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Disney CMs calling guests " Friends"?
- Thread starter tallica
- Start date
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Indeed. Sometimes people really need to look at themselves in the mirror. What is achieved by being obnoxious to a nurse trying to do their job using the terminology likely required by their employer? I think there is an "Am I The...?" subreddit that this would fit into.
100%. Are people really suddenly shocked that Walt Disney World of all places is suddenly using overly-friendly and inoffensive terminology in their interactions between staff and customers? It's been that way since the beginning and I suspect that if a CM had of referred to their group as "friends" 5 years ago when leading them to their table it would have barely registered.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Let’s remember that Disney encourages cast to call guests things like recruits, travelers, explorers, etc.
“Have a magical day” is a super odd saying if you aren’t at Disney world.
At Disney world, we are all friends just like we all believe that if you wish upon a star your dreams come true.
“Have a magical day” is a super odd saying if you aren’t at Disney world.
At Disney world, we are all friends just like we all believe that if you wish upon a star your dreams come true.
Are you talking to me?
Of course that's why I said everyone. I didn't want to exclude my non-friends.
CntrlFlPete
Well-Known Member
this does make sense, thank you for expressing that!
Honestly though, if a straight male, one that you have known for 5 or more years, if you had said something and they replied something like 'ok princess', would you feel they were suddenly insensitive? -- I think I am just trying to bring it back to the term 'friend' it implies a familiarity, shared experiences, it just comes off as presumptuous, disingenuous coming from cast members-- when overused, I feel it points out that this is pushed from upper management down to the rank and file.
Disney has been listening to the consultants (all companies do) and things have shifted (long ago) that the tops in customer service are hotel chains, they greet people by name and the consultants say folks love it -- so that was an aspect of magic bands, that would allow employees to ask Jimmy how they liked Space Mountain (knowing the family has just ridding it.)
Guess that did not work so (it seems) the push is now to just let the guest know we are friends, and they will be happy.
I imagine my real issue is with consultants. I mean even Disney is now pricing stuff as '$24.99' and CVS is pricing stuff as '$7.99' and then Target wants to stand out so they are pricing stuff as '14.49'
Instead of 'friends', I prefer something like 'you lot', 'you all', y'all as those would feel more genuine.
But those are all regionalisms, and Disney stands out as generically American.
"El Gran Magnifico"
Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
I keep giving the group money and I never see it back and when I have none to give I get nothing out of the relationship.
I would really prefer they start calling me family.
And if you want family or "you lot" you can have Universal!
When I worked at Universal in entertainment a decade ago I used friends and felt I was fairly original. Old hat now.
I would really prefer they start calling me family.
And if you want family or "you lot" you can have Universal!
When I worked at Universal in entertainment a decade ago I used friends and felt I was fairly original. Old hat now.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
The comparison doesn’t really hold for me. Misgendering a gay man is a very different matter from calling someone “friend”.
If one has issues of someone from Disney calling one a friend , one has some personal issues going off if one is offended.
I don't think anyone is truly offended. I think the original posting was bringing up the lack of variety. If all day people said have a magical day(not in the derogatory way) it would start to lose its meaning. I did not see anyone posting that leads me to believe they are in fact offended. Just a lot of satire.
CntrlFlPete
Well-Known Member
and I honestly understand your position -- I just find it a little odd that you do not seem to understand how using the term 'friend' might offend another, how folks tend to let friends get away w/ a bit more than strangers due to knowing/understanding each other and I was hoping to show that (to some) the word friend is earned and applies to a small group and that could make the use of the word by a stranger feel more awkward than the understanding/compassion Disney is trying to convey w/ the greeting.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
Why would anyone find “friend” offensive? I’m genuinely baffled by the equation you’re trying to make between calling someone “friend” and calling a gay man “princess”. It’s pretty self-evident why one of those is potentially more of an issue.
Kane88
Active Member
I think this boils down to familiarity with the person. There are people who aren’t comfortable being called friends by strangers. It’s a personal preference that maybe also a regional preference. For instance, I’m not from the south but every time I’m there someone calls me “honey”. Makes me cringe…a lot. Up north the only people you call honey better be your spouse or child (someone you love). In the South, it’s used like sir or ma’am but in a more congenial manner. I’ve learned to accept it as just that even though my thoughts are different.
CntrlFlPete
Well-Known Member
I feel where we see things so differently is that I do not see the word 'princess' as gender specific. If I were to tell someone that I would only go on a cruise if I could get a spa room and they replied 'you are such a princess', I would not take that as them calling me a female -- we just have different life experiences that give us different understandings of certain words.
I find the word friend more specific, less grey -- these days, folks seem quick to be offended so I would not be surprised if someone found it its use just as offensive.
One part of my personality that will never come off via social media is that often, I tend to pick the opposite side of an issue as another person just to help me understand where their passion comes from on said issue.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
It’s the feminine form of “prince”. Even the cruise example you provided is gendered, since it plays on the stereotype that girls are spoilt and picky. I realise you may not regard it as gender-specific, but most people do.