Odd encounter with CM in TTC parking lot . . .

[bryanb]

i had a CM be straight up rude like that at AK on friday. I almost did a reverse-CM shout out on twitter.....Maybe there's a reason they assigned that CM to the parking lot where he normally wouldn't have to talk much to guests at all?? just sayin'.

Haha, I like that theory. Parking lot cast members are supposed to understand the importance of being particularly friendly. They're trained to take pride that they're the first cast members to greet the guests arriving at the parks, and they're the ones who set the first impression that starts off a guest's experience. In defense of the good parking CMs out there, if any cast member needs to be reassigned because they can't deal with guests, they should be reassigned to backstage or (more likely) not working for Disney.

I have never ran into a rude CM at Disney world but Disneyland..... They were everywhere!!!! And I let them know in no uncertain terms that they did not live up to Disney world standards!!! Sorry you had such a hard time

Sorry to hear that you had bad experiences with Disneyland cast members. Having taken many trips to both parks as a guest, I don't notice any difference in standards between the two resorts. But that doesn't discount your personal experience. I've also heard people give the opposite observation. I've been lucky to have a generally positive view of both.

(That said, I have little doubt: the highest standards of guest service are at Tokyo Disneyland, perhaps due to cultural differences. I sometimes see visiting Japanese guests taken aback by American CM directness, and American guests being very individualistic in crowded situations.)

 

[Jason2015]

Never had a bad encounter with a parking CM but had an odd encounter parking at Epcot last October. Got waved into a lot and the down a row that they they were filling and got to the end of the row and they seemed to have miss counted and 5-6 of us didn't have a space to park-had to exit the parking lot-drive back around the WDW property (not a short drive) and reenter the parking lot. By the time I returned they had closed the lot and then began to back fill a lot the had been filled earlier in the day. As you know you can't go back and forth down rows-watched two cars ahead of me not find a space in the row I was heading down. Thought- oh my here we go again- fortunately a couple was walking to their car and I was able to get their spot. It was a great spot-3rd Row 3rd Sport-no need for the tram. Usually WDW is so efficient at parking cars it was a confusing day.

 

[lelesmith11]

I'm sooo sorry to hear, ive been driving inside those parks since 1994, and I always feel... lost in space...lol.. I'm always looking for a guy to navigate me...I'm always thinking I'm going wrong way..we've had some great cms , and some kinda snarky..but u r in Disney,,, I'm glad it didn't ruin yr day!!!!!

 

[MrKnight]

As stated by pp, if you happen to remember the name of the CM and the exact time/date that this issue occurred then it would be worth filing a complaint.. As a former WDW CM I can tell you that no CM should be acting this way.. I hope your experience the rest of the day was better!

 

[mamamelody2]

Wow, I'd be annoyed to be accused of lying, too!
Sorry you ran into Mr. Grumpypants.

 

[Lovinallthingsdisney]

I had an experience with a “rude” CL Manager at AKL a few years ago. He accused me of lying about issues I had with my photos and MDE and also with non-consistent practices in CL lounge (regarding beverage service/removal). I told him his attitude was not very “Disney-like” and he told me it was not his responsibility to make it so. I also was shocked by the treatment/statement. Disney has such a “magical” reputation (for the most part) that one is not prepared when something like this happens..and then looking back you think “I should have said”, or “I should have did this or that...”

 

[GillianP1301]

Wow, somebody didn't have his coffee that morning. Maybe he had just dealt with somebody really rude, not that that's a good reason to in turn be rude to the next person, but I'm hoping it was wrong place, wrong time and not a CM who is just always grumpy. Good for you though to keep your cool and maintain the high road and not let it put a damper on your day.

 

[85glht]

I'd have been tempted to ask him to go and get the parking lot manager (or whatever/whoever is in charge) right then and there while I took out my cell phone and snapped a picture of his face and name tag. Or snap a picture with a "Just so they know who I'm talking about when I get up to the guest relations window...hope you have a magical day."

Snotty, rude, condescending whatevs...but nobody calls me a liar.

Definitely this!

 

[disneynutz]

Disney is a business and like all businesses they have some wonderful employees and they have some with attitude. It's a mistake to think that they are special and that they don't have below average employees. All you can do is report the bad eggs.

Bill

 

[Micca]

If you'd like to let them know about your experience...

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

 

[Magpie]

(That said, I have little doubt: the highest standards of guest service are at Tokyo Disneyland, perhaps due to cultural differences. I sometimes see visiting Japanese guests taken aback by American CM directness, and American guests being very individualistic in crowded situations.)

