Disney CMs calling guests " Friends"?

[Magicart87]

And if you need to get their attention?

"Hello, head over behind the yellow line."​

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"Hello, head over behind the yellow line."​

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"HELLO, head over behind the yellow line."​

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"HELLO!! HELLO!! OVER HERE. PLEASE HEAD OVER BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE!"​

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"What, you talking to us?"​

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Social phrases like: "sir, ma'am, friend, pal, chief, guys, son, mister, miss, etc..." are used to establish a social link to give a direction, or ask a question. Seems odd to just start suddenly talk to someone not paying full attention to you.

"Hey You!" //points with two fingers//

 

[_caleb]

How about just dropping "friend"?

May I help you?
Have a magical day!
Good morning!
See you real soon!

Yes, as @MisterPenguin said, a Disney CM frequency needs to call the attention of one person in a group of people:
"Excuse me, ________, please don't climb on the garbage can along the parade route!"
None of your suggestions here work for that.

 

[networkpro]

This is one of the more bizarre discussions I've seen here. I'm struggling to think of any good reason to have a significant issue with the use of "friend".

Come to Texas or Alabama.

 

[Magicart87]

"Excuse me, (glaring at guest with the fire of a thousand suns) please don't climb on the garbage can along the parade route!"

FTFY.

 

[Magicart87]

Come to Texas or Alabama.

Inversely, a lady getting upset when calling them "ma'am". In the South it's the norm. Hearing "friend" from a complete stranger is a little weird to me but I can still go on with my day without being offended.

What was wrong with keeping it regional-based or in theme?

 

[_caleb]

FTFY.

Glares, however fiery, don’t get people’s attention when they’re watching the fireworks (recording on their iPhone, of course).

 

[UNCgolf]

Come to Texas or Alabama.

I've spent plenty of time in Alabama (have friends in Dothan and Birmingham), and one of my good friends also lived in Texas (Houston and Lubbock) for several years.

The word "friend" itself isn't an issue. It's about the inflection used, and no Disney CM is going to say it in a way that people are going to take aggressively.

 

[Shiriki_Utundu]

But are they now necessarily saying “friend” in the examples you provided?

yes, at least to me they did:
3 at Disney in the few visits I made since the policy change(2 tap in entry's and 1 Food and beverage cart) and 1 at Disney's partner company Advent Health. The Advent Health one was particularly bizarre and creepy considering I was without clothes and being examined and needled 2 times......So damn bizarre I asked the nurse about her use of "friend" something like "Are you for real with that?"

which is why I have been vocal on this topic.

Disney uses the term in an asinine way and now their partners caught on to it........very bad context for the word.

 

[_caleb]

Disney uses the term in an asinine way and now their partners caught on to it........very bad context for the word.

You must not be a Facebook user

 

[LittleBuford]

yes, at least to me they did:
3 at Disney in the few visits I made since the policy change(2 tap in entry's and 1 Food and beverage cart) and 1 at Disney's partner company Advent Health. The Advent Health one was particularly bizarre and creepy considering I was without clothes and being examined and needled 2 times......So damn bizarre I asked the nurse about her use of "friend" something like "Are you for real with that?"

which is why I have been vocal on this topic.

Disney uses the term in an asinine way and now their partners caught on to it........very bad context for the word.

The nurse's job is thankless enough without people kicking up a fuss over such things. I realise people may not like being called "friend", but some of the reactions here seem here more than a little extreme.

 

[_caleb]

The nurse's job is thankless enough without people kicking up a fuss over such things. I realise people may not like being called "friend", but some of the reactions here seem here more than a little extreme.

This is what I was going to say. Even if the use of “friend” was entirely motivated some edict from upper management, I’m sure the nurse appreciated being asked, “You for real with that?”

Also interesting to connect a healthcare provider’s usage with Disney’s, other than the fact that every organization in a customer service industry is wrestling with how best to address their customers.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I get that it is slightly different because the word guest is not used in the greeting.... Having said that, I 100% assure you that if the internet was around when Disneyland opened in 1955, there would be those who would say the exact same thing about the use of the word guest. Maybe not you but I assure you someone would feel that the word guest is totally inappropriate as well as inaccurate to use in a theme park setting.

We accept it today because the internet was not around and it has become the culture of the Disney company to call a customer a guest. Many think it's part of Walt's brilliance.

