Certain things make a Disney vacation a truly magical experience. One of the most important parts of Disney magic is the thousands of hard-working cast members. Disney cast members do everything from operating the rides to cleaning the bathroom, serving the food, selling the merchandise, and so much more. They truly represent the best that Disney has to offer, and places like Walt Disney World Resort wouldn’t be what they are without them.
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Unfortunately, lately, cast members seem to be dealing with an increasing number of entitled guests who treat them poorly. Fights break a lot more often than they used to, putting cast members in danger.
Social media “influencers” frustrate the hard-working employees because they don’t think the rules apply to them. And then there are just the generally entitled guests who think that they should get whatever they want because of how much they paid for their vacation.
And now, a cast member is speaking out, setting guests straight on what is acceptable behavior and what is not.
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Reddit user Gh057Wr173r took to the social media platform to remind guests that they can’t just film cast members wherever and whenever they want. In fact, filming them in certain areas can actually get you in trouble.
CMs don’t like being filmed in any situation backstage, especially without our consent and especially with your camera pointed at a specific part of our bodies. You’re not even supposed to film in backstage areas at all, and if we’re walking somewhere backstage it means we are either walking to a break area or walking back to work from our break. Either way we are still technically in break-mode and do not wish to see or interact with guests. So yeah we actually really hate this because it is blatantly disrespectful and inconsiderate. Please put your cameras away backstage and respect the rights of the CMs who make the magic you paid for.
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Some commenters wondered how a guest could get backstage to film in the first place. There are actually a couple of ways in which this can happen. When guests sign up for certain tours, like Disney World’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour, they are taken backstage.
Now, before the tour begins, the cast member will let guests know that filming backstage is not allowed. Guests must follow that rule, or they may be removed from the tour and possibly escorted out of the theme park.
Another way guests can get backstage is by experiencing a ride breakdown. While Disney will try to get the ride up and running as quickly as possible, sometimes that is just not possible. When that happens, cast members will escort guests off the ride and lead them to the exit, which often means going backstage.
Unlike Disney tours, cast members do not typically tell guests not to film while they are exiting during a breakdown. However, the Original Poster (OP) did point out that filming backstage at Disney isn’t allowed at any time.
Another cast member chimed in in the comments and asked guests to please just be respectful if they are backstage and see a cast member. Cast members deserve breaks just like everyone else, and they don’t need guests bothering them or wondering why they aren’t 100% “on.”
CM here: please always be considerate when you’re backstage. Backstage is the one place we are supposed to be able to relax a bit and decompress. Being “ON” all day isn’t easy and we need some peace and quiet too, like everyone with a job. So if you find yourself backstage, be a respectful adult, DO NOT FILM. Nobody wants that. Not a single CM wants to be filmed while we are trying to take a few minutes to have time to ourselves, eat something or just close our eyes. Turn your phones off, please. Thank you.
If you do want to film a cast member, it is important to ask their permission. Most people don’t like having a camera put in front of their faces, and cast members are no different.
Cast members want everyone to have a great time during their Disney park visit. However, it is on the guest even more than it is on the cast member to make sure that happens. There are certain rules to be followed and ways to behave. If everyone does that, you are sure to have a magical day.
Do you think guests are becoming increasingly rude to cast members? Let us know in the comments!
