4 Things You Should Never See a Cast Member Do
Walt Disney World has one of the finest training programs in the land. I should know. I not only experienced their training for my internship in the College Program, but I went on to become a corporate trainer (at a different company) and know good training when I see it. Of course, Disney trainers have something powerful on their side to aid them in instilling their lessons.... culture. The Disney Company has a clearly defined, supported, and often beloved culture among Cast Members.
That culture dictates that there are certain things that a Cast Member will never do. Here are four of them:
1. A Cast Member will never be without a name tag.
That well-recognized white oval is a symbol of a friendly face who will provide directions, answer questions, and help lost children. To be without a name tag is to be unknown, unfamiliar, and unauthorized. You'll never see a Cast Member without one.
So what if a Cast Member loses their own name tag? They simply become someone else for the day until either they find their name tag or a new one is made! There was one occasion in my internship where I went by a fake name for a day. It's not fun. It makes you want to look in your purse, your hamper, and your closet for your name tag so you can be yourself again.
2. A Cast Member should never tell you "I don't know" and leave it like that
Instead of "I don't know", Cast Members are trained to say "I will find out" and then do it. With a network of connections within their own department and through supervisors to other departments, they do have a wealth of information at their fingertips if they just ask.
3. A Cast Member will never do a one-fingered point.
True story: Last time I was at Walt Disney world, we were doing Wilderness Explorers in the Animal Kingdom and I was having the worst time finding the troop leader near Kilimanjaro Safari. I did find a gentleman at a booth and went to ask him. He pointed me toward the ride entrance with one finger. So I asked what department he worked in. Turns out he was a contractor and not a Disney employee at all.
I could call it by the one-fingered point. In training, Cast Members learn a whole slew of gestures which while acceptable in American culture, are offensive in other cultures. Because guests come from all over the world, Disney tries to minimize that offense. The one fingered point is one such gesture that Disney teaches alternatives to. One alternative is the two-fingered point, which is a dead giveaway that you've worked at Disney. I was immediately called out for it at Universal because it had become my standard point.
A less Disneyfied option, but one they still condone is the open palm gesture. After having my identity discovered so quickly at Universal, I decided to opt for open palm and it's the point I still use to this day.
4. Speaking of Universal... You will never see a Disney Cast Member openly talk badly about another theme park while on duty.
There is rivalry, yes. But it's not the Disney way to talk poorly of someone else. Many guests are in Orlando to see both Universal and Walt Disney World (and other attractions). Cast Members are trained to be respectful of that and not compare those parks negatively to Walt Disney World. Aside from which, Disney Cast Members are taught pride. And pride means you don't have to make others look bad in order to shine. In short, don't say you're better - BE better.
It's funny as I write about these things how many of them have carried over into the rest of my life. I'm often thankful for how much the College Program taught me and I hope you enjoyed this article as well.
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