A Quick Story

[stlbobby]

I've wanted to post this WDW story for a while, but I've not found the proper thread so I thought I'd give it its own thread.

A few years ago, I think it was 2006, I flew from St. Louis to Orlando and had a horrible altercation with a fellow passenger that then turned into an argument with a flight attendant. I was extremely upset and even after talking to the attendant's manager and a festive Magical Express trip to my resort. I was still visibly upset.

During check-in at SS the CM asked me if something was wrong and I told her not to worry about it it was the airline's fault. She continued to ask about it and I assured her it wasn't Disney's fault or problem, but I gave her the short version.

My room wasn't ready so I went to Downtown for lunch and shopped. When I finally got to my room about three hours later there was a small gift basket and a note stating SS management didn't want my vacation to start on a bad note and they hoped the treats would help.

The treats did help and my vacation immediately got better. My issue was totally unrelated to anything Disney did, but they sprinkled a bit of magic for me anyway.

I will submit that I was lucky and got one of the best CM's out there, I wish I remembered her name, and this kind of thing is not 100%, but it is also hasn't completely disappeared as so often is touted.

This woman was just one of the many great CM's I have encountered in my visits. I have a couple other amazing stories that I will share later, if this one is well received.

I just wanted to share this story because it meant so much to me at the time and still touches me today.

 

[wm49rs]

Very nice story indeed. Thanks for sharing it....

 

[wdwmagic]

Great story. Another example of how WDW has some GREAT cast members.

 

[Mammymouse]

I love to hear these kinds of stories, and I'm sure the CM's appreciate it very much, also. :sohappy: Please, keep them coming!

 

[Monty]

CMs that go "the extra mile" are more common than most think. It's one of the things I love about WDW.

I have a story of my own:

I'm an Annual Passholder. I have to request every time I renew or buy a new AP to have the biometric scan turned off for the turnstiles. Long story short, I have no fingers on my right hand and three toes on my left, I cannot use the finger scanner and turning off the biometric allows me to go through without special intervention by the Turnstile CMs [which speeds passage for guests behind me].

Unfortunately, because it is extremely rare that they are asked to do so, very few if any front line Guest Relations CMs are familiar with the process to make the changes on the ticketing system. I often have to spend up to half an hour in GR trying to explain that: Yes, it can be done. No, they do still do it [oddly I often get "Oh, we used to do that, but we don't any more"]. Yes, it's done by GR not the Turnstiles Supervisor. Then eventually someone phones somebody and finds out it can be done but that they have to be a supervisor and log on to a special terminal in the back...

This past August, I accidentally demagnetized my AP [it got soaked in the rain]. I went to three different GR offices trying to get the biometrics turned off [I got so frustrated at the first two, I gave up]. At MK GR, the first CM I spoke to said it couldn't be done. When I explained that it was working on my washed out AP just two days prior, he said they don't do it anymore. I asked him to bring his supervisor into the conversation... His Supervisor, Chris, despite having never heard of it being done, called Tech Support, who asked him to take my AP back to the terminal in back and call them back. They walked him through the multiple screens required and got it set up. He came back with a big smile and told me I was good to go and gave us a handful of FPs for the park because we'd had so much trouble. I went back later that day and wrote him up on a customer appreciation card.

My only regret is I didn't think until much later that I should have asked him to write down the steps he followed to do it. :brick:

 

[stlbobby]

Monty thanks for the story.

While I was on the vacation in my story, I called the front desk and gave the CM that helped me a great review.

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

In December '08 I was shopping in the UK pavilion at Epcot. I started chatting to the CM about my daughter who was leaving the next month for a study abroad semester in N. Ireland. I had the merchandise delivered to my room, and when I opened the bag to put it in my suitcase, there was a Magical Moment certificate with a note from that CM saying how much he enjoyed talking with me, and hoping my daughter enjoyed her upcoming visit to the UK. Just that little extra bit of attention from a CM who probably talks to hundreds of visitors every day, going above and beyond his regular duties, it was a very bright spot on that trip, one I'll never forget. I kept the note and put in that trip's photo album.

