Instructor explains responsibility to create happiness

Every employee at the Walt Disney World begins their employment by taking a four-hour course called Disney Traditions.

During this course, you learn about the company’s history, the Four Keys Basics, and take a tour of the Magic Kingdom.

My section of the course had two leaders, one of those leaders worked in guest relations before becoming a Disney Traditions instructor at Disney University.

During our time in the classroom, she told us a story about a guest that created a Magical Moment for her.

She had gone home for Thanksgiving for the first time in a while. It was her day to fly back home.

My instructor told us she was sad to leave her family to fly home, but she worked a few hours after her flight landed and had to leave.

Her flight was delayed and my instructor had to race to work in a taxi, store her luggage in a locker and rush in to her shift at guest relations.

Before she got to her desk she saw that there was already a long line of guests waiting and they looked impatient and upset.

She readied her post and called to her first guest prepared to deal with a complaint.

Several women in pink tutus and boas approached her desk. She asked how she could assist him.

“I’d like some celebration buttons,” the guest said.

My instructor was relieved because this was a relatively simple request to grant. She took out the buttons and a Sharpie.

“What are you celebrating,” my instructor asked.

“I beat cancer and we’re here to celebrate,” the guest said.

My instructor told us that when she arrived at work, she wasn’t in the best of moods. She was ready to face a line full of angry guests, while she herself was having a bad day.

This first guest of the day turned her mood around and she remembered why she worked for the company.

She said everyone who works here, custodial to front desk shares the same role.

She told us that our role at Disney was to create happiness, much like this guest had done for her.

 

Little Girl Shows Ortega a Surprise

In October 2015, Catherine Ortega decided not to extend her second college program at the Walt Disney World.

Ortega applied to remain at the All Star Resorts as a concierge for an additional five months and had been accepted. Her first college program was as a character performer.

Given her contrasting roles, Ortega had the opportunity to work at almost all locations on the Walt Disney Property by picking up shifts at different hotels during this program and working in all of the parks as a character performer during her last program.

Several days after deciding to head home, Ortega was feeling emotional about the magical experiences she has had at the Walt Disney Company.

A 8- or 10-year old girl ran up to her after work that day excited to show her what she had hiding in her hands. The little girl had found a snail.

The girl told Ortega all she knew about snails.

Ortega told the girl that she was scared of snails.

“The girl was so sweet and funny and I just couldn’t help thinking that in a few months I will no longer wear a name tag that kids will see and know they could safely run up to me and share their joy and excitement with me,” said Ortega. “I love my families so much. I’m so blessed I get to work at the All Star.”

I worked with Catherine at the All Star and watched her get excited about guest experiences. I remember her asking a little girl in a Cinderella dress for her autograph. She always worked so hard to make guest experiences magical.

Though she did a lot for the guests she assisted, often times guests like the little girl in her story would make her day, instead of her making theirs.

Guests tell Chase they will spread the word

Raquel Chase organizes pins at Big Top Souvenirs in the Storybook Circus section of the New Fantasyland. When she’s not sorting through pins at work, Chase searches through for sale pages on Facebook and eBay for deals on collector’s edition pins for her own collection.

Raquel Chase, a 19-year-old from Seattle, remembers spending time with a family of parents and their grown up kids while working at Big Top Souvenirs at Storybook Circus in the New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdoms.

She remembers giving them chocolate covered marshmallows. She remembers giving the mom a specially made Mickey ear marshmallow treat.

The store was slow and she spent a long time talking to the family.

At the end of their conversation, before saying goodbye, the family told her that they would spread the word about how nice she was to them.

By that, Raquel imagined that they would share the story on Facebook or some other kind of social media. She expected she might get a guest later on who said hello because of these guests.

Three days later, Raquel’s manager came up to her and handed her a Four Keys Fanatic card.

Four Keys Fanatic cards are given to employees as a reward for demonstrating the four keys of Disney’s customer service: safety, courtesy, show and efficiency.

