To the CM's on the board: what is the one "tip" you can give us?

[dalstitch45]

I totally agree with the tips about being nice to the CM's. Although once in a blue moon you meet one who may be having a bad day or is really rude, I have found this is be the exception. Over the years during my many trips, I have gotten to know several CM's. These are some of nicest people you ever want to meet.

I have experienced giving and being given FP's by both guests and CM's. Just for being nice, and sometimes just because. It definitely enhances my trips by being nice, and makes it more enjoyable.

I am not usually a big WDW bus fan. However, during less busy times I do use it. Once while at AK, I inadvertently (duh) got on the wrong bus. I was actually going to MK, but ended up going to WL. I was the last one to get off. When I told the bus driver what I did, he laughed and said, "sit down, we're on our way to MK. He did not have to do this, but I was so grateful and said thank you a few times. On the way, we were talking, and discovered he retired from where I work now. Also, he knew several members of my family. We also talked about our mutual love of Disney. When I got off the bus, he gave me two (2) CM pins, and told me to tell my Uncle hello. Gotta love Disney!!

Being nice, it does work!

 

[Maine-iac]

OT - do you like Moxie? my dad was the only person on the planet that i knew who actually liked the stuff.

My father likes it too. In a town nearby they have a Moxie festival every summer.

 

[colonialtinker]

I had the best WDW bus driver in January, my DD got extremely sick, we had to leave MK suddenly and get back to the resort. There was a bus at our # but apparently that driver was getting off for a break or the day. The guy with the walkie talkie asked where we were going, went over and spoke to this driver he looked at DD and said hop on and took us back to our resort. I didn't get a chance to get his name but I'll never forget what he did

 

[cab0ad]

Zulemara- Thanks for the info on transportation! Gosh, I never knew it was so complicated. I agree that education helps people's attitudes. Sometimes we guests can't seem to see the "whole picture" and are blind to what you see every day. That's one of the reasons I love this thread. We can get an honest look at what we may have missed.

Um, if it were MY kid jumping the gates trying to get on it would be much worse for them than going to the end of the line...they might not be able to sit down on a ride all day long from the "heat on their seats"! I'm sorry you have to deal with some guests like this. It makes me mad to see such rude behavior from people. Know that there are many guests, myself included, who appreciate your hard work! Its thanks to the great CM's that our days can be so magic filled and fun!

 

[cab0ad]

The little piece of paper basicly means 8 times out of 10 they're on a break, or on their way to break some one. . . . the other 2 times they're on some sort of other mission.

I was just playing around cause it seems every time I'm on my way to break that's when I get stopped by every guest in close proximity. Either to pin trade or wondering where the bathroom, etc.

It REALLY isn't a problem or a gripe. Just joking around. I am ALWAYS more than willing to stop and help a guest whenever they need it. We all are. Even if we're technically on break. That doesn't mean we don't breathe a sigh of relief once we get backstage though.

I bet it can be frustrating when you only have a limited time for a break or lunch to constantly be stopped. I thought there was some sort of underground tunnel or something with entrances everywhere for cast members so you didn't have to walk around the park to get to lunch/etc. I don't know where I got that but I was sure of it. I feel bad for you! Maybe take a raincoat and slip it on before leaving your station! then you can deny being a cast member on your way to lunch! Or even better--point out into the distance and yell, "look! Its Mickey and Minnie giving autographs and pics together! And there's no line!" Then carefully sneak away....

 

[Berlioz70]

I thought there was some sort of underground tunnel or something with entrances everywhere for cast members so you didn't have to walk around the park to get to lunch/etc. I don't know where I got that but I was sure of it.

Yep - we do have underground tunnels (you can find video of them on YouTube). However, there are not as many "exits" as you might think... they are typically linked to specific areas. So if you in a area without an entrance the walk can be full of guest crossings. I worked at one specific place in which I had to walk through a good portion of Adventureland to get backstage.

 

[hapandpam]

This is my ultimate worst nightmare that I am pretty sure will eventually come true. My DD always chickens out at the very last second. We've waited in lines for just about everything and she is very excited about it and the second its our turn that's when everything crumbles and we have to walk away. I would never drag her on something if she was screaming about it but sometimes I am soooo tempted to try it just once to see what happens. I'm worried that we're going to spend all our time waiting in lines and doing nothing else!!

