How do some friends of characters get away with slacking off while others give 100%?

[happymom52003]

Based on reviews I've read about certain restaurants and on my own personal experiences, I have noticed there is a very wide range of how "into" their character the servers at places such as 50's Prime Time and Whispering Canyon Cafe are.

Same holds true for the friends of face characters at the character meals.
I've read about and experienced princesses who were amazing, as well as princesses who acted like they were annoyed with what they were doing.

I am well aware that anyone can have a bad day. I can only imagine how hard it would be to stay in character if you were feeling sick, or if you had something very stressful going on in your personal life.

But I would imagine that occasionaly there are servers or friends of characters who just never give 100%, regardless of how they are feeling that day.

So how are these CM's evalulated? Do they just go by complaints that are recieved from guests? Why is it possible that you can go to a charcter meal and have the most amazing, wonderful experience with Snow White, and then when Sleeping Beauty gets to your table you get the feeling she just wants to go back to sleep!?

And we've all read reviews from disappointed guests who had a "bump on a log" server at 50's Prime Time while the table next to them had one who kept their guests in stitches the entire meal.

I have always heard so much about character integrity, and how Disney holds their characters and performers to such high standards. So I am just curious how (or if) Disney keeps track of how these CM's act while they are "on stage", and why some seem to get away with giving only 5% when others give 100%.

 

[SnowWhiteMomma]

So how are these CM's evalulated? Do they just go by complaints that are recieved from guests? Why is it possible that you can go to a charcter meal and have the most amazing, wonderful experience with Snow White, and then when Sleeping Beauty gets to your table you get the feeling she just wants to go back to sleep!? ......

So I am just curious how (or if) Disney keeps track of how these CM's act while they are "on stage", and why some seem to get away with giving only 5% when others give 100%.

I'd like to know this too!!!

 

[kcw]

there's a few different ways our characters' friends can be evaluated. One would be like you mentioned, guests' complaints can never be good. Another would be the attendants who work with the characters- say a certain friend is consistently late to set, breaking rules, etc, the attendant can definitely pass that on to the higher ups... how seriously those comments are taken? I don't really know. Characters are also observed by staging CMs every once in a while. Usually they'll try to stay out of direct vision from guests and the character, and they'll take notes and whatnot. Then when the character goes backstage to get some water, that person will go over their notes with them. Again, I'm not so sure how much these notes/comments will actually affect someone or how seriously they are taken. Performers in parades and shows also receive these notes from staging CMs as well. The ones who are dedicated will take them to heart, others will shrug them off.

Bottom line is that they need as many friends for those face characters as possible... so sadly, some can get away with not always being 100%...

 

[Enderikari]

ouble Post:

 

[Enderikari]

Because their union protects those who slack....

Sorry to open up that can of worms, but that's the truth

 

[Master Yoda]

Because their union protects those who slack....

Sorry to open up that can of worms, but that's the truth

To be more accurate unions seem to protect those slack and whine considerably more than those that do their jobs and care about the quality of their work.

 

[progroupie]

In all honesty it's because Disney is desperate. They can't afford to be picky about friends of characters.

And as far as servers at places like Prime Time go, it's mostly the fact that they hired them as servers and not as performers. If you hire someone as a server you can't exactly expect them to perform the duties of a character without the pay premium.

 

[Master Yoda]

I do not know how Disney evaluates there CM's in roles like this but there is something we can do to at least help out the Disney freaks in this community. We could start a recommended CM list for places like WCC or 50's prime time.

 

[Ilovewishes]

In all honesty it's because Disney is desperate. They can't afford to be picky about friends of characters. quote]

This surprises me for some reason!! Maybe I'm naive but I always imagined people would be queuing round the block for a job as a friend!! I would love to do it personally...but then I don't know much about it!!!

 

[Master Yoda]

This surprises me for some reason!! Maybe I'm naive but I always imagined people would be queuing round the block for a job as a friend!! I would love to do it personally...but then I don't know much about it!!!

