VT GAL
Member
What a great point!!!
It all goes back to the golden rule...I know that I am not always the best at doing it, and that is why I made it one of my New Year's resolutions.
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Notes from the World, Jan 1-7, 2007
- Thread starter Bratstarman
- Start date
What a great point!!!
It all goes back to the golden rule...I know that I am not always the best at doing it, and that is why I made it one of my New Year's resolutions.
Piebald
Well-Known Member
From an internal perspective,as far as front of the line CMs, these are the categories I can think of off the top of my head.
Full Time great person- These are CMs who love what they do and although the pay is low, they really put their best efforts into it. I know a CM who is amazingly nice and bends over backwards for just about any guest. He brings a smile to everyone's face whenever they are tired or not in the mood. Fortunately, this individual is slowly moving up to a position that many MANY people (especially on this message board) dream of doing and he has been working at Disney for less than a few months. Someone like Maynard from DL or the monorail pilot I had fall into this category. The Monorail driver I had was awesome and even though me and my friends are all in our 20s, he joked with us as we sat in the front of the monorail. He had a batman action figure he carried around with him and told us Batman was the one driving the monorail and not him. :lol:
Full Time Disgruntled old person - Someone who has either been there for a very, very long time and has noticed a bit of downfall from within or is just too old and not interested enough to be there. There are several of these I know personally and man, they suck. Sometimes when I notice they are being rude to a guest, I encourage the guest afterward that if their experience was less than thrilling with that particular CM, to please let guest relations know. They may be disgruntled because unfortunately in their opinion the company has seen a downfall or perhaps big changes that they have not kept up with. (New technology, etc). These CMs for the most part HATE College Program kids ... A LOT.
College Program person who cares- These are the kids who signed up because they love Disney regardless of the conditions they'd be in (working long hours, living with 5 other people they don't know, living off of ramen and lint). They do their best to make an impact in whatever area they are for the couple of months they are there, and sometimes they even extend or keep returning. They're great.
College Program person who sucks- These are the kids who just came for a vacation, to get away from whatever boring town they are from, or because they hate school. They tend to be very apathetic and while I have never seen someone completely horrible on stage, they are a little less than professional most of the time.
Part Time- Usually these CMs aren't working a lot so it's not as tedious as someone putting in a ton of hours a week. For the most part, they're good CMs as they're usually college students or people with other jobs or simply someone who doesn't need to work all that much. IMO I don't know TOO many PT (at least not where I work) but the ones I do know are pretty good CMs.
Full Time great person- These are CMs who love what they do and although the pay is low, they really put their best efforts into it. I know a CM who is amazingly nice and bends over backwards for just about any guest. He brings a smile to everyone's face whenever they are tired or not in the mood. Fortunately, this individual is slowly moving up to a position that many MANY people (especially on this message board) dream of doing and he has been working at Disney for less than a few months. Someone like Maynard from DL or the monorail pilot I had fall into this category. The Monorail driver I had was awesome and even though me and my friends are all in our 20s, he joked with us as we sat in the front of the monorail. He had a batman action figure he carried around with him and told us Batman was the one driving the monorail and not him. :lol:
Full Time Disgruntled old person - Someone who has either been there for a very, very long time and has noticed a bit of downfall from within or is just too old and not interested enough to be there. There are several of these I know personally and man, they suck. Sometimes when I notice they are being rude to a guest, I encourage the guest afterward that if their experience was less than thrilling with that particular CM, to please let guest relations know. They may be disgruntled because unfortunately in their opinion the company has seen a downfall or perhaps big changes that they have not kept up with. (New technology, etc). These CMs for the most part HATE College Program kids ... A LOT.
College Program person who cares- These are the kids who signed up because they love Disney regardless of the conditions they'd be in (working long hours, living with 5 other people they don't know, living off of ramen and lint). They do their best to make an impact in whatever area they are for the couple of months they are there, and sometimes they even extend or keep returning. They're great.
College Program person who sucks- These are the kids who just came for a vacation, to get away from whatever boring town they are from, or because they hate school. They tend to be very apathetic and while I have never seen someone completely horrible on stage, they are a little less than professional most of the time.
Part Time- Usually these CMs aren't working a lot so it's not as tedious as someone putting in a ton of hours a week. For the most part, they're good CMs as they're usually college students or people with other jobs or simply someone who doesn't need to work all that much. IMO I don't know TOO many PT (at least not where I work) but the ones I do know are pretty good CMs.
