A note on our recent trip

[Beach Club Babe]

First of all, a big hello to my old friends, I know I haven't been around lately. I've missed you all. I've also missed writing my reports here!

We just returned from a trip to All Star Sports 8/14-8/23.

I've been debating whether or not to post anything, as I like to keep things as positive as possible. That being said, of course we had a wonderful time as we usually do and had a lot of fun sharing our trip with a first timer.

However, one of the things that stands out that I feel must be said, is my great sadness from all of the rude cast members we encountered. Never have I or my family ever been talked so curtly, been shown such a lack of caring, nor have we have ever felt so disrespected as we did on this trip and even starting with booking our reservations.

I love Disney and will continue to return, but I certainly hope their customer service standards greatly improve.

[Melanie]

Please do post a more detailed report Heather! I'd love to read, as I enjoyed following along on your trip via FB. Sorry you had issues with CMs.

[SBETigg]

Heather, that is sad to hear about rude CMs. I'm glad you didn't let it get you down, but it's not right.

[Lindsey310]

That's too bad

Was this just at all star or did it even happen in the parks? Would love a detailed report! I am leaving Thursday and will see if I encounter any rude CM!

[faline]

Heather, good to see you!! Sorry you had such a bad experience on your most recent trip. Good or bad though - I'd love to read your trip reports as I've always enjoyed tagging along when you visit Disney World!!

[Dopey's Girl]

Welcome back! I hope you do post a more detailed report. I love reading about your trips. Sorry you had a bad time of it with the CM's!

[Beach Club Babe]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I have decided to write some more detailed reports, but it may take me a few days to get organized.

Lindsey, no it was not only at All Star Sports where we encountered rudeness. For the most part, those CM's were really great with exception of one. Most of the rudeness was encountered at the parks.

[Ms. Mode]

We had this same problem with our January 2011 trip. The CMs @ POFQ were very rude; I think this is one the major reasons POFQ is my least favorite resort at WDW.

However, both of our next two trips were just wonderful, and everyone was so friendly! I'm really looking forward to our next trip!

[JROriole8Fan]

It would be interesting if people would look at truly how many "rude CMs" they encounter, given there are over 50,000 CMs in WDW and related to how many CMs they encounter and take for granted how well they are treated. We are always quick to judge their rudeness, but do we ever reflect on our own behavior? No situation is ever 100% one person's fault, I'm just saying the Disney standard that we all expect is unparalled!

[SBETigg]

It would be interesting if people would look at truly how many "rude CMs" they encounter, given there are over 50,000 CMs in WDW and related to how many CMs they encounter and take for granted how well they are treated. We are always quick to judge their rudeness, but do we ever reflect on our own behavior? No situation is ever 100% one person's fault, I'm just saying the Disney standard that we all expect is unparalled!

I think this is a tad forgiving of WDW, which we are all apt to do because we love it so much. But really, when you're the one on vacation, even one rude CM among 50,000 really stands out. More than the 49,000 who are doing their job perfectly well. Good CMs are not often praised for their good work because honestly, that's what we expect. But when someone treats you badly, that definitely gets notice because it's not supposed to happen. At all.

Yes, there are rude guests all the time, too, but I don't think most INTERCOTees and especially the OP are among them. Sometimes, service falters. And though it might be lovely to praise the good and ignore the bad, it's not always realistic when it is the bad that stands out in the happiest place and should be corrected. Expectations are high, but blaming the customer is never the answer in a service industry.

[JROriole8Fan]

When you know CMs you tend to defend them. We have all seen guests who are exceedingly rude or try to intimidate CMs who are CPs. The stories from CMs are endless, talk to them and you would might have a more sympathetic perspective. I'm just saying that when you take for granted the 99 CM's out of 100 that are wonderful and focus on the 1 that wasn't, that is a bit extreme. Look in the mirror and assess how well you stack up to those expectations 7/24/365.

