Cast Members at DLR

[abeautybutafunnygirl]

You were an international college student. You likely weren't supporting a family and as far as I know the CP people at wdw live in provided places in Orlando, so you weren't trying to live in Southern California. To those not in the program, it's at its most basic level a low paying job.

While I understand your point, I disagree. My coworkers in WDW who were not CPs and the other CMs that I encountered cared so, so, so much about what they were doing- I'm disappointed if it doesn't come off that way to guests. It's a tough, low-paying job, but I feel there is to some extent some amount of passion required to make a vacation special for guests.

 

[Kender]

A friend of mine who was a CM at WDW: she would cringe whenever she heard a fellow CM say "have a magical day". According to her, this was often (with the full time employees at least) a way to say "eff you" to a guest. Of course, it depended on context, but she hated hearing it because she learned to have a negative association with it. So because of that, I cringe now as well when I hear it at WDW. I don't hear it very often at DLR thankfully.

That said, I have the most magical experiences with DLR CMs. That's not to say I find WDW CMs rude, but I do find I have more positive experiences in a trip to DLR than I do to WDW. This past trip, I had great conversations with several CMs. One even gave my panda stuffy one of the PotC doubloons she had to hand out because she was so taken with him. It was one of the most magical trips of my life. And that's saying something since I had a DLR CM back in 2000 physically mail me a beanie baby I was looking for (whose name happened to be Magic) because she had an extra.

I've never personally witnessed a rude CM, but if I did I would certainly report it even if I wasn't directly involved. It's one thing to discuss in the privacy of backstage a horrible guest, but not while on stage.

Long message short: we all have different experiences and other factors in our day can shape how we take a given encounter. I'm quite glad I've encountered mostly wonderful CMs and, at worst, a few neutral CMs on either coast.

 

[Cirlonde]

I noticed some of this same "lack of magic" when we visited Disneyland for the first time in December 2016. For me, I think a large part of it was due to the fact that we stayed at a hotel across the street from DLR and so most mornings when we walked into the parks, we were waiting at the stoplight alongside cast members who were on their way to work. Obviously, there isn't anything "wrong" with this!! It's to be expected. But it was sort of like that scene in (I think...) one of the Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen (or maybe the Christmas Story, I can't remember)...where the mall Santa and his elves are all hanging out on their smoke break. It just made it feel more hum-drum and less whimsical.

At DLR, it is much more apparent that these people are just average folks doing their jobs in order to earn a living. At WDW, it feels more like the employees want to be there making your day awesome...even though I realize a lot of that is probably just really good acting, haha!! And of course, there's so much more backstage access for employees at WDW, so you rarely see them when they aren't "in character".

 

[tlovesdis]

Let's all try to be nice here or we will have to shut this thread down. No more personal attacks please! Thank you!!!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I haven't been to WDW since I was a child, but as long time AP holder at DL (although not local), I have to say, I haven't encountered any rude CMs there. Or at least not bad enough that I remember. I have had some really wonderful ones though.

We'll be doing WDW next year, so I'll have to see then.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I am not a fan of DLR CM's.
I encountered more than a few rude ones.
I encountered more than a few bickering about their job in front of everyone.
I encountered more than a few that couldn't care less about being there.

Have I encountered those things at WDW? Sure but I have encountered those things more times in the 2 trips to DLR than in the soon to be 32 trips to WDW.

This post is simply my opinikon and I am not looking to start an argument about it but the thread was started so I figure why not chime in.

 

[tarheelalum]

I think a lot of this is due to unrealistic expectations on the part of park goers. But I understand if you have not been in a while and you saved up to go and you want it to be special like it was when you went years ago. I personally have dealt with only 1 truly hateful cm over the years and I've been to Dland 100s of times. But my expectations are not very high. I know the cm are paid poorly and its just a job for many of them. Disneyland is a locals park for the park attendees and the CM for the most part. Unfortunately you get what you pay for and I mean what Disney pays the CM. Not the arm and leg you pay to go to the park. Disney pays CM poorly and despite this most CM still do a great job. A lot of people will say well they should still bust their butt because it's Disney! But they don't feel the same way about Disney as you do. To them it's just a job and a low paying one at that. But I'm sympathetic to the OP. Its a bummer to pay all that money and not feel great about the vacation. I encourage you to write to Disney and share your experience. Maybe one day they will do something about it if enough people complain about it.

