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

[Cest_la_vie]

This isn't a tip, but a question. How do I go about recognizing a CM for a job well done? We had a CM make our day and we want to say thank you.

Thanks.

Go to Guest Relations and say that you would like to leave a compliment for a cast member. Try and remember their name, hometown, location of the good job, and a rough physical description never hurts either since people can share names and hometowns. You can also write a letter/e-mail and send it to an address that I don't have. A lot of the time those mean more to cast members since they'll be given that and it might be posted somewhere for all to read.

 

[AARCLUKSCH]

Submit

 

[MsTinkerChele]

OMG this picture is priceless!!

 

[CooperPrincesses]

Love those pictures. We have World of Coke here in Atlanta and Beverly is something you just can't explain to anyone, they have to taste it and you have to wait nearby with a camera. LOL!!

Thanks for all the new postings everyone, our trip is getting ever closer and I am now going to get to surprise my DD with out first trip to MNSSHP. Very very excited.

Any tips for that particular party. Even being a life long Disney visitor I have never been and don't know what to expect, so any heads up would be welcome.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Love those pictures. We have World of Coke here in Atlanta and Beverly is something you just can't explain to anyone, they have to taste it and you have to wait nearby with a camera. LOL!!

Thanks for all the new postings everyone, our trip is getting ever closer and I am now going to get to surprise my DD with out first trip to MNSSHP. Very very excited.

Any tips for that particular party. Even being a life long Disney visitor I have never been and don't know what to expect, so any heads up would be welcome.

Plan out ahead of time what you want to do. Do you want to get in character interactions, parade viewing, just ride the attractions, etc? Just going to each character interaction can take up the entire party, so know that ahead of time if that is what you want. But you can meet plenty of characters that are not out at any other time but the parties, so you can get great pictures and autographs if that is what you like.

 

[CooperPrincesses]

Thank you! I know I wanted to try to catch some of the less seen characters for photo ops. We will be back at MK on Saturday to ride rides and such so not so much of an importance on Friday night. Friday really is a special last minute treat so we'll focus on all the Halloween stuff and maybe a few rides. I definately want to see the parade as I have heard its um...to die for.

Do as anyone know if Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are out for photos during the party? I have a picture of me with them when I was close to my daughters age and she wants a picture with them too. I would love to be able to find them.

 

[abbadabbadoo]

Thank you! I know I wanted to try to catch some of the less seen characters for photo ops. We will be back at MK on Saturday to ride rides and such so not so much of an importance on Friday night. Friday really is a special last minute treat so we'll focus on all the Halloween stuff and maybe a few rides. I definately want to see the parade as I have heard its um...to die for.

Do as anyone know if Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are out for photos during the party? I have a picture of me with them when I was close to my daughters age and she wants a picture with them too. I would love to be able to find them.

I can't tell you if they are at this year's party, but we found them last year by the teacups.

 

[robinc71]

Well, 57 pages and 2.5 days later
I've read it all!
Great tips
Great CM's
Great Thread!

 

[jnfr2424]

Tip from an ex- CM...

Orlando's weather is unpredictable. In the winter months it can go from 80 one day, to 40 the next day. I highly suggest bringing jeans, and a light jacket unless it is the summer.

No matter what you do to prevent it, children are going to be tired, and cranky at the end of the day, which makes the parents tired and cranky as well. Try not to let other people's bad attitudes ruin your evening. If you stay until closing, how about finding a nice quiet spot (example between the emporium and crystal palace), and treating your kids to an ice cream, or tell them a story after the fireworks have ended. Let the massive crowds leave, and then make your way out of the parks. You will then (hopefully) insure a seat on the monorail, and insure a seat on the bus back to the resort.

Everyone there is on vacation, everyone there has spent a lot of money to be there, and everyone there wants to have a great time. The thousands of people there want to see the fireworks just like you.

Stop, and smell the roses. Go with the flow. Stop, and sit down for awhile, and just people watch!

