Nothing beats the magic of going to a Disney park – the food, the attractions, the characters. But magic is found in a different form when you have an experience with a Disney Cast Member. One of my first memorable encounters with a Disney Cast Member occurred when I was a young boy. There was a ferry boat driver on the Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom route who took an interest in me. He learned my name, gave me stickers, and for the rest of our vacation, he would always call me by my name. Hal was a great guy, and over twenty years later I still remember the feeling of excitement knowing that a Disney Cast Member knew my name – I was special!
This past March while we were about to sit down for breakfast at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Hotel, my wife and I realized we had left our daughters epipen in the cabin at Fort Wilderness. My daughter has a serious dairy and egg allergy and the epipen is essential, especially at a restaurant. So, my wife and kids would delay our reservation and wait, while I hurried back to our room for the epipen. (To make matters worse, Chef Mickey was close to the end of their breakfast service, and if I wasn’t back quickly, we might miss eating Mickey waffles and meeting Mickey and the gang.) Racing out of the restaurant I ignored the ferry, fearing it would take too long, and opted for a cab. At the valet service, I informed the Cast Member of my situation and she proceeded to call me a cab. With no cab after ten minutes the same Cast Member told me to stay where I was, a cadillac would be picking me up momentarily.
I was relieved when Bud, the driver of the cadillac, pulled up to the doors. He drove me to Fort Wilderness and we talked the whole way. I have to admit I am a bit of a nervous person about my daughter’s allergy. My daughter once had an allergic reaction from touching something at the local bookstore and god knows what she could touch at Chef Mickey’s that might cause a reaction. But, Bud kept my mind off things and helped me calm down. He told me about his retirement from IBM and how he started his Disney career by working in the stores at Animal Kingdom and was finally recast to the Contempory. Bud was a great guy – friendly and personable. For the twenty minutes it took to leave the Contemporary and get back with an epipen in hand, I listened to Bud talked about his life and experiences at Disney. When we pulled up into the valet drop off at the Contemporay I offered Bud $20, money in my opinion well spent, for driving me back to Fort Wilderness, and he refused. Bud told me that this was part of his job and that I should spend that $20 on my family.
As I walked towards the door, the same Cast Member who arranged my ride with Bud told me that there hasn’t been any emergencies at Chef Mickey’s while I was gone and not to worry. Two very different people and together they made a nervous dad feel better and helped me solve a serious problem quickly. Our meal went on and my daughter posed for pictures with Mickey and the gang, and we didn’t have one problem. Food service in regards to allergies at Disney World is excellent. But it is the Cast Members who ensure the highest quality of care for each guest. My daughter may have met Mickey, but the two Cast Members I dealt with will not be forgotten.