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

[Timmy Boy]

A tip I can give is that Cast Members are actually human beings, with full human qualities, which entitles them to make mistakes. If one does make a mistake in front of you, tell them it's okay, and smile. It will make it a lot easier for them, because as a Cast Member, we HATE going up to a guest and telling them what they don't want to hear.

Some examples that we envision in our head what will happen:
CM - "Sir I'm sorry I forgot your fries, I'll get them right now."
GUEST - "::long sigh::OH GREAT! THIS GUY FORGOT THE FRIES!! YOU BETTER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK FOR IT!!!"
CM - "Sir I'm sorry I can't do that, I can go get a manager if you'd like."
GUEST - "No whatever just hurry up."


Or don't get mad at us when we are doing our jobs and looking out for your safety and best interests.

CM - "Welcome to Epcot everyone, for your safety, please walk in front of the parked cars for your safety, and also so you don't hold up traffic."
GUEST - "You know, you charge us $14 to park and make us park a %#%$^% mile away, don't tell us where to walk."
CM - "Okay"

::traffic holds up due to guests walking in front of incoming traffic::
GUEST - "You know if you parked us up front here we wouldn't have to walk in front of the parked cars."
CM - Just doing my job sir.

 

[Pjimmeyer]

A tip I can give is that Cast Members are actually human beings, with full human qualities, which entitles them to make mistakes. If one does make a mistake in front of you, tell them it's okay, and smile. It will make it a lot easier for them, because as a Cast Member, we HATE going up to a guest and telling them what they don't want to hear.

Some examples that we envision in our head what will happen:
CM - "Sir I'm sorry I forgot your fries, I'll get them right now."
GUEST - "::long sigh::OH GREAT! THIS GUY FORGOT THE FRIES!! YOU BETTER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK FOR IT!!!"
CM - "Sir I'm sorry I can't do that, I can go get a manager if you'd like."
GUEST - "No whatever just hurry up."


Or don't get mad at us when we are doing our jobs and looking out for your safety and best interests.

CM - "Welcome to Epcot everyone, for your safety, please walk in front of the parked cars for your safety, and also so you don't hold up traffic."
GUEST - "You know, you charge us $14 to park and make us park a %#%$^% mile away, don't tell us where to walk."
CM - "Okay"

::traffic holds up due to guests walking in front of incoming traffic::
GUEST - "You know if you parked us up front here we wouldn't have to walk in front of the parked cars."
CM - Just doing my job sir.

A big thank you to you and all of the wonderful cast members that never fail to make our trips magical.

 

[loganjared]

From a Cosmic Rays CM...

-Get there early, especially during peak seasons like now. We open at 10 am but don't get busy until around 11:30. Later in the afternoon, between 4 and 6 pm, is another somewhat slow time. It is insanely busy between the hours of 12 and 3 pm almost every day.

-If you don't like ice in your drink, mention it to the cashier. He or she can make a note of it in the order.

-Please use both sides of the register

-If you love alot of bacon on your burger, get there later at night. We often have extra and anything we dont use gets pitched, so there tend to be some really "baconed up" burgers then.


-I love it when people ask me questions that are non-Cosmic's related, such as how does FP work or where are the best places to view the fireworks.

-Our patio is a great spot to see The Magic, The Memories, and You.

-Instead of going in with the pre-parade/fireworks rush to eat dinner, wait until after the fireworks are over. We are usually open 2 or 3 hours later after the fireworks, and the place is usually fairly dead around 10:30 pm. (This is a good time to grab a baconed up burger...)

-If you want chili cheese fries for cheaper than $4.79...get a side of fries ($2.66) and a side of chili ($1.00). Add your own cheese at the topping bar

Great tips! We love Cosmic Ray's. Thank you for taking the time to share

 

[TinkBride]

I am not a CM, just a CM admirer (anyone who can deal with guests on a daily basis, most of which are not pleasant, deserves admiration....)

