Disney Cast Members Put Up With a Lot - Confessions of a Theme Park Worker

[@InfectiousGroovePodcast]

We were just in the Magic Kingdom last Sunday (WDW) and I was STUNNED at how people were acting in general, along with how they were talking to Cast Members. One of the smaller examples: we were on Jungle Cruise and a female child stood up near the front of the boat. The Skipper cut the motor and politely said that everyone has to remain seated during the ride. The kids dad said "For what we paid to be here, she can stand if she wants to". I said "That's not how this works", everyone laughed at him and he told his kid to sit down.

[@MatthewSchooley94]

As an amusement park worker myself (Fun Spot Orlando), I know that feeling. When working the bumper cars, I all too often get parents who get upset that their kids aren't tall enough to go on. "Not even with me?" No; the signage specifically states the minimum height to go on with an adult.

[@parker_odell]

fast food workers too. ive gotten cursed at, slurs thrown at me and my coworkers, old men being creepy towards my female coworkers, etc. i am absoultely sick of it

[@sarahdingeldein6129]

Same! People getting irate because we ask clarifying questions about their order, or because they swear they said something special about their sandwich yet multiple people with headsets didn't hear it.

[@eclipsehorse8693]

@@sarahdingeldein6129 I feel ya, especially customers who feel they need to hold you hostage over things the company does, like discontinuing a menu item, charging for sauces, running out of a sandwich or fries... stuff that's completely out of your control to begin with

[@calypsolemon9571]

this is just what all jobs are like everywhere now. Businesses are not interested in treating customers nicely, they're not interested in supporting their staff either. They don't want to train properly or give staff the flexibility to give their best services to customers, but they still expect those 5 star reviews and will chew you out if you don't please the customer to the highest degree (while of course following every stupid restriction on what we can do to help them). Everything you could do as an employee is either wrong, or just barely good enough to keep you on the team. People want to think Disney would be the exception to this, but its not, its simply following the same business trends everyone else is following. Only the short term money matters!

[@gkarenko9593]

I know of a car dealership where the focus was all on sales, and they dumped on the service department. They pretty much let go or chased off the entire department in less than a year. They don't seem to understand that people may buy a vehicle from you and then are likely to come to you for service. If their service experience is bad, they will go somewhere else after that. Their next vehicle will probably be bought there instead.

[@goofyrulez7914]

You must have a lot of patience, sir. When I talk to drivers for the handicapped, I get similar stories and they too, have a lot of patients and empathy. God bless you and all the cast members.

[@BuhhaDog]

I have seen some super nice Cast members when I went they really made trip magical

[@gkarenko9593]

The cast put the trip on a whole other level for me when my family went to Disney World. Without the cast, there wouldn't be much going on, if anything.

[@neilengel3715]

I worked in Operations in the late 70s. I did tours in Parking Tomorrowland Fantasyland and Monorails. Each was very different how it was run. Tomorrowland was GREAT! Supervision was great training was great. The bump rotations were GREAT. If you needed a certain day off no problem. If you had to work days cause you went to night school No problem. If you felt she’ll shocked from working at Mountain too long without a break they would train you on another attraction and greet you out for a while. Monorails was the worst. Very uncooperative management and just yuck. And that was back when you actually had to drive the trains

[@sabrinaf7456]

Hey I worked in Disney worlds Tomorrowland attractions to that’s awesome.

[@thunderfoot223]

Great video sir willow your videos are a hoot😂

[@sabrinaf7456]

I was called lazy by leaders and coordinators and got in trouble even though I had permission from the parents for letting a child be the one to open the chains for the guests on the ride to board and also to help make a ride spiel at times randomly picked out of the crowd. Yes it made my day when guests gave me random gifts and said I was appreciated and said thank you especially when I would get compliments on my dashboard especially when I was having a rough day.

[@flyacow]

In my experience, usually if someone's poorly trained, they eventually get written up for something. They had no idea they did wrong and then upper management. It's like, well, we trained you, and you started the papers. Not cool.

[@sabrinaf7456]

Hello thank you for making this video I really appreciate it as being a former caste member. I was told I didn’t know how to do my job by certain guests and people getting mad at me for telling them things for their safety and it did get very frustrating. I saw caste members when I visited animal kingdom with phones out to even when I worked in magic kingdom too and it made me so angry they got away with it but I said nothing. Another thing I got told when working there was when giving a magical moment for guests we have to ask a leader or coordinator if it’s ok and told what to do. One time was when it was raining really hard I didn’t want the guests to get wet so I put them under cover but I got in trouble for opening the chain to early even though they were not going in yet. Guests at times stand up for caste members and sometimes see them suffering emotional due to the support and that was upsetting we got in trouble for that.

