Tips From A CM on How to Have The Best Vacation!

[DMRick]

JAN 5-MAR 15!!! SLOW TIMES!!!!!!!

I just noticed this..I think you have to take the January race weekend , MLK weekend, and Feb 20th week (yep, we'll be there then..oh no!) out of this equation. We've been the first two weekends, and I know what it was like to get rooms during the entire Northeasts winter break in Feb. Our entire state is at Disney that week..I'm sure of it! I expect it to be swamped. As far as the first week of December, we were told by others that that is a rather quiet time...it's not?

 

[sarahsmom73]

Just goes to say "Keep your words soft and sweet. You'll never know when you'll have tp eat them!"

Thanks for the insight!

 

[wasabi girl]

Thanks for taking the time to post these tips! I especially appreciate the "cast members are human too". It must be a difficult position to be in for the cast member...people have worked for and saved for their vacation and want everything to be perfect...and when it isn't...they must be very upset. Disney service is legendary in the hospitality business so you guys must be doing something right! Can't wait for the chance to see for myself!

 

[Scratch42]

Thanks for the insight and you are soooooo right!

Our last trip was made so magical and we got to pass the magic along! A fellow Dis'er had asked us to send some postcards to family members.

We never did see Mickey except for in the parades. I had postcards ready to send but no sig. So the night before we are leaving I head to the Front Desk at SSR and ask if there is someone in that can sign Mickey's name! The fellow went to get his manager and I was informed, that it is only Mickey that can sign his sig. Basically telling me that I'm SOL! I asked if they had anything that had Mickey's Sig on it so that I could see what it looked like! Again, sorry we don't have anything here.

He asked when we were leaving and whether I was planning on coming down to check out. I said no that I was using express as I had already seen the damage!LOL He then asked what time I was planning on leaving, and I said approx around 10!

Going forward to the next morning. As Tanya wasn't feel too good that afternoon, I decided to pack that morning so that she could get some needed rest. I woke up at 7:00 and started packing, well at 8:00 there was a knock on the door! I opened it and it was housekeeping. I told her yes we were leaving but not until probably closer to 11:00 now! Go back to packing!

Remember I'm in my nightie here and then another knock about an hour later. I'm all ready to kindly remind housekeeping that check out is at 11:00! When I open the door, Low and Behold, there are Not One, Not Two, Not Three but FOUR Manager's at our Door! One holding a bunch of balloons! The other a card from Mickey himself, stating that he hoped we have a wonderful time! The others wished someone a "Happy Birthday"!LOL

I turned Red as soon as I figured what this guy did! I felt bad and all I could think was "Those Dis People will FLAME me for this!"LOL So I got the signature I needed to copy! Tanya and I have a special card from the Mouse himself! And the little boy next door got some balloons for his stay! Unfortunately, I did not think to take pics of the ballons until after I passed them on!

Thank You So Much! I just hope I did not get that guy into trouble!LOL We later did have to go down to desk and I apologized and thanked them! I also let them know that since we were leaving and could not take the balloons with us, Tanya passed them along to our next door neighbours!

Magic All Around!

Scratch

 

[tinkerbell81284]

Thanks CMBoy99344!

What a great list! But you forgot one thing!

After a great trip, recognise the great CM's! During my last trip to WDW for my birthday I wrote down every good experience (and couple slightly bad) I had and wrote WDW Guest Communications about it. My letter is in the Just Say Thanks forum and I recently just got a call from an executive at WDW about my letter.

I also tell my family about my great experiences too! They know I love WDW but the CM's and they're generosity are a major factor in what keeps me coming back again and again (More than 10x in the past 2 years!)! I can't wait to go to WDW next week with my cousins for their first trip to WDW. I plan on keeping track of my great experiences next week too! Look forward to a great letter to WDW again!

Tink

 

[reedycreek]

thanks for all your info! we love disney and think CM's do a wonderful job in spreading and maintaining the magic at WDW. keep up the great work!

 

[clkelley]

Just one thing contrary to what the original poster said. There is no way I would EVER wait until 90 days out to make my room reservations!!!

I always make mine at least 6 months, sometimes a year or more in advance! Now, I may change them to take advantage of discounts, but I always make sure I have a room with one continuous reservation!!!

Carol

 

[KittyKitty]

Thanks for your view.

Being in the customer service business is very hard, as everyone who's in it knows. I try to realize that I'm asking you a question that you've been asked 50,000 times before. And it's a challenge to respond as if it was the 1st time.(I suspect #1 question...Where's the closest bathroom?!).

If someone, cm or guest, comes across negative, I try to put myself in their shoes. And then it doesn't seem so bad after all.

So thanks for the tips. Keep 'im coming.


Susan

 

[Minybear]

I think every guest should thank the CM (or any hotel employee) that helped them throughout their stay. I am a supervisor of a hotel and almost eveything CMBoy 99334 said (that deals with the hotel itself) also happens at the hotel I work at. Its amazing even though my hotel that I work at is not disney (wish it was!) we have simular situations and simular guests asking for outragious requests (like comps ect). If a CM or a hotel employee sees a bad situation they at times go above and beyond for the guest. They want to make a bad situation go right for the guest.

I have also written a letter to WDW Guest Communications and thanking a CM for going above and beyond due to I got sick on one of the rides and that CM personally took me and my DH in his own car to the Poly. I thought that needed a thank you letter.

 

[cmonroe]

Originally posted by DMRick
.......(the CM) may be the first person they see after a really bad day, and maybe what you are hearing is frustration, not meanness. ...........

DMRick,

As far as the experience with the bed, I think that is aweful and there is no excuse for that. I completely sympathize with you and would have been angry myself if that issue lasted into the early morning hours from earlier that day.

But I couldn't possibly disagree with you more on the other count.
If you had a bad day because of a bad car ride, plane ride, death in the family, I can sympathize with you again, but it does not justify you being short with a customer service rep.

Your former experience with the bed, was something that the hotel, wdw was responsible for. It was their company's screw up, so regardless of whether that CM was responsbile or not, they are a representative of that company and deserve any grief coming over that issue.

Your bad plane ride, etc. are things that are out of their control. Therefore it is unjustifed for you to take it out on them regardless of what's happened to you that day.

Turn it around. Say the CM had a death in the family or a bad ride into work. They got into a car accident and the other driver drove off. Would you like it for them to take it out on you, their first customer of the day at check in. I think not.