Four Keys Fanatic cards stay in an employee’s permanent record and are read by the top managers of each location and can help you advance your career later on.

The rewarded cast member gets to keep one copy and the other copy gets placed in a raffle for their area to win prizes every month.

When Raquel asked what the Four Keys Fanatic card was for, the manager told her that it came all the way from the Animal Kingdom.

The guests whom Raquel had spent time with the other day went to guest relations 3 days after they spoke with her on their last day at the park. They insisted that something be done to recognize Raquel because she had been so kind to them.

The efforts the guests took to recognize her was really special for Raquel, she said.

 

Ashley Tubbs is given the royal treatment by a guest

Many of the Walt Disney World’s younger guests come to the park dressed as their favorite Disney princesses. Older guests who are kids at heart visit the park “disney bounding,” or wearing color combinations that resemble their favorite Disney characters. Others wear mouse ears and tiaras.

Playing dress up is a major aspect of the Walt Disney World experience for guests, but not usually for cast members.

Ashley Tubbs, a 19-year-old from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh works the concession stands at the Magic Kingdom.

When she goes into work, she is not wearing a Princess dress or a tiara.

Ashley recalls a little girl in a Cinderella costume approaching her one day at work and asking her why she wasn’t one of the Princesses.

“I’ve had other special guest interactions, but that one made my heart melt,” said Tubbs.

Ashley says that when she meets people from where she lives in Wisconsin, she gets excited to talk to them.

She also remembers a day when a guest, who had no intention of purchasing popcorn, bought popcorn from her just because of her smile.

She was working at the main entrance popcorn stand of the Magic Kingdom, which guests pass as they exit the park.

The man, who was with his son, was excited that I was so happy to be at work.

“You must really love your job to be smiling that much,” he told her.

“I work at the Happiest Place on Earth, I told him,” said Tubbs. “Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

“I just have to buy from someone who is smiling like that,” he said.

 

The man then purchased a bucket of popcorn for $8.

Ashley says she loves working at the Magic Kingdom, she smiles and does her bests to make guest’s experiences fun so that they love the parks as much as she does.

Goofy’s Candy Company employee receives token of appreciation Christmas Day

Becca Romesburg, a student participating in the Disney College Program from Georgia Southern University, creates candied apples during work. Goofy’s cast members create candied apples that look like different disney characters, such as Olaf and Maleficent.

As a student on the Disney College Program, you’re more likely to be scheduled on holidays than full-time employees who requested these days off long before you started working.

The parks are filled with holiday decorations in December. Every night during the fireworks “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” chimes over the speakers at the parks and for the most part participants are miles away from your family.

While you watch happy families making memories around you, its difficult to forget that you’re spending the holidays away from home.

Most employees work longer hours over the holidays to keep up with peak park attendance.

On Christmas Day, amid the hustle and bustle of customers shopping in Disney Springs, Jacquie Donnelly, a Goofy’s Candy Company employee from Rochester, New York, received an unexpected gift from a guest.

Instead of giving out and selling candy, as she did on the other days of her program, Jacquie received candy from a guest.

She received a bar of chocolate. On its wrapper, the words “Your job is not easy. Christmas may make it worse. I just want you to know, I appreciate you,” were printed.

“You [the guest] brightened my day and put a smile on my face,” Donnelly said.

During the last few weeks of the program, Jacquie was counting down the days until she could go home to see her family and taste cookies from Wegmans – her favorite kind.

Jacquie appreciated the opportunity to come work for the Walt Disney Company, but after six months away from her family, Jacquie was more than ready to go home.

The holidays took a toll on Jacquie, instead of the blankets of snow she was used to back home, Orlando temperatures were in the 80s. The only snow Jacquie saw this holiday season was the “snow” that Elsa showered in the Magic Kingdom every night as she froze the castle.

“Thank you to the guest that made working this shift a little better,” Donnelly said.

