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

[kimmar067]

Lots of great tips, love the ice cream one. Be nice to the CMs, I don't think I could do their job and 'please' and 'thank you' cost nothing and could get you something, like my admittance to New Fantasyland Florida Residents only soft opening. Nothing is perfect, even Disney, but, it's up to you to make it a great trip, the CMs are there to help you, but, they are not miracle workers if you are determined to be stroppy.

....good advice.

 

[dvczerfs]

Lots of great tips, love the ice cream one. Be nice to the CMs, I don't think I could do their job and 'please' and 'thank you' cost nothing and could get you something, like my admittance to New Fantasyland Florida Residents only soft opening. Nothing is perfect, even Disney, but, it's up to you to make it a great trip, the CMs are there to help you, but, they are not miracle workers if you are determined to be stroppy.

Any stories from CM's "close" to Tinkerbell as she flies over MK to start Wishes?

I know you know someone who can tell you some stories about tinkerbells adventures off the castles. its a smooth landing. she flies near cinderellas wash line in the dark for safety. tinkerbell is weighed in every night.(there are min. and max to fly) also weather and wind determine if she flies. she is tiny and shorter then my source to give you an idea. from what i hear, a very nice young lady. maybe one day, someone will get together again and she can tell you a lot more then what im willing to post. there is a lot of magic and pixie dust!!!

 

[dvczerfs]

....this is now permanently embedded in my brain....thanks....thanks a lot.

[]

( vista waaaaaaaaaayyyy )

it wont stop!!!!!! make it stop!!!!!

 

[dvczerfs]

Lots of great tips, love the ice cream one. Be nice to the CMs, I don't think I could do their job and 'please' and 'thank you' cost nothing and could get you something, like my admittance to New Fantasyland Florida Residents only soft opening. Nothing is perfect, even Disney, but, it's up to you to make it a great trip, the CMs are there to help you, but, they are not miracle workers if you are determined to be stroppy.

I have a new respect for cms. I never realized what happens when you pin a name tag on, what people expect from you.


example, try one of these test and let me know what happens:

walk into your office building on Monday. take the elevator up two floors and walk into another department and ask the first person you see with a company id and ask them a question about a process in YOUR department. when you don't get the answer your looking for, ask that person, "don't you work here!!! " "the help is really slipping around here"!!! or worse, call them names that I cant or wouldn't type on a family board.

or

walk into your local sears store. go into the bra department and ask about the new 3/8 cordless drill they have at sears. again, see what answer you get and ask the person, " don't you work here? you have a sears name tag on!!!"

you would be amazed!!!
it takes a special person to pin one of those name tags on.they do it all with a smile everyday all day.

 

[pampam]

Thanks to all for the tips. I learned a lot.

The longer you stay on this board, the more you will learn.

 

[Naughty Nurse]

What an awesome (often tear provoking) thread! Took me 4 separate sittings to get through all the pages....but found all the tips to be great....especially all the people that have such gratitude towards the fantastic job that the CM's do every day....I wish I had of thought of creating some thank you cards to have printed for my first ever Disneyland trip last year July 2013...it was the most magical holiday I have ever had...especially due to the great work of the CMs
and the amazing characters we got to meet (too many to count)

My 1 tip that I feel really impacted the encounters with the characters...my 2 and half year old had many disney inspired handmade clothes that she wore every day...and we tried to meet the characters on the days that she wore those specific clothes eg her Buzz Lightyear dress on the day we met Buzz...and her Jessie dress the day we met Jessie...I really believe they loved seeing her dressed up like them...and felt she benefited by getting more photos done and more time spent with her...Minnie mouse was also amazing when my daughter met her twice and she was wearing her Minnie inspired clothes...the other thing the characters seemed to love was signing her autograph books which had separate pages for most of the characters with their picture already on the page...the characters seemed to make a big deal about seeing themselves on the page...and would often get the CM handlers come over and see their picture on the page!