My tip is to notice your surroundings. Whether it be you needing to stop in the middle of a walkway, seeing a lost child, helping a struggling CM, whatever......people are in such a hurry around the resort and most occurences can be avoided if people just paid attention to their surroundings.

Last trip DH and I had reservations for 7:30 at Le Cellier, we arrived at the Le Cellier podium at 7:15 and were told that there was a large party of about 30 people that were finishing up their meal and that our reservation may be a little late. We said no problem and agreed to come back about 1/2 hour later. TThe poor CM continued to inform people that were arriving about the situation and some of the things coming out of people's mouths were amazing......this poor CM had no control over the situation, he was just relaying the message.

1/2 hour later, we arrived and were told that the table was still finishing up, but he went ahead and sent us up to the door. 45 mins. later (1 hour and 15 mins past our reservation) we were seated. Our waitress came to our table and apologized and went ahead with our reservation flawlessly. She was being given a hard time by other people who had to wait, and you could tell it had been a rough night. We struck up a conversation with her towards the end of our meal and she told us the next morning she was leaving to go to Las Vegas for her 21st birthday.

DH and I left her a 100% tip....yes 100% and wrote a message telling her to not gamble it all away in Vegas and have a happy birthday.

Many things could have been avoided by people noticing their surroundings. If you are at a restaurant, especially one where reservations are a MUST, and you have finished your meal.......please do not kick back for an extra hour and take up the table. There are others waiting for that table.

If something happens on your vacation that is "less than magical", dont give the CM a hard time, chances are it is out of their control. If you notice a CM is having a rough day, or working extra hard at biting their tongue, or near tears over stress (as our waitress was).......give them a pat on the back in some way to let them know there are many people who appreciate their hard work to make our vacation great.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

I am not a CM, just a CM admirer (anyone who can deal with guests on a daily basis, most of which are not pleasant, deserves admiration....)

My tip is to notice your surroundings. Whether it be you needing to stop in the middle of a walkway, seeing a lost child, helping a struggling CM, whatever......people are in such a hurry around the resort and most occurences can be avoided if people just paid attention to their surroundings.

Last trip DH and I had reservations for 7:30 at Le Cellier, we arrived at the Le Cellier podium at 7:15 and were told that there was a large party of about 30 people that were finishing up their meal and that our reservation may be a little late. We said no problem and agreed to come back about 1/2 hour later. TThe poor CM continued to inform people that were arriving about the situation and some of the things coming out of people's mouths were amazing......this poor CM had no control over the situation, he was just relaying the message.

1/2 hour later, we arrived and were told that the table was still finishing up, but he went ahead and sent us up to the door. 45 mins. later (1 hour and 15 mins past our reservation) we were seated. Our waitress came to our table and apologized and went ahead with our reservation flawlessly. She was being given a hard time by other people who had to wait, and you could tell it had been a rough night. We struck up a conversation with her towards the end of our meal and she told us the next morning she was leaving to go to Las Vegas for her 21st birthday.

DH and I left her a 100% tip....yes 100% and wrote a message telling her to not gamble it all away in Vegas and have a happy birthday.

Many things could have been avoided by people noticing their surroundings. If you are at a restaurant, especially one where reservations are a MUST, and you have finished your meal.......please do not kick back for an extra hour and take up the table. There are others waiting for that table.

If something happens on your vacation that is "less than magical", dont give the CM a hard time, chances are it is out of their control. If you notice a CM is having a rough day, or working extra hard at biting their tongue, or near tears over stress (as our waitress was).......give them a pat on the back in some way to let them know there are many people who appreciate their hard work to make our vacation great.

Amen! What a nice family you are!

 

[actualxash]

To remember the names of great CM's, I think I'll use my cell phone next trip! Since it has a "note" function, I'll just jot down names and the reason. Then, I'll have everything in one place, and I won't have to carry something extra around!

i've been reading this thread and every time i hear about a notepad and writing things down i think to myself "why not just save the information in a draft text message on your phone? it would be so much easier!" i'm glad someone was thinking along the same lines as me.

