Being a Campus Rep sure has brought back A LOT of memories of working down there. One in particular stands in my mind, and it has to do with the Cast Member image that one gets working there.
Working there, you become a part of the Disney heritage that has been with the parks since Walt Disney announced he wanted to build Disneyland in Anaheim, California. In fact, Walt Disney has even been quoted saying:
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
The thing is, every single Disney park would not run unless the Cast Members are there. And, if you think about it, whenever you would visit a Disney park, how do you remember the Cast Members? They have this timeless look to them, right? That’s becuase they live up to and are examples of the Disney look. This look, generally speaking, is a “conservative” look, one that seems friendly and people will feel comfortable to come to you to ask for questions.
Working at Innoventions meant that I would be positioned outside at Tip Board where I would answer guest’s questions and tell them if there were any Fastpasses availble and at what time. But I also acted as a meeting place for separated families. There were many times that I would be standing there and a family group would come up to me. The mom or dad (usually it would be the mother) would ask me to introduce myself to their children and show them my nametag. They would say “If you ever lose me or your daddy, and you don’t know where you are, look for someone wearing this nametag, and they’ll help find me or daddy.” Your look as a Cast Member makes parent’s feel comfortable enough to have their child come to you if they are ever separated.
Many times, I would have a separated parent come running up to me freaking out that they got separated from their child. I would call secruity, and a guard would come and look for their child. In one of these instances, the parent went off with the security cast member, and minutes later, the found child came up to me and said that they couldn’t find their parents. It always would break my heart to see a child like that, afraid and lost. To ease the child’s terrror, I knelt down and started asking their name, how old they are, where they’re from, and just start talking with them. Soon, the kid was no longer worried about where his family was, and the dad and security cast member had returned and the dad and child were reunited.
Now, looking at a different part of being a Cast Member. Since you work for the company, of course you get free entry to the parks (that would just be cruel), and I used that to the fullest. Many times, when I was broke, I would pack a lunch and go into the parks and hang out there. One time, I think it was when I first got there, I was getting some food, and the cast member asked if I was going to be staying until the park closed…at 1am. I told her no, and she said that I have that look that I can come whenever I wanted, and promptly asked where I work.
Another moment that sticks out in my head is when I was in the parks with a friend at the end of my first program. I was walking by a ride in a huge crowd when I suddenly felt a little tug at my shirt. I turned around and saw a little boy looking at me, obviously lost. As I knelt down, he clung to my arm. As we went to the nearest cast member, his dad just so happened to be talking to one right across the way. Even when you aren’t in costume, guests still feel comfortable enough to ask you questions about where the bathrooms are or where a certain ride is.
There’s a saying with cast members that you can tell who are guests and who are cast members just by looking at them. And it’s true.
