Cast Members see it all – probably a lot more often than you realize.
You’ve probably read some of the stories of the extreme and bizarre things that Cast Members will encounter from time to time. Put that many confused tourists together in one park, load them up on sugary treats, toss a few language barriers in and you’re sure to have some entertaining mishaps. While the really extreme things only happen once in awhile, there are several great and not-so-great occurrences that Cast Members run into fairly regularly. Here are the top best and worst things most Cast Members have to see.
The Best
1. A Smile on a Sick Child’s Face
Many families with Give Kids the World choose to come to Walt Disney World and Cast Members do everything they can to create a magical experience for the families. Sometimes it’s obvious that the children aren’t feeling too well on their visit, but you often get to see their faces light up despite what they’re going through thanks to something you were able to provide.
2. Small Children and Their Favorite Characters
Character meet and greets are the best when children are at that magical age where they truly believe that they’re meeting the iconic Mickey Mouse they saw just that morning in their favorite cartoons. With characters popping up regularly throughout the parks, you can witness these moments just about anywhere, whether it’s a little boy’s delight at spotting a couple storm troopers, or a girl meeting her favorite princess for the first time.
3. Your Own Favorite Characters in all their Glory
Some characters just do it right. I used to pass Captain Jack Sparrow in the tunnels on my way to work and when I saw him I always got to see the actual Jack Sparrow, with a flourish, bow, and “’ello love.” Sometimes the magic hangs on, even when you’re backstage. Moments like those make it easier to remember why all those hot sweaty guests are really there.
4. Guests Who Know What They’re Doing
It’s fine to have questions, really. But it’s so refreshing to encounter guests who’ve done a bit of research and have something intelligent to ask. We know what guests really mean when they ask “what time is the 3 o’clock parade,” but it’s still nice to hear it as “about what time does the 3 o’clock parade get to this point?”
5. Guests That Appreciate the Cast
Around the holidays we’ll occasionally get guests who have actually considered the fact that all those Cast Members who are helping them enjoy Christmas Day at Disney with their families aren’t themselves celebrating the holidays with their own spouses and kids. It doesn’t take much, but those “thank yous” from people who realize you gave up your own holiday for theirs make it much more worthwhile.
The Worst
1. Height Sign Drama
In case you were wondering, the appropriate way to approach a height sign is to ask your kid to walk up to the sign and see if he bumps his head on it. If he doesn’t, you smile, give him a high-five for making it under the stick, and walk away. Everyone’s happy. No harm done.
The wrong way to approach a height sign is to see that a few wisps of hair touch the sign, cheer uproariously, and try to charge into the line. When you’re stopped because wisps of hair don’t count and your kid is actually too short, it’s also inappropriate to begin yelling/arguing/crying about how your entire day is now ruined, your child’s whole trip will be miserable, and everyone is going to be upset for the rest of their stay. The vast majority of kids aren’t upset at all until their parents lose it, and beside the fact that it’s annoying to have guests yell at you for following safety rules, it’s also really sad to see a kid’s day ruined because his parents were so set on getting him on that one ride.
2. Blatant Disregard for Safety
Some parents seem to think that the safety of their children should no longer be part of their responsibility when they get into the parks. It’s not at all uncommon to see a child swinging on a chain, climbing a statue, or doing something else completely dangerous while a parent looks on. Worse, when the Cast Member asks them to stop for their own safety, parents often like to chime in “I told you,” just to confirm that they did in fact know it wasn’t safe, but decided not to do anything about it.
3. Backstage Trash
On stage areas are usually fairly pristine, but unfortunately it’s not because we can magic away all that trash. Some empty cups and crumpled napkins aren’t bad, but there’s just nothing pleasant about the grease traps and food disposal behind some of the restaurants.
4. Various Bodily Fluids
You knew this was going to be on here, and still you’re grossed out. Yes, it happens. All the time. It’s hot, the rides throw you all around, and those giant pixie sticks guests suck down really are just three feet of flavored sugar. What do you expect? In addition to the obligatory vomit, consider the fact that many of our most charming little guests don’t have full bladder or bowel control yet and…well, you can imagine.
5. Unavoidable Disappointment
You thought this would all be about how bad the guests can get, right? Unfortunately one of the hardest things to see is a nice guest that you just can’t help. They missed Jasmine’s last appearance of the day. The ride they were most looking forward to is down. We can’t always fix things, even when want to and even when the guest deserves it.
Sure, there are some standout occurrences on both ends of the spectrum. You might put your favorite celebrity on your attraction, or you might have a guest nearly come to blows with you because his kid treated a chain like a swing and split his lip (I’ve personally seen both). But most days balance out with a few angry parents, some magical moments, and a whole lot of repetition.
