To Whom it May Concern:
I sincerely hope this note will make its way to the appropriate cast member and her manager. On Tuesday, January 26, 2010 my family enjoyed an Illuminations Fireworks Cruise. As you're very aware, we met up at the Yacht Club Recreation building to pay and check-in. Our pontoon was taking 5 of us out for my mom's birthday (it was her birthday that day). It was myself, my wife and three-year old daughter, my dad and obviously my mom.
Upon checking in we were informed our Captain would be Tammy. At about 7:45pm Tammy came by and introduced herself and chatted with our family. Our 3-1/2 year old took to her immediately. As a parent, I can barely take a sleep deprived hyper 3-1/2 year old and quickly felt horrible for Lauren's insistence that she be entertained by Tammy. After about 20 minutes of a very engaging conversation with Tammy (she was great at holding a conversation and interacting with our family, very personable) we boarded our pontoon. Throughout the cruise, Tammy did everything right. She pointed out important points of interest, interacted with our family, offered snacks and beverages and made sure we enjoyed ourselves. Nothing you wouldn't expect from a normal cast member.
Tammy is no normal cast member. As I mentioned, our daughter took to her immediately. Tammy embraced that situation 110%. She had exciting conversations about how the swans and fish got on top of the Swan and Dolphin hotels, she did everything possible to entertain Lauren who was a little quirky by that time and after a full day. Most importantly, Tammy allowed Lauren to "drive" the boat. At least as much as you can safely and realistically let a 3 year old do so. All that mattered is Lauren truly believed she was driving our boat the whole time she was allowed to do so. To this day, Lauren still talks about "driving the boat" and remembers our "Captain Tammy". It's hard to imagine her so excited about any woman at Disney other than Cinderella or Belle - those are huge shoes to fill. Tammy managed to do this. I imagine most adults barely remember the names of cast members they interact with much less small children. For our daughter to remember her boat captain shows the impressive impact and quality service Tammy provided and I'd like nothing more for her and her manager to be aware of the very special moment and memory she created for our daughter.
Our only disappointment was learning Tammy is part-time and only works for Disney two nights a week. She's a rare find providing exceptional customer service and would be a true asset to the Disney organization in a more permanent capacity. In 10 trips to Walt Disney World or Disneyland Tammy has been our best cast member experience of all time. Please help us make sure she and her manager are aware of the important role she played in making lasting family memories for a lifetime.
Most sincerely,
Jason (Dad), Nikki (Mom), Lauren (Daughter and raving Tammy fan), Duane (Papa) and Linda (Grandma and birthday girl)
Visited 1/25/10 - 2/2/10, staying at Old Key West
