVC1991]

I feel like so many people feel like this because of how much they're paying for their vacation. They expect if they pay Disney's high prices, they want their money's worth...including those "magical" moments.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

The me generation can finally afford to get in the front door..

The baby boomers have been at Disney for quite a while....

 

[vicki_c]

I absolutely hate that commercial with the resort CM with the wings. It is so ridiculous.

 

[soniam]

The best comment I have ever heard related to this is the following from a teacher:
"Mam, your child is special, just like all the other children."

I wasn't raised believing that I was special. Sometimes, I feel that it's a little wrong, but then I look at what happens when people are raised believing they are special. So, our child is being raised to believe that he's special to us and close family, but that he's really like everyone else when it really comes down to it.

 

[seashoreCM]

Put another nickel in, In the nickelodeon (there used to be one in the restaurant next to Country Bear Jamboree, was it called Pecos Bill's?), All I want is loving you, And magic, magic, magic!

Several years ago there was a plan to replace the scheduled buses from resort to park every 20 minutes with a system they referred to first as "bus on demand" and then later as "magic on demand." There would be some mechanism such as a push button at the platform so guests could signal to the system they wanted a bus. This system was never completed.

Several years aog Disney vacation package brochures refered to "pampering our guests."

Who remembers "Year Of A Million Dreams"? That is, when they did random acts of magic i.e. hand out door prizes at seemingly random times to random guests. Of course, some of those those within earshot of a lucky guest or family at that magic moment must have felt disappointed that they were not chosen, some such disappointments finding their way into social media. I was not there during that year although I did spend $20. on eBay to get for a souvenir one of those Dream Fastpasses that someone was willing to part with after it expired.

 

[loves to dive]

It is a sad fact that it happens more and more. Just read the boards, you'll find people saying they saw dust on the table in their room so not only demanded they be moved but be comped one night or their food wasn't hot enough so they should be comped or they weren't looking where they were going and ran into a door and should be comped, etc. I think it's sad, I wipe the table down, might send the food back to be nuked or just tell the wait staff it was a little cold but now you don't need to comp me just letting you know or laugh at myself for being clumsy.

I made up all the examples but you get the gist.

 

[Love Tink]

I agree that the constant advertising refrain of magic! magic! magic! is a big part of the problem. "Have a magical day!"

On our last trip, one of my sons was trying to finish a set of pins. He had started on our previous trip, and he had six days of the week, but hadn't found Sunday. So this trip we checked every CM, every pin board, for six days. We saw every other day of the week multiple times, bust still no Sunday. On the last day we came back to the hotel in the afternoon to catch the Magical Express. We went into the shop to get a few treats for the road. A management CM came through and we asked to see his lanyard - bam! - there was Sunday. We found it five minutes before we left.

On the bus I kept saying, "It was magic! It was Disney magic!" My son turned to me and said. "It was cool. But you are just saying it was magic because it was at Disney. Anywhere else you would just think it was lucky."

 

[Flametamr]

The only thing magical I ever wanted I couldn't hope to get was a night in the Castle Suite. We have had our share of free magic. It is nice but never expected. The best one so far was when the air conditioner went out the first day at All Star Movies. The value resorts were full so they could not move us to another room. I offered to pay the upgrade to return to French Quarter but the manger arranged something much better. They comped us an upgrade to Boardwalk. That my friends was the life.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I think there is still a lot of magic at Disney, but if it's on demand is it really magic? Then it's like getting flowers from your husband on Valentine's day. They are pretty, but it doesn't come with the same feelings of joy.

I think a lot of the CMs really love the Disney brand and working at Disney World and do their best to make sure everyone has a great time in the parks.

Another poster touched on it, but I wonder if the "year of a million dreams" stuff did prompt a lot of people to have these crazy notions, but that doesn't explain the wine magically getting into a bag.

For our family, the magic of Disney is when we've become so immersed in the story that we escape real life for a little bit. That is what turned us into "Disney Nerds"