Credit: Lee (myfrozenlife), FlickrA former Disney Cast Member recently spoke out on TikTok after being asked about the worst Guests he encountered at Walt Disney World Resort.
As Disney Parks Guests grapple with an uptick in violence, “entitled” behavior from content creators, and general rule-breaking, former Disney Cast Member Thomas (@dappermanatee) shared the one thing Guests do that contributes to employee burnout. And it might surprise you!
According to Thomas, much of Disney Cast Members’ frustration doesn’t come from long hours or working conditions but from Guest behavior. More specifically, they’re often frustrated at how often “d**chebag” Guests lie about interactions with other Cast Members to get their way:
@dappermanatee Replying to @sojoy85 but the cast member said I could! #dappermanatee #disney #formercastmember #disneyworld #disneytiktok #disneyparks #disneystorytime #castmember #castmemberlife #castmemberstories #castmemberproblems #castmembersecrets #castmemberconfessions #disneytiktok #disneystorytime #fyp #disneyparks
“I’ve talked about how Cast Members get burnt out,” Thomas began. “Their magic goes from here to here, and one of the main factors of this is Guests who lie… They do it constantly.”
The Disney Cast Member recalled Guests lying about being let into FastPass/Lightning Lane queues, going backstage without permission, and more.
“My favorite was that Mission: Space used to have these little cards you had to take, and you couldn’t enter the building without the card,” Thomas continued. “I’d have Guests come up… I’d be like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get a card,’ and they’d be like, ‘Oh, the Cast Member down there said I didn’t need one.’”
Of course, when Thomas asked his fellow Cast Members if they’d told Guests they didn’t need a card… The answer was always a resounding “no.”
“You try to keep the open mind; you try not to judge the book before you’ve read it,” he said. “But some days you feel like just keep reading the same book over and over again.”
So what is the best way to interact with Disney Cast Members?
“Tell the truth,” Thomas concluded. “Be right in your answer, and we are all over it, trying to fix everything we can… Rides talk. If you lie at this FastPass and then you go to another attraction and try to lie… we call each other. Just be kind and tell the truth.”
What’s the worst behavior you’ve seen at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort? Share your story with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks experiences. No two experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.