The Interesting CM-guest encounters thread!

[albino_pygmy]

This thread is dedicated to all the CMs out there who have an interesting guest related story they have to tell, whether it was a great experience and you've made their day better, or it was a horrible experience and they just don't seem to know the meaning of "behind the yellow line." Either way, feel free to share us your memorable encounters with guests. Also, if you do have a 'horrible experience' that you'd like to share, please be careful of how you share your story and that it doesn't turn into an angry rant. I thought it would be cool to see what other CM's do and their memorable experiences with the guests they interact with.

I'll start off. I'm a skipper at the World Famous Jungle Cruise, and I'm out on the river, going through my bad jokes. We get to the attacking natives and I do the usual line "They're attacking from the left, GET DOWN! GET DOWN! Don't worry about looking stupid, I'm doing that for you!" and after that line, without any hesitation, this one lady sitting towards the front shouts "YES! HE SAID IT!" which really startled me, because throughout the rest of the trip, she looked like she wasn't enjoying her cruise at all, but I guess after I said this line, she just lit right up and I guess that made her day? I'll never know, but I do know she's been waiting for that one line which made her upbeat for the rest of the trip.

[Jiminy Cricket]

Grrreat thread!!! I hope you continue, and other CMs will share their stories with us wannabe CMs.

[joanna71985]

This was back in 2006, when I was on the CP as a character attendant. I was over by the Magic Carpets, working with Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie. I had already closed the line for Aladdin and Jasmine when this family came up. It was a grandmother, mom and dad, and 2 little girls (one dressed like Ariel and the other dressed as Jasmine). I sadly had to inform them that the line had been closed, but that they would be back at ___. The others went to sit down at these tables by the Carpet ride, while the grandmother stayed and asked me if there was any possible way that they could see Jasmine. They had already seen Ariel for the one little girl. I told her that I would see what I could do. The line was still moving, but it looked like there would be time for them to get up and still have time for Jasmine and Aladidn to go back to Agrabah before the parade started (I believe that is why the line had been closed). So the grandmother called over the 2 little girls, and their faces just lit up. They had the best time with Jasmine, and I got the sweetest "thank you" and hugs from them. Totally made my day.

[cp1999]

Back in 1999 while working at the trading post in FrontierLand I encountered a very upset young boy. Apparently he wanted this pin that had pete dressed up like a cowboy. His mother Hesitantly sad no to buying it because to get the pin you had to buy the hat it was attached to.It was like $30. I could not blame her. The mother asked me if you could just buy the pin. She told me that Pete was one of her sons favorite characters and he loved all things that have to do with cowboys. I had to tell her that you had to buy the hat. They had started to leave the store when I remembered that I found that pete pin on the floor by the hats earlier in the day. Since it did not belong to the hats we had for sale I quickly grabbed the pin and ran out after the mother and son. When I found them outside the store I walked up to the little boy and said that Mickey had given me a pin and that he wanted me to give it to someone very special. I said I would like for you to have it. When the little boy saw what pin it was his tears of saddness turned into tears of joy. Then the mother started to cry and said thankyou. I almost lost it, but caught myself remember I am on stage. This is the exact moment I realized what it means to be a castmember.

[Disney05]

Great thread! Wish I was a CM.

[Ceci]

I'm thinking the all Cast Members above are doing what Walt Elias Disney was teaching to us - How make the world better with the simple things.
Congratulations to all.

[Tinker Bell]

Wow, I welled up reading these two stories, thank you for sharing.

[joanna71985]

I thought of a couple more:
1) I was working in Toontown for mnsshp with Minnie. 2 little girls came by to see her dressed as Minnie, and it was so cute! Before they left they each gave Minnie a little card that said something like "a hug card". Then they also gave me one. I still have it.

2) I was working mvmcp with the Country Bears over in Frontierland. Me and a couple of the bears had stepped into CBJ. There was an older couple there and they said the sweetest thing. They said that the parks can't run without CMs, and that we were doing a great job. Then they handed us cards. All of us were touched.

[albino_pygmy]

I was doing one of the treat stations a week ago and had this family all dressed up as characters from Peter Pan. There was Peter, Wendy, the two boys, Captain Hook, and Tink. I asked them what about Smee?(sp?) or the croc? They quickly replied back "The crocodile became our luggage and Smee is taking it to our room as the bellhop."

Eariler on the same night, there was a lady dressed up as the game "Twister" and I tried to hold myself from laughing too hard because I'm sure someone will try to play Twister and get in trouble for putting their right hand on yellow.