 

[emmybee]

The CMs have always been a highlight of our family trips. They work hard, and it shows. I know that I am easy going, but believe me, my impossible-to-please hubby loves DL as much as I do, and it's in no small part to the CMs' dedication to keeping DL a top-notch destination. The two times I can think of that put a momentary damper on our day were solely due to other self-involved, big-mouthed guests. So far, I am more than happy to keep giving all my money to The Mouse.

 

[Scribble Kitty]

I personally prefer when CMs act more human and less fairytale. I've had great little moments with the retail workers and the fastpass takers when they've let the 'Disney mask' slide off and had a regular human interaction talking about Twilight Zone or a tattoo one of them had to keep covered with a bandage. Or the slow night on Indy when two fastpass takers playfully bickered over who would be so lucky as to take our fastpasses. Or all the CMs who told us they thought my husbands ToT costume shirt was a real costume.

Conversely I dislike when CMs refer to me as 'Princess' and other guest who overheard my conversations with these CMs may think the magic is missing from CM interactions.

 

[Astylla]

The service and customer service industry is BRUTAL and anyone who hasn't worked it in the last 10-15 years could use a reality check of how much daily abuse people take in such. While it's a passion of mine since 1998 , it is NOT easy and I can only imagine the expectations that the average Disney guests brings. I get it - Disney can place unrealistic expectation for guests and CM's alike but at the end of the day everyone does deserve kindness and respect. I go out of my way as much as possible to chat it up with every CM - even just a smile , saying "Thank you" while loading the ride or asking how they are today can change everything. I always remember they are people first above and beyond and may have had to work a double shift at their other job before showing up today. They may not know if rent will be paid or if they will be able to eat the next few days or maybe lost a loved one recently or have had people yell at them all day just for trying to enfoce the rules.

Instead of nitpicking why it's not "magical enough" , why not use that opportunity to try and brighten THEIR day - that's the mentatlityItry to carry even when i have dissapopiting interactions. Then typically within an hour I have someone who makes me forget about it and focus back on the joy being in the parks bring me.

 

[WonkaKid]

I would expand that to the entire West Coast (Seattle-area native, here!). It just isn't as chatty as the South. At all. Seattle Freeze is a real thing.

FWIW, I went to Seattle last summer. I found people to be especially nice. I've lived in LA for the past four years (moved here from Chicago) and this isn't a city I'd call particularly friendly.

 

[twodogs]

We've had many , many wonderful CM interactions at both parks over the last several years. I don't see a real difference between the CMs in one park over the other, in general. The only bad CM experience we've ever had in all of our trips was in AK at WDW. My daughter was wanting to pin trade with a CM. The CM had some pins backwards on her pin pad on her hip. My daughter (aged 8 at the time) didn't know that CMs put pins backwards as a mystery pin. She reached out to point to it and asked if she could see it (she did not touch the pin). The CM was very rude and chastised her for not knowing it was a mystery pin, and that she could not see it. We thanked the CM and quickly left with DD in tears.

However, in an amazing turn of Magic, the next CM we encountered along the trail about 10 minutes later (by which time my daughter said she didn't want to try pin trading anymore) was incredible (and she had no idea what had happened with the other CM). She too had some mystery pins turned backwards on her lanyard. DD was too intimidated to ask about them, but the CM said "I'll show you all my mystery pins if you can answer some disney trivia questions!" DD happily played the trivia game, got the answers correct (name all the princesses whose princes do not have an actual name), and got to see the mystery pins. So in the end, our only bad CM experience was wiped away in about 5 minutes by this other wonderful CM. So, I still believe in the Magic.