[@gkarenko9593]

Sometimes, it seems that magic is the only explanation for why people stay. Although the need for income is a huge motivator... but if that is the only reason for being there, it can't be fun.

[@toddcribbs6844]

I hope you have a wonderful week man

[@gemlife1329]

We visited Orlando last year from the UK, and we did not go to Disney this time. We saved about £3k by not going to Disney. We had a great time. We won't be going back to Disney until they get their act together. It's too expensive, and they have too many weird rules now. I don't want to be on my phone all day planning everything out with military precision. We want to relax, be spontaneous and have fun

[@toddcribbs6844]

Hey listen I have epileptic seizures and when I started going to Walt Disney World there was one day I actually had to go into the first aid area and actually just take 5 minutes out and drink a little water after that happened I think the cast member

[@carrie_white_]

I get it, but, as a project manager who works with difficult clients daily, it's not an excuse to mistreat guests. If I was as needlessly rude to a new client as I've seen some cast members be to guests, I'd be fired immediately & with extreme prejudice. Taking out your frustrations on someone asking for help because someone ELSE was rude is unacceptable. That being said, people should be kinder to cast members, who have a hard job, and should make the effort to make others' lives easier that they want made for them. Courtesy is rare now, but it never hurts to be the exception. 😊

[@toddcribbs6844]

Yeah this is one of the reasons why I actually don't go thank you so very much for mentioning that I have been nice to cast members when I went to Walt Disney World I got something at the Emporium one time at the Magic Kingdom and I was really nice to the cast member so the next time she remembers my name is Charlie hit me out

[@MartijnPennings]

I highly recommend the 8 part podcast "The Keys To The Kingdom", exploring the peculiar backstage life of theme park characters, performers, and fans. It's really funny and lots of interesting behind-the-screens stories.

[@MartijnPennings]

One story from the podcast I remember is the rule that male cast members could not grow their hair long, even if they're in a full costume. So a guy who wanted to grow out his hair found a loophole in the rules: if an employee wears a wig, management is not allowed to ask why they're wearing a wig nor can they forbid the employee from wearing a wig (since it can be because of a medical condition or whatever). So the guy wore a wig to work every day just to cover everything up again with his costume. Management kind of figured out what he was doing, but they couldn't do anything about it.

[@taylorlynn534]

Last time I went, a CM at MK in Fantasyland had a tall, spiked mohawk like a punk rocker. Ruined the magic for me and took me out of the Disney world.

[@Musicalcoasters96]

I'm so thankful I don't work at a park because of this. People have gotten so entitled I would just be at the end of my sanity all the time. Also as a tall woman I can say that I'm like some sort of novelty to weird men (and little kids but their parents usually take care of that) and it just hurts. So much stupidity thrown my way.

[@tammyshowsmerch2024]

You can thank tik tok for the clothing issue.

[@TheGlobalNetworkOfficial]

You sounds a little like Ham from toy story 😊

[@eclipsehorse8693]

Well said and well put. I just can't fathom how a multi billion dollar company who lives and dies by the customer to begin with, can possibly operate successfully and remain open and profitable by any stretch of the imagination by NOT taking care of the guest, and throwing their workers to the wolves. These guests spend a high premium just to enter the park, another premium on 'extras' like Genie+, food, merch, parking- they need to be respected and treated like ,royalty, same for CM, they need the support tools and training to do THEIR job so the park runs efficiently. I work hospitality, I have ppl in my hotel that to be honest really shouldn't be here, and make the excuse of 'it's not my problem, or I don't work...' The entire hotel is your workplace, and guests problems should be yours! you should be able to take charge, and make things right! Disney needs to get back to basics, get their heads out of their butts, and take charge... Epic Universe is opening down the road next year- if Disney doesn't take charge, they sure will!

[@thejourney1369]

I don’t think they are too concerned about people coming back. The price for admission is more than a lot of people can afford one thing, much less more.

[@toddcribbs6844]

I agree those princesses are probably married and I would not want to do anything like that

[@gkarenko9593]

Yeah, that shouldn't happen. EVER.

[@tulinfirenze1990]

Forget the princesses' phone numbers. I want Tarzan's!!!

[@toddcribbs6844]

I may have said some rude things to you before but you have my consent to share my stories

[@neilengel3715]

Shell shocked and get

[@KILLKING110]

If Disney company wasn't so busy trying to play politics to the point that they got into a lawsuit slap fight with the state which they lost to the state they would have the money and focus to actually care about employees and guests

[@MatthewSchooley94]

They have the money to do it regardless; they just don't care to do it. Empathy's not profitable.

[@bluegold1026]

@@MatthewSchooley94Couldn't have said it better myself

[@spcglider]

Mmmmm. Ignorance is soooo tasty.

[@Intellectuallychallenged]

Disney sounds like gen z