[coasterfreak516]

I've had two that I can think of.

One: In may 07 I was working at the Indiana Jones truck over by the west exit of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Backlot Express when none of then the one & only Lou Mongello walks by and we trade pins.

Two: over a year ago in mid January when I was first with the program I was in Sunset Custodial and someone asked me about Illuminations when he meant Fantasmic. That was strange but I did direct him that Illuminations information correctly and when he realized he meant Fantasmic, I directed him to it as well.

[joanna71985]

I was doing one of the treat stations a week ago and had this family all dressed up as characters from Peter Pan. There was Peter, Wendy, the two boys, Captain Hook, and Tink. I asked them what about Smee?(sp?) or the croc? They quickly replied back "The crocodile became our luggage and Smee is taking it to our room as the bellhop."

Eariler on the same night, there was a lady dressed up as the game "Twister" and I tried to hold myself from laughing too hard because I'm sure someone will try to play Twister and get in trouble for putting their right hand on yellow.

That's awsome!

[emabee]

When I was working at Tony's Town Square in MK back in 1995, we were closing up for the night. It had been sort of a rainy night and the park streets were wet. A family consisting of a mom, dad and little girl about 3 came by the restaurant. They needed to use the bathroom and needed to sit for a few minutes before trying to beat the crowd out of the park. I hadn't shut the front doors yet so I told them to come on in while I was cleaning the front station. I overheard the mom and dad talking about how it was just rotten luck and they kept hoping it would show up and that she would eventually get over it. I happened to catch their eye and I asked them if there was anything the needed or if there was anything I could do for them. They said no thanks and said that they were just having a bad night. I asked them what happened and they said that while they were in line for a ride (before the parade that night), someone stole some stuff out of their parked stroller. The 2 items that they felt they could not live without were the video camera filled w/video they had been taking their whole trip (they were leaving the next day) and the Minnie Mouse stuffed doll that their daughter carried around with her everywhere. I told them how sorry I was and informed them that I had to close up the doors but that they were welcome to sit outside on the front porch in the rockers. They thanked me for my time and the use of the bathroom and moved outside. After I locked the doors, I went around the back and walked over to the Emporium. I talked to a CM there and they gave me a 12 inch Minnie Mouse stuffed doll. I walked back over to the front porch and presented the little girl with the Minnie Mouse. I've never seen someone so happy! The parents were so pleased and the mom couldn't stop thanking me enough. I told them I was just sorry that they lost their camera and all the memories along with it. They said that this one act more than made up for the bad evening they had had.

It felt so good to make that little girl smile. I have a couple of other stories, but I only worked there for 10 months, so it's only a few.

[Sparrowni2010]

Ok..this is actually a pretty funny story..it didn't happen to me but I think it's kind of mean but still pretty funny...

This woman asked a cast member at my attraction how to get to ET. So the cast member gave her direct instructions:

Go through that arch, take a left and go all the way down Hollywood Blvd. and then through the turnstiles. Get into a cab and tell them you want to go to ET and they will take you there.

The woman actually followed his instructions and actually got as far as the cab. She turned around, tracked down the cast member and said "That's not funny!"

Let's see if I can't think of my own happy story.

Well, I always wear my pins and one day this little girl saw a pin she really liked on my lanyard but she just couldn't make up her mind about what pin she wanted to trade me. So her mom pulled her away saying, you don't have to trade. But the little girl REALLY wanted this pin. As they were turning away to line up for the attraction, I knelt down, took off the pin and handed it to her telling her not to worry about trading a pin for it. She was so happy as was her mother! It was great.

Also sometimes when I would be working in the Animation Station, I would help the little kids play on the games. I remember one boy was too short to touch the screen and we don't really allow our little guests to sit on the ledge, so I helped him color in the character. He would tell me what color and then where to put it. I think he enjoyed that a lot.

[BamaJenn]

I can't believe I'm just now finding this thread. Some of these really touched me to the point of tears. I hope you all know that it's you guys that make trips to the world so special for us guests. Little things like having the heart to hear what someone is saying and act on it, even though it is certainly not something you have to, is what makes a Disney employee a Cast Member.

[Sparrowni2010]

I think they told us this story in Traditions but I still think it's really nice.

Apparently there was this guy, like a manager or VP or something and he was talking to a little boy. The boy wasn't really saying anything important as some of us may know little kids tend to ramble on about nothing...when someone very important came up to talk to the man, interrupting the little boy. The man said to the important guy, "wait just a minute. I'm listening to what this young man has to say."

I just think that's really sweet.