This happened to us on RnR. My oldest DD had gotten to the front on several trips (from ages 10 to 15), and always chickened out at the last minute. I am not a coaster person at all but because she really wanted to do it, I told her I would try it and tell her honestly what it was like. (Since I am as big a chicken as she is, she believed me.) Well, I rode it, and actually loved it. It had none of the drops that terrify her. She wanted to give it a try. Once again, we got to the front and she wanted to back out. I told her that was ok, but I would be right next to her and she would be ok. She decided to ride. We got in and put the harness on. They moved our car up. I looked over at her and she was terrified- her eyes full of tears. Nothing was worse than that feeling that I could do nothing to help her. The ending- she loved it and rides it numerous times every trip.

One thing that might help your DD is watching a video of the ride (youtube). Sometimes it is the unknown that scares us the most. And if you get to the front and she decides against it, that is ok.

 

[SnowandMittens]

Not a CM (but a future one!) but the best tip I've come across so far:

When you get in line to meet with someone like Belle or Mickey, stop or send a grownup up front to ask the handler when the next time they go on break is... we've stopped ourselves from getting into lines that went nowhere, the character had a break in the next five minutes.

Saves a lot of fustration and waiting!

 

[disneymomofmyca]

I love how "Be NICE" is being repeated over and over. I am one of those "Please" and "Thank you" people that will always throw a stranger a smile in passing. I find that I am a minority and it makes me very sad.Just think how happy you could make someone just by simply being friendly? It's not so bad at all...if you just try it!

I am going to share my number one tip...Slow down! Enjoy the park. Enjoy the Magic. Enjoy the people and excitement around you. On our first trip ever we tried to pack it all in. We had fun but found it terribly over whelming. After that we slowed down everything. Walking, eating, resting...ect. We found we could actually remember what we did each trip this way! WDW can really be over stimulating...if you allow it to be.

 

[SRUAlmn]

One thing that might help your DD is watching a video of the ride (youtube). Sometimes it is the unknown that scares us the most. And if you get to the front and she decides against it, that is ok.

I do this and I'm an adult Seriously, though, with me it's not so much a fear of the ride itself as it is a fear of the unknown and not knowing what to expect. If I know what to expect, then I'm less afraid, so this is a great tip because it works!

 

[Raevyn_Wolfe]

I bet it can be frustrating when you only have a limited time for a break or lunch to constantly be stopped. I thought there was some sort of underground tunnel or something with entrances everywhere for cast members so you didn't have to walk around the park to get to lunch/etc. I don't know where I got that but I was sure of it. I feel bad for you! Maybe take a raincoat and slip it on before leaving your station! then you can deny being a cast member on your way to lunch! Or even better--point out into the distance and yell, "look! Its Mickey and Minnie giving autographs and pics together! And there's no line!" Then carefully sneak away....

Only MK has the tunnels. The other parks don't. Now there is generally a backstage entrance close by locations, but you might be surprised how many times you can get stopped only walking a few feet.

And at my location the nearest CM approved bathroom is clear accross half the park, which means walking ON STAGE through half a crowded park when you might be in a BIG hurry. lol. (True it's a little park, but still)

 

[1stWDW]

Great idea about watching the Youtube video of rides. I will never forget my 1st trip to WDW as a six year old. The scary squid in 20,000 Leagues gave me nightmares for a long time. It was the worst experience for me.

I just saw the Dinosaur video and have decided that my DS(5) will be skipping it even though he loves dinosaurs.

Thanks to all who post videos at Youtube of their rides. It may have saved my DS from many nightmares and bad WDW memories.

 

[princesspaige]

We are heading down over Labor Day and I think we are going to look some of you CM's up just to say "Hi". So if your fellow CM's come up to you and say "this crazy lady is looking for you" you will know why.

With taking a 4 year old, I have already decided that we will be swimming some every day and if I don't get to see and do everything then there is always next year, and the next, and the one after that...I think you get my drift...

