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My very first role was working at Scuttle's Landing in Fantasyland back in 1998 when they used to sell those monstrous snow cones. One night, my fellow castmembers and I were bored, so we started throwing snowballs at each other. I made one as big as a cantelope and threw it at a friend, only to miss and hit a kid standing outside the window. It was magical! Of course, he wanted to join in on the fun, so we give him some snow to throw back.
This is more of a story for me and my mom than anyone else. I was escorting George Jones (a country singer) around MK in 1998. Back stage, while waiting for Small World, he asked me if I knew his music. Coming from my family, its impossible not to. My mother is the biggest George Jones fan EVER. He asked me my favorite song and I said, "Bartender Blues". He looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Well why don't you sing it for me?" So I started singing and HE JOINED IN AND STARTED HARMONIZING WITH ME!! I almost had a heart attack and died right there. We made a pretty good duet if I do say so myself. :-)
I'm loving this thread, and hope to see that it keeps moving. I'm not a CM (although i do hope to someday have the honor), but I did work for several years in a non-Disney theme park and have some similar stories I could share, but I'm going to let this stay a Disney-exclusive thread, so I wont tell them here.
But I will say that I have seen some of the most amazing Cast Members at work on just about all of my trips, and believe me, I go a lot. It really is the cast that makes a day at the parks so special and memorable. I really envy the way that you guys can touch a person emotionally and make such an impression, and it's what really makes me want to be able to one day do what you do.
I often find myself doing pseudo-Cast Member things, trying to find ways that I can, as a guest, make a special moment for a fellow guest, or perhaps just brighten a day starting to turn sour. Every time I see a CM giving out those little round character stickers (you often see them being handed out to kids at the cash registers in merchandise shops and such), I go up and ask for a bunch of them myself. I stock up on them in fairly large quantities and try to always keep a few in my backpack for when you're standing in a never-ending line for Pirates, or waiting for Fantasmic for two hours, or when the little kiddo standing over by that planter just dropped his Dole-Whip and looks about ready to lose his temper... I just whip out the stickers and come right over to make a new little friend and hopefully save the little fella some angry tears or whatnot.
Also, because I so often travel on my own and have nobody else with me I need to accommodate, and because I have been to WDW so often and know that I will have plenty more opportunities to do things again, I am much more flexible than someone who is here on a "once-in-a-lifetime" Disney adventure with their entire family, and often will be glad to do things like move to the back of the crowd at the parade route (even though I staked out that curbside spot for 45 minutes) so that the family behind me can sit their little ones at the curb and the parents can accompany them. I will gladly give up my seat in the middle of that row and move to the one empty seat in the back corner of the theater so that an entire family can sit together to experience Muppetvision 3D as a group. It's the best I can do, being a non-CM and all, and if it helps to make a guest's trip even the slightest bit more magical, then I'm glad to have been able to help.
That is truly inspiring. It's rare that you see this kind of selflessness this day and age. Keep it up! I'm positive this does not go unnoticed. Even if it's unacknowledged by the people that you give up the seat or spot to, they still remember it in the back of their minds and it does make a difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by MainStreet, USA
I did the career start program Fall '07, and I can honestly say, no other job has been so fulfilling..I'll explain...
I worked operations at Mission Space in Epcot, and this was part of the year of a million dreams, so at Mission Space we would give tours of Mission Control and get the family to the front of the line. It was always a special treat when you got the assignment, give tour. You'd stand out front, looking for that perfect family, for you current cast members, you know that feeling when you've found the right group to connect with right? Well I found one...
It was around Christmastime, and the line was all the way to Test Track, so getting in and out of the building was hard enough as it was! I managed to squeeze my way out, and started hunting in the hot sun..when I overheard a conversation, a boy about 12 years old sounded like he was close to tears because his family wouldn't wait in line for that long..he had never ridden it before and he had been waiting to take that incredible flight to mars for about a year, from when their family planned the vacation. That's when my cast member instincts kicked in, and I approached them and told them what they had won. You could not believe the excitement in all of their faces..but what made it especially amazing, was to see that kid smile, not just a courteous one, but a big bright smile.
I gave the tour, went even more in depth about how the attraction worked, and what the history of it was..when we got to mission control, I knew I could really make some magic. On the side of the panel, where the guests in line can see the buttons..me and my fellow flight crew gave him an important mission, and everyone in that line just stared in awe at this boy and his new important job..
