Grumpy CM's

[grumpycajun]

Hi Y'all. We just got back form a week in the World and it was a great trip. I hesitate to even post negatives, but we experienced something we've not experienced in past trips and I'm curious if anyone else noticed the same things recently. I'd say about 98% of the CM's we interacted with were at least pleasant, if not downright cheerful, which is what we are used to. However, the other 2% were "off" enough to make us take notice. Yes, it was Fourth of July week, hot, and crowded, but a few of them were downright rude. I chose to write it off to them just having a particularly bad day so I didn't get myself (or DW) aggravated. That's the last way I want to feel when I'm at Disney. I sure hope it's not a trend.

[MMouse6937]

I'm sorry you had some bad experiences.

I would think like you said it could be a combination of the heat and crowd levels, but I would sure hope it's not a trend.

That's why we love WDW so much, it's not like anywhere else.

Glad you had a nice trip! :thumbsup:

[Polynesian Dweller]

Its never pleasant to have the edge taken off a vacation by some CM issues.

However, I'd try to focus onthe 98%. Those would be our %ages too I think. I look at it this way. For the CM its a job, not a vacation. They are doing these jobs day after day after day. They are human beings like all of us and a percentage is going to have off days just like any other work place. So 2% having off days isn't bad but it does mean with the thousands of employees at Disney you are almost bound to run into someone in that off day category.

Its not like the CMs don't run into a lot of rude, nasty tourists everyday. Tourists are humans too and also have off days and it can be hard to deal with for both CMs and other tourists.

In both cases, CMs and tourists, there is a limit and when that's crossed by all means complain but I try to understand that humans aren't perfect.

[BelleBeauty]

I would also not like to focus on negatives - especially when I am in the World! However, since we switched to making trips during hot summer months (from winter), I've noticed more grumpy CMs. I chalk it up to a) hot weather and high crowds and b) that I am more aware of it since joining Intercot and analyzing all of this 24/7! Let's focus on the 99% of CMs who work their hardest to create the magic at all times!

[dolphinmickey9170]

I guess we have been very fortunate, as we have taken every trip during the hot months, and have never once had a CM that was Grumpy, other than Grumpy himself. I'm sorry this was the case for you, but at least it was only 2% grumpy and not 98% grumpy.

[WDWdreamer87]

I was also there, and noticed a lot of "off" CM's.
I don't blame them, for they do have to deal with all the "what time is the 3:00 parade?" and "my child IS 44' inches!" dramas, but I noticed (especially during the parade) that a few were just walking, no singing, and acted like it was chore to be there.

Sure, they do it day-to-day, but it's their JOB. It's in the JOB DESCRIPTION. And people (especially people like us at Intercot) notice when CM's are not happy.

I was excited to go to ToT and get creeped out by the CM's...but no avail. "PLEASE CONTINUE TO THE LEFT!" is all I got, and I was disappointed. My family (who have never been) noticed that wasn't normal.

[Mickey Loves Golf]

Let me start off by saying that there is no excuse for a CM to be rude and I'm sorry if you had a bad experience. Just food for thought though...

Most CM's are on mandatory 6 days a week. I have been since February and have been told I will be on mandatory 6 days a week until the end of November. I can't speak for the rest of the CM's but I'm working 60+ hours a week (scheduled).

We see hundreds if not thousands of people during the course of the day and maybe (in my area) 80% of those people are pleasant (and that may be on the high side). Someone mentioned in a post that we are human too. We are and some of us may not have a very long fuse. I, on the other hand, do. Even when a guest is rude to me, I try my best to rectify the situation and make them happy again. In most cases, I am successful in doing so. There are just some people that you cannot make happy, even when they are at the "happiest place on earth." :D

I try not to focus on those guests that refuse to be happy. That can ruin my day if I let it get to me. Instead, I move my focus to the other guests that want to have fun and put the unhappy one's behind me. This may sound really corny but oh well. In every situation I ask myself, "Would Walt be proud of my actions." 99.9% of the time I think he would.:mickey:

[LauraF]

It's isn't normal for a grumpy CM to be allwoed to act that way. Sorry you had a bad experience.

My sister was a CM for several years in WDW and she said everyone was reminded daily about proper behavior towards guests. She aslo told me some stories about incredibly rude people she had to deal with . . . so I understand why certain CM's act more like certain of Snow White' s dwarves. But it is definitely the exception to the rule.

In my sister's words (paraphrased): "I have been insulted in every broken-English dialect out there, asked repeatedly the same dumb questions, kicked by children, pushed by adults who should know better, hot, sunburned, dehydrated, tired and cranky, but it was all worth it to give some kid a taste of the Magic and make them smile."

[January-2007]

We've noticed this as well.

[GottaluvTiggr]

I have notice some grumpy and rude cast members too.