Try to get early ADRs for Crystal Palace one morning. Since you will already be in the park for rope drop, go to the front of the castle, and just watch the people running into the park. I promise, it is one of the most magical things I have ever witnessed at MK.

Be humble. There are people at Disney from all walks of life. Some are millionaires, and some have been saving for years, and years, and years just to be able to come for a few days. Two stories I will never forget are... The Big Brothers, and Big Sisters from Toronto Canada, flew down with over a hundred disadvantaged children. They took an early morning flight, went to MK for the day, and then flew back at 11 PM at night. Those children were so sweet, and were so thankful to be there. The sponsers had been doing fundraisers for over a year for the trip. To me, it was just magical to see these kids faces that would otherwise never be able to go to Disney as a child. They were so thankful for just one day at Disney. Another late night I was chatting with this wonder guest. She told me that it was her dream to take her 8 children to Disney. She was from Alabama, they drove through the night to make it to MK for rope drop, stayed the whole day, and drove straight back to Alabama. She started crying, and told me she wished she could do more, but the one day trip cost her family over 1000 dollars, and that is all she could do. Just then her little boy walked up to her, gave her a hug, and said, "mommy, this has been the best day of my life, thank-you". It was so sweet!

Disney is magical, but it can put people in a horrid mood. Just take the time to stop, clear your mind, and try to have the best time ever. If you need to go back to your resort for a nap, go. If you planned to get up early, but your exhausted, sleep in. If you want to stay for fireworks, but all the kids and your spouse are cranky, hot, and ready to leave, go back to the resort. Remember, it is your vacation!!

It took me 2 days to read this entire thread but this one post is truly unforgettable!!

 

[Bonniec]

That is definately a great post!

 

[MainMom]

See, and that is a VERY good idea. Cause then you're giving your kids the ability to CHOOSE.

And ya, I understand the desire to persuade a kid to do something they don't want to do cause you hate the idea of them missing out on something you just "know" they'll like.
But there is a major difference between subtle persuasion (and still being willing to accept that your child just might not be ready yet if they say no) and forcing your screaming, crying child to do something they're scared to death to do. At that point the child isn't going to enjoy ANYTHING, even if he/she might have otherwise.

My DD's first trip to WDW was when she was 3. She started crying that she did not want to go on Dumbo. Mean Mom made her go on anyway. She rode with my MIL and DH and I were in a Dumbo in front of her. First pic before take off is red puffy eyes and tears. Second pic in flight is puffy eyes and a big ole grin on her face. Today at 10 she is my thrill ride buddy. I say, know your child.

 

[mebbradley]

Go to Guest Relations and say that you would like to leave a compliment for a cast member. Try and remember their name, hometown, location of the good job, and a rough physical description never hurts either since people can share names and hometowns. You can also write a letter/e-mail and send it to an address that I don't have. A lot of the time those mean more to cast members since they'll be given that and it might be posted somewhere for all to read.

Those letters are the most amazing things to receive. I never expected to get one. I bawled like a little baby when my managers handing me one.



My one tip would be to just be excited about being there. You have no idea how happy it makes us cast members to see guests just excited to be there. I would talk to thousands of guests a day and I can promise that the ones that I told my fiance about that night were the ones that talked to me about their plans, what they had seen and just how happy and excited they were. Enjoy!

 

[Clochette nordique]

bump!

 

[lilmissdisney216]

As a former CM I would like to say is don't be afraid to ask us for anything. Perfect example, I have seen many a family miss out on a really awesome photo op when there wasn't a photopass location around cause they had no one stop to take a picture for them nor did they ask a CM to take the photo for them. We will GLADLY take the photo for you (provided we're not terribly busy) and we will do anything to help. I also like suggesting some awesome hidden magical moments and of course I like to also share my favorites that I have in each park.

