When at Walt Disney World, are you a Guest or a Customer?

[durhay]

I feel that "Batman" should be a choice.

 

[LAKid53]

An open wallet.....

 

[JIMINYCR]

I think from the majority of the CM's standpoint youre still treated as a guest as long as you are on property. Then once you enter the shops the relationship changes and you are on different level, and you become someone who makes a transaction. Once money is directly involved it changes the relationship. Therefore to everyone in higher positions that you dont have a personal contact with, or needs to have to deal with you on a personal level, you are never anything but a customer, one who is paying for salaries, benefits and investments.

 

[rob0519]

I used to consider myself a guest. Now I feel we are merely customers, at least in the parks. There is nothing guest-like about fighting to get a dinner reservation 180 days in advance or planning every attraction down to the hour or having to accept 3 fast-pass choices when I have no interest in one of them. There is nothing guest-like about being told I can't watch a parade or fireworks from a decent location unless I use a fast pass and even then people are packed in like sardines.

The CR and GF continue to be the only place we still feel like guests, but I'm sure that is still true of all the Deluxe Resorts.

 

[Dartha Stewart]

I feel that "Batman" should be a choice.

Whether or not we consider ourselves to be guests or customers; whether we feel valued or simply as a number to boost profits; whether our worth is determined by monetary expenditures or the measure of our own character, one thing is for certain: Deep down at the core of our being, behind every trip taken and every dollar spent, each of us, man, woman, & child,... all of us are Batman.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I would say guest, especially staying at the Wilderness Lodge they make you feel like a guest not a customer from the time you step off the Magic Express bus.

 

[Minthorne]

Shareholder

 

[roj2323]

Neither.

I'm a figment of your imagination.

 

[LAKid53]

Whether or not we consider ourselves to be guests or customers; whether we feel valued or simply as a number to boost profits; whether our worth is determined by monetary expenditures or the measure of our own character, one thing is for certain: Deep down at the core of our being, behind every trip taken and every dollar spent, each of us, man, woman, & child,... all of us are Batman.

What an eloquent reply. I, though, prefer to be Superman, er, Girl...

 

[MississippiBelle]

I have always felt like a bit of both. However, I don't go into it expecting to be treated as anything more than a customer. It's just what I'm used to from all other kinds of consumer/provider relationships and we don't go enough to have formulated any kind of set expectations for service. We still get "magical" surprises every now and then, like a room upgrade upon checking in or an interaction with a cast member who overheard a conversation and went above and beyond to create a magical experience.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Your both. You don't have a choice for both but that's my answer.

You beat me to it.

Disney's ultimate goal is to make money, so in that respect, you are a customer. If you can't pay they don't want you there. Their customer-service philosophy, however, is to treat customers like guests. So...both.

 

[The Orange Bird]

A guest, but I feel that guests should remember that this does not mean cast members are your servants. They are people working very hard for not a lot of money. Respect your cast members and they will treat you like royalty!

 

[MKCP 1985]

Almost always a guest, the only exception being if I go to a quick service counter at peak meal time.

Interesting . . . the quick service food and beverage cast attend orientation and are trained to provide the highest level of service, just as workers operating rides.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Hmm.. a very interesting question, as sxeensweet says you are both.A guest is supposed to be treated with hospitality etc...and is expected to act in a certain way according to customs and traditions of where they are.A guest doesn't necessarily have rights as they after all are a guest.A customer on the other hand does have rights, there is an expectation of quality for goods or services payed for.So another way of asking the question is when you go to Disney do you act like a guest or a customer?

That's a different question for a different poll!

Since the whole place is one giant fantasy, we might as well be guests. It sounds more important. However, if I tried to pry as much money out of my guests as they do, I doubt they would come back. Maybe, Disney could learn from that!

It is my hope and expectation Disney Parks and Resorts cast will see this poll and consider some of the responses.

Let's see...my last trip to WDW was in 2010 and we still felt somewhat like guests (but compared to our trip to DL, DL by far had better "guest" service). And I know this comment belongs in the DCL forum, but when we took our cruise last Feb. the service we received was how one USED to be treated by Disney. For example, my husband mentioned to our steward that our son's b-day was the next day and when we returned to our room after it was made up, he had made a 3-tiered cake out of towels and given my son Donald Auaduck poster, signed by Donald. It reminded me that in some areas of Disney, there is still the old "magic" and you indeed feel like a guest. I don't hold the same expectations, though, for our trip to WDW this Oct.

That is a great story and inspires hope. There are exceptional individuals in the parks and at the resorts and that is why I asked how the company makes you feel you are treated as opposed to a special or terrible cast member. Thanks for your response!

 

[MKCP 1985]

When I think of a guest...I think of someone who isn't necessarily paying for something such as having someone as a guest in my home or inviting a guest for a round of golf. Last time I checked...Disney isn't letting me in for free...so I consider myself a paying customer that expects to get treated differently than a paying customer at your local Target.

Disney would tell its cast, employees of other corporations and also you (and your travel agent) that as a company, its goal is to make you feel like more than a paying customer without you expecting it.

