Not Just a Job

[johnsmith96]

After reading a lot of these threads & experiencing the parks myself, I have come to the realization that a lot of us have forgotten what we are there for. This is not an attack, but a wake up call. As Cast Members, we cannot control the actions of a Guest or the actions of the Company. We can control the actions of ourselves though. A lot of Cast Members seem to have forgotten that it is a PRIVILEGE & HONOR to even be selected to work at one of the Disney parks. A true Cast Member is one who is in the "Disney Zone" thus making it not a job that you have to do, but something you look forward to wanting to do everyday. Those of you who are in the "Zone" know who you are and know what I am talking about. I agree, the Company of late as well as some Guests do make it more difficult to stay in that "Zone" than in years past, but as Cast Members, if everyone just throws their hands up and forgets what they are there for, NOBODY WINS! I applaud any current Cast Member who understands this and goes out of their way each & everyday to give 110% to the Guest Experience. This is what working at a Disney Park is all about. The Emotional Reward. Disney Zoners, please post your thoughts.

[FormerDiz]

That's a fine and dandy attitude!

I used to have one just like it, then I worked for the Park for a few years and it wore off QUICK.

[speederscout]

johnsmith69, excellent post. Without those CMs that give it their all, Disneyland would have the same atmosphere as Six Flags... or the local quickie-mart. I also have connections and friends with the Santa Catalina Island Company, who also strive for that 110%. Their pride comes a job well done, regardless of whether or not they happen to be currently happy with a company policy.

[johnsmith96]

johnsmith69, excellent post. Without those CMs that give it their all, Disneyland would have the same atmosphere as Six Flags... or the local quickie-mart. I also have connections and friends with the Santa Catalina Island Company, who also strive for that 110%. Their pride comes a job well done, regardless of whether or not they happen to be currently happy with a company policy.

Thank you speederscout. I knew there were people out there who feel the same. This just doesn't go for Disney, but all companies, but Disney is the one who should be leading. I remember the old days when the casting (hiring) process at Disney was very strict & stringent. That's why it was a privilege to work there and Cast Members took pride in their work. Now with the staffing problems they are having, the caliber of people being hired is not the same and it reflects in the parks. I believe the company needs to put a hold on growth momentarily & fix the immediate internal issues to restore the Magic & Majesty of the Disney Parks. You can do all the cosmetic work you want, but if you do not have Cast Members that are giving their all to the Guest Experience, it means nothing. The people really do make the magic and are the foundation of the parks. Everything else is the icing on the cake. I would love to hear more as I am very passionate about this issue.

[Druggas]

My wife is a CM, and I remind her daily about making people's trip to DL memorable. I understand that there are times when you don't feel cheerful, but that has to change when you step on "stage".

[pyrateslife4me84]

I mostly agree with you, but don't think the problem is all the CMs' fault. I say Disney should give all the CMs a raise, so they feel valued, and then Disney can raise its standards back to the old ones--firing the CMs that do not live up to the Disney image, and they won't have to hire "just okay" CMs, since people will actually want to work there knowing that they can actually survive in SoCal on their pay. Guests could help out by not being so obnoxious, but that will never happen...CMs have to be in the Zone, but they aren't animatronics, they are human. It is surely hard to be happy all the time when you have to live on enough money to live in a SoCal cardboard box and deal with rude guests in the California sun every day...I give them a lot of credit.

[Max Fischer]

I would also like to thank all the CMs for a job well done. DLR is ALWAYS on the top of my lists for great vacations. YOU guys make the resort what it is.

My only gripe is my fellow guests that hold you to a God-like standard and don't allow a little wiggle room for bad days, or just an off moment. I have read many posts about CMs and how they didn't point correctly, couldn't tell me blah blah, etc.

We need to remember that you are a human first, CM second. IMHO, CMs are allowed to have a bad day, we all have them. The difference is I don't have thousands of people posting stories about my goof ups.

Good day.

