The Cast Member Experience
More tales from cast members
Wednesday, November 3, 2004
Compiled by Shoshana Lewin, staff writer
It's been a long time since we heard from the cast members, so today's
column is dedicated to the men and women of Disneyland who are out on
the front lines making the magic. Some of these stories are about a humorous
or difficult time they had at their job, and one is a plea to park guests.
Remember, it isn't easy making happiness.
CM Todd's story
Back in 2001, I was working at Disneyland in Attractions (I was trained
on it's a small world), so I also worked quite a few Guest Control (GC)
shifts. One afternoon I was working GC at the Fantasyland Theater and
a small boy poked his head through the bars for the handrail around the
upper seating area. When he tried to pull his head back he realized he
was stuck! He started to cry and I could see the panic in his eyes.
I went over to him and told him in a calm voice, “OK, I'm going
to spread the bars apart and you pull your head back.” I made a very
dramatic face and loud grunt while 'pulling' the bars apart. I could tell
they barely budged, but the boy was able to get his head out of the bars.
He looked at me like I was Superman. I asked him if he was OK and he said
he was and thanked me, as did his family.
“All the world's a stage and we are merely players...” Was
it “magic” or did I really bend those bars? I have so many fond
memories of my time at Disneyland. Just thought I would share this one
with you.
CM Rebecca's story
I work on the attractions in Fantasyland and I really wish that guests
would just understand that there are rules and regulations (many set by
a governmental agency known as DOSH—Division of Occupational Safety
and Health) that cast members have to follow.
I'm sorry if you want all four members of your party to ride together
in a Peter Pan boat. I'm sorry if you want your baby to ride on top of
the lap bar. I'm sorry if you want your child sitting on the outside of
a Dumbo elephant so that grandma can take pictures. I understand that
some rules seem ridiculous, but what I feel like saying is that not only
can I potentially lose my job over breaking these rules, but DOSH will
shut the rides down if these rules are not obeyed.
Please understand that we don't enforce these rules because they
are fun—I assure you we do not. We get yelled and screamed at by
people because of them.
Please respect us cast members as people and understand our position.
CM Martin's story
I work at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at Disney's California Adventure.
Anyone who has ever been in the trail can understand that sometimes it
can be a little boring for the CMs. I am a new CM, with about four and
a half weeks under my belt and I wanted to have fun while I work, so I
decided to come up with some things to do. I also have picked some stuff
up from other parts of the resort, and have used them in the trail.
The first is outside the trail at the greeter position. We have the Magic
of Brother Bear show inside the trail. We have a huge wooden statue out
front of Koda and Kenai. Some kids (and adults) will try to climb it,
and we (the greeters) have to get them down from the statue (for safety
issues with both the guests and the bears). One day, a little girl about
9 years old was trying to climb the bear. Another CM working with me was
calling out to her to get off the statue. The girl wasn't listening, so
I walked behind the bear to where she couldn't see me, and let out a big
roar. The girl was so shocked that she ran down the highway, and the mother
and father sat there laughing so hard that tears ran from their eyes.
Another thing I like to do at greeter is to scare guests (usually teenagers)
who walk by at night. I will get up behind them, and then scream “Oh
my God! It's a bear!” And I point at the statue. Well, one night,
I got behind these two guys and yelled out. The one guy got so scared
that he grabbed the other one, and tripped over his own feet. After helping
the guys to their feet, they asked me to do it to them again, so I did.
Two days later, I was closing greeter when the two guys walked up behind
me. “Excuse me... what's your name?” So I showed them the badge
on my jacket, and then asked to see their badges. Then I asked to see
their badges. Then one chimed in, “We've been calling you 'Bigfoot'
all weekend long, I'm glad we got your name, now we can go recommend you!”
It made me feel good.
The final story is when I work the cables. I will usually trade hats
with riders, telling them that my ranger hat is magical. The best hat
has to be the Princess Minnie. Here is this 6-foot-4, 300-pound guy (me)
wearing a Princess Minnie hat in a ranger costume. The little kids always
get a kick out of it. I will also tell jokes to the parents that wait
by the rail and watch the kids. Some of them are cheesy jokes, and some
I've picked up here or there. It keeps the parents awake. When I'm having
fun during my shift and the guests are having fun (or scared out of their
wits) I know I've done my job!
CM Mary's story
I am a Haunted Mansion maid, and just last night I was on the foyer position.
It was a slow night and Fantasmic! was playing at the time. Two guys came
up the line and saw me acting out the Peter Pan segment on the porch of
the Mansion. Instead of laughing at me, they joined in! It was really
fun.
CM Audrey's story
I work mainly at Catch a Flave in Paradise Pier, and for years this con
man comes to make my life miserable. I've been a lead for about three
years, and a little after I turned lead this man started showing up. It
was a different lead who noticed it first, but he'd come up days in a
row, at about the same time when we had our afternoon rush, and he'd wait
patiently in line. When he got to the front, he'd tell us about how his
“niece” dropped her butter pecan cone, and if he could get a
replacement. He'd always be very well-mannered and nice about it, so we
never thought twice about giving it to him. Until he kept showing up,
giving us the same story, days in a row. And he never changed it—or
the flavor.
