I was a Disney World Cast Member, and what I’m going to tell you today is something that a lot of former Cast Members don’t talk about.

A lot of other folks on the DFB team also had their time of making magic! We all love to reminisce together and share experiences, inside jokes, and helpful information that we learned and gathered throughout our time working for the Mouse. Oh, and we love to share that information with you all! Now, we’re here with some things that our time as a Cast Member taught us were… not the best move. A lot of Cast Members are hesitant to talk about these things because they weren’t able to voice their opinion on it for SO LONG while working for the Mouse.  Let’s talk about it!

While working in the parks, you quickly face situations and actions from park visitors that make your job a lot harder. That’s just how things go — in any job or role in the world! Some of these situations were actually things we did before we were Cast Members. It’s safe to say we don’t do those things anymore!

There are also things we did before we were Cast Members that we realized were impacting our park experiences in a negative way. After working at Disney World, we realized there are better ways of doing things.

5 lies everyone believes about Disney World Cast Members.

Here are some things that we never do in the parks after working at Disney World.

Leave the line for character meet and greets.

One of our team members was a character attendant at Disney World, while another one worked in entertainment. They learned a lot about the ins and outs of character meet and greets, and they have some advice to share!

If you’re ever waiting in line to meet a character and they go back inside, don’t fret! And DEFINITELY don’t leave the line. The characters typically come back out after about 5 minutes, ready to meet you again! One of the editors here at DFB was a Blueberry (a character attendant) and she confirmed that in most cases, the characters come right back out after a brief siesta.

Unless it’s raining or storming, this is almost always the case. Cast Members aren’t allowed to stand outside in heavy rain or lightning, so this is the reasoning behind this. Oh, and here’s another tip! Cast Members aren’t allowed to straight up tell you whether or not that character will be right back out. So, it’s sometimes not even worth it to stop them and ask.

I was a Disney World Cast Member, and I’m letting you in on a character secret. 

Ask to be let in early for a Lightning Lane.

After working in attractions, some of us have a better understanding of the Lightning Lane system than we did previously. Lightning Lanes and Genie+ replaced the former FastPass+, and make up the current skip-the-line system at Disney World. The timing of Lightning Lanes matters. The timing is based on line ratios, efficiency equations, and other mathematical things that a team of Imagineers worked hard to figure out.

What I do know is this: When people showed up early or late for their Lightning Lanes, things were thrown off BIG TIME when I was a Cast Member. The Lightning Lane line got super long, and since we had to prioritize that line, the standby line got even longer. Cast Members in every position at the ride were overwhelmed, and it’s not fun. Try your best to show up on time!

If you do have a valid reason for being late, just politely explain to the Cast Member what happened. For certain scenarios, they’ll let your tardy slide. However, if you were late for the sake of being late, understand that the Cast Member has every right to not let you through. They’re doing their job the way they were taught, so please don’t get mean with them if they turn you away.

I used to work at Disney World’s Haunted Mansion. Here’s What I NEED you to know. 

Not acknowledge the Cast Members.

It’s a really sad and boring shift when you spend 8 hours standing around a ride or merchandise shop and not a single person acknowledges you or your greetings!

Please, y’all, respond to the Cast Members and acknowledge when they speak to you. They’re not robots, and there’s a great chance that they’ll share a bit of extra magic or some fun facts with you if you listen to what they have to say.

However, we do understand that it can be a bit awkward to interact with Cast Members. Half the time, it’s hard to even tell if they WANT to talk to you! We’ll give you a cheat sheet. Say “hello,” “please,” and “thank you.” No matter where they are or what role they’re in! Oh, and if they’re at a position where they aren’t speaking to a lot of guests, just ask them about their favorite things to do in the park and if they have any recommendations! (But don’t do this to lifeguards. Please.)

I was a Disney World Cast Member. Here are 7 of my biggest regrets.

Not be extra mindful in the gift shops.

The gift shops at Disney World are extra magical, and they can also be extra overwhelming. If you need help finding some merchandise or are curious as to when some might be in stock, just be mindful of the way you ask a Cast Member for that information! We’ve seen a lot of visitors be a bit pushy with the Cast Members, which is never a good scenario.

There’s totally no harm in asking questions. However, be mindful of how you approach the Cast Members. They’re always happy to help you, but they truly can’t control what’s in stock. Oh, and if you decide you don’t want something, please put it back where you got it!

The SECRET place you’re not shopping for souvenirs at Disney World

And there you have it! If you do any of these things, it’s totally not a big deal. The Cast Members probably are not at all mad at you and probably forgot about it right after it happened. However, if you wanna earn brownie points with the Cast Members or want to improve your experience, we’d recommend sticking to these rules!

We’ll be sure to keep you updated with more Disney news and advice, so make sure to follow along so that you never miss a thing.

Looking for more Cast Member advice? Click here! 

Have you ever worked at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!