[Mouseearsusa]

It's all about customer service, and all of the DLR castmembers are the best i've seen. We go to the park twice a year, and our experiance with castmembers are great. I work in Silicon Valley in High Tech, where people make tons of money, and the customer service is not even close to a DLR castmember. I cannot recall any bad experiances with any cm, just good ones. All the cm's should be proud because they are the ones who make the magic at the DLR.

Also, my opinion only. The Disneyland Hotel 11th floor Concierge castmembers are the best of the best in customer service. They do whatever it takes to please a guest.

[johnsmith96]

I mostly agree with you, but don't think the problem is all the CMs' fault. I say Disney should give all the CMs a raise, so they feel valued, and then Disney can raise its standards back to the old ones--firing the CMs that do not live up to the Disney image, and they won't have to hire "just okay" CMs, since people will actually want to work there knowing that they can actually survive in SoCal on their pay. Guests could help out by not being so obnoxious, but that will never happen...CMs have to be in the Zone, but they aren't animatronics, they are human. It is surely hard to be happy all the time when you have to live on enough money to live in a SoCal cardboard box and deal with rude guests in the California sun every day...I give them a lot of credit.

I agree with you. It is not all the CM's fault. It is a combination of life in this day and age. I absolutley agree that Disney needs to raise the pay. This is the fault of the company. That's why I said they need to stop the growth momentarily on senseless things & put focus and money back into the internal issues & infrastructure of what currently exists. We need quality Cast Members back that understand the workings of Disney & know how to go above & beyond for a Guest. Regardless of how we feel about some of the Guests, they are paying to come into a world of Fantasy and escape a harsh days reality. This is why there is a birm surrounding the park.

[dshimel]

Something has to give.

Disney wants happy, hard-working, high quality employees.

At the same time, the pay is below market average. There is some hope that if you work there for a very long time, you'll get to move up and get beniffits and such, but most hourly employees will not be there long enough.

Now, thery're cutting back on schedule flexibility.

The resort is barely profitable mostly due to employee benifits costs. This puts preasure on the company to cut pay and benifits and make stricter policies..... At the same time, they're already having a hard time attracting and keeping the type of employees they want.

It's all great to have this "Disney is a great company to work for" attitude, but when you're flipping burgers for $2 an hour less than they pay across the street, and you have more ridgid schedule, and no real chance of ever moving up or getting better benifits, that gung-ho attitude just isn't going to last..... Not for the high-quality people that can get better jobs for more money.

[desertdweller]

Disneyland in the first decades used to be able to pick and choose their Cast Members. Only the cream of the crop were able to work there and were drawn from the colleges and universities. It wasn't a career for the majority of them and they truly enjoyed working there and being part of the magic.

As someone pointed out in another recent thread, OC has about a 3% unemployment rate and with DL's Food Services seeing approximately 25% of their work force quitting in the past month, DLR no longer can be quite so picky. And another poster wrote that In and Out Hamburgers was hiring at $11 an hour while DL was still offering $8.

In the past 5 years my experiences in the parks have shown me that most CMs do a very good job. We might not have the overall look that distinguished DL employees from everyone else during its first decades when a guest was assured of good looks and physiques. Taking into consideration the deterioration of the guests' overall behavior and manners, I think they do a very good job still.

[johnsmith96]

Something has to give.

Disney wants happy, hard-working, high quality employees.

At the same time, the pay is below market average. There is some hope that if you work there for a very long time, you'll get to move up and get beniffits and such, but most hourly employees will not be there long enough.

Now, thery're cutting back on schedule flexibility.

The resort is barely profitable mostly due to employee benifits costs. This puts preasure on the company to cut pay and benifits and make stricter policies..... At the same time, they're already having a hard time attracting and keeping the type of employees they want.

It's all great to have this "Disney is a great company to work for" attitude, but when you're flipping burgers for $2 an hour less than they pay across the street, and you have more ridgid schedule, and no real chance of ever moving up or getting better benifits, that gung-ho attitude just isn't going to last..... Not for the high-quality people that can get better jobs for more money.

