I'm so sad

[DisneyFans4Life]

Man, I'm shocked to see this actually. I think Disney cast members might be better than ever, particularly characters.

I've said this before, but I still can't get over how much Disney gets out of employees literally making $10/hr.

The only subpar employees I encounter at Disney are at the Magical Express counter at the airport. I don't even think they are truly Disney employees (although they wear Disney name tags).

I think much of it depends on how you come off as a guest. I see a lot of guests coming off as entitled, rude, lacking respect when talking to cast members, and being generally annoying. If you walk up to a cast member, don't just say "When is the parade?" You walk up to them like a person and say "hello" first and maybe try taking off your sunglasses to make eye contact.

That's asking way too much of someone who is paying too much money for a bottle of water and so little entertainment haha.

 

[jaklgreen]

This isn't just a Disney thing. This is now a regular thing at restaurants everywhere. I think it's all of those kids who received "your special" and "participation trophies" for everything entering the workforce.

What used to, say 20 years back, be good, standard service (you're greeted, they ask for drinks, bring you menus, make sure you have silverware and napkins, bring you food, keep your drinks full, check on you but not as to be annoying, etc.) appears to be gone, for the most part, and, when you experience it, because everything else is so crappy, it seems to be excellent service now.

I can go into a restaurant, just a random one, and I bet it's 20-30min before I can finally catch someone's eye to check on me. This is standard now. It sucks. I'll even have servers walk by and they won't even acknowledge me and, I'm guessing but I'm not sure, that I'm either not their table or they haven't been specifically told to wait on me by someone inside. I don't get it. Further, they all expect 20%+ as a tip as just the base (for doing nothing - they don't see it as "earning" their tip but that you just owe them that whether or not they've done a good job).

It's a guess that it's the participation/special kids, but I don't know for sure. It sucks everywhere right now. I've finally had enough and made a personal rule that if someone can't get to me within 10min of me sitting down (which is an exceptionally long time for them NOT to get to you) then I just get up and leave. I'm not going to sit at a table for 30+ min hoping some entitled server might finally notice me.

Bartenders seem to be a lot better and that works in my favor as a single guy.

Keep in mind, I'm not looking for 5-star service, here, but just what used to be standard service in any regular restaurant or diner 20 years back.

This is so true. I have to work with these young people and they will come right out and say that they don't want to work and are just here for the money!? They come in and tell the managers what and how they are going to do things. It is unbelievable. And these jobs are a dime a dozen where I live so they just go off to the next place. Especially now that their bad behavior does not follow them because when the new place calls to verify employment you cant tell them how bad the employee was. I have had young girls with kids (all from different baby daddies) come in to work for a few months, decide working is not for them and say "I'm going to get pregnant again so I don't have to work". The worst are the parents that come in and yell at management if they dare say anything to correct their child's bad work habits. I don't know how the world is going to function with these idiots running it in a few years. Have you all seen the movie Idiocrocy? This is what we are turning into.

 

[doctornick]

From my experience, the CMs at WDW have consistently been friendly and accessible. I have on occasion encountered CMs who are unhelpful -- cannot answer my question or solve my concern -- but have never been blatantly ignored or blown off.

 

[Chef Mickey]

That's asking way too much of someone who is paying too much money for a bottle of water and so little entertainment haha.

Then don't go back. Disney isn't a requirement. If it doesn't meet your value standard, there are other choices.

 

[POLY LOVER]

Disney has created the aura of excelleant service, top notch employees, and a top notch experience to be expected by their visitors.
This is the hallmark of Disney anything so people have come to expect it at every turn. This is not the fault of the visitor expecting to much, THEY CREATED BE OUR GUEST PUT OUR SERVICE TO THE TEST. If you want happy employees you have to treat them with respect and rewards. Ask anyone in your circle of friends, what do you expect from a Disney vacation and I bet you get top notch, its been drilled into our heads over the years. If they can no longer deliver that someone at the top neeeds to hold a very important meeting on this topic and soon. Once the feeling amongst the visitor population changes it will be hard to get it back.

I was always proud to recommend Disney as a vacation spot because I knew when my friends came back they would gush over the experience. It kills me to read some of these comments.

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

Then don't go back. Disney isn't a requirement. If it doesn't meet your value standard, there are other choices.

I was being sarcastic...

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Disney has created the aura of excellent service, top notch employees, and a top notch experience to be expected by their visitors.

And that's exactly what we have received on every trip. Sorry that not everyone has, but that is our experience.

 

[Bocabear]

I have had both experiences at Disney... but you need to be able to discuss the bad as well as the good...if this were just a discussion about rainbows and unicorns there would be little to talk about. I wonder why everyone gets so defensive if you want to discuss a problem or bad experience... No one is attacking Walt Disney but discussing a trend in service at the parks...If you have always had amazing experiences, that is great... And because someone is getting not-so-magical service does not immediately mean it is their fault...

 

[Pacha]

And that's exactly what we have received on every trip. Sorry that not everyone has, but that is our experience.

Same here. On our Feb. trip, we were treated really well...as good or better than past trips. Heck, the CM's at Pop Century concierge came out from behind the counter and greeted every guest with a smile and a "Hi my name is [CM Name], how may I help you?" I've never seen anything like that at other Disney resorts, or for that matter, anywhere else. Same sort of thing in the Parks...CM's everywhere were great.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Why do people give credence to threads like this? When a brand new member creates a thread with their first post and 1) criticizes Disney, 2) praises Disney, or 3) asks a bizarre question, the odds that it's a real poster trying to make a real point are slim. In many cases, it's someone trying to manipulate Google results.

