Disney is Launching a New Way to Compliment Cast Members

Disney is launching a new way for you to express gratitude to Cast Members. But is it the best way to actually compliment them? Let’s do a deeper dive.

Disney Cast Members

Disney fans are often divided on Disney things. In fact it can be downright polarizing: Dole Whip vs. Citrus Swirl; Old Epcot vs. New Epcot; Enchantment is the worst vs. give Enchantment a chance; on property vs. off property, and the list goes on and on and on.

But one thing we can generally all agree on is that we love Disney Cast Members. Certainly we adore the castle, the magic of heading down Main Street, our favorite Mickey-shaped treats, rides that thrill us and rides that bring joy to our hearts. But the real magic lies in the humans who work to keep the Pixie Dust in the air.

I have often said that the Cast Members have me figured out. They know just what it takes to keep me coming to Disney time and time again. My family and I have had numerous magical moments that are now treasured memories at the hands of CMs.

I hope each of you, dear readers, has had an experience where a Disney CM made you feel like your vacation experience mattered. And if you have, I hope you found some way to let that CM know that the kindness afforded to you and yours mattered.

Thanking a Cast Member

If you want to thank a Cast Member, there are plenty of ways to go about doing so. You can Tweet your compliments to @WDWGuestService and use the hashtag #cast complement. Remember to be specific.

You can also, thank them in person or by stopping buy guest services and filling out a compliment card. For a full list of ideas for thanking a cast member, head right over here.

A Whole New Way to Thank a Cast Member

Now, Walt Disney World is rolling out a new way to spread the Disney CM love. According to Disney Parks Blog, “With the touch of a button, guests on the go can now access a new feature via the Walt Disney World 50^th Anniversary Destination Guide in the My Disney Experience mobile app” (2021).

This all sounds great, but is it the very best way to express CM appreciation? Take a look at how it works and decide.

How it Works

Step 1: To start with, you need to find the “50th Anniversary Guide” in the app. Then select “Explore Guide.”

Step 2: Next, scroll down to the very bottom of the screen. Here, you can click “share your compliment.”

Step 3: Once you have done this, the app lets you select the type of compliment you would like to share from a drop down menu. It includes things like “Caring for my individual needs” and “Going above and beyond to create happiness.”

Step 4: Then the app asks you to input a location where the magic occurred. You can select theme parks or resort hotels.

Step 5: After you complete your selections, you can submit your compliment.

To help guests navigate this feature, Disney has created a video. You can watch it below.

Check out this video to see how it works.

Is it the Best Way?

As you can see, while this feature allows you to recognize cast members in general, it does not allow you to pass along a message that identifies a cast member by name. It also does not let you provide many details about your experience.

I don’t know about you, but if Nick at Steak House 71 goes to a different restaurant to find me POG Juice, which isn’t on the current menu, then I want to send Nick the complement, not the entire dining team at the Contemporary in general.

I am sure they are all lovely, but I want Nick to get some extra credit. By the way, Nick, If you are reading this, thank you!

Disney works a lot of magic, but it does not seem that there is a way for managers to magically know which cast member to attribute the compliment to. It makes me wonder what the benefit is.

Does any entire team receive a perk if the team receives enough compliments? The details are currently unknown.

A Better Way

Thankfully, Walt Disney World is still accepting compliments via email or social media posts. And, of course, you can still thank your favorite CMs in person.

Thanking them through a different avenue in MDE is also easy, and it allows you to be more specific.

Step 1: Simply go into MDE, click “Help”

Step 2: Click “Send Us Your Feedback.”

Step 3: (This is important) Right away, you will be able to select “Cast Compliment.” BUT you do NOT want to do that as it will send you to the general CM feedback section referenced earlier.

INSTEAD, select “My Visit.” Then click “Continue”

This will open a form.

Step 4: Next, look at the dropdown labeled “Topic.” For your topic, you want to choose “During Your Stay.”

Step 5: Finally, you can select “Cast Compliment.” Now you can put all of your specifics in the available text box.

This will allow Disney to send the Cast Member an email! To me, this is definitely a preferable way to express gratitude.

Final Thoughts

I am happy that Disney is bringing guests another way to recognize Cast Members. However, when I stop and think about it, I am just not certain it is as effective as other methods, and I am a little unclear on the “why” behind it.

I supposed it is a great way to recognize and entire staff. For example, I was once blown away by how kind and helpful everyone I encountered at Satu’li Canteen was as I tried to juggle two kids a stroller and a tray while I waited on the rest of our group to meet us. In that instance, this feature would have been helpful.

But, when it comes to recognizing individuals, I highly recommend using social media, email, or MDE’s more specific feature.

Have you ever had a Cast Member make your day? Will you be using the new feature? Let us know in the comments or in the comments on Facebook! Better yet, let Disney know!