I don't take an issue with this. This is not a big deal. If you're offended by it.... I feel as though you may be reading too much into it and being overly sensitive.

It IS all about tone and how the word is used. Context matters!!! Additionally, I'm pretty sure somewhere in my ventures, this is not the first time. Someone in a business setting has called me friend. It has never freaked me out.

I've also been called part of a family. That too would be inaccurate but in the context of the moment it was fine.

The exact same thing can be said about any other phrases, But most especially , " have a magical day."

With a very minor change of tone in that phrase can take on a very very different meaning than it's original intent. And that can be quite clear.

Guest isn't used in that manner for the same reason that friend shouldn't be used in that manner. It is awkward to say and equally awkward to hear. It closely resembles fingernails on a chalkboard. It is cringe worthy for no other reason then it doesn't fit the meaning or the usage.

Have a magical day at least fits the theme of the location and it is a state of emotional being instead of having no connection or proper usage at all.

Phases like... "It is good to see you my friend" would be the proper usage. "Hey, friend stand behind the rope" is not.

 

[Magicart87]

Listen here son. This discussion reminds me of the stereotypical greasy spoon diner waitress that calls all of her guests by cutsy little names like "sugar" and "hun". It's irksome. My grandmother would sometimes call me "baby" even though I've told her hundreds of times, "It's "Magicart87, grandma!" The use of "friend" in this scenario is of similar context, only it's worse somehow because it's coming from a stranger. I'm not your friend, pal! I understand the need for Disney to come up with a gender-neutral nomenclature (kind of) but "friend" isn't it.

Seems easy enough to omit or rephrase without the forced or insincere language. I'm glad I live in the South where I have "y'all" to fall back on.

 

[Goofyernmost]

That isn’t the only definition; see my earlier post:

We are talking about the English language and the usage of that word in the English language used as a noun. It really doesn't matter what other places do, we are here. I wouldn't think of confronting anyone about it, but language is important and how we use it sometimes can mean the over usage of the word until being called a friend has no significant meaning.

 

[crazy4disney]

This is one of the more bizarre discussions I've seen here. I'm struggling to think of any good reason to have a significant issue with the use of "friend".

Im struggling as well to see how i dk maybe 99% of people walking thru the gates would have no problem with ladies & gentlemans. Boys & Girls. But yet here we are ‍ With all this lunacy going on i was shocked in a good way my daughter was still addressed as princess most times while we were there…

 

[networkpro]

You must not be a Facebook user

The first step to recovery is admiting you have an issue.

 

[Goofyernmost]

This is one of the more bizarre discussions I've seen here. I'm struggling to think of any good reason to have a significant issue with the use of "friend".

Not once was it mentioned that you should be upset by it. There are those of us that do. We are not offended on a personal emotional level. In my case I just think it sounds uncultured, uneducated and incorrect in it's usage. That bothers me, it doesn't offend me.

 

[LittleBuford]

We are talking about the English language and the usage of that word in the English language used as a noun. It really doesn't matter what other places do, we are here. I wouldn't think of confronting anyone about it, but language is important and how we use it sometimes can mean the over usage of the word until being called a friend has no significant meaning.

I suspect you didn’t open the spoiler. The examples I shared are all from the English language, as recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary. “Friends” has been used for centuries in English as a friendly (!) way of addressing people you don’t know. Walt Disney himself used it in the clip I shared a few pages back.

 

[LittleBuford]

In my case I just think it sounds uncultured uneducated and incorrect in it's usage.

That ignoramus Shakespeare!

 

[Goofyernmost]

I suspect you didn’t open the spoiler. The examples I shared are all from the English language, as recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary. “Friends” has been used for centuries in English as a friendly (!) way of addressing people you don’t know. Walt Disney himself used it in the clip I shared a few pages back.

I agree that there are multiple ways to properly use it, but not the way the CM's have been instructed to do it. I did glance through the "spoiler" but to me it just solidified what I was trying to convey. There are many ways to us the word "friend" but not the way that they are told to use it. It just sounds stupid to me. If your ok with improper use of the word, by all means enjoy. As I said, I would never say anything negative in real time if it is used that way, however, it would make what little hair I have left stand up on the back of my neck and I'd smile and move on.