I hope you had a great trip:thumbsup:

[Figgyluv03]

As a cast member or an associate at any job, you should leave whatever's bothering you at the door, and that's what I use to do. I went to work with the flu in 100 degree weather, was curled up in a ball under towls and clothing at my lifegaurd position, but I would have never let it ruin my guests experience or vacation.

[Speedy1998]

The only place I have ever seen rude CMs is in the French Pavilion.

[JWB3]

Yes, but wasn't that just part of the act??
(just kidding!! :mickey: Btw, my name ends in eau.)

[ImagiAsh]

I have to say, out of all of the times I've been to a Disney park, I can only recall ONE not-so-happy CM. I'm sure there were more, but at least in my mind, the happier CMs definitely outweigh the memories of the grumpier ones.

The one memory that I can recall, however, happened to be one of the CMs holding the massive balloon bundles on Main Street. I'm almost 20 now, but as I grew up watching the Disney sing-a-long videos, the CMs with the balloons always looked so happy! We happened to get this one particular CM on video a few years ago (as my Dad was filming down Main Street while we went up to get our balloons). It's funny to watch that home video today, but ya have to wonder what the heck happened to her that day? Afterall, even Disney employees are human. :mickey:

[LibertyTreeGal]

I have found that generally the #1 reasons CM's are grumpy on any given day is that they have had to deal with one (or ten) too many mean guests -- and no one can remain cheerful when they've been beaten down to a pulp.

Oh, I could tell you stories CM's have told me.....
(I hate scary rides and so I hang out in the fast pass kiosk sometimes waiting for my family .. great time to chat it up with CM's)

[WEDTOPIA]

I'd say about 98% of the CM's we interacted with were at least pleasant, if not downright cheerful, which is what we are used to. However, the other 2% were "off" enough to make us take notice.

If anyone on Intercot can tell me where you can find any other retail , amusement , service, or hospitality business who have 98 % of their employees fall in the pleasant to cheerful range , I will become a customer for life.

I'd also venture to say that , by comparison to those statistics , the remaining 2% at Disney would still probably seem better than those at many other places.

I've never wavered in my opinion of the quality of Disney CM's. They are simply the best.

:mickey:

[WDWdreamer87]

Those 2% CM's are probably the ones who worked at Haunted Mansion, and were placed elsewhere during the refurb.

Who wouldn't be depressed? Having to deal with the living!?

;)

[LizLovesDiz]

What I try to do when I am at work (I work in a casino)is try to be like Disney CM's as much as I can.Then when I think of Disneyworld,I get excited about the next trip and I get in a great mood !!!:mjump::mjump::mjump: Lets face it everybodys human and can be a little off at times !!!

[Susan A]

Yes, I have experienced a rude cast member, but on the flip side, I have another story.:unsure

Last month my husband and I were at a local store. An employee commented on my daughter's Minnie Mouse toy. We began chatting and he used to be a manager in Disney World. He was very gracious and helpful. He still had his Disney charm. My husband and I both commented that other industries could use some Disney training/philosophy. :mickey:

[grumpycajun]

Please let me clarify something here. I think that most of the posters take this thread in the spirit it is meant, but just in case... I'm not complaining. I fully understand and appreciate that sometimes people just have a bad day. After all, my Intercot name is Grumpycajun for a reason.:D The only reason I posted this was because we noticed a distinct increase in the amount of times we experienced "less than cheerful" behavior from a CM. I didn't go in to any detail because I think it makes it a bigger deal than anyone should allow it to be. I'll go this far though - we actually had one bus driver tell us to hurry up and get on the bus and when we didn't move fast enough to please him he literally raised his voice to us and told us to "COME ON, COME ON!". This is at Epcot after closing and we were the only 4 people waiting for the bus. This kind of behavior you notice. I will tell you that in my normal frame of mind (not at Disney) I would have responded to him, but I made the choice not to even bother. I have better ways to spend my time with my family when I'm at Disney. I posted about this subject because it was such a pronounced difference from our other trips. The vast majority of CM's were just as I remembered and our trip was great. The ones that weren't doing their job right, for which they get paid, did not have the ability to ruin our trip. I just don't think CM's should be downright rude to anyone that is paying hard earned money to go to Disney and frankly, the reason for their mood isn't my concern if I'm not the cause of it.

[campdisney]

The problem is that rude behavior by a CM is so out of the ordinary at WDW that when it does happen, it really sticks in your head. You can either choose to let it go or make it into something more. It really depends on the situation at hand. I totally agree with not letting a little incident ruin your day. Conversely, there have been issues I've brought up with managers/supervisors -- not because I can't let things go, but because I don't want a falling off of standards. (I also let them know when we've had a particularily great CM experience too!) I don't spend thousands of dollars at any other vacation destination. I choose Disney because its magical! Good CMs are a big part of that.

Incidentally, I've met way more guests with attitude issues than CM. Too bad Disney can't wave a magic wand over those folks!

[MickeysEars]

We have a couple of times in the past but we just ignore, only once have we had to complain. It was a cm at World of Disney, just down right rude