Cast members are touted for their great customer service, but if you’ve ever visited Disneyland or Walt Disney World, you know that there are a few bad ones who slipped through the cracks during the hiring process. There are thousands of cast members, and while most of them are great, there are a few who treat working at the Disney parks like it is “just another job.” Don’t let these few bad cast members ruin the great experience of your vacation.
1) Remain Calm
The first step is the most important. Remaining calm will keep you out of trouble, and usually will alleviate any anger the cast member might have towards you and your family. By remaining calm, you won’t make the situation a huge spectacle. Even if you are right and the cast member is being unreasonable, if you start to yell and scream, 9 times out of 10 you still won’t get what you want. Other cast members and guests immediately side with the cast member if you start to yell and scream because no matter how right you are about the situation, it looks like a temper tantrum, and you lose credibility with the people surrounding the situation.
2) Ask Them Again Peacefully
After you remain calm, peacefully ask them your question again. Cast members are asked thousands of questions a day, and calmly reiterating your question in a friendly manner might allow the cast member to solve your problem. If it is something they still cannot help you with, then assume they are right. Cast members don’t have any incentive to forbid you from doing something you’re allowed to do. But if you still feel they aren’t helping you the way you feel they should, then it is time to go to the next step.
3) Ask To Talk With Their Coordinator
Cast members will sometimes refuse a request from a guest simply because they don’t have the authority to remedy the problem. If you feel like your question or request could be answered by someone with more responsibility, then ask the cast member if you can talk with their coordinator. Remember step one, remain calm when talking with the coordinator. If you yell and scream at the coordinator, they simply won’t take your situation seriously. Talk to the coordinator about the cast member you were dealing with. Explain that you felt the cast member didn’t handle the situation appropriately, and ask for their name and hometown.
4) Talk To Guest Relations
If the coordinator cannot help you, then there is only one thing left to do, which is talk to Guest Relations at the front of the park. Guest Relations is your last ditch effort in reporting the cast member you had a problem with. Here you can talk about the request you had for the cast member. The Guest Relations cast member will either solve the problem immediately, or explain why they cannot help you. Realize that Disney park cast members would love to solve all your problems, and they aren’t denying your request just to be rude. There is no incentive for cast members to deny something that will make guests happy. Unfortunately, the magic of Disney cannot solve all the problems guests might face when visiting the parks. Guest Relations will take your report seriously, and you might get the cast member you are reporting in a lot of trouble. It could end in the termination of the cast member, so make sure this is something you are taking very seriously.
