Everyone knows someone or at least knows of someone that has tried to get something for free out of The Disney Company or any big-name company. There are always some people that will do whatever it takes to get something for nothing, no matter what the cost. It’s sad to say, but that’s just how some are in the world, and that is what makes this edition of “Tales of a Former Cast Member” so strange in my life.
One day during my first summer in the Walt Disney World College Program (WDWCP), I was doing the job of stocker for the Outdoor Foods (ODF) department in the Magic Kingdom of which I worked.
A popcorn wagon in Mickey’s Toon Town needed to open, and the other Cast Member had their wagon with supplies ready to go out. Their drink cart was totally packed with drinks and ice and extremely heavy, as I’m sure you could tell just by seeing it in the parks.
Well, we headed out across the park and for Toon Town.
The other CM was pushing their drink cart while I walked at the front and bellowed out our usual call, “Excuse us folks, pardon us, please!”
Things were going just fine with the popcorn buckets stacked on top of the very heavy drink cart.
“Excuse us folks, pardon us, please!”
We made it past Cosmic Ray’s and around the Mad Tea Party as we started up and then down the small incline toward Toon Town.
“Excuse us folks, pardon us, please!”
Immediately after calling out, I could see out the corner of my eye to the left that a young child was up on a railing so I told the CM with me to “Hold on a second,” before walking about three feet over and advising the child to not get up on the railing.
Turning back around, the CM had stopped and was waiting for me. I walked back over and shouted, “Excuse us folks, pardon us, please!”
He started pushing the heavy drink cart again and down the small decline as a young girl (maybe four years old) ran out from the opposite side and directly in front of the cart. Along with the CM, we pulled back on the handle of the cart but the young girl got hit dead on and fell to the ground. She was so small that she actually fit underneath the cart.
We stopped it, and I looked under it and made sure she didn’t have her arms or legs or head near a wheel and had the CM pull the wagon back.
As he did, the young girl was revealed with a huge red knot on her forehead and a busted lip. She wasn’t crying and she simply sat right up as her mother came running over, and I was preparing for the worst, but my concern was with the welfare of the little girl.
The mother knelt down and I radioed my manager and advised of the situation. The mother looked me dead in the face and calmly said, “Please don’t make a fuss. She’s alright.”
Shocked, I said, “Ma’am, please let me help, though. That’s a bad knot on her forehead and Disney does have a medical facility nearb…..”
“No no,” she said. “Honey, are you ok?”
The little girl nodded, and still wasn’t crying. She actually smiled and started to stand up. That was when I insisted that she lay down and started advising that medical help would soon arrive.
Her mother once again told me that everything was alright. Mind you, she wasn’t being rude or stern, but very sweet-spoken and kind. The little girl was still smiling as two Disney EMTs arrived with a gurney.
The mother said, “This really isn’t necessary, but to make sure she is alright, we will just get her checked out.”
As the EMTs started treating the young girl and putting her on the gurney, my manager and I started speaking with her mother. We told her that Disney would replace a day on their tickets or comp a night or any number of things to make up for the problems of the day, even though nothing could truly make up for an injury to her child.
She refused. She refused every single offer and attempt.
Then, the EMTs wheeled the little girl off, and her mother and family followed.
All the Cast Members looked at one another and went about our day because there was nothing else that could be done. Still, it wasn’t sitting right with me. Something didn’t feel good and there was something rather not-so-Disney about the whole situation.
Later that afternoon, I spoke with my manager and a few Disney guest relations CMs, and the family apparently asked for nothing. They didn’t want anything, but to make sure their little girl was alright. Still, a little discussion later and a courtesy basket was sent to their room in the Caribbean Beach Resort since guest relations had the information of where they were staying.
The basket included some Disney plush animals, snacks, autograph books, stickers, t-shirt, etc. Sure, it wouldn’t make up for what happened to the little girl, but it was the least we could do.
Two days later, that family had left Walt Disney World and headed home. A little info-searching and I had found out that the little girl ended up being alright except for some minor scrapes and bruises. The family did end up leaving a note in their room though. The note was not a complaint, but one filled with gushing compliments for Disney, the Cast Members, and all that helped them throughout their trip.
The note? Well, it was sitting on top of the courtesy basket that had been left completely untouched. They said the gifts were very kind but unnecessary because all they wanted to do was enjoy Walt Disney World as a family, and we helped them do that.
Not everyone always wants something for nothing.
I love that story!