But my favorite part of this...there were only three in that family, and as you know Mission Space takes four to operate..my manager let me ride with that family. It was amazing, it made it even more special for that kid, knowing he went to Mars with one of ISTC's finest. After many a picture, I sent them onto their next adventure with fastpasses I kept handy, and before he left, that boy came back and hugged me tightly, and I almost cried, because I had given the same magic to him, as I had received when I was little going to Disney with my family.
Thought I'd share that with you all, looking forward to putting on that nametag once more hopefully next year :3
((Wow very first post in 2 years...what a doozy eh?))
Wow, that's really cool to hear you did that for them :)
Did you notice other kids starting complaining about the long wait soon after that? lol :p
I forgot about this thread. But I just remembered one. I was working with the Power Rangers in Aug. Well, there was this family waiting for them (Mom, Dad, little boy and little girl). The 2 kids were HUGE Power Ranger fans. They knew all the series and everything. Well, I decided to make some magic for them. I decided to try to get the 2 little kids on the Power Ranger car for a group picture after the Rangers are done (after they are called back). I asked the captain, and he said it would be fine. You should have seen the look on the mom's face! She nearly started crying. And the little kids loved it!
I miss being in FL so much. :(
When I was a cast member back in 2003 I worked at the princess store over in MGM (Hollywood Studios now) by Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This particular store had all the princess dresses and accessories. If anyone has ever bought one of those dresses you know how expensive they are.
Well, one day I overheard a family talking to their daughter who desperately wanted a Cinderella dress. The parents told the little girl no because they didnt have any extra money for souveniers, theyd spent their budget on the trip itself. The little girl said, "I understand, I just wish I could have that one thing". She couldnt have been more than 6 and she was acting like a mature adult. I was blown away. I went over the the parents and asked if I could borrow their daughter for a very special purpose. They agreed, so I took the girl around the store and gathered up every piece of the cinderella costume...the dress, the shoes, the jewelry, tiara, everything. I had her get all dressed up from head to toe and then told her to wait there until I announced her entrance. I then went to the front of the store and announced loudly, to everyone there, "Ladies and Gentleman we have a very special person visiting our store today! She has graced us with her presence and we are so excited to see her! Everyone please help me in welcoming.......Cinderella!!" At that point, the little girl came out in all her royalty and waved to the crowd. The parents smiled, took tons of pictures, and thanked me. As an added bonus, once she took the costume off, I took all the items she had worn, put them into a bag for her, and handed it to her. I told her Cinderella herself asked me to make sure she had everything she needed for the ball.
They were so greatful and so excited. Its things like this that make me want to go back to work for the company so desperately.
These stories are awesome!! You CM's are what makes Disney so Magical for the rest of us. Thanks for keeping, and making the magic come to life each and every day!
Wow, awesome story! You are what makes it magical for all of us who love going to WDW.Quote:
Originally Posted by babyladykatie
Babylady, I will be doing Merchandising and your story really hit home. I had been wondering how I could make moments for the guests. I am curious though, I see alot of people talking about giving away things. How does that work? The company doesn't get upset if you give away something as awesome as that costume?
There was a good one over a half a year ago at Toy Story Mania. Lemme just say it was cool, one of those things I'd do with my guests when I was a CM. I had my camelback with me and he said that was a good idea so we got to talking for a few and my family asked him about hidden Mickeys because we were trying to figure out some of them because one looked like one and one truly is one. Now if you ever want to talk to cast members, ask about the details on the rides, stores, buildings and the restaurants in the parks.
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Originally Posted by joanna71985
I also remember working the parties Joanna when they taped you to the wall. :) Those bears were definitely a handful. I was happy I just had to keep track of my toys over at the Horseshoe.
Heh! Those sure were good times. I had so much fun working MVMCP that year.:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by justafigment
I'm not a CM, but I do have a sort of humorous (or at least to me anyways ..) story about an experience with one.
I was six years old, and had gotten my ears pierced some time before our trip to Disney. It got infected before the trip, but we never took it out. We were in Epcot, and went to meet Figment. After the meet and greet, we went to the lobby of the building her was in and took my earring out. I screamed so loud, I bet they heard me all the way in MK! The CM that was assisting Figment came over to see what was wrong. I can only imagine what she thought! =P