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

I have had both experiences at Disney... but you need to be able to discuss the bad as well as the good...if this were just a discussion about rainbows and unicorns there would be little to talk about. I wonder why everyone gets so defensive if you want to discuss a problem or bad experience... No one is attacking Walt Disney but discussing a trend in service at the parks...If you have always had amazing experiences, that is great... And because someone is getting not-so-magical service does not immediately mean it is their fault...

It's who's discussing it and how they discuss it. It's one thing to say you had a sub-par experience this one time, but the rest of the time it was great; but when it's all negativity all the time from the same people over and over again...it gets tiring to read...though I guess that's what the ignore button is for...

 

[Bocabear]

It's who's discussing it and how they discuss it. It's one thing to say you had a sub-par experience this one time, but the rest of the time it was great; but when it's all negativity all the time from the same people over and over again...it gets tiring to read...though I guess that's what the ignore button is for...

LOL.. I suppose that is why it is there. I think TWDC has created a standard and there is expectation that every interaction with the company will be the magical experience that they are touting, and the magical premium experience we are paying for... I do love it when they meet or exceed that...and I have had many experiences like that...and I have reported them not only online , but also to upper management .. But sometimes when you have a bad experience it seems a lot worse than it is because the bar is set so high... Those also need to be discussed... If service is slipping, it should be noticed...because unchecked, "less-than-stellar" can easily become the new normal. So.. it is important to be able to discuss the good and the bad...

 

[JIMINYCR]

LOL.. I suppose that is why it is there. I think TWDC has created a standard and there is expectation that every interaction with the company will be the magical experience that they are touting, and the magical premium experience we are paying for... I do love it when they meet or exceed that...and I have had many experiences like that...and I have reported them not only online , but also to upper management .. But sometimes when you have a bad experience it seems a lot worse than it is because the bar is set so high... Those also need to be discussed... If service is slipping, it should be noticed...because unchecked, "less-than-stellar" can easily become the new normal. So.. it is important to be able to discuss the good and the bad...

Agreed. My experiences over the years have been very positive and I'll keep coming back. I have noticed changes in customer interaction in the workplace everywhere in my travels. But Disney CM's are holding to professionalism more. The younger generation is being more self centered and less outgoing elsewhere so when I'm at WDW its refreshing to see Disney is training and insisting they meet higher standards. Fortunately there are very few instances where I can point to and be negative.

 

[Stellajack]

It's Paris and you are American... what more do I need to say.

Au contraire! My DH and I were in Paris in 2013 (non-Disney trip) and we were told that you can earn lots of points with the French if you greet them first, especially in their language. We found them to be very friendly and helpful.

 

[DfromATX]

If you think Disney World is bad, try visiting Disneyland Paris lol A lot of the CMs are just awful. I love Disneyland Paris but they really need to work on that. WDW CMs are the complete opposite in my experience.

Isn't that the reputation of Parisians in general? Rude and that they think they are superior?

 

[Stellajack]

Why do people give credence to threads like this? When a brand new member creates a thread with their first post and 1) criticizes Disney, 2) praises Disney, or 3) asks a bizarre question, the odds that it's a real poster trying to make a real point are slim. In many cases, it's someone trying to manipulate Google results.

THIS!

 

[DfromATX]

Why do people give credence to threads like this? When a brand new member creates a thread with their first post and 1) criticizes Disney, 2) praises Disney, or 3) asks a bizarre question, the odds that it's a real poster trying to make a real point are slim. In many cases, it's someone trying to manipulate Google results.

Ugghh! I never catch that I get suckered in every time LOL!

 

[DfromATX]

Au contraire! My DH and I were in Paris in 2013 (non-Disney trip) and we were told that you can earn lots of points with the French if you greet them first, especially in their language. We found them to be very friendly and helpful.

Speaking of that, while in America it's the custom of the store clerks to greet the customer upon entering, I have read that it's the opposite in Europe. And, I will admit, it's an American trait to expect all others to speak English, which I can imagine annoys everyone else. But, the French do have that reputation of being rude. (I do not personally know if it's true or not.) One time I even read an article about some Japanese tourists that needed counseling after visiting France due to the rudeness.

 

[Bocabear]

Au contraire! My DH and I were in Paris in 2013 (non-Disney trip) and we were told that you can earn lots of points with the French if you greet them first, especially in their language. We found them to be very friendly and helpful.

I agree and always make it a point to do just that. I always try to speak in the native tongue when I can... I am hardly an "Ugly American" when I travel...but somehow, the cast members at Disneyland Paris, just don't seem to have the same training as their american counterparts...not in my two experiences there anyway... Possibly both of them were a fluke, but when it happens on two trips years apart, I would say they are just not trained to the American Disney Castmember standard...

 

[JohnHangen]

Au contraire! My DH and I were in Paris in 2013 (non-Disney trip) and we were told that you can earn lots of points with the French if you greet them first, especially in their language. We found them to be very friendly and helpful.

We found this out first-hand, if you try it in French, even if it's broken Godawful French, people are actually quite friendly and helpful. Just gotta make the effort.