[Beach Club Babe]

I am usually the one who overlooks many things of this nature and in fact did on this trip. However, when one looks at a 9 year old and makes her cry that is unacceptable. When pointed out that her behavior made her cry and still no compassion, that is unforgivable. Also, when there is no compassion towards a guest with a disability who is in need of assistance, it is also unacceptable. In that particular situation we were able to find a very nice, caring, compassionate CM who went above and beyond. Unfortunately on this trip, the latter was the exception and not the rule.

[faline]

Heather, it sounds like you ran into a crop of uncaring cast members. We've been fortunate to only run into random, rude cast members - there are three that stand out in my memory - the bus driver that yelled at us (I don't mean spoke snidely or rudely but actually yelled) for no reason that I could fathom. A cast member who screamed at us to move out of the exit portion of a ride into a downpour (We hadn't known it was raining until we got to the exit and weren't about to step into the streaming water without the opportunity to put cameras under cover and pull out umbrellas). In the meantime she screamed at us - saying if we did not move, she would call security??!! (We were actually standing off to the side as much as we could in order to let others pass by and had no intention of riding out the storm there - just making the necessary provisions as I noted above before stepping out). The third was a particularly rude cast member at Carousel of Progess who spoke to me in a very snide way after I had mistaken her instructions as to where I was to stand and then continued to yell at, at berate "guests" gathering for the ride. Once inside, her instructions to stay seated were laced with threats of being turned over to security and tossed out of the park. Fortunately, these experiences are rare and did not occur all in the same trip.

I'm guessing the 9 year old is your child? What an unfortunate memory to have of Disney World. And I'm guessing the person with a disability is your friend who travels with you so often? Disney World does so much right for folks who live with disabilities, it would be disheartening to hear that a cast member there did not show the same sensitivity that so many cast members have provided.

We all need to be careful not to generalize. While there are many excellent cast members at Disney World, there are others who are not as nice. Regardless of all the magic we've each experienced with the assistance of wonderful cast members, being treated rudely by even one cast member on a vacation goes a long way to wipe out the memories of those who are terrific.

Yes, cast members have difficult jobs and need to deal with guests who are sometimes not on their best behavior. But it is their job to be nice regardless of the behavior of the guests. That is the expectation when one works in the service industry and if cast members are unable to act in their assigned role when on stage 7/24/365, they need to leave and get a different job so that all guests experience the magic that one expects on a trip to Disney World.

[IloveJack]

We had some of the same issues on our trip in June. We attributed it to the heat and crowds, but that doesn't erase the memory. I'm sure everyone has a bad day every now and then, but this seemed more than normal. It won't stop us from returning, but does make us yearn for trips during slower times.

[Wolf]

This makes me sad for you, I'm sorry, we had a trip like that a few years ago... *many internet hugs*

[ValenciaCalling]

As a former Cast Member, I'd like to sincerely apologize. I noticed this a lot while I was still working there, and it was one of the main reasons why I left and chose not to return. You'd think with the arduous screening process Disney has, it would do a better job of keeping out the people who don't have the people skills to be a Cast Member.

With that being said, I am going to play devil's advocate a little bit here and say that I can see why some Cast Members might act this way. Long hours, extreme temperature changes, rude tourists, Brazilian tour groups, homesickness, insufficent breaks, rude managers and coordinators, rude fellow cast members...it can get to you after a while. It's hard to keep a smile on your face when you're dealing with all of that, even if you're the nicest, sweetest person in the world.

I'm sorry that you encountered it so frequently, though. I've noticed it as a cast member and as a guest. What specifically did they do? Were they just not "Disney" enough, or were they just downright mean to you? Do you remember exactly where this happened?

[Joannelet]