 

[lmc318]

Man that was a lot to get through!! Well worth it, though!

Several people mentioned lines that aren't single file, like HM, and just walking up to the front because others don't know. Instead of doing this, why not spread a little pixie dust and let people know the line isn't single file and they can move up? You can move up with them and still get closer than if you stood at the end, but it seems to me it would be more helpful if you let people know they can move up rather than being the one everyone gives dirty looks to. Sometimes people need the tips in the parks too.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Man that was a lot to get through!! Well worth it, though!

Several people mentioned lines that aren't single file, like HM, and just walking up to the front because others don't know. Instead of doing this, why not spread a little pixie dust and let people know the line isn't single file and they can move up? You can move up with them and still get closer than if you stood at the end, but it seems to me it would be more helpful if you let people know they can move up rather than being the one everyone gives dirty looks to. Sometimes people need the tips in the parks too.

Not to speak for anyone, but I think those who mentioned a situation like this were referring to those times in which a CM (or two, or three) is loudly announcing "ladies & gentlement, please fill in all available space in front of you." Mickey's Philharmagic and Monsters Inc Laugh Floor come to mind. We've been in both of those queues multiple times in which CMs are stating this loud and clear, and people just stand in a line with all this open space around them It's not like it's an insider secret that people aren't clued in to when they're announcing it

 

[pixiedaisy]

Two years ago we invited friends to go with us to Disney. We had a party of 4 adults and 4 children, we also had the dining plan. We stayed in a two bedroom villa. At the end of our 8 day trip we discovered that we had 13 CS and 48 snacks left. LOL
We were at AKL and I just stayed by the register and paid for everyone coming in, some turned me down thinking it was a scam. Then a group of mom's and small children came in. They were there for the day only and took us up on the offer. Not only did we make their day but they were able to afford to stay one more night since they saved so much money. Their husbands were in Iraq and they had saved money together to give themselves and their children a break.
Upon hearing this the CM at the register told them that if they would sit in a particular area to eat she would assist them in a moment. She got on the phone and another CM came in with meal vouchers for 2 more meals for the group. Disney magic was definately spread that day, it made my vacation all the more special to know that we were able to do that and that Disney did so as well.
We have also given fast passes away and umbrella strollers that we had purchased just for the trip. Small cost big smiles.
If we end up renting a stroller in a park and leave early, we have given the receipt and stroller to a family that doesn't have one. That wasy they can continue at ease and go to another park and save money, the only thing we ask is theat they pay it forward. Always makes a smile appear.

This is awesome! Wish more people would have this attitude and pass along some RAK's

 

[PEANUT1]

I love this thread and keep getting misty eyed reading the stories.

We have had many magic moments with CM's but one of my faves was on our last day of our first DVC trip. We had just eaten at CRT and my then 4 yr old was dressed as Cinderella. We only had a few minutes before we had to head to the airport when a CM came up to my daughter telling her how beautfiul she looked. She told us to meet her over at Dumbo..when we did she walked us right on the ride. (there was a 60m wait time) We rode dumbo and walked out with a great memory to end our trip


Not sure if this "tip" has been mentioned but we LOVE the barber shop at MK. You can get your kids hair cut for 14$ and if its their first haircut they give them mickey ears. My daughter also got streaks of color with pixie dust and it was so cute..(cuter than BBB in my opinion) If you do go, go right when it opens (we go on EMH mornings bc we get in at 8am and ride some rides and then go to the barber shop at 9am when it opens....very magical fun. btw they do adults too..my hubby got a trim and the CM put minnie mouse on the back of his hair as a joke....it lead to lots of conversations with strangers all day.

