1. YES. That poncho is $9 ma'am…yes, we know that's a ridiculous price for a piece of plastic. Yes, that Mickey Mouse rice krispy is $17. Yes, that princess dress is $70…we know you can get the same one at Walmart for half the price…but the thing is, you're at Walt Disney World. People from all over the world come here and you know that when you enter the gates, you pay "Disney price". If it's that big of a deal, wait until you leave the park to purchase the items.
2. NO. You cannot get a refund for your tickets if it rains or storms. This is Florida…let me be the first to educate you on the weather here: The humidity is sometimes unbearable. It storms and/or rains daily. We are surrounded by the ocean here in Florida, and I'm not sure if you were taught about how oceanside states often receive rain because of that, but its true! We're sorry for the inconvenience; we are magical but we are not God.
3. YES. Sometimes you will see us do something to create a little extra magic for a guest like giving them a free cupcake or take them to meet someone special. NO, that does not mean that this will happen to you as well. This act is called a magical moment. These moments are often a stem of a conversation with the guest in which a magical moment takes place. If a guest with a birthday or maybe a couple has just been married get a free chocolate covered pineapple from the Main Street Confectionary in Magic Kingdom, that doesn't mean that you should cause a scene by asking where your free food is. Don't ruin someone else's magic.
4. PLEASE STOP SHOVING MONEY IN OUR FACE. We know that you are eager to open that toy that your daughter has been begging for. We know that you just want that hat because the sun is beating down on your head. However, the guest that I am currently helping has needs as well. They waited in a line just like you're having to do. Please don't cut in front of them and start shoving money in our faces. That's not magical for anyone.
5. STOP. When I tell you that I don't understand your language, yelling at me (in your language) doesn't make me understand any better. I promise I will find a cast member that can better assist you and can understand what you want. There is no need to get closer to my face and invade my personal space while yelling at me in a language that I have made clear that I don't understand.
6. JUST SAY THANK YOU. We as cast members try our absolute best to create magic for our guests. We understand that sometimes our guests get overwhelmed and cannot handle the high stress that is created by the constant crowds and the unbearably hot weather and sometimes you just want to get out of it! We know. We will try our absolute best all the time to make your vacation as magical as possible. There are times that it takes us a little bit longer to achieve that magic, but please be patient with us. We are trying our best. When we complete your request, please say thank you. It is likely that we have gone through hell and back trying to make you happy which is why it has taken us so long. We don't want to just complete the task; we want to make the experience one you'll never forget, in a good way of course.
7. THE 3:00 PARADE IS AT 3:00. Believe it or not, I am asked on a daily basis "Excuse me ma'am, what time is the 3:00 parade?" I kid you not. The parades start at their given times unless otherwise noted. The parades cannot be in every area of the park at one time, so where you are at the time of the parade will determine what time you actually see the parade. You may not see it until 3:15, but I promise you that the parade, did in fact, begin at 3:00.
8. THERE IS ONE MICKEY MOUSE. Yes, you did see Mickey at the Magic Kingdom today. Yes, you now see him at Hollywood Studios. He created a world of magic. Are you really going to question us fifteen times about how he got from one place to the next? HE'S MAGIC.
These are just a few examples of how you can help us, as cast members, keep the magic alive that Walt Disney lived to create. We cherish our guests and the magic that they help us create. Without you, our jobs would be impossible. We are so thankful that we are able to create magic every single day and make the lives of others magical as well. As Walt once said, "You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality." 