Another tip I have for my fellow DIS'ers is to just relax and be patient. Its vacation, enjoy it! No use stressing and crying over spilled milk, if something doesn't pan out, don't freak out, there's always a little sprinkle of pixie dust at the end of your tunnel. And sometimes, depending on the moment, at the end of that pixie dust is a Cast Member. I have a moment of sprinkling some pixie dust, I worked at the BBB in DTD and I was going out to pixie dust in the World of Disney and I noticed a princess walking around the store who got done up in the Boutique and her Fairytale Princess bun was falling out (as in she had it done that morning and it was already falling apart) and I said to her "Princess, my goodness. Stitch just flew by, bottled up all the magic in your hair with a straw and ran away! You can't go to the royal ball without magic hair. We must fix it before its midnight!!" She was with her mother and the mother looked at me and said "well you heard your fairy godmother, what're we to do!?" Now on this particular day it was a rather busy day in the boutique but I decided on my own accord to shuttle this special princess into the boutique and back into the chair to fix her hair. As I fixed her hair, me and another fairy godmother proceeded to sing to the princess as we fixed her up. We sang part of your world together and got applause from everyone in the boutique and from everyone in World of Disney who were within hearing distance. Once I was finished with her hair and I had turned her around in the mirror, she smiled into the mirror and she looked at me with the same smile on her face and said "Thank you Fairy Godmother. I feel absolutely ready for the ball. You made me feel beautiful!"

With a hug and a wave she was off to the ball. And at that moment it was little moments like that that made me happy and proud to hold the title of cast member.

 

[Clochette nordique]

Another tip I have for my fellow DIS'ers is to just relax and be patient. Its vacation, enjoy it! No use stressing and crying over spilled milk, if something doesn't pan out, don't freak out, there's always a little sprinkle of pixie dust at the end of your tunnel. And sometimes, depending on the moment, at the end of that pixie dust is a Cast Member. I have a moment of sprinkling some pixie dust, I worked at the BBB in DTD and I was going out to pixie dust in the World of Disney and I noticed a princess walking around the store who got done up in the Boutique and her Fairytale Princess bun was falling out (as in she had it done that morning and it was already falling apart) and I said to her "Princess, my goodness. Stitch just flew by, bottled up all the magic in your hair with a straw and ran away! You can't go to the royal ball without magic hair. We must fix it before its midnight!!" She was with her mother and the mother looked at me and said "well you heard your fairy godmother, what're we to do!?" Now on this particular day it was a rather busy day in the boutique but I decided on my own accord to shuttle this special princess into the boutique and back into the chair to fix her hair. As I fixed her hair, me and another fairy godmother proceeded to sing to the princess as we fixed her up. We sang part of your world together and got applause from everyone in the boutique and from everyone in World of Disney who were within hearing distance. Once I was finished with her hair and I had turned her around in the mirror, she smiled into the mirror and she looked at me with the same smile on her face and said "Thank you Fairy Godmother. I feel absolutely ready for the ball. You made me feel beautiful!"

With a hug and a wave she was off to the ball. And at that moment it was little moments like that that made me happy and proud to hold the title of cast member.

Just to read this story, I'm very glad I bumped this thread up!

1000 thanks for all the little princesses who received pixie dust from all of yous, even in French...

Poussère de fée!

 

[DJT]

As a former CM I would like to say is don't be afraid to ask us for anything. Perfect example, I have seen many a family miss out on a really awesome photo op when there wasn't a photopass location around cause they had no one stop to take a picture for them nor did they ask a CM to take the photo for them. We will GLADLY take the photo for you (provided we're not terribly busy) and we will do anything to help. I also like suggesting some awesome hidden magical moments and of course I like to also share my favorites that I have in each park.

