Magical CM's Still Exist at WDW

[Dr Gevil]

I had a business meeting in Orlando last week, so I surprised my wife and girls and brought them along for a last minute trip to WDW (our next scheduled trip is set for Spring Break in March).

I got a couple of days in with them and then they got to enjoy a few girls only days while I worked. Anyway, with all the posts here about how Disney has lost its magic - FP+, high prices, etc - CM's being less than magical has often come up lately.

One of the many reason I love coming to Disney (and will continue to do so) is the interaction I have with the CM's. By talking to them as people and seeing how their day is going at the parks and resorts, instead of yelling at them over things that are out of their control anyway, I have had many wonderful experiences and learned a great deal at WDW just by having a chat with them.

I wrote an email to Guest Services sending kudos to a couple of CM's that were really outstanding during this trip. And this was the response I got:

Dear Gary,

Thank you for writing to us about your visit to the Walt Disney World.
Resort.

I am very glad you had such an enjoyable experience and truly appreciate the time you took to share your compliments for Michelle and Arnaud.
Your email reinforces how our Cast Members can make a tremendous difference with each Guest. It is heartwarming to know that Cast Members such as Michelle and Arnaud exemplified Walt Disney's dream to create happy and memorable experiences for all of our Guests. Please be assured your comments will be shared with the appropriate leadership so they can be commended for the great service they provided you.

Gary, thank you again for writing to us. We look forward to future opportunities to entertain you.

Best Regards,

Jenny Keating
Guest Experience Services
Walt Disney World Resort
407-827-5572

So while many people email Disney went "bad" things happen at WDW (and should so Disney is aware of the issues), I hope people will also email when really great things happen as well, as I feel feel positive reinforcement drives behavior way more than negative. Like they say - you catch more flies with honey than vinegar...........but even more with a margarita from La Cava!

 

[Cyrano]

Hi Gary

on the Disboards Facebook page there is a hall of fame for exception cast members.
You may wish to post up their names there too

 

[pachelbel9]

I emailed Disney after my last trip to sing the praises if a CM. I also got a nice reply back. I hope the kudos made it to the CM and their manager.

 

[Mikie]

That's wonderful. Reminds me I still need to send an email about a great CM at DHS (I jotted down her name, but haven't sent the kudos yet). It's almost as heart-warming to me to see their appreciation and recognition of great service as it was to GET the great service in the first place!

 

[saskdw]

Thanks for posting that!

As a whole I've have nothing but excellent service from the CM's I've encountered during our 50+ days at WDW over the last 7 years. Yes, some were better than others and there might have been the odd one who was not quite as friendly, but overall very good.

By talking to them as people and seeing how their day is going at the parks and resorts, instead of yelling at them over things that are out of their control anyway, I have had many wonderful experiences and learned a great deal at WDW just by having a chat with them.

I'm a firm believer in what you said here. Treat people with the proper respect and it is usually returned. I really believe alot of the people who complain about bad CM's on DIS bring it on themselves by their own actions. Even if I have a problem where I'm being "firm" with a CM I still do it with respect and the everything always seems to get resolved to my satisfaction.

 

[RubySue]

on the Disboards Facebook page there is a hall of fame for exception cast members.
You may wish to post up their names there too

Good to know, thanks!

I got the idea on the DIS to carry little cards that say something like: "Thanks for making our vacation magical". I give the cards to nice, helpful CMs and make sure to give the names of CMs who go above and beyond to GS.

 

[Dr Gevil]

Hi Gary

on the Disboards Facebook page there is a hall of fame for exception cast members.
You may wish to post up their names there too

Thanks for that tip - I wasn't aware that existed. I will definitely visit that site.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

I emailed Disney a while back about a wonderful CM. got a nice response back. I think they like to hear the good, too.

 

[Boo Bear]

It's very refreshing to read some positivity on these boards. Thank you for sharing this with us. I always try to focus on the positive things in life, rather than the negative. Many times I feel like I'm in the minority. I'll be in WDW with DS in less than two weeks and if I experience some extra magic, I'll be sure to remember the CM's name and pay it forward.

You sound like a wonderful man to your wife and children. It's awesome that you decided to surprise them when you had your business trip! I hope that your WDW vacation next spring break is extra magical.