I was at a guest lecture recently by a Japanese language translator, and he says it's even deeper than culture... apparent even just speaking English makes him feel more individualistic and assertive. While, when he speaks Japanese, he feels more self-effacing and part of the group. He interviewed a number of other bilingual Japanese/English/French speakers and came up with a theory that has to do with the grammatical structure of the language and how much emphasis is placed on words like "I", and where they show up in the sentence (if they show up at all - in Japanese, apparently, "I" is rarely used to refer to oneself). So basically, his theory is that language shapes us as much as we shape language.

English: I am going to Disney World! (It's all about me!)

Literal Japanese: Disney World, am going to! (It's all about the destination!)

I know that's all completely off topic. Just something I've been finding interesting lately!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I was at a guest lecture recently by a Japanese language translator, and he says it's even deeper than culture... apparent even just speaking English makes him feel more individualistic and assertive. While, when he speaks Japanese, he feels more self-effacing and part of the group. He interviewed a number of other bilingual Japanese/English/French speakers and came up with a theory that has to do with the grammatical structure of the language and how much emphasis is placed on words like "I", and where they show up in the sentence (if they show up at all - in Japanese, apparently, "I" is rarely used to refer to oneself). So basically, his theory is that language shapes us as much as we shape language.

English: I am going to Disney World! (It's all about me!)

Literal Japanese: Disney World, am going to! (It's all about the destination!)

I know that's all completely off topic. Just something I've been finding interesting lately!

Yes, it's true.... "I" and "You" are more implied concepts in the language. Not that they don't have those words, it's just that they don't typically use them unless absolutely necessary to the context. It is definitely much more in-group/ out-group in syntax!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

I have never ran into a rude CM at Disney world but Disneyland..... They were everywhere!!!! And I let them know in no uncertain terms that they did not live up to Disney world standards!!! Sorry you had such a hard time

I’ve had such an opposite experience over the years...

 

[bladiator]

Man, how far away from the last CM were you at that point? I would have been tempted to run back to him (regardless of how far away) and gotten his re-assertion on the whole thing.

 

[cobright]

[...] a Japanese language translator, and he says it's even deeper than culture... apparent even just speaking English makes him feel more individualistic and assertive. [...] and came up with a theory that has to do with the grammatical structure of the language and how much emphasis is placed on words like "I", and where they show up in the sentence (if they show up at all - in Japanese, apparently, "I" is rarely used to refer to oneself). So basically, his theory is that language shapes us as much as we shape language.

English: I am going to Disney World! (It's all about me!)

Literal Japanese: Disney World, am going to! (It's all about the destination!)

There is a deep cultural difference between east Asian and Western cultures concerning importance of self. The divide follows the influence of Confucius more than anything.

In language, the Japanese say "I" all the time and have a lot of different ways to do so. Watashi, ore, watakushi, Boku, kochira, uchi, atashi, wagahai, oira, sessha, and warawaare all words for "I".

Not only that, but "I" as the subject of the sentence gets said first.
Watashiha, WDWni ikkimasu yo!
I, to WDW, am going!

 

[cobright]

Dealing with a bossy/rude cm... This tactic is specific to those types that are very .... alpha I guess. Like the guy the OP describes.

As soon as you identify the cm as defective, stop answering questions and start asking them. He asks why you're parking there and doesn't like your answer, fine start asking him things. All sorts of things. Anything's.
"What's your name?"
"What time did your shift start?" (That's a weird one that will turn an alpha mouth off)
"Did you know there is a conference scheduled today?"

Anything. The goal is to make him question his place on the power dynamic. All of a sudden, just maybe he's not the boss anymore. Maybe your family works for Disney, why else would you be asking weird questions. Soon it becomes easiest and safest to get you settled with a minimum of fuss.

It's weird, but it works.

 

[tinkerjo]

I’ve had such an opposite experience over the years...

My DS8 wanted to do some pin trading with a CM before rope drop to California adventure. There was EMH that morning and the CMs acted like we were going to run off to get on cars!! They let DS go under the rope to see the CM but made me stay back ( I wouldn't have cared if the CM came to him but I didn't like being separated from my kid. It was busy already and the CM wasn't "right there") they were extremely rude about it too. That was when I gave them a piece of my mind!! That was just the biggest rude episode at DL, there were more over our 2 day trip, enough to make me not care if I returned. I love WDW and DCL and have never been disappointed with either so I was disheartened after leaving DL

 

[Magpie]

There is a deep cultural difference between east Asian and Western cultures concerning importance of self. The divide follows the influence of Confucius more than anything.

In language, the Japanese say "I" all the time and have a lot of different ways to do so. Watashi, ore, watakushi, Boku, kochira, uchi, atashi, wagahai, oira, sessha, and warawaare all words for "I".