 

[daliseurat]

Great stories. Nice to start the New Year off reading those kind!

 

[stlbobby]

In December '08 I was shopping in the UK pavilion at Epcot. I started chatting to the CM about my daughter who was leaving the next month for a study abroad semester in N. Ireland. I had the merchandise delivered to my room, and when I opened the bag to put it in my suitcase, there was a Magical Moment certificate with a note from that CM saying how much he enjoyed talking with me, and hoping my daughter enjoyed her upcoming visit to the UK. Just that little extra bit of attention from a CM who probably talks to hundreds of visitors every day, going above and beyond his regular duties, it was a very bright spot on that trip, one I'll never forget. I kept the note and put in that trip's photo album.

Awesome story!

Thanks.

 

[magiconmainstrt]

Thanks to the CM and All of You for spreading the Magic around.:sohappy:

 

[cowanfamily]

Great stories, I love reading about CM's that go above and beyond!

 

[WDW 3]

Our first Disney vacation I thought it would be a good idea to go to the Hoop De Do Review on the night we arrived. It was quite the ordeal for rookies staying at SoG. After the show we had no idea how to get back to SoG. A bus driver took pity on us and literally drove us to the front gate after dropping other guests at the Poly. :sohappy::sohappy:

 

[LilWalt]

In 2008 we were staying at Coronado Springs for my son's 1st birthday. Well while we were there a hurricane was hitting Louisiana about the time we were suppose to be going home. I spoke with a manager there and asked if it would be a problem for us to get rooms for a couple more nights since we weren't sure if we could get home. The manager said that is shouldn't be a problem. We got to rooms for 2 more nights that we had to pay for but they compt us the park tickets for those 2 days. Which was for 3 adults and a teenager.

It was something they didn't have to do for us but were very kind in doing so.


Also one trip a bus driver that his shift was over still drove us to Rain Forest Cafe so we could make our reservation time.

 

[sublimesting]

I've wanted to post this WDW story for a while, but I've not found the proper thread so I thought I'd give it its own thread.

A few years ago, I think it was 2006, I flew from St. Louis to Orlando and had a horrible altercation with a fellow passenger that then turned into an argument with a flight attendant. I was extremely upset and even after talking to the attendant's manager and a festive Magical Express trip to my resort. I was still visibly upset.

During check-in at SS the CM asked me if something was wrong and I told her not to worry about it it was the airline's fault. She continued to ask about it and I assured her it wasn't Disney's fault or problem, but I gave her the short version.

My room wasn't ready so I went to Downtown for lunch and shopped. When I finally got to my room about three hours later there was a small gift basket and a note stating SS management didn't want my vacation to start on a bad note and they hoped the treats would help.

The treats did help and my vacation immediately got better. My issue was totally unrelated to anything Disney did, but they sprinkled a bit of magic for me anyway.

I will submit that I was lucky and got one of the best CM's out there, I wish I remembered her name, and this kind of thing is not 100%, but it is also hasn't completely disappeared as so often is touted.

This woman was just one of the many great CM's I have encountered in my visits. I have a couple other amazing stories that I will share later, if this one is well received.

I just wanted to share this story because it meant so much to me at the time and still touches me today.

Just curious...what happened on the flight?

Also, I am very surprised by this comment: "When I finally got to my room about three hours later there was a small gift basket and a note stating SS management didn't want my vacation to start on a bad note and they hoped the treats would help."

They usually aren't so pleasant and helpful.

