I worked at
Disneyland a while ago, and it’s always going to be something more special to me as the original and my “home park.” So I am sorry to hear some of the experiences with CMs at DL. I never once thought of myself working at some “lesser” local’s amusement park, but there was quite a lot of pride among my peers working at Walt Disney’s flagship, original “Magic Kingdom” from which everything followed. I have personally not noticed much difference between Florida and California CMs, though I might have a bias.
While I’m comfortable being solo at either resort, I admit that being solo at WDW does feel even more freeing for me. Maybe it’s because I’m far away from my hometown, where I would usually try to find friends or family to try out a new restaurant or do some activity. But being all the way across the country gives you a built-in excuse to try any restaurant or experience without obligation. You can leave behind all the pressures of your home.
It’s one of the reasons why I even think New York City is a great place to go to relax. (New Yorkers would call me crazy to say that, but it’s true.)
That said, what are some things that CMs can do better to help make solo visitors feel at ease?
Thank you so much for your sweet response. I have learned another lesson: editing posts is good, but will give a lot of people the wrong impression because you will leave out a lot of stuff! lol
As a NYer, I am not sure why you think NYers would say visiting NYC is not relaxing. I would hope my fellow NYers wouldn't judge how anyone does anything.
Almost everyone who has responded (thank you, all!) has made the assumption that traveling w/ others is somehow restricting & I am actually a little shocked by that idea. I do not consider compromise & supporting my family & friends in choosing things to do on vacation as the slightest bit tiresome or restricting. I just don't get that one at all. There have been times when I just needed a half-hour alone after all that togetherness, but that's not the same thing as "it's nice to not have to worry about what anyone else wants to do at all, during the entire vacation, oh-are-you-still there."
The other assumption being made by most is that I am uncomfortable being alone, that I feel conspicuous or awkward. That is simply not the case.
In looking back at my original post, I see that I did suggest that CMs should have cared that I was travelling solo & that was somewhat incorrect. I didn't expect them to be a sort of companion, but just to acknowledge that I was alone & might say a quick something whereas a group would just move on. I had several instances of just rude, nasty & dismissive behavior. This behavior would have been offensive whether I was alone or with a group. I had CMs give snarky I-don't-really-care responses to a simple greeting; had one literally TURN AWAY w/o a word when I said something to her after she had looked me square in the eye & dropped the sides of her mouth in disgust; had another use a tone of voice that was so disdainful & so inappropriate that I would have been offended by that alone had she not also turned away as she was telling me, in essence, that I was interrupting her personal conversation with another CM. In one of my jobs, I am a theatre manager, & if any of my staff had spoken to any of my guests the way I was spoken to, they would have been corrected, written up or sent home, depending on whether it was a 1st offense or they had already been coached. To behave this way at a Disney park, which is the North Star of guest services, which is their defining characteristic, is absolutely unacceptable.
I didn't mean to compare CMs at WDW or Anaheim. I meant to say that I have great knowledge of WDW & have visited many, many times, but do not really care for DL. I know the pride many SoCalers take in having The Original, & I'm not judging that pride. But, the 2 places are vastly different. For example, I find DL tight & always overcrowded whereas WDW always has room to spread, even during very busy times. DL is 2 parks plus an entertainment district & WDW is, I think, 6 parks (I've lost count, w/ all the openings & closings) + a much larger entertainment district. My friend & I once calculated that you could easily spend a very busy 2 weeks at WDW w/o ever setting foot in MK -- in Anaheim, Disneyland is the main attraction. And so on. They're just different.
When I say that I am cured of wanting to visit WDW alone, I don't equate the two: well, I didn't enjoy DL that much, so I wouldn't enjoy WDW that much. It was more like desperately craving ice cream & thinking you could have it for 3 meals a day for a week ... then having the world's largest banana split & thinking, "That did it. I'm good, thanks." I don't want to get stuck in WDW, having lost interest, & finding I have 3 or 4 more days to go before my return flight.
Thank you, again
I felt a little funny about that at first just bc I'm not someone who typically takes pictures of myself alone, but the CM's were unfailingly fun, encouraging, kind and friendly.