Sophia will not let her new friend Rachel go

Rachel Isaac, an East Carolina University student, worked as a lifeguard at Blizzard Beach during the beginning of her college program, in May 2015 and throughout the summer months until the park closed for refurbishment.

In a role with little possibility for guest interaction, Rachel made it a point to go out of her way to make guest’s vacations special for them when she had the ability to.

One of these opportunities presented itself on a day when the park was temporarily closed for the weather. She, along with another lifeguard, was under one of the park’s shelters with a family.

The other lifeguard talked with a family while their daughter, Sophia, who was 2 or 3 years old played in the sand.

Rachel started waving at the little girl, making faces at her and doing everything possible to make Sophia giggle.

Eventually, Rachel plopped down for, what she thought would be, a short play in the sand with Sophia.

“She was talking to me and playing with me,” Isaac said. “Every time I’d try to stand up, she’d take my hand and pull me back down to the sand.”

Her mom was shocked that her daughter was being so social, Isaac said.

Rachel agreed to keep playing with Sophia until the park reopened.

“Alright Sophia, I have to go back to where I stand, but I’m sure I’ll see you having fun later,” Isaac said.

Sophia agreed Isaac should get back to work so she got up grabbed Isaac’s hand and began walking with her back to the pool.

“Sorry, I wish you could come but you can’t,” Isaac said.

Sophia pulled Isaac close, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“I told her, I have to go now, and she grabbed my hand again and started walking,” Isaac said.

Meanwhile, Sophia’s mom was gushing to the family about how Sophia had become so attached to Isaac.

Isaac told Sophia that she could receive one more kiss before she had to get back to work.
“It was special because it was the first magical moment I created, but it was also magical for me,” said Isaac.

College student experiences the other side of the magic

I am a former Walt Disney World cast member. I worked at the All Star Resort as a Front Desk Cashier from May of 2015 to January of 2016 for my college program.

Throughout my college program, I made my fair share of magical moments for guest, but I want to dedicate this blog to magical moments that guests made for me and fellow cast members.

A typical magical moment is when a cast member does something special for a guest.

Here are a few examples of magical moments I made on my college program:

I had my boss, Mickey Mouse, personalize birthday cards to send up to guests alongside bouquets of balloons. Sometimes, I’d have Goofy call up to the room and wish them a more personal birthday message.

I customized buttons for guests for celebrations that sometimes they didn’t even know about.

I made balloon animals like bears, dogs and once I even made the Little Mermaid for a guest! Whenever a little one started to cry, one of these balloons was sure to get them to stop and stare in awe. A magical moment for the child, as well as the ears of surrounding guests.

I also made balloon things like flower bracelets, long-stem daisies and swords. What makes the moment magical is the way you customize the gift, not the gift itself.

I’d give my flowers to husbands and boyfriends to give their wives and girlfriends. I would whisper to them “tell her you picked it for her outside on your way into the hotel,” and exaggerate a wink.

I gave a sword to a little boy who was dressed up as a detective. I told him that while he was investigating our kingdom, he would probably run into some villains and he would need the sword to defend himself from evil. I later called up to him and his mom’s room and asked him to report any funny business directly to me so we could figure out a way to take down the villains.

I’d give maps to the rooms to the kids instead of to the parents. I’d tell the kids “that they were obviously the responsible one of the group, so they were in charge of making sure everyone made it to the room safely.” The parents would laugh and thank me, but the kids always looked determined.

Magical moments from cast members typically get more publicity than those made by guests. Some guests return home and post their stories on social media, and their family members read and share them.

While not every guest has a magical moment to share, cast members I encountered at Walt Disney World typically had an interesting story to share about a guest who made magic for them. In this about the blog section, I’ve explained what types of magical moments cast members make for guests, but throughout the remainder of my posts, I’d like to share the hidden stories of the magical moments that those guests make for us cast members.