So next trip (too far away in September 2016) I definitely plan to organise some thank you cards for the CMs...and other staff like the staff that keep the place so tidy...the toilets there are just amazing with how well they are maintained...told so many people about how well cleaned the park is kept...was so impressed by it

I am so looking forward to sharing this next magical experience in 2016 where both my husbands American family and my Australian family will meet for the first time and spend a week enjoying the magic of WDW...and I will definitely be keeping my eye on this thread to hear even more tips....I definitely plan to take heed to the numerous advice about taking time to actually enjoy it and not be rushing every minute of every day...and with such a large group in 2016...it is certainly going to be an amazing adventure

My thanks again for all the CM's and characters that made our 2013 so memorable! You guys are all amazing!

 

[Sirenn]

I popped into this thread once but I thought I would share some more advice - in the mornings when the park just opens, always start in the back of the park and work forward. This is true for any of the parks (trust me - I've worked at Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld). It's so tempting to go on the very first ride you see but it will be very crowded since everyone will have the same idea and temptation. Instead, go to the back. Those rides or character interaction lines will be slow since few people have made their back there. Then, in the afternoon, go back to the front. By then most of the people who entered the park first thing in the morning will be filtering to the back. The only exception for this is brand new or really popular rides (Harry Potter in Universal and Islands, Antarctica in SeaWorld, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Anna and Elsa in Magic Kingdom). People will run to those no matter where they are in the park. Always plan ahead.

ChanaC, did you do an AMA thread on Reddit a while back? I happened across a few AMA threads from current/former CMs earlier today, and your tip sounds incredibly familiar. If so, yours was one of the best I read. Full of fascinating insights!

I would include a link but I don't have enough posts yet. For those who may be interested in reading Disney Cast Member AMA (Ask Me Anything) threads, go to Reddit.com/r/IAmA/ and enter Disney into the search box. Be sure to check the box that says "limit my search to /r/IAmA". Enjoy!

 

[ChanaC]

ChanaC, did you do an AMA thread on Reddit a while back? I happened across a few AMA threads from current/former CMs earlier today, and your tip sounds incredibly familiar. If so, yours was one of the best I read. Full of fascinating insights!

I would include a link but I don't have enough posts yet. For those who may be interested in reading Disney Cast Member AMA (Ask Me Anything) threads, go to Reddit.com/r/IAmA/ and enter Disney into the search box. Be sure to check the box that says "limit my search to /r/IAmA". Enjoy!

Maybe.....

I used a different sn to throw off any Disney secret service people. I was wondering if anyone would bring it up or notice on this site but it's been about seven months. Good job! I was thinking of doing another one again. It was something like, "I worked at Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld." The only problem with that was I got some psycho anti-SeaWorld people who literally wanted to see me dead for simply working there. I didn't enjoy the verbal abuse so I'm not sure if I should do it again. Opinions?

 

[Sirenn]

I used a different sn to throw off any Disney secret service people. I was wondering if anyone would bring it up or notice on this site but it's been about seven months. Good job! I was thinking of doing another one again. It was something like, "I worked at Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld." The only problem with that was I got some psycho anti-SeaWorld people who literally wanted to see me dead for simply working there. I didn't enjoy the verbal abuse so I'm not sure if I should do it again. Opinions?

Yay! I win "front of the line" access at all Disney parks for the next year, right?

I really enjoyed reading the various AMA threads by current/former CMs on Reddit, but I noticed they all followed a similar pattern of questions:

- Biggest Disney secret
- Best time of the year to visit
- Best/worst experience as a CM, etc

It would be more interesting to see a DIS Boards version, with Disney connoisseurs, so to speak, asking the questions. I'd imagine the questions would be a lot more diverse, and the commentary a lot more polite and appreciative. I noticed all the Blackfish-related responses on your AMA, and was appalled at all the snark. Good old Internet Hate Machine, doing it's thang! =P

 

[kimmar067]

( vista waaaaaaaaaayyyy )

it wont stop!!!!!! make it stop!!!!!

....oh boy....you did it AGAIN....

 

[ChanaC]

Yay! I win "front of the line" access at all Disney parks for the next year, right?

Yeah right, I don't even get that!

It would be more interesting to see a DIS Boards version, with Disney connoisseurs, so to speak, asking the questions. I'd imagine the questions would be a lot more diverse, and the commentary a lot more polite and appreciative. I noticed all the Blackfish-related responses on your AMA, and was appalled at all the snark. Good old Internet Hate Machine, doing it's thang! =P

I think that would be more interesting and more enjoyable to do overall. How would that be possible though? I've been doing the photopass "AMA" on this thread but I know there are people with other general theme park related questions.