As a former cm there is really no excuse for rude behavior. I get so mad when I hear these stories. We are trained as cms to leave our problems at the door, when we are onstage we are ON STAGE and regardless how guests are, how hot it is outside, or number of hours worked, it needs to be in a cm's head that the guests have paid an extreme amount of dinero to get treated like royalty even if for a moment.
My sister and her family had an incident at WDW that was EXTREMELY upsetting because of a cast member doing something to my nephew. When she told me the story, I started shaking. I want to say he was around 5 years old at the time and the bus driver on purpose closed the door with my 5 year old nephew outside the bus while he left my sister, her husband and 4 year old on the bus. He would NOT let them get off to get him. Everyone on the outside was looking on in horror as my nephew clawed at the bus door to open screaming Mommy and Daddy tears streaming down his face.My brother in law was flipping out for the guy to open the door and he said no. And this is what the bus driver was mad about. It was pouring rain when my sister and family approached the bus and my niece and nephew were in their stroller and the bus had just pulled up and opened its door for guests. No one was there waiting to get on the bus. Only them. My brother in law pulled the strollers to the door so that my niece and nephew could get on without getting soaked. The bus driver started screaming that he had to fold the stroller. My BIL said I am not bringing the stroller on not folded I am just letting the kids get off so they dont get wet. The kids got out of the stroller walked into the bus and then my BIL folded up the stroller and walked on. This small incident ticked the driver off so badly that this is what he did when they got to their hotel. I dont care if you are having a bad day. If someone ticked you off enough then take a walk to clear your head but when you endanger or upset a CHILD this is unforgiving.

[princessgirls]

Oh Heather...I am so sorry that a CM reduced to Emily to tears. There is just no excuse for that. EVER!!!
I hope you will take that further with a letter, phone call or e-mail.

WDW has always prided themselves on good customer service. While I realize that people are human( I'm from NJ, and I guess am used to poor customer service...sad but true) and being out in the heat dealing with the public all day can make one crabby...it still is NO EXCUSE!!!
People go to WDW to make memories with their families. We are spending our hard earned money, which we can spend elsewhere!!!
You must speak up Heather!!!
Julie

[disneykidsince1970]

... But it is their job to be nice regardless of the behavior of the guests. That is the expectation when one works in the service industry and if cast members are unable to act in their assigned role when on stage 7/24/365, they need to leave and get a different job so that all guests experience the magic that one expects on a trip to Disney World.

AGREED. end of story.

and, they aren't working 7/24/365 by the way!

of course these horror stories are rare but that is irrelevant if it happens to you! these stories are unofortunate symptoms of a larger problem. I won't purport to know fully what that is but I bet it has something to do with the issues brought up. It breaks my heart. And... if a bus driver closed the door on my crying child ...well, they would have probably arrested me in the end.

walk it off indeed... I need to do that now just thinking about it....

[Kenny1113]

As a former cm there is really no excuse for rude behavior. I get so mad when I hear these stories. We are trained as cms to leave our problems at the door, when we are onstage we are ON STAGE and regardless how guests are, how hot it is outside, or number of hours worked, it needs to be in a cm's head that the guests have paid an extreme amount of dinero to get treated like royalty even if for a moment.
My sister and her family had an incident at WDW that was EXTREMELY upsetting because of a cast member doing something to my nephew. When she told me the story, I started shaking. I want to say he was around 5 years old at the time and the bus driver on purpose closed the door with my 5 year old nephew outside the bus while he left my sister, her husband and 4 year old on the bus. He would NOT let them get off to get him. Everyone on the outside was looking on in horror as my nephew clawed at the bus door to open screaming Mommy and Daddy tears streaming down his face.My brother in law was flipping out for the guy to open the door and he said no. And this is what the bus driver was mad about. It was pouring rain when my sister and family approached the bus and my niece and nephew were in their stroller and the bus had just pulled up and opened its door for guests. No one was there waiting to get on the bus. Only them. My brother in law pulled the strollers to the door so that my niece and nephew could get on without getting soaked. The bus driver started screaming that he had to fold the stroller. My BIL said I am not bringing the stroller on not folded I am just letting the kids get off so they dont get wet. The kids got out of the stroller walked into the bus and then my BIL folded up the stroller and walked on. This small incident ticked the driver off so badly that this is what he did when they got to their hotel. I dont care if you are having a bad day. If someone ticked you off enough then take a walk to clear your head but when you endanger or upset a CHILD this is unforgiving.

OMG! This is horrible! I have to know...did the bus driver eventually open the door?


To the OP sorry for the rude CMs. In regards to the booking expirience, for my past several trips I have booked through Magical Journey and I have found it to be such a pleasure to work with them. Maybe something you can look into in the future?