So we have lovingly named him the “butter pecan” man. We've
tried all sorts of things to discourage him, but he always found a way
around it. Since we're Disney, we can't come right out and say, “Stop
coming here. I know you don't have a niece. We started trying to stall
him and calling a manager/security guard up so they could have a look
at him, but that never worked. We started saying that he needed a receipt
to prove he bought a cone, so he started picking up receipts from the
ground. Then we started saying that since I was the only cashier, I didn't
remember serving him, so he started buying a cone, then coming back within
10 minutes to claim his second “free” cone since his “niece”
dropped it.
At one point he started using a wheelchair, so I got the Disneyland Resort
number off the back and told security so that when he turned in the wheelchair,
he would be caught.
He stopped coming for a couple months, and I thought for sure that I
had beat him, but that was just false hopes.
I thought about giving him a cup when he orders a cone to say that it's
just for his niece so she won't drop her cone. I've thought about hiding
a camera so I can take a picture and post it on the inside wall with “beware
the butter pecan man!”
But I think I've finally fixed our problem. About six months ago, I was
on cash register, and the other lead, Amanda, was on my drawer for a couple
of guests while I went in the back to wash my hands. As I was coming back
through the swinging door, she turns to me and says, “It's the butter
pecan man!”
It had been a couple months since the last time I saw him, so I was unprepared
for it. I got back on cash and started talking with him about his niece
(who I'd love to meet one day) and saying how it's a shame I never see
her and that he should bring her around sometime. I started saying how
he's such a nice uncle to bring her into the park all the time, he must
be her favorite. He got a little uneasy and started to try and end the
conversation. He got his cone and didn't come back that day.
He's come back once in a blue moon ever since, and every time I talk
about his niece and he doesn't come back for another cone. Although a
couple months ago, his niece's annual pass was going to expire and he
wasn't sure if she'd be renewing...
Then I saw him a couple weeks ago and he said that she would be renewing
after all. Then he proceeded to tell me that she would have the next two
Mondays off due to holidays, so I told him I'd be sure to pass the word
along to Amanda so she could watch out for them so she could meet his
niece. I did pass the word along, and he never dropped by.
I think we've finally found a solution for our “butter pecan man”!
Outdoor Vending CMs often have to deal with the strangest requests from
guests. File photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
CM Garrett's story
One time I was working the pretzel cart next to Innoventions on my last
day at Disneyland. (I'm a CT-Seasonal). This lady wanted to purchase one
Mickey Mouse pretzel. The price nowadays is $3.25 with or without cheese.
She didn't want the cheese and insisted she should only pay X amount for
the pretzel. Well I said it was the same price with or without.
Steam began shooting out her ears when she insisted she paid less at
another pretzel stand.
Standing my ground and being polite, I told her this is the Disneyland
policy.
She said, “The hell with you and Disney,” and flung the pretzel
into my chest!
I was actually shocked so I really didn't respond. She took off with
her kids. (Nice display of parental modeling.) After the incident I was
upset a little but figured this lady has issues deeper than a pretzel
and $3.25.
This always happens when working popcorn: Do you have churros? When working
churros: Do you have popcorn? When working ice cream: Do you have hot
dogs?
What's the deal, people don't like to read or what? Forget about reading,
how about looking at the cute pictures of what the cart actually sells?
Go figure.
My all-time favorite: What time does the 8 o'clock parade begin? Scary...
because they're parents.
Not so funny: A guest came up to me and asked, “I noticed Big Thunder
is closed again, who died and how many?” Ouch..
Thoughts, questions, or comments? Contact Shoshana here.
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Are you a CM or a former CM? I would love to hear and share your stories! E-mail me! Stories and comments you submit become property of and may be published on this site; we normally don't publish last names of current CMs, but if you wish to remain anonymous altogether or do not want me to share your stories, please let me know when you e-mail me. — Shoshana NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in reader-contributed stories do not reflect those of Cast Place or MousePlanet. CM – Cast member; company lingo for “employee.” Empowerment Evolution – The 1995 attempt by newer park management to introduce modern accountability and market forces into the stodgy Disneyland methodology and power hierarchies. The name was meant to “empower” rank and file employees by removing layers of their management, though now there are more managers than ever. TPO – Theme Park Operations; the division of the Disneyland hierarchy that actually works in the theme park itself. TDA – Team Disney Anaheim; the name of the on-site administration building. Area manager – used to be responsible for an entire land, with all business divisions in the area reporting to him. Area supervisor – the immediate boss for location supervisors who divide up a department of intelligently grouped locations. The area supervisors in turn reported to the area manager. Nowadays all supervisors and area supervisors have been replaced by managers and assistant managers — the same idea, but smaller “business units" than a department; usually just one location in fact. RFT – “A” status; a full-time hourly employee. RPT – “B” status; an hourly employee five days a week but just not quite 40 hours usually. CR – “C” status; an hourly employee who works weekends year-round and five days a week during all school holiday periods (including summer and Christmas break). CT – a part-time hourly employee who works five days a week during all school holiday periods (including summer and Christmas break). No seniority, so shifts worked are usually quite short. Locate the employment center to fill out an application, and they will call you for an interview (dress nicely, just shy of an actual suit). Once there, follow these rules, in this order of importance: 1. Smile and be very friendly. They want outgoing people.
2. Do not let the group interview throw you off balance. They want outgoing people who can “perform” a little bit.
3. Do not worry about job (in)experience. They don't care. They want friendly people, not experienced and/or hardened people.
4. Do your best to convince them you already have a Disney attitude: you want to work with people, you're a team player, and you would consider this a dream job (however, don't overdo it on the crazy-Disney-fan side either). Strike a nice balance.
5. Did I mention the importance of a smile? 
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