 

[buffettgirl]

as a guest, here is a sure fire way to bring a smile to someone's face - Say thank you to the woman cleaning the ladies room. 9 times out of 10 the bathrooms are remarkably clean for all the people that go through and 9 times out of 10 someone is physically in the bathroom cleaning. How'd you like that job...cleaning disney's bathrooms all day? Not me. But I absolutely appreciate that the bathroom is clean. I always tell the CM's THANK YOU and the smiles I get are amazing. Sometimes I think these women go for weeks and no one says thank you to them.

so Thank a restroom CM today!

 

[missesdisney]

I'm only halfway through reading this awesome thread and not a CM, just a frequent visitor and this is what we always tell our DS8:

We always pack our manners!

Just being nice to people and remembering every day manners goes a long way. Of course, you cannot expect that everyone else has packed theirs!

 

[DisDreaminMom]

On our trip in December, we had a bus driver that actually picked up the mic and told us ( from ALK to Epcot, so it was a long drive) how to get to all the important places in the World, like the shortcuts for the busses, etc. I sat there listening the whole time. He was so interesting and he had all the routes worked out in his head. I wanted to ask for his number so I could call him on future trips and say, "How do I get from Point A to Point B really fast and still get one ride on a boat?" I did thank him for helping me understand a little more how the transportation works a little more. He was fabulous. He did one of those, "Just doing my job" lines, but we all knew he went above and beyond.

I like the line about always packing manners. I guess if you have no manners in the first place, it could be a problem or a benefit. Does that leave more room in your carry-on?

 

[faneuil]

On our trip in December, we had a bus driver that actually picked up the mic and told us ( from ALK to Epcot, so it was a long drive) how to get to all the important places in the World,

We had one that sang Christmas carols. She got the whole bus going.
During the holidays, I make a special effort to thank cast members for working on a holiday. They're sacrificing family time to make my vacation special. I always thank the characters as well. I knew Goofy for awhile, and he had some crazy stories.

To those that rent strollers: Please, return them. Don't leave them in the back of the park for a cast member to find and return to the stroller location at park close. This also goes for wheelchairs.

As a sidebar. I LOVE Disney transport. They do a better job than many city bus systems do.

I once picked on a Disney security guy named Chip. I asked him where Dale was. He finished looking at my bag and said, "you need to come with me." I was shocked. But he walked me over to Dale. Pretty fun stuff.

 

[zulemara]

On our trip in December, we had a bus driver that actually picked up the mic and told us ( from ALK to Epcot, so it was a long drive) how to get to all the important places in the World, like the shortcuts for the busses, etc. I sat there listening the whole time. He was so interesting and he had all the routes worked out in his head. I wanted to ask for his number so I could call him on future trips and say, "How do I get from Point A to Point B really fast and still get one ride on a boat?" I did thank him for helping me understand a little more how the transportation works a little more. He was fabulous. He did one of those, "Just doing my job" lines, but we all knew he went above and beyond.

I like the line about always packing manners. I guess if you have no manners in the first place, it could be a problem or a benefit. Does that leave more room in your carry-on?

Don't get me wrong, a lot of bus drivers are really nice and they have a very difficult role because they can't see the big picture. All they know is where they are headed and that can be a blessing and a curse. I just don't trust their deployment system to be anywhere near efficient or reliable. That's why I favor the Boardwalk. It has water transportation to 2 parks and therefore monorail transportation to a third(epcot to MK) so the only time i'd have to take a bus would be to go to DAK

 

[fausz4]

It took me 3 days to read through this thread! Because it is so good - I didnt want to miss a tip!

Thanks for all the insight and for all the sharing among CMs and DISrs. I have learned alot....

 

[pamjb]

Ah! Was it Pecos ? The eatery by the bridge at the bend in the Splash Mountain. Pretty darn sure it was. As you walk in the front doors you see the CMs at registers and they take two lines and order right, then left. To YOUR RIGHT of THEM is an island of four you do it quick order machines. Slide your ATM/Credit/Room Chrage Card/ or Meal Plan card, select the meals you want and hit Order. You take your receipt and walk up the the counter and pick up your food. Simple and FAST !

Yep, it is Pecos Bills. They've been there since at least 2007. I used them then and I loved them.........I skipped a lot of people in line.