Unfriendly Cast Members?

WonkaKid

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Almost without exception, Cast Members are pleasant, friendly and kind. They make my regular visits to Disneyland even more unforgettable. There's one, however, -- I won't name him or her here -- that I always find to be grumpy and kind of a jerk after seeing him/her regularly over at least the past two years. This CM has seen me countless times (easily more than 100) -- sometimes several times in a day -- and not once has he/she said hello, smiled or acknowledged me in any way. I spoke with a friend on Sunday as we walked off of the ride on which this CM works. I said to him "Do you think that CM is perhaps shy or is he/she just a jerk?" My friend thought for a moment and then replied "I think (he/she) is just a jerk."

Has anyone had a similar experience with a/any CMs? My feeling is that a CM should be outgoing and friendly. If that's not your nature -- and of course just because someone isn't a pure extrovert, that doesn't mean that he or she isn't a good person --perhaps being a guest-facing CM isn't the best choice for you. Thoughts?
 
I've not noticed that but I don't expect a CM to remember me or acknowledge me any differently than they would any other guest.
 
With the exception of a jerky balloon seller, and rude CM that works on Soarin (who is the reason my kids don't like that ride), I've always been treated just fine by CMs. Even if I wasn't treated right by a few, I'd certainly never let it put a damper on my fun day.
 


I don't think that just because I had not been acknowledged that I would automatically assume any cm was a jerk. Perhaps during the times this cm has seen you they have been super busy, or may have just had their own bad experience with a guest who might have put a damper on their day. Maybe they have a lot going on in their life. You just never know. There could be any number of reasons they might not be cheery, including as you mention, the possibility of them being shy.

On the other hand, it's kinda sad how some folks can be such natural grumps. Being from Texas, I guess I expect everyone, everywhere to be friendly so I usually try to do a little extra on my part and often take it as a personal challenge to see if I can get folks talking or even smiling by the time we part ways. You'd be surprised how often it works! I think people are taken by surprise when someone shows an interest in them and quite often their attitude improves dramatically.

Maybe next time you run across this cm you could give it a try. It would be great if you ended up actually having a conversation with this cm and they turned out to really be an awesome person!
 
For those who notice that a particular CM is regularly out of sorts or behaving in a non-Disney manner, you might want to send in a comment, either in person at City Hall or Chamber of Commerce or online using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the DLR webpage. Be as specific as you can with details, e.g. CM's name, description, location, date/time, behavior, what was the problem and how did it affect you, what could have been different, etc. These comments do go to Disney management and the supervisor of the CM in question. Sometimes it is a question of some retraining or addressing something the CM is truly unaware of. Sometimes it's a medical issue that can be dealt with in a better way. But if you've noticed something that has been ongoing for a while, then it might be better to say something. Getting someone the help they need isn't necessarily a bad thing.
 
Unless they actively did something rude, why not just assume they had something else on their mind or were having an off day?
 



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