BrittanyRose428
Well-Known Member
i think that one reason some cast members might come off as rude is they work there everyday and like any other job they could be having an off day. people at other jobs have bad days sometimes so they probably do too. i think if you experience a rude cast member just forget about it after the situation is over and enjoy the rest of your vacation
sar1980sweetie
Member
I completely agree with you. As a former CPCM I can say that I worked there and took pride in my job at WDW and creating "magic" for the guests. Since then I have gone back as a guest and have seen things get progressively worse. The cast members are not as friendly or helpful as they used to be, and its not JUST the entry level cm's! We had a few great experiences and being a former cm I knew how good it felt to get recognized so we went out of our way to find a manager or a "suit" from the area the cm worked to let them know... the manager acted as if they didn't care and even told me to my face that they don't recognize cm's (lie) anymore.
Making no money and getting no recognition sucks and makes a job less apealing to anyone. People aren't taking jobs there because they need to support families and Disney just isn't giving them what they need to do that.
Also, I talked to one of my former bosses who still works at WDW and he was telling me that their workforce is being stretched thinner and thinner each time they open a new ride or attraction. I can see where he's coming from since I noticed a change in the cast that progressively got worse since opening Mission Space, Soarin, Everest, Nemo(s), etc. They are just scraping the bottom of the workforce barrel at this time.
Finally, I agree with the new generation (18-22yr olds) of workers having a "me me me" mantality, and its not just at WDW, its everywhere! People need to stop thinking they can get away with doing just what they HAVE to do and start taking pride in their jobs.
BTW- I would love to go back and work at WDW again, BUT worry about the $$$. I do plan to work there summers when I move to Fl to teach.
P-3 FE
Member
Another idea----
Treat the CM well and they will return the treatment almost every time. If you are in line and there is a CM there, ask them how their day is going. Sometimes, they will even go beyond and move you up to the front.
But the purpose of asking them about their day is to show some compassion. The CM job is not an easy one-believe me. Imagine dealing with people from all over the world who may or may not speak your language. They may be having a bad day, bad vacation, or whatever. It can be very stressful.
A little friendliness and compassion towars the CM can really be beneficial. And to top it off, it makes the world a little better!!!!
"Take care of the Cast Member and they will take care of you!"
"Remember the Magic":wave:
Treat the CM well and they will return the treatment almost every time. If you are in line and there is a CM there, ask them how their day is going. Sometimes, they will even go beyond and move you up to the front.
But the purpose of asking them about their day is to show some compassion. The CM job is not an easy one-believe me. Imagine dealing with people from all over the world who may or may not speak your language. They may be having a bad day, bad vacation, or whatever. It can be very stressful.
A little friendliness and compassion towars the CM can really be beneficial. And to top it off, it makes the world a little better!!!!
"Take care of the Cast Member and they will take care of you!"
"Remember the Magic":wave:
hiddenmickey75
Active Member
Maybe Igler could give up some of his $25 plus million he earned this year and increase wages for the CM's. :lookaroun I would love to see that! I don't know how he can even justify how much he made this year when the backbone of Disney World get bubkis.
PoohsGang
New Member
see
Mr Disney
Active Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
NO Characters at all... whoa... the park would run, but be so low on entertainment... wow... No Beauty & the Beast, no parades, no shows... Depressing just to think about...
PoohsGang
New Member
I beleive its not just Disney up here in he Northeast its hard to find good help or service anywhere, For my 2 cents, Home Depot, Walmart Lowes have all ruined the workforce by coming inot the areas putting all small based business that use to offer good service out of business they also have cut the wages by almost a third of what people use to make. Where we are you cant go to a Mcdonalds or Walmart and talk to the help if the only language you know is english, it will only get worse as Walmart and the big Home centers are and will take over everywhere, think how Home depot employees must feel when there past Ceo (I beleive) got over a 200 milloin dollar severance pay bet that gives them incentive to work for ther 8-10 an hour paycheck, we soon will be a country that has very few options (Walmart, Home Depot, BankofAmerica) at least thats whats ruining the Norheast IN MY OPINION. I can imagine that the low wages at Disney being such a big employer could certainly affect that area also.
Mr Disney
Active Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Just wanted to put in my two cents...
Either I'm a very perceptive 18yo or I just see what everyone else sees, but I thought I would try to provide some insight if anybody can gather any from my post. :wave:
I was a CP last year and I was cast at Pleasure Island in Admissions... If you don't really know what that is, it's basically consists of training the cast member on the island to check IDs, supply hand stamps and wristbands, and keeping an accurate count of how many people are in a club at a given time... When you think about it, PI is not the most glamorous place to work at the World and it is very hard to create magic with people who aren't really going to remember it the next day...
