Walt Disney World is known for its incredible theme parks and attractions, but it just wouldn’t be the same without its wonderful cast members. Throughout your time at Walt Disney World, you’ll no doubt encounter dozens of cast members who go out of their way to make your trip even more magical. If you’ve been wondering how you can thank these cast members for their amazing service, keep reading to find the best ways to recognize their hard work and passion.
Tweet Your Thanks
If you’ve had a great experience at Walt Disney World, use the Twitter handle @WDWGuestService and the hashtag #CastCompliment to share your experience online. This is one of the best ways for your favorite cast member to be recognized by their leaders, as these compliments are passed onto the park management team.
The cast members are often presented with a printed version of the tweet and are celebrated at their workplace for being recognized in this manner. For anyone who’s never worked in the parks before, believe me, this will brighten up their day and keep them going during some of the long shifts they have ahead.
A Small Gift From Your Home Country
While you can tip certain positions, such as your restaurant servers, regular cast members cannot accept a monetary gift. Instead, we encourage you to bring a small gift or printed thank-you card from your home country.
Cast members will love this unique thank-you gift that will brighten their day. Great ideas include little pin badges or candy from your home country. This gesture won’t cost you a fortune but will help to spread a little pixie dust on your trip.
Mousekeeping Envelopes
One of the positions you can leave a monetary tip for is your housekeeping cast member in your Disney resort. Often referred to as Mousekeeping, consider printing off a fun selection of personalized thank you envelopes to put your tips into before your trip.
Leave one on your bed each morning as you head to the parks for the day, and you can be sure it will put a smile on your housekeeper’s face for the rest of the day. They’ll appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into thanking them for their hard work.
Guest Relations Cast Compliment
In a similar manner to the Twitter idea we listed above, head to Guest Relations in any of the parks to leave your Cast Compliment. The team at Guest Relations will offer you a special thank you card to fill in, which will then be passed on to the cast member’s leader to be presented to them.
When cast members are being considered for promotions or new positions, things like this help them stand out from their fellow cast members. If you had a great conversation with a cast member, they’d be sure to remember your interaction, and it will bring a smile to their face to see the time you put into thanking them on your trip.
Thank you Cards
Before you head down to Walt Disney World, consider printing off a set of thank you cards that you can give to anyone who makes your day that little bit more magical. Leave space to write their name and if you are feeling creative, make a fun design online that incorporates Disney characters or the castle. Write a heartfelt message that shows how much you appreciate everything the cast members do to make Walt Disney World such an incredible place for guests to visit. You can find these on Etsy in different forms like those shown in the photo above. Here is a link to a thank-you card for Cast Members.
Best Cast Buttons
In online stores today, such as Etsy, you’ll find some fun ‘best cast buttons’ that you can share with your favorite cast members on your trip. These will be super light and small to carry in your bag each day but will give the cast members you encounter a fun souvenir they’ll enjoy displaying in their home after you’ve presented it to them.
Buy a bulk order of buttons before your trip so you have a dozen to present to cast members as you explore the parks.
Surveys
It’s so easy for us to ignore opportunities to share our feedback about anything today, but if you get the chance to fill in a survey about your trip to Walt Disney World, we highly encourage you to use this as an opportunity to thank the cast members who’ve gone out of their way to make your trip even more special. You’ll sometimes be sent a survey after a visit, or you may find cast members carrying them out at the entrance and exit of the park. When asked for any additional comments, make sure you add in a shout-out to any cast members you’ve enjoyed speaking with. Disney is great at recognizing their cast members who go above and beyond, and you can be sure they’ll be thanked for their hard work.
Simply Thank Them for Their Hard Work
Saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t cost anything but could really turn around someone’s day. You’d be surprised how demanding many guests can be towards cast members in the parks, and so often, people forget to say a simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when being served their food or buying something in a store. If you’ve had an interaction with a cast member you’ve particularly enjoyed, take the time to stop and speak to them and thank them for their hard work. Ask them how their day is going and a little bit more about their time working at Disney. They’ll appreciate how interested you are in how they are doing and for taking the time out to check in on them as well.
Speak to Their Manager
When you are exploring the parks, you’ll often see leaders walking around the stores, restaurants, and attractions. If you get the chance to see a leader after having a great experience with one of their team, stop and speak to them about how the cast member made you feel. You can be sure they will be recognized in their next team meeting, and it’s always good for their manager to see how well they are doing. For new or experienced cast members, this is one way for them to quickly stand out when working for Disney.
Leave a Note On Your Receipt
In restaurants, we often just pay for our meal and get up and leave. Take the time to write a quick note on the receipt for your server to find as they clear the table. It will put a huge smile on their face, and they’ll likely keep it as a memory of their great experience with you. Just a simple message expressing your gratitude and their care and attention can completely turn around their day. The servers at Disney work long and demanding hours, so you can be sure this will help to keep them going for the rest of their shift.
So many visitors to Walt Disney World often overlook the hard work and dedication of the cast members, who really do help to make the parks different from your typical theme park. Since the opening of the parks, the cast members have worked tirelessly to look after guests every day and offer them an experience of a lifetime. Take a few minutes out on your next trip to thank those cast members who’ve made your experience even better. You can be sure they’ll appreciate it, and it will put a massive smile on their face for the rest of the day.
2 comments
Norma
I had a magical experience one time. I went to customer relations AND I tweeted with the hash tags. I actually found him a few years later on Facebook, i contacted him to thank him again. I found out that Disney did absolutely NOTHING for him. They didn’t even mention a thank you from us or all the compliments we went out of our way to give him.
I’m just glad I got to let him know how special and grateful we were for what he did for my daughter.
Carolyn Smart
I am a Registered Nurse. At our organization, in order to get a raise, if we receive a compliment it must be in writing. I do not know if this is how it is at WDW. But, I would suggest getting their name and manager and sending a written or email. This might really make a difference to the CM