Another tip I have for my fellow DIS'ers is to just relax and be patient. Its vacation, enjoy it! No use stressing and crying over spilled milk, if something doesn't pan out, don't freak out, there's always a little sprinkle of pixie dust at the end of your tunnel. And sometimes, depending on the moment, at the end of that pixie dust is a Cast Member. I have a moment of sprinkling some pixie dust, I worked at the BBB in DTD and I was going out to pixie dust in the World of Disney and I noticed a princess walking around the store who got done up in the Boutique and her Fairytale Princess bun was falling out (as in she had it done that morning and it was already falling apart) and I said to her "Princess, my goodness. Stitch just flew by, bottled up all the magic in your hair with a straw and ran away! You can't go to the royal ball without magic hair. We must fix it before its midnight!!" She was with her mother and the mother looked at me and said "well you heard your fairy godmother, what're we to do!?" Now on this particular day it was a rather busy day in the boutique but I decided on my own accord to shuttle this special princess into the boutique and back into the chair to fix her hair. As I fixed her hair, me and another fairy godmother proceeded to sing to the princess as we fixed her up. We sang part of your world together and got applause from everyone in the boutique and from everyone in World of Disney who were within hearing distance. Once I was finished with her hair and I had turned her around in the mirror, she smiled into the mirror and she looked at me with the same smile on her face and said "Thank you Fairy Godmother. I feel absolutely ready for the ball. You made me feel beautiful!"

With a hug and a wave she was off to the ball. And at that moment it was little moments like that that made me happy and proud to hold the title of cast member.

That was wonderful! Singing that song to her was the icing on the cake. Thank you for what you did for her and for others!

Donna

 

[neville04]

bump

 

[lilmissdisney216]

Thank you everyone for the kind words! I really did enjoy my time at WDW working as a CM and I hope to be back there someday in Guest Relations as a Tour Guide. Its my ultimate dream (Well one of them at least). Any more CM's out there with tips?

I have one more tip. Don't forget about the hidden gems of WDW. Sure the attractions are all neat and awesome but there are some other hidden gems that are just as good if not better than visiting the attractions. For instance, when the firehouse was open you could bring a patch (if you had a family member who was fire/EMT/police etc) and they would place the patch on the wall with all the others that showcased the different lines of duty. Also, one really cool gem is the little street performances at HS and MK that they do with either the barbershop quartet (MK) or the comedic group that rides around in the old time car (HS) and they stand on the street and tell jokes. I LOVED seeing the quartet on main street they just added to the ambiance and made it feel like I was actually there.

If you arrive early for a parade and you see some of the CM's with the navy blue uniforms that set out the stantions, you can participate in their activities that they have to entertain the little ones and families before the parade. They can vary from hop scotch, jump roping, and even hula hoops are sometimes used. This happens occasionally (or at least it did when I was working there). Its a great way to kind of have a fun relaxing play time for the kiddles while mom or dad goes and grabs snacks for the parade. Have one member of your party stay with your kids and have one act as food runner.

One last tip I have is to enjoy the parade over dinner. This I LOVED doing after hard days at work. I would go to MK and grab dinner at Peco's Bills with my friends and we would eat and watch the parade from the Pecos Bills porch. It was awesome viewing, not overly crowded, and it was very relaxing and enjoyable. Another one of my favorite viewing spots is over by Casey's Corner where the wait times board is. It was also a great spot for MM&Y and also Wishes. Not to mention the convenient placement of both ice cream and awesome corn dog bites! Yum!

 

[MickeyMaz]

Thank you! I know I wanted to try to catch some of the less seen characters for photo ops. We will be back at MK on Saturday to ride rides and such so not so much of an importance on Friday night. Friday really is a special last minute treat so we'll focus on all the Halloween stuff and maybe a few rides. I definately want to see the parade as I have heard its um...to die for.

Do as anyone know if Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are out for photos during the party? I have a picture of me with them when I was close to my daughters age and she wants a picture with them too. I would love to be able to find them.

This made me think of this great website. http://wdwent.com/

It lists all live entertainment in all of the parks.

 

[mickeyonasticky]

This made me think of this great website. http://wdwent.com/

It lists all live entertainment in all of the parks.

I know tons and tons of people use this website, and I do too, but only for park operating hours and EMH hours.

I have tried to use it on several occasions for things such as the Jammitors and character meet n greet times and have found it to be incredibly inaccurate.