Not only that, but "I" as the subject of the sentence gets said first.
Watashiha, WDWni ikkimasu yo!
I, to WDW, am going!

Interesting... I know about all the different ways to say "I", but the lecturer was very clear that they aren't used in most circumstances (outside of formal documents, fiction, and anime). He basically said that watashi wa makes you sound self important, so people in the real world rarely use it unless absolutely necessary to make the meaning clear. My textbook backs him up, and I've read it in other sources, too.

So I wonder... The sentence you gave is very emphatic. Could it be that the watashiwa (and definitely the yo) are along the lines of adding extra exclamation points?

As far as I understand, "WDW ni ikki masu" is all you'd need to say in normal conversation. Obviously the other person isn't going to WDW, so you don't need to emphasize that you're the one going.

Whereas in English, you pretty much have to say "I am going..." or it would sound weird.

 

[cobright]

Interesting... I know about all the different ways to say "I", but the lecturer was very clear that they aren't used in most circumstances (outside of formal documents, fiction, and anime). He basically said that watashi wa makes you sound self important, so people in the real world rarely use it unless absolutely necessary to make the meaning clear. My textbook backs him up, and I've read it in other sources, too.

So I wonder... The sentence you gave is very emphatic. Could it be that the watashiwa (and definitely the yo) are along the lines of adding extra exclamation points?

As far as I understand, "WDW ni ikki masu" is all you'd need to say in normal conversation. Obviously the other person isn't going to WDW, so you don't need to emphasize that you're the one going.

Whereas in English, you pretty much have to say "I am going..." or it would sound weird.

That's a funny take on it. What I would say is that Japanese is a very high context language. If a pronoun can be inferred by context it will almost always be dropped in spoken conversation. This leads to sentences like you mention. This is true of any pronoun and most nouns. If someone asks how old your dad is, you don't answer 'my dad is...' unless it is some sort of polite speach situation. You don't even use a pronoun like Kare (he) if you don't need it. Just, "nanaju sai da"

On the other hand, speaking about oneself does not make designating yourself redundant nearly as often as you may think. From Edo to Aichi to Osaka you hear Japanese talking about themselves directly in every conversation.

Especially true when answering questions.
"Who went to Disneyland over break?"
"Ore deshita"
"Boku da"
Basically two ways of saying, "I did".

As for pronouns of choice... Young women still use watashi and less formal versions. Office ladies will use atashi. The Japanese hipsters and teenagers are using uchi. And males from 15 to elderly get by with ore.

Trying to straddle the list e between too polite watashi and a little loose ore, I found myself using jibun to self reference. It literally means "oneself" so it gets used a little differently but to the same effect as saying "I".

Curious which text you use. Everyday Japanese is my favorite starter text but a lot of students still get started with genki.

 

[Jason2015]

My DS8 wanted to do some pin trading with a CM before rope drop to California adventure. There was EMH that morning and the CMs acted like we were going to run off to get on cars!! They let DS go under the rope to see the CM but made me stay back ( I wouldn't have cared if the CM came to him but I didn't like being separated from my kid. It was busy already and the CM wasn't "right there") they were extremely rude about it too. That was when I gave them a piece of my mind!! That was just the biggest rude episode at DL, there were more over our 2 day trip, enough to make me not care if I returned. I love WDW and DCL and have never been disappointed with either so I was disheartened after leaving DL

To play devil’s advocate a little (and 1st I would never condone a CM being rude) but you seem to have put the CMs at the rope in a no win situation. You request to go underneath the rope to trade pins. The CM can say no-thus upsetting you or the CM can say sure-thus upsetting everyone else in line because they perceive that you are getting special treatment and have an advantage over them as they too want to be the first to what ever attraction they are heading too (and hey maybe it was to that same CM to get the Pooh pin he has). So the CM tries to thread the needle and make everyone happy. They allow a kid under the rope to trade pins but parent has to stay on the other side. Win win right -parent is happy kid get to trade pin, rest of the crowd is happy that the parent doesn’t have a perceived advantage to Carsland (Pooh pin trader is happy because the kid traded for the Goofy pin). Yet what happens parent of child starts berating CM because pin trading CM is to far a way (and possibly can’t leave post) and win-win is back to a no win situation. If I were the CM I might be a little miffed that my day was starting this way too and I might get snippy as I have already lost and made the custome mad when they were asking for special treatment and I was trying to accommodate them.

We have to remember that CMs are fairly young for the most part, may not have the experience when dealing with large crowds, and are largely underpaid and then told they need to go make the day magical for people who are demanding things you’ve been told not to do (and I’m sure letting people under the rope is a big NO). Hard job any way you slice it.