PS we are from Texas, so we are used to everyone being chatty and nice, and I found the CM in DLR to be great! WDW too except the one above.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

The service and customer service industry is BRUTAL and anyone who hasn't worked it in the last 10-15 years could use a reality check of how much daily abuse people take in such. While it's a passion of mine since 1998 , it is NOT easy and I can only imagine the expectations that the average Disney guests brings. I get it - Disney can place unrealistic expectation for guests and CM's alike but at the end of the day everyone does deserve kindness and respect. I go out of my way as much as possible to chat it up with every CM - even just a smile , saying "Thank you" while loading the ride or asking how they are today can change everything. I always remember they are people first above and beyond and may have had to work a double shift at their other job before showing up today. They may not know if rent will be paid or if they will be able to eat the next few days or maybe lost a loved one recently or have had people yell at them all day just for trying to enfoce the rules.

Instead of nitpicking why it's not "magical enough" , why not use that opportunity to try and brighten THEIR day - that's the mentatlityItry to carry even when i have dissapopiting interactions. Then typically within an hour I have someone who makes me forget about it and focus back on the joy being in the parks bring me.

Amen and Amen! My attitude is just as much a part of the magic as the CM's effort. For example, we just met a CM yesterday who seemed pretty aloof. When we smiled and asked her about her day, she mentioned that she was brand new to her job. So she wasn't rude or aloof, she was shy and awkward and afraid of making a mistake. We welcomed her to DL and told her that we looked forward to seeing her again. When we left, she gave us a big smile. Let's hope she turns on that beautiful smile for all the other guests who meet her. It will be well worth it.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I think a lot of this is due to unrealistic expectations on the part of park goers. But I understand if you have not been in a while and you saved up to go and you want it to be special like it was when you went years ago. I personally have dealt with only 1
truly hateful cm over the years and I've been to Dland 100s of times. But my expectations are not very high. I know the cm are paid poorly and its just a job for many of them. Disneyland is a locals park for the park attendees and the CM for the most part. Unfortunately you get what you pay for and I mean what Disney pays the CM. Not the arm and leg you pay to go to the park.
Disney pays CM poorly and despite this most CM still do a great job. A lot of people will say well they should still bust their butt because it's Disney! But they don't feel the same way about Disney as you do. To them it's just a job and a low paying one at that. But I'm sympathetic to the OP. Its a bummer to pay all that money and not feel great about the vacation. I encourage you to write to Disney and share your experience. Maybe one day they will do something about it if enough people complain about it.

The service and customer service industry is BRUTAL and anyone who hasn't worked it in the last 10-15 years could use a reality check of how much daily abuse people take in such. While it's a passion of mine since 1998 , it is NOT easy and I can only imagine the expectations that the average Disney guests brings. I get it - Disney can place unrealistic expectation for guests and CM's alike but at the end of the day everyone does deserve kindness and respect. I go out of my way as much as possible to chat it up with every CM - even just a smile , saying "Thank you" while loading the ride or asking how they are today can change everything. I always remember they are people first above and beyond and may have had to work a double shift at their other job before showing up today. They may not know if rent will be paid or if they will be able to eat the next few days or maybe lost a loved one recently or have had people yell at them all day just for trying to enfoce the rules.

Instead of nitpicking why it's not "magical enough" , why not use that opportunity to try and brighten THEIR day - that's the mentatlityItry to carry even when i have dissapopiting interactions. Then typically within an hour I have someone who makes me forget about it and focus back on the joy being in the parks bring me.

^^^^^^^ ALL OF THIS

lol, all those who find the DL Cm's less than magical you should try Disneyland Paris, and then you wont have isseuse with the DL attitiudes anymore, but thats a different topic.

Theres alot of factors that influence a less than magical atmosphere when comparing WDW to DL.

Theres the entitled attitude of the AP holders
Theres the entitled attitude of guests in general (side eye at the blanket campers holding spaces for the parades)
Theres corporate internal structural changes in Disney which affect the on the ground CM's daily lives
Theres the high percentage of local long time CM's
Theres the low wages and high cost of living in Anaheim
Theres the high percentage of local regular guests

There is a high number of older CM's who work at DL. Theres a high number of CM's at DL who have been there over 10 years.