 

[flyingfairy62]

Thank You for all the tips.

 

[maarowak]

Went through this entire thread in 1 1/2 days, and now, probably going back and copying all the tips on my evernote haha

While reading this I decided to make business card-sized thank you cards to hand to nice CMs I find on my first trip! What do you guys think? Is it weird to mention my Shellie May plush? I really want to take her to the parks and take pictures with her...

Planning now to do the mousekeeping envelopes for their tips!

Also, is there a nice way to leave a message and ask for more shampoo/conditioner/bodywash? I have long hair, and my sister has very thick hair, we use more shampoo/conditioner than the average joe. I would like to leave a message on the first day asking for more of these things (I would like to take some home and have a sniff whenever I miss WDW too), but is there a polite way to do so? Everything I though sounded kinda superficial ): I'm not good with words at all...

(also, tips on how to manage fp+ would be cool! I'm super confused on what times I should choose etc)

 

[lauradis]

Most people go right. This tip applies just about anywhere, actually, but it's more noticeable where there are longer lines (like at Disney). (The queues are usually built to be the same length on both sides.)

This tip does *not*, however, work when choosing which direction to see a park in ... you don't necessarily save time by going left instead of right and doing the park clockwise instead of counterclockwise.

always go to the left.

Most people are right handed and will pick right or whats directly in front of them.

think about it for a minute......

most stores are set up for right handed people, when you enter to the right.

Disney is no different well atleast magic kingdom

 

[lauradis]

Thank you Cast Members you are the reason We love Disney the most

Cast Members make my trip great. Really you are the Disney magic.

 

[Babs1975]

Wow! that's a great tip! I never would've thought to do that. We take a snapshot of our parking space sign so we don't forget where we parked and a snapshot of the kids so if we get separated they have a pic of them from that day in their clothes that they are wearing.

Great tips! I will definitely take a pic of the parking space sign next time! You always think you will remember, but that doesn't usually happen! Also, a tip for lost children, many times it is difficult for them to remember cell phone numbers, so if they are still pretty young, make them a bracelet with the little beads - the number beads - that spells out your cell phone number. If they get separated from you, they have your cell phone number right on their wrist.

 

[jaredbeauvais]

Awesome info!!!

 

[chuss]

Great tips! I will definitely take a pic of the parking space sign next time! You always think you will remember, but that doesn't usually happen! Also, a tip for lost children, many times it is difficult for them to remember cell phone numbers, so if they are still pretty young, make them a bracelet with the little beads - the number beads - that spells out your cell phone number. If they get separated from you, they have your cell phone number right on their wrist.

The bead idea is great for everywhere, but just made me think of one excellent reason why kids should always wear their MB at WDW: a CM could scan the band and up pops all the parents info?

 

[ChanaC]

The bead idea is great for everywhere, but just made me think of one excellent reason why kids should always wear their MB at WDW: a CM could scan the band and up pops all the parents info?

It would probably never get that far. The procedure is when a lost child is first found, one CM will sit with the child while another CM calls security. It is very important to keep the child where they are because most likely a parent is looking for them and will retrace their steps. If you are moving with the child while the parent is moving, you could end up walking in circles around each other. Sometimes the CM will take a few steps around the area just to be a little more visible. Meanwhile, their job is to keep the child calm and try to get some information out of them, like how old they are, who they are with and what they are wearing. If no one shows up in about ten minutes then security will take them to child/baby care but as far as I know there are no magic band readers in there.

The procedure is the same at all the Orlando parks so sure, give the kids a card with your number on it so some other form of id. However, don't get too paranoid. I once saw a mother who bought a custom temp tattoo kit with her phone number on it and literally tattooed it to her kids arms. I also saw a dad who made dogtags with a whistle on it so his daughter could blow the whistle if she was lost. Personally, I think those are a little extreme. The worst though was a family who put a bright orange shirt on their kid that said, "I HAVE AUTISM!" While you may want to include that information if your kid does have a disability (maybe on a medical bracelet or necklace), I don't think you want to scream it for the world to see.

 

[McQueenMaterMom]

I finally finished reading all of this fabulous thread. Thanks to everyone who took the time to provide advice and sweet stories!