Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
Well I know there were a lot of very sad CM's that week. Pretty much every day that week were CM's very last day. Some of these CM's started working for Disney Starting in May of 2011-September 2011 until the week of January 1st, leaving through I believe the 6th or so. Disney also had some of the International employees leaving. Many tears were shed. Others likely, depending on their role were happy to be leaving Disney. Top that off with the CM's that were likely happy that a few were leaving if they were not cohesive.
A big bag of emotions. Think of most of them, loving their jobs, friendships that were made and having to turn in your ID and walk away. We all have had jobs we have had emotional good-byes as we moved forward, can you just imagine hundreds and hundreds of CM's leaving the World. Yep bet there was a great deal of water works.
Those CM's were also coming off multiple weeks off extra long hours with little or no days off during the peak season. Often their days are extended unexpectedly. While holidays are great for us to be down there, not so much for the CM's.
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
Good points and makes sense because we never noticed anything like that between April and October.
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
Just like the rest of us, we don't always have good days in work and sometimes it can't help but show, whether the problems be work related or not, our working lives and personal lives can occasionally overlap. CM's are human too and we all have an off day. That time of year, I can imagine its a trying and testing time!
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
You are so right! Those are long weeks for Cast Members.
That was exit week. For the most part 3 college housing campuses of the Disney College Program Cast Members are leaving WDW that week. As happy as they were to arrive, departing is difficult for so many. Not only for their CP ending but the friendships they leave behind.
Patience for the new CP's coming in as they learn their new roles. They started to arrive last week and continue to arrive through early February.
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
Nobody wants to have a bad experience at the World, but it's almost refreshing to me to hear that CM's could express themselves that way.
I think we've all heard the horror stories about people being fired for "not smiling enough", and it's understandable that Disney holds such a high standard for it's guests that may only get to go once in a lifetime.
But in the end we must remember that yes, the CM's are just people too and everyone is allowed to have a bad day once in a while.
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
That makes a lot more sense to know why people were acting a little differently. I wasn't upset, but just wanted to find out what might have been going on. We ate dinner next to a guy who was going back home after working in the CP. We had a lot of fun talking to him and he was eating at the place he had been working at for the past however many months. He was very nice and just kept chatting.
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
I'm not sure if it is because I am older now and just more aware of it or what, but Disney CMs often don't seem as "Magical" and happy as they did when I was younger. I always recall happy CMs who were willing to talk to you and go out of their way to share stories with you and such. I don't remember seeing anyone who looked like they didn't want to be there....
However, in the last few trips, I've noticed a few CMs in every aspect of Disney with that "overworked and underpaid" look on their face and clearly didn't want to be there. I partially can't blame them - their commute to work is ridiculous (if you work in MK, you have to park in the parking lot behind MK, take a tram to the park, then walk to your post, all of which takes about an hour and isn't well lit at night), its basically minimum wage; its hot; etc. But you know what you're signing up for. I feel as though people don't usually want to work for Disney just to earn a paycheck, or maybe thats an idealistic view?
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
I was in World of Disney last day i was there and had been at counter paying for stuff and went over to Momma who was paying for her things and the CM that served her was very grumpy! I was raving about how I didn't want to go home and I wanted to stay in Florida and work for Mickey Mouse and how amazing that would be and she said "You don't want to work here" I was like oh I do Disney everyday wow. Her reply was "Yeah and you'll never get holidays and you won't get any weekend off" I was like yeah but I'll see Mickey Mouse everyday in some form so it's all good. She was not a very happy CM.
Re: Noticing Changes in CMs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DopeyDancer87 
I'm not sure if it is because I am older now and just more aware of it or what, but Disney CMs often don't seem as "Magical" and happy as they did when I was younger. I always recall happy CMs who were willing to talk to you and go out of their way to share stories with you and such. I don't remember seeing anyone who looked like they didn't want to be there....
However, in the last few trips, I've noticed a few CMs in every aspect of Disney with that "overworked and underpaid" look on their face and clearly didn't want to be there. I partially can't blame them - their commute to work is ridiculous (if you work in MK, you have to park in the parking lot behind MK, take a tram to the park, then walk to your post, all of which takes about an hour and isn't well lit at night), its basically minimum wage; its hot; etc. But you know what you're signing up for. I feel as though people don't usually want to work for Disney just to earn a paycheck, or maybe thats an idealistic view?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
petals3485 I was in World of Disney last day i was there and had been at counter paying for stuff and went over to Momma who was paying for her things and the CM that served her was very grumpy! I was raving about how I didn't want to go home and I wanted to stay in Florida and work for Mickey Mouse and how amazing that would be and she said "You don't want to work here" I was like oh I do Disney everyday wow. Her reply was "Yeah and you'll never get holidays and you won't get any weekend off" I was like yeah but I'll see Mickey Mouse everyday in some form so it's all good. She was not a very happy CM.
Indeed. Most of them are in dead end, poverty level jobs. We all expect magical people from sling'n burgers to knocking on a door when you are still in it. Rarely do people visit guest services to write a formal thank you to a CM but guests are right there to complain. I give them a lot of credit for doing their on stage positions day in and day out. Can you imagine being the ticket scanner at the entrance for a decade or two?
