Smile Police

[Speedway]

I found this paragraph in a 'Grumpy Old Men' article in Saturday's British Daily Mail.

I can't stand the Smile Police at Disneyland. You can't go anywhere without a staff member asking "How are you today, sir?" If I said "I've got a terminal illness" they'd still smile and say "Great!" Its all so phoney and insincere. Mind, I can't help feeling sorry for Disney employees because half of them probably have their own problems and they're bleeding inside trying to deal with them, while being relentlessly cheerful on the outside.

Robson Green, Actor

Controversial! :devil:

Do ever-cheerful cast members annoy any of you? I know its their job to constantly be happy - they are putting on a show - but doesn't it ever get on guests' nerves?

[CrazyDreamer]

I've only ever been annoyed by one nauseatingly sweet cast member- an Alice with a voice in a painful octave and a smile so large it looked grotesque. Really though, cast members are supposed to be cheerful. If I wanted a ride operator to grunt at me I could go to Six Flags.

[SurfedUpDane]

Speedway=A Clown...enough said.

[SCUBAbe]

yeah....but only when it obvious they are being fake...some are or seem to be genuniuely happy and those are the ones that can really make a difference in somenones day......most of the tome I see unsmiling ones who just go through the motions of their job...or are to busy talking to other CM's to notice the guests....

[HarajukuBoy]

In the world we live in, it's refreshing to experience the Disney atmosphere. Granted not all cast members are annoyingly polite, but when I go to Disneyland I expect to be treated as a "guest". I don't mind it one bit.

[rocketrodryan]

Suredupdane

Suredupdane is right. speedway=a BIG CLOWN enough said.

[Speedway]

Um, yeah? Is there something I'm missing here?

[Cuzco-topia]

I've only ever been annoyed by one nauseatingly sweet cast member- an Alice with a voice in a painful octave and a smile so large it looked grotesque. Really though, cast members are supposed to be cheerful. If I wanted a ride operator to grunt at me I could go to Six Flags.

I experienced an obnoxious cm on Alice too last weekend. Wonder if it was the same cm. But, I supposed I would rather have the cm be obnoxiously friendly than not.

[Retlaw Yensid]

...But, I supposed I would rather have the cm be obnoxiously friendly than not.

Everytime I go to DL, I run into a CM who is a little over friendly, but I look at that as one out of the ???# of CMs that I would run into over the day.

I over heard a CM at innoventions using the SAME EXACT speil over and over while we were waiting to get in. If they wanted a happy robot to run the ride they could have made one.

[Gemini Cricket]

Mind, I can't help feeling sorry for Disney employees because half of them probably have their own problems and they're bleeding inside trying to deal with them, while being relentlessly cheerful on the outside.

So, are the Cast Members supposed to take out their problems on guests then? This is a weird quote. We all have problems and smile at times.

I would rather interact with an overly cheerful CM than deal with one with attitude who's venting on me because of a personal issue. Either way, if I'm going to have a good time @ DL, I will.

[Dustysage]

I'd rather that they fake being nice than be real and grumpy.

[E-ticket]

If I wanted a ride operator to grunt at me I could go to Six Flags.

HA, HA! Or Knotts, for that matter!

I believe that having friendly workers is really one of the things that sets Disney apart from other places.

[NWRREngineer]

Why would I want to go to Disneyland if I needed someone to unload all of their personal problems on me?

I agree with the notion that you go to Disneyland to escape all of that.

Curmudgeons need not waste the time.

[Cuzco-topia]

It's still called the "happiest place on earth", right?

[Gothemi]

Maybe he doesn't get that whole "Happiest Place on Earth" thing. Many companies and government agencies (with the exception of the DMV apparently) are being trained to pick up on little things like that to better the customer experience. I don't mind.

[LAURA]

that is so weird that an article like that was written.....i would take a fake friendly to a grump anytime.

[Disneychica04]

most people come to disneyland to escape reality for a day or so and just get caught up with their imagination and letting their imagination just go wild. most of the guests come to disneyland with smiles on their faces and so in return, its our job as cm's to put on happy faces for our guests. sometimes it just is really hard for us to put smiles on our faces for alot of reasons. we might have things going on in our personal life that we just need to take care of, or management could be giving us problems, or guests just do not listen to you and u get irritated cuz they keep on asking you stupid questions or keep on following you around the place. sometimes i get irritated when a guest sees me folding clothes and after i step away from what im folding cuz they either pushed me out of the way or i moved for them, and the next moment i look the place is all trashed again. but disneyland wouldnt be such a happy place, without all of its courteous, friendly, energetic, and happy cm's making magical memories for our guests every minute of the day.