I think that the fact that I paid money to get in would never allow my brain to think of myself as a "guest". It is a very rude host that would charge people for visiting them. I have gone only because I enjoy what I am paying for. I enjoy the fantasy. I enjoy the ability to get lost in time and for a brief few moments to feel like a kid again. I still do, so I am also addicted, however, the cost of attending is now a situation where I have to rob a bank to feed it. It always did amuse me that they use the word "guest" even if the circumstances did not fit any definition of guest that I have ever seen. Perhaps, they should do like the Master Tournament in Augusta and call everyone patrons, it would fit better.

Yet they promote a company policy of making paying customers feel like "guests" and do not allow cast to refer to those patrons as customers. Many people on these forums are adamant that Disney makes them feel special. Many others write that Disney is falling short. I'm curious to see the results of this poll which will be open for 5 more days. Right now, more people do feel like guests than customers. That is inspiring!

A consumer, mainly of adult beverages.

But at those Disney prices!

I think from the majority of the CM's standpoint youre still treated as a guest as long as you are on property. Then once you enter the shops the relationship changes and you are on different level, and you become someone who makes a transaction. Once money is directly involved it changes the relationship. Therefore to everyone in higher positions that you dont have a personal contact with, or needs to have to deal with you on a personal level, you are never anything but a customer, one who is paying for salaries, benefits and investments.

The workers in the shops are given the task to make you feel as much like a guest as you do when you are asking a custodial worker for directions to the nearest restroom or asking a character attendant to take your picture with Goofy.

I used to consider myself a guest. Now I feel we are merely customers, at least in the parks. There is nothing guest-like about fighting to get a dinner reservation 180 days in advance or planning every attraction down to the hour or having to accept 3 fast-pass choices when I have no interest in one of them. There is nothing guest-like about being told I can't watch a parade or fireworks from a decent location unless I use a fast pass and even then people are packed in like sardines.

The CR and GF continue to be the only place we still feel like guests, but I'm sure that is still true of all the Deluxe Resorts.

I wonder what Disney could do to make people who visit the park without prior reservations to feel their desires are being considered. Surely there is something?

I would say guest, especially staying at the Wilderness Lodge they make you feel like a guest not a customer from the time you step off the Magic Express bus.

I like the Wilderness Lodge, too, but it has been a while since my last visit! It is great to hear they are keeping up to standards.

I have always felt like a bit of both. However, I don't go into it expecting to be treated as anything more than a customer. It's just what I'm used to from all other kinds of consumer/provider relationships and we don't go enough to have formulated any kind of set expectations for service. We still get "magical" surprises every now and then, like a room upgrade upon checking in or an interaction with a cast member who overheard a conversation and went above and beyond to create a magical experience.

Thanks for posting! Disney would say they want to exceed your expectations so that when you leave you feel that you were treated at a higher standard and expect that when you are considering where to spend your vacation dollars on the next trip, that difference helps you decide to pick Walt Disney World over any other place. At least, that's what I think they would say.

A guest, but I feel that guests should remember that this does not mean cast members are your servants. They are people working very hard for not a lot of money. Respect your cast members and they will treat you like royalty!

Good points on how the cast should be treated and how they are paid. Your last sentence intrigues me. It is not unusual for an employee of any company to provide a higher standard of service to someone who shows respect. What do you believe to be the current standard practice for WDW cast members who have not yet seen how the guest/customer is going to interact with them?

I don't have an agenda for how this poll should turn out. It is my intent to give people a chance to voice their experiences in a dedicated thread. Disney does surf these forums from time to time. Your thoughts whether good or otherwise could make a difference.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yet they promote a company policy of making paying customers feel like "guests" and do not allow cast to refer to those patrons as customers. Many people on these forums are adamant that Disney makes them feel special. Many others write that Disney is falling short. I'm curious to see the results of this poll which will be open for 5 more days. Right now, more people do feel like guests than customers. That is inspiring!

I'm sure many do. I have been going there regularly for 34 years and never once have I felt like a guest in the truest sense of the word. I have always felt like a person that paid to go to a theme park. I've enjoyed myself and, at least until recently, have felt that I got my moneys worth. In a way, I still do, but, it is taking way to much of my money for me to really feel comfortable and free enough to enjoy myself like I used too. Nothing special has ever happened to me. I've paid my money, gone in the parks, gone to the attractions, watched the parades, looked at the detail, etc. Nothing ever happened to me, personally, to make me feel like I was anything other then a paying customer. Others do see it differently. In the parks, I am not a squeaky wheel. I don't complain or get upset about things, so the opportunity to get those benefits, never really materialize. I go in, enjoy myself and leave... nothing special has ever happened. I've been treated well, but, not anymore then I would have expected as a paying customer. To me, the use of the word "guest" is nothing more then a Buzz word, that sounds good, but, has no legs at all.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Interesting . . . the quick service food and beverage cast attend orientation and are trained to provide the highest level of service, just as workers operating rides.

And most of them do a very good job of that. Things just become a bit more transactional when there's a big line.

 

[Blackburn23]

Both! And I am just fine with that. Customer Service is top notch and I am relaxed and away from the real world.

"Now sit back and relax and let us do the driving, you will be home soon"

 

[glvsav37]

Customer leading up to the time I arrive at Magical Express...then I'm a guest. IMO

 

[MKCP 1985]

Customer leading up to the time I arrive at Magical Express...then I'm a guest. IMO

coming or going? Nice avatar picture! I remember those bags-