^ This.Lion Sleeps Tonight wrote:Okay, well another thing is to strike a conversation with a guest. Talking to guests and making them laugh to brighten their day would usually brighten mine as well.
So many times I was in a park or riding the monorail after work (so not in costume.. just normal clothes, etc) and would find myself randomly chatting to the guests.
One night I was on the monorail going from the TTC to Epcot, and the two people either side of me were chatting about where they'd dined, and one asked the other for the dining reservation number, which neither of them knew off hand. So I did the CM-like thing and whipped out my Tell-A-Cast (Like a little guide for CMs that has all the entertainment schedules, character locations, food locations, times etc in it) and gave them the number. Naturally, the guests were over the moon that I'd helped them out, even though I wasn't working at the time and had no reason to do so, other than just to be helpful. Little things like that help to make you smile that little bit more after a day of silly questions
The same thing happened waiting for Fantasmic or IllumiNations.. I'd chat to the guests around me, not only to pass the time for me, but also for them. I distinctly remember one family who happened to be from the UK not too far from where I live. We were chatting about where we lived, we got on to the subject of how come I was working at WDW, then on to what their plans were for the next few days, etc. They mentioned they were going to the Magic Kingdom the following day and asked if I had any "hints" for the parades/shows etc, so I told them the usual things... Where the parades start (DDCTP starts in Frontierland, Spectro starts at Town Square) etc, where the best area to see Wishes (IMHO) is, etc. The next evening, I decided to take myself to the Magic Kingdom in the evening for some Space Mountain and Wishes fun (as you do..), and as I was walking through town square, the crowds were lining up for Spectromagic, and as I walked through I felt a tap on the shoulder.. It was the same guests I'd been talking to the following night. They'd picked me out from the crowds of people walking through the area (I've no idea how - they couldn't have known I was going to MK that night.. I'd only decided myself half an hour earlier!) just to thank me for what I'd told them the night before. That made me smile
Some of the guests can be rather difficult to handle, but it's times like those that you realise that there are some guests who are genuinely nice people, and who aren't just looking for someone to complain to. Often, specially after a full day of listening to silly questions and complaining guests, just one happy guest can make all that go away and make you smile that little bit more.
Andy. Smiling right now having just recalled those two little stories.