I agree, but I also feel as long as you are there, make the most of it. These problems are not new and do need to be solved, but don't let it show on stage. A Guest will notice a lack of staffing which is the companies fault, but a CM does not have to show the bad attitude in front on the Guest. This is the CM's fault. Any issues need to be taken up backstage with management, not in front of the Guest. The Guests have more respect for a CM that they can see is working hard with a pleasant disposition under difficult conditions. I know I do. If a CM is that unhappy where their attitude is rolling over on stage, it is time to move on. Until something changes, as long as you are working there, have pride in yourself and be the best you can be.

[dshimel]

I agree, but I also feel as long as you are there, make the most of it.

My point was, those high-quality employees that can get a job elsewhere, WILL. This leaves the people that can't get a job elsewhere..... the people with bad attitudes that won't have the gung-ho attitude that you are looking for.

[tigger001]

My point was, those high-quality employees that can get a job elsewhere, WILL. This leaves the people that can't get a job elsewhere..... the people with bad attitudes that won't have the gung-ho attitude that you are looking for.

I have to agree with you 100%, however, it used to be something to say that you worked at Disneyland.

Getting a little of the subject here, but I remember that day that I got the call that I was going to work at my local Disney Store in Las Vegas. I was going to be part of the opening crew and was so ecstatic when I got the call that I was hired. I stayed on board for 2+ years as just a castmember. There were several times that I asked why I was doing this for just a little over $6 per hour. I remember one time during Christmas a guest had picked up an item that was placed on a sale rack that wasn't on sale. When I rang up the item she said it should have been on sale. I politely told her that it wasn't, that another guest must have placed it there. She picked up the item and threw it at me (hitting me in the chest) calling me a few explicatives and said she didn't want it then. All I could do was smile and tell her that I was sorry that it wasn't on sale and politely suggest something else that was along the same lines that was. I went home that night wondering what the heck I was doing. I swear that one incident almost ruined my whole Christmas.

Being the trooper that I am, I stuck in there and continued working for another 1+ years.

So, my heart and praise goes out to those castmembers that are still with the company, because anytime you deal with the public, you are going to have these few people that do the things that this guest did to me.

On another note, I would really like to see the dress code and grooming standards be put back to the way they were 10 years ago. I am sorry, but when I see a castmember with their tongue pierced, or eyebrow, or anything else for that matter, it takes away from the overall experience. I just think that kids today want to make a ton of money and don't want to work for it. Yes, there is a problem with Disney not paying enough, but I think that problem is true for not only Disney, but for the majority of corporate companies nowadays. This is a sorry state of affairs for America today. I would love to see the castmembers make more money, and yes, that will more than likely get a better pool of employees to draw from.

Getting off my soapbox now!!!

I am sorry if I offended anyone, that was not my intention, these are just my thoughts that I am very passionate about.

[tigger001]

I agree, but I also feel as long as you are there, make the most of it. These problems are not new and do need to be solved, but don't let it show on stage. A Guest will notice a lack of staffing which is the companies fault, but a CM does not have to show the bad attitude in front on the Guest. This is the CM's fault. Any issues need to be taken up backstage with management, not in front of the Guest. The Guests have more respect for a CM that they can see is working hard with a pleasant disposition under difficult conditions. I know I do. If a CM is that unhappy where their attitude is rolling over on stage, it is time to move on. Until something changes, as long as you are working there, have pride in yourself and be the best you can be.

This holds true with not only Disney, but with any job. That is another major problem with companies as well. When you are having a problem, leave it at home. Sure, we are all human, and that cannot happen all the time, but I have personally witnessed several castmembers on different occassions bad mouthing the company, management, etc. in front of myself and my partner. This is bad show, and as johnsmith96 stated, don't do it in front of the guest. If you really are that unhappy, then move on. When you are hired on, they tell you what the pay is and if you can't make it on that salary, then find another job. We all have that right! I honestly don't think that most of these CMs are doing this is their everyday job though. It would be interesting to see how many are just doing this as a second job, as I was at TDS. I know that when I was with the company, they made it fun to work there and I think that if I lived closer to Anaheim, I would come down and work part-time in the park - even in foods if I had to.