People in general are resistant to change, just look at the amount here on DIS who have issues when rides are changed or refurbed or shows changed etc.

How many of you have worked for approx 10 years on minimum wage in the service industry? How many of you have been in a job where you get constant abuse from the general public but are still expected by the company to be all happy and smiley??

Alot of times I think people have issues with the less than magical CM's is because they have too high expectations. CM's are just regular people in minimum wage jobs, trying to pay their billls, same as the people in McDonalds.

 

[Vala]

lol, all those who find the DL Cm's less than magical you should try Disneyland Paris, and then you wont have isseuse with the DL attitiudes anymore, but thats a different topic.

Word.

I've had "off" CMs in both WDW and DLR. I've had magical CMs in both parks. If everyone would be smiling 24/7 I would probably suspect that they are testing those robots after all.

The one Thing that still stands out for me is a WDW incident. Epcot, Germany, that store near Karamellkuche. College CMs, from Germany. They were loudly complaining in German about their bad salary, the working conditions and the places they slept.

Just because you are in a foreign Country it doesn't mean there's not someone who will understand you, even if it's a random Tourist passing by.

 

[Meldev]

I agree that customer service had to be brutal nowadays. I think the population overall has become less friendly at times.
I have worked retail and other positions dealing directly with people. And whether I made minimum wage or more I had a job to do, I tried always to greet people with a smile and kindness. That's all I expect from the CMs. Respect both ways, that's the expectation.
I haven't noticed either park having less friendly CMs than the other. Those who come off as miserable or annoyed to be there, they may dampen the magic a bit, but I feel that way anywhere, not just on vacation. Not that shopping is a magical experience (far from it if you ask me), but a less than friendly experience with an employee can lesser your view of the employer. I get that... But I allow all the magic around me (in the parks) to lift spirits again!

 

[kylie71]

I also think that whether you work for minimum wage or a high paying job, people are human... CM's are human. We do not know what's going on behind the scenes. Maybe their kid is sick, maybe their parents have Cancer....... who know?!? They are just like us, even though they work at the "Happiest Place on Earth". I would not let a CM having a off day, or off moment, ruin my trip. Engage them... ask about their day. Be respectful and say Thank YOU! it goes a long way to make somebody's day.

Just my 2 cents.

--Lori

 

[BrianL]

I agree with the OP in that I have found the CMs at DLR to be a little less magical than WDW, but only by a little bit. It's noticeable though. DLR has a bit of a different vibe than WDW in general. I mean it wasn't enough to bother me, and I have certainly run into unpleasant CMs at WDW too, but it seemed a little more frequent at DLR.

 

[GeneralTso]

OP has high expectations for minimum wage service employees! It doesn't matter if it's Disney anywhere. These are still low paid service industry workers. They have rough jobs, often in the searing heat. I have encountered such wonderful people working at the parks, those are the ones I focus on. They carry on and make the best out of where they are. Disneyland is a theme park, in the middle of Anaheim. There's nothing "magical" about it if you're working in a job that you don't love.

 

[IntoDeNile]

I know that currently DL has been hiring on a lot of CMs so they may or may not be new.

So far from the few visits I've had within the past year I haven't encountered any unpleasant CMs myself, though from my most recent visit last week there was one rude CM. Normally when someone asks to be seated at the front all CMs I've observed would always ask the guest to step aside for the next ride thing-y (sorry have no idea what they are called). However, when the little girl and her grandma behind us asked if they could be seated in front instead of asking whether they'd be fine waiting for the next one to be seated up front the ride CM's reply was basically 'that's too bad and if they wanted to be seated up front they'd have to go on the ride now then go back in line to get on the ride again and hope they can get seats in front next time.' The little girl looked so sad and I felt so bad for her since it seems she loves Monster's Inc. I'm not a social person so I tend to keep quiet and to myself so in hindsight I should have spoken up and let the girl ride in front, but it's too late for that now.