That was true at one time but at its current size WDW's demand from employees has exceeded the supply.

 

[rwdavis2]

Our experience at the Prime Time Cafe has been pretty good. The first time the waitress was into the role right from the start almost to the point of irritating but we liked it. In January the waitress did not get into the role until the kids started tattling on each other. (She made them both wear dunce caps. Very funny) She then got into the full way. Almost as if she was waiting for a signal that we would enjoy it.
Bob

 

[pacochran]

That was true at one time but at its current size WDW's demand from employees has exceeded the supply.

I've heard the same thing from various places that at one time Disney could be very choosy about who they hire. Now they don't have as many or enough applying for the jobs that they need to fill so they can't be as choosy.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

In all honesty it's because Disney is desperate. They can't afford to be picky about friends of characters. quote]

This surprises me for some reason!! Maybe I'm naive but I always imagined people would be queuing round the block for a job as a friend!! I would love to do it personally...but then I don't know much about it!!!

It shouldn't really surprise you. Pay scales for friends is not much different from other jobs, face characters get a bit more. While it sounds glamorous, a few days in July and people poking, grabbing, kicking and verbally abusing kind of takes the luster off of it. There are many who truly love the work and do amazing things. But don't forget that these folks will never retire early on their compensation.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Don't some of the friends of characters have to be small enough to literally get into character, like Donald Duck?

 

[donniedisney]

I Don't know about princesses that walk around and grret guest but as far as servers at 50's prime time goes...I think anyone who has been a server bedore can voucher how awful it can be. Sometimes you get so backed up that they probably get more concerened with getting the food and orders taken care of properly than yelling at you for not eating your vegetables.

 

[OilSlinger822]

I Don't know about princesses that walk around and grret guest but as far as servers at 50's prime time goes...I think anyone who has been a server bedore can voucher how awful it can be. Sometimes you get so backed up that they probably get more concerened with getting the food and orders taken care of properly than yelling at you for not eating your vegetables.

omg u are so right! i'm a waitress at texas roadhouse and sometimes it gets absolutely insane.... I'm still polite to all the guests (we call the customers guests too haha), but my main concern is to make sure i get all the orders right, make sure the food is hot and on time. People just dont realize how swamped we get sometimes...and that we do it for $2.40 and hour lol

ok i'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[RiversideBunny]

I would think that being a CM at 50's Prime Time Cafe is a demanding job.
You have to be pushy with people, as part of the act, while not insulting them.
And serve food.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I would think that being a CM at 50's Prime Time Cafe is a demanding job.
You have to be pushy with people, as part of the act, while not insulting them.
And serve food.

But the catch there is that they are classified as servers, just like at any other restaurant. Just as other discussion on Jungle Cruise skippers and Kilimanjaro Safari Guides....even though their role includes a script and they do what most of us would be considered acting, their jobs are not classified as such. If that were so, they would be covered under a different (read higher) payscale and management system.

 

[happymom52003]

And as far as servers at places like Prime Time go, it's mostly the fact that they hired them as servers and not as performers. If you hire someone as a server you can't exactly expect them to perform the duties of a character without the pay premium.

But the "performance" of the servers at 50's Prime Time is advertised as part of the guest experience. I would think it would be a requirement to be in character to work there, not a choice. If someone is not comfortable performing, or feels like they should not have to perform unless they are paid more, then they should not work at a place like 50's Prime Time.

I Don't know about princesses that walk around and grret guest but as far as servers at 50's prime time goes...I think anyone who has been a server bedore can voucher how awful it can be. Sometimes you get so backed up that they probably get more concerened with getting the food and orders taken care of properly than yelling at you for not eating your vegetables.

I understand that special circumstances can come up that would make it difficult for the server to stay 100% in character for an entire meal. But I am not really talking about these situations. I am talking about the servers who choose to not be in character, reagardless of whether or not they are behind on their orders.

 

[EpcoTim]

........