Anyways, I went into work everyday (running and) believing that my job was to become the highlight of each guests day... to make them go home and say "Gee, that CM at PI was really swell!" Of course, I know that that's not going to happen, but that's besides the point.
I've had my share of rude guests... Specifically, ones that were furious that they actually needed a ticket to get into the clubs during our "special event weekend" (GayDays). He was becoming threatening to three other cast members and myself... We were actually scared he was going to hit one of us... and I being the closest one to him physically, I was the first to get mentally worried... In the end, a manager just gave him comps... And I can understand why because we had such a line of guests out of Motion it was insane...
Being at PI you get a range of guests from the really sweet sober ones to the really drunk scary ones. I used to have at least 3 or 4 CMs a night asking me why I'm so happy and why I care about this job if I don't get paid much blah blah blah... I used to tell them that it's my job to care... The guests are just that... they're guests and I think they should be treated like that... and most of the time, the response from the CM was that they don't get paid enough to care.
I think it's sad that a lot of Disney CMs just see it as a job. I also think that when you work for Disney it should be magical... We create memories for our guests that they can't get anywhere else. We MAKE the magic! I mean, what's more magical than that?
As for the college program, I do agree with PieBald. I know that most of the friends and roommates I had during the program saw it as a chance to party all the time and complained EVERY day when they got home. Needless to say, those weren't really the people I hung out with.
I think it's awesome when you can find a friend on the CP program that loves Disney as much as you and loves to go to the parks to just watch all the magic take place...
Now that I've finished my ramblings... I'm going to go make a sandwich. :wave:
Either I'm a very perceptive 18yo or I just see what everyone else sees, but I thought I would try to provide some insight if anybody can gather any from my post. :wave:
I was a CP last year and I was cast at Pleasure Island in Admissions... If you don't really know what that is, it's basically consists of training the cast member on the island to check IDs, supply hand stamps and wristbands, and keeping an accurate count of how many people are in a club at a given time... When you think about it, PI is not the most glamorous place to work at the World and it is very hard to create magic with people who aren't really going to remember it the next day...
Anyways, I went into work everyday (running and) believing that my job was to become the highlight of each guests day... to make them go home and say "Gee, that CM at PI was really swell!" Of course, I know that that's not going to happen, but that's besides the point.
I've had my share of rude guests... Specifically, ones that were furious that they actually needed a ticket to get into the clubs during our "special event weekend" (GayDays). He was becoming threatening to three other cast members and myself... We were actually scared he was going to hit one of us... and I being the closest one to him physically, I was the first to get mentally worried... In the end, a manager just gave him comps... And I can understand why because we had such a line of guests out of Motion it was insane...
Being at PI you get a range of guests from the really sweet sober ones to the really drunk scary ones. I used to have at least 3 or 4 CMs a night asking me why I'm so happy and why I care about this job if I don't get paid much blah blah blah... I used to tell them that it's my job to care... The guests are just that... they're guests and I think they should be treated like that... and most of the time, the response from the CM was that they don't get paid enough to care.
I think it's sad that a lot of Disney CMs just see it as a job. I also think that when you work for Disney it should be magical... We create memories for our guests that they can't get anywhere else. We MAKE the magic! I mean, what's more magical than that?
As for the college program, I do agree with PieBald. I know that most of the friends and roommates I had during the program saw it as a chance to party all the time and complained EVERY day when they got home. Needless to say, those weren't really the people I hung out with.
I think it's awesome when you can find a friend on the CP program that loves Disney as much as you and loves to go to the parks to just watch all the magic take place...
Now that I've finished my ramblings... I'm going to go make a sandwich. :wave:
dannybeaulieu
New Member
MANY people dont realize servers make only 3.13 per hour. Not sure if Disney pays their servers any more, but the rest of the real world only makes 3.13
Mr Disney
Active Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
I have got to say that I have a lot of respect for any cast members in any food/beverage location. I don't have the capacity to perform that particular role and think that people who do it on a daily basis with back to back shifts sometimes are simply amazing.
wedway71
Well-Known Member
I still have the ice cream cone situation still in my mind. Why do I think of the nasty butler from Scary Movie with the gimp hand touching everybodies food???
I still do think WDW has the best selection(overall) of Orlandos workers.Yes there will be some that slip through the cracks-WDW is the countrys biggest single site employer.I think however WDW needs to reinforce the policies more often and deal firmly with the ones who clearly do not belong working there like the 2 CMS fighting in PO Riverside.