 

[Kidztheater]

During last year's trip, I talked to a CM in the gift shop that you are led into when you exit PotC. I told him that I heard they had some of the REAL movie props in the gift shop. I had a bunch of teens with me that were HUGE fans of the movie and it totally made their day when he confirmed the rumor. He took the time to show us the exact items and where they have "hidden" them as dressing in the shop. It was such a fun little extra touch!

 

[LYNNEL2003]

We are going for the first time in 4 weeks! I would love "First time" pins for the kids, especially...is this something that is still available at MK? We are not staying on site....

I would LOVE to know!! This is an awesome thread and it has helped me tremendously!

 

[SRUAlmn]

We are going for the first time in 4 weeks! I would love "First time" buttons for the kids, especially...is this something that you had made? Or can they be purchased there?

I would LOVE to know!! This is an awesome thread and it has helped me tremendously!

Just go to any guest relations window or the front desk at your resort and ask They are complimentary and the grown ups can wear them too! Have fun!!

 

[theatregrl04]

During last year's trip, I talked to a CM in the gift shop that you are led into when you exit PotC. I told him that I heard they had some of the REAL movie props in the gift shop. I had a bunch of teens with me that were HUGE fans of the movie and it totally made their day when he confirmed the rumor. He took the time to show us the exact items and where they have "hidden" them as dressing in the shop. It was such a fun little extra touch!

That is so cool. I will have to ask someone about that next time!

 

[tawasdave]

We are going for the first time in 4 weeks! I would love "First time" pins for the kids, especially...is this something that is still available at MK? We are not staying on site....

I would LOVE to know!! This is an awesome thread and it has helped me tremendously!

As the one poster said..they are free at any Guest Relations spot or at your hotel....and be sure to wear them...CMs love to do something magical for first time visitors!!..Have a GREAT time!!!

 

[hammie59]

We are going for the first time in 4 weeks! I would love "First time" pins for the kids, especially...is this something that is still available at MK? We are not staying on site....

I would LOVE to know!! This is an awesome thread and it has helped me tremendously!

My children were given their first time pins at the front desk. We didn't even have to ask, so that was nice. Ds wore his everyday, although nothing special ever came of it. But he enjoyed wearing it and I think it's pretty neat they give them out. Next trip dd will be getting a birthday pin since she turns 4 while we're there, so it'll be fun to see if anything magical comes her way.

 

[dsnyrn]

"lay out all the clothes you plan to pack, then put 1/2 back in the closet"

great advice, if only I could do it!!! LOL I always pack toooo much!!
Love this thread!


I have had many great experience with the CM's. Can't really remember any bad!! But thats disney!!

 

[bgula]

bump!

 

[FatOldHillbillie]

Not a CM but a frequent visitor. My family has had great vacations at the world that are memorable and we've had some that just seemed to be a struggle where we were always trying to get one of us out of a bad mood. The thing I noticed this last March after staying for that horrible week with all the tornados and storms was that when I had made efforts to have planned meal times the day was much more pleasant even in spite of the horrid weather.
I find that if you leave meal times to chance then someone in your party begins getting hungry before others which leads to grumpyness which in turn is contagious.
I highly suggest you make reservations for at least lunch each day that you're in the world especially if you have people with blood sugar issues.

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

During last year's trip, I talked to a CM in the gift shop that you are led into when you exit PotC. I told him that I heard they had some of the REAL movie props in the gift shop. I had a bunch of teens with me that were HUGE fans of the movie and it totally made their day when he confirmed the rumor. He took the time to show us the exact items and where they have "hidden" them as dressing in the shop. It was such a fun little extra touch!

I did this last year when I went on my grad trip, it was so much fun! They have props from the first two movies I found two of the props (and I think two more - I won't say which ones, as to not ruin the surprise!) and was attempting to take photos of myself with the props in the background and a couple offered to take my photo.

They asked what exactly was I taking a photo of, and I pointed the props out. They were so excited and were taking photos of themselves in front of the props. It ended up with quite a few people taking their photos in front of the props.