 

[NYwdwfan]

Our first Disney vacation I thought it would be a good idea to go to the Hoop De Do Review on the night we arrived. It was quite the ordeal for rookies staying at SoG. After the show we had no idea how to get back to SoG. A bus driver took pity on us and literally drove us to the front gate after dropping other guests at the Poly. :sohappy::sohappy:

Wow. After the Hoop Dee Doo we had several bus drivers leave us at the bus stop saying there would be another along to take us to MK (the boats were not running due to a wind advisory) and then after a half hour standing there in 20 degree temperatures a shuttle bus came along to say there were no busses to MK since the boats were running again. So we walked to the boat dock and stood in even colder temperatures waiting 20 minutes for the boat. My parents were so annoyed they went and spoke to someone at the Polynesian front desk and the day before we left we got 4 passes for "priority boarding" for any water vessel. :brick:

 

[Chrononymous]

I love reading these stories! Thanks so much for sharing them!
They remind me why I love the place so much

The extra magic doesn't happen every time for me, but when it does, it seems to erase all the negative encounters.

I have told this story before...but it still amazes me.
My mom and I were celebrating my dad's birthday at Ohana. My dad had died of cancer 6 months before, but had wanted to be there with us.

When we told the CM waitress, she appeared at the end of breakfast with a great big birthday cake to honor him. We shared it with the surrounding tables, and told them to take the rest to the characters after their shift.

It was such a sweet thing, and we will remember it always. We took photos of the cm, and wrote a long letter to management to say thanks, with the story and photos included.


And once, my mother and I got lost on the wrong side of Downtown Disney...and couldn't figure out how to find the resort busses. In a panicked state, we caught the attention of a young CM, who rather then simply give us verbal directions, took us on his golf cart all the way around, directly to the bus terminal.

Ok maybe it's a small thing...but for us at the time it was huge. And he wouldn't accept a tip, just said our smiles were all the gratutity he needed.

 

[bgraham34]

Great story, thanks for posting.

 

[cblodg]

I have a couple of great Cast Member stories! Both of these took place on our April 2008 trip.

We were at Cosmic Rays and it was really busy. The woman in front of me had a daughter who had special dietary restrictions. The CM at the pedestal took the time to explain each option and go over the special meals they could prepare for her daughter. Behind me were some teenage girls, texting on their phones and otherwise being impatient.

One of them made a snide remark to which I could clearly see the mother start to get emotional. Being in the dietary field at the time I turned around and explained to the brats how if this little girl got the wrong foods it could be life threatening. The CM called to have another register opened and the girls went there. The CM's manager said "We can serve you over there." I told the manager I wanted to be served by this CM, who was providing excellent service to a mother and her child.

The second great CM story came the Thursday of that same trip. We were staying at Old Key West in a two bedroom. I had the pullout couch in the living room, which was an old version and really uncomfortable. It had done a number on my back and I decided I was going to stay in the room and rest. Around 11:00 AM I started to feel better and really wanted to go to EPCOT. I made it down to the bust stop and had to stand as my back was tight.

I had called my family and they said they would meet me in Morocco. As soon as I stepped off the bus at EPCOT my back started flaring again. I soldiered on and made it to Morocco, walking hunched over and slowly. I was 23 at the time and you would have thought I was at least triple that age (no offense if you are triple my age). I made it to a bench and had to sit down. My family finally arrived and saw the terrible shape I was in and only confirmed my believe that I needed to get back to the hotel. I told them I would be fine getting there.

I slowly made my way out of the park and made it to the OKW bus stop. I was the only one there and had to lean against a pole to keep myself upright. An All-Star Movies bus pulled up and let people off. The bus driver said he was only dropping off. I waved to him that it was fine. He must have seen how bad I looked as he radioed dispatch and informed he was taking a guest back to OKW. I got on the bus and sat down. He quickly left EPCOT and got me back to OKW. Not only did he get me back to the resort, but he dropped me right off at my building and made sure I mad it into my room.

CMs really do go out of their way to make our stays magical! :sohappy:

 

[stlbobby]

Just curious...what happened on the flight?

Also, I am very surprised by this comment: "When I finally got to my room about three hours later there was a small gift basket and a note stating SS management didn't want my vacation to start on a bad note and they hoped the treats would help."

They usually aren't so pleasant and helpful.

It was stupid, just an argument with an old lady.

 

[stlbobby]

Thanks for all the great stories.