I dont know if Id say quality is slipping though.Is it slipping or are we just looking harder to find issues.Heres 2 examples of my thought.......
a-people say WDW has been lax on upkeep of the parks lately but when I look at a pic of me in front of Dumbo circa 1975 there is chipped paint on the guard rails.
b-people say CMS have not been as great as they were but circa 1985(the prime time for Great CMS) when we checked into the Polynesian(sp?) the female CM was blowing-popping bubbles with her gum in our face.
I do think WDW has overall done a great job with Guest Service and Prk upkeep but does need to do a better job at seeking out the CMS that dont fit in to the Disney Culture and send them on there way.
I still do think WDW has the best selection(overall) of Orlandos workers.Yes there will be some that slip through the cracks-WDW is the countrys biggest single site employer.I think however WDW needs to reinforce the policies more often and deal firmly with the ones who clearly do not belong working there like the 2 CMS fighting in PO Riverside.
I dont know if Id say quality is slipping though.Is it slipping or are we just looking harder to find issues.Heres 2 examples of my thought.......
a-people say WDW has been lax on upkeep of the parks lately but when I look at a pic of me in front of Dumbo circa 1975 there is chipped paint on the guard rails.
b-people say CMS have not been as great as they were but circa 1985(the prime time for Great CMS) when we checked into the Polynesian(sp?) the female CM was blowing-popping bubbles with her gum in our face.
I do think WDW has overall done a great job with Guest Service and Prk upkeep but does need to do a better job at seeking out the CMS that dont fit in to the Disney Culture and send them on there way.
Buford
New Member
smk
Well-Known Member
My daughter is waitress making 2.15 an hour. She routinely comes home after an 8 hour shift with anywhere from 80 to 150 in tips depending on the crowds. She has made up to 200 a night on a busy weekend (she's in college and only works weekends). That puts her hourly wage way above 5.15 an hour but right at about 10 to 15 per hour. She manages to enjoy her job even on the nights she doesn't make much, and she likes doing her job well. It has nothing to do with external things out of her control, like people. I am sure there are times when it can be frustrating to work with the paying public but if we let people ruin our day at work then it really is our fault. No one can cause me to have a bad day but me.
TestTrack
Active Member
Lets see, considering that Disney table service food often costs at LEAST $30 per person...and figuring that the average table service group is 3 people(figuring more couples do it rather than the average family at disney world) that's $90/table. Figuring the average tip(going for the lowest average I could guess) would be a 10% tip. That's $9 per table. I have never worked as a server but I am guessing at Disney World you would be pretty well booked all the time and likely have 3 or so tables to take care of. I would say most people take an hour to eat or so. So that's about $30 an hour if you do a decent job and get a tip of 10%
I could be wayyyy off in my calculations but I have rarely heard of any server at a popular restaurant say that they don't make enough(after tips).
Might as well toss in my $0.02
When I was a CP'er, I had a blast creating "Magical Moments" for guests -- it was so easy to do, that I don't understand those CM's who aren't "Disney". I feel great knowing that I'm in many peoples photos from their vacation at DisneyWorld.
Also, on my most recent trip this past October, we had great experiences riding in the front monorail car, even got the Pilot's license (I'm a 30 year old man). Every day we went to the counter-service rest at the Poly before bedtime for a snack and made great friends with the CM there. She was so friendly and nice, we have a picture with her in our photo album! We ate dinner at the CA Grill, and probably had the best service at a restaraunt ever. We sat at our table by the window admiring the lagoon and MK for over two hours, and were never rushed. She just kept the wine flowing! Our check-in at the Poly, the CM was great at finding the perfect room for us! We ran into George K at Epcot and he was more than happy to take a picture of us with a Cirque performer (Party for the Senses). We also had a great coversation with the head wine sommelier for WDW.
Great service is still alive at WDW! :sohappy:
When I was a CP'er, I had a blast creating "Magical Moments" for guests -- it was so easy to do, that I don't understand those CM's who aren't "Disney". I feel great knowing that I'm in many peoples photos from their vacation at DisneyWorld.
Also, on my most recent trip this past October, we had great experiences riding in the front monorail car, even got the Pilot's license (I'm a 30 year old man). Every day we went to the counter-service rest at the Poly before bedtime for a snack and made great friends with the CM there. She was so friendly and nice, we have a picture with her in our photo album! We ate dinner at the CA Grill, and probably had the best service at a restaraunt ever. We sat at our table by the window admiring the lagoon and MK for over two hours, and were never rushed. She just kept the wine flowing! Our check-in at the Poly, the CM was great at finding the perfect room for us! We ran into George K at Epcot and he was more than happy to take a picture of us with a Cirque performer (Party for the Senses). We also had a great coversation with the head wine sommelier for WDW.
Great service is still alive at WDW! :sohappy: