Walt Disney World and Disneyland have hit a monumental milestone with Cast Compliments! This covers the news, plus tips for how to appreciate Cast Members easily in-app and why you should pay it forward by praising the Magic Makers. It’s a win-win!
Let’s start with the news. Cast Members at Walt Disney World and Disneyland have received over three million Mobile Cast Compliments submitted by appreciative guests in-app. These messages of appreciation grow every day, uplifting Cast Members for the magic they create.
Mobile Cast Compliments is a feature in the My Disney Experience (Walt Disney World) and Disneyland mobile apps that allows guests to share a “thank you” with Cast Members who helped create memorable moments during their visit. These extensions of appreciation go far beyond the interaction itself, leaving a lasting impact on the Cast Members who receive them.
Mobile Cast Compliments are often inspired by moments that feel personal, joyful, and unforgettable. One standout example is those created by Walt Disney World Kilimanjaro Safaris guides Charm and Angel, who leave a lasting impression on guests through the joy, humor, and energy they bring to each ride. This has earned both of the Kilimanjaro Safaris guides recognition as two of Walt Disney World’s most highly complimented Cast Members.
Charm brings genuine infectious enthusiasm to every interaction aboard Kilimanjaro Safaris. She especially enjoys connecting one-on-one with guests by answering questions, celebrating children’s love of animals, and creating memories guests will take home with them.
That personal approach is reflected in the recognition she receives from guests. “These Mobile Cast Compliments remind me that the small moments matter,” Charm shared. “Even a quick chat or a fun fact can make someone’s day, and knowing that makes me smile.”
Angel likewise excels at delivering just what guests need in the moment Whether that’s excitement for the ride ahead or a meaningful conversation, he creates moments that guests cherish and enjoy. “Being named one of Walt Disney World’s top complimented cast members is something I never expected,” Angel shared.
“I don’t think about numbers. I think about the smiles, the laughs, and the moments I get to share with guests. Knowing I made someone’s day—and that happiness carries forward—that’s what means the most.”
On the opposite coast, PhotoPass Photographer Luis is the most-complimented Cast Member at Disneyland Resort. Luis has been recognized time and time again for turning photo opportunities into magical moments. Known for guiding guests to the perfect locations, he keeps each experience fun and engaging.
“Being named the most complimented cast member is beyond words,” Luis shared. “All I do is have fun with the guests and give them the experience I would want—capturing the moments I’d want to have of my kids. There are much better photographers than myself, but I think it’s my personality. I give the guests an adventure.”
Luis strives to go above and beyond to transform a family photo into a vacation highlight. He leaves guests with memories that last long after their visit ends, and when guests pay it forward by recognizing him with a Mobile Cast Compliment, it means a lot to Luis.
“Getting compliments from guests feels like they’re saying I left a memory with them,” Luis said. “When they take the extra step to share that through the app, it’s pretty cool because it means they remember that I gave them something they truly enjoyed.”
I got the chance to hear more about the Mobile Cast Compliment system last week during an event called the Disneyland Resort Business Update (different Cast Member celebration at Disneyland pictured above).
We were invited to attend an intimate media gathering with Disneyland President Thomas Mazloum and other leadership from the resort, who shared plans for the future, along with changes they’ve made over the last year to measurably improve the guest experience.
One such leader was Brenai De Haro, Director of Operations & Integration at the Disneyland Resort. She discussed Disneyland’s new unified operational strategy, which is focused on reducing friction in a guest’s day and reinvesting in training and service culture for Cast Members. (We’ve already covered one such way in Disney Addresses Third Biggest Guest Complaint, Decreasing Downtime for 1.5 Million More Rides!)
We’ll have more on what this means in terms of Cast Members soon in a separate post soon, but suffice to say, Disneyland has made several changes over the last year-plus, addressing post-COVID problems and finding ways to expand and improve Cast Member training.
During that panel, Disney leaders once again touted the Mobile Cast Compliment feature in the Disneyland app, and teased plans to expand it. While we don’t know what, exactly, that entails, it sounds like they’ll be adding fields for more specificity and explaining what made the interaction special.
Based on what they shared, tracking down Cast Members for recognition can sometimes prove difficult–so you should always fill in the “Optional” fields in the app. Without those, the Mobile Cast Compliment feature is pretty much pointless in our view, quite frankly.
It was heartening to hear during that panel how seriously Disneyland takes the Mobile Cast Compliments, and what they mean to Cast Members. I really wanted to underscore that, and this news about the 3 million Mobile Cast Compliments felt like a good opportunity for a separate post so it didn’t get buried beneath other changes made with CM training. I also want to offer something actionable for all of you, offer a reminder of how to give Cast Compliments, and reiterate why doing this is a win-win for everyone!
How to Leave Cast Compliments
The next time a Cast Member makes magic for you, consider recognizing them for the great work they do by leaving a compliment on the My Disney Experience or Disneyland Resort apps. We implore you to do this for the reasons discussed below in the commentary.
To send a compliment, navigate to the bottom of the app’s menu screen (via the hamburger button on the far right) and select the “Cast Compliment” button. Then choose a positive sentiment from the drop-down menu. After that, enter the Cast Member’s first name, hometown, and click submit.
Make sure to spell the Cast Member’s first name and hometown correctly so the Cast Member will be alerted, and they can receive their personalized recognition from their leadership at Walt Disney World or Disneyland.
You do not have to make Cast Compliments in real-time! Many readers have bemoaned the amount of screen time required in the parks these days, and there’s no need to add to that.
Simply write down or take a photo of the Cast Member’s name tag (a common practice, so they won’t think you’re “weird” for doing it), and submit Cast Compliments later. You can do it at the end of a long day in the parks, or even after your trip ends. It’s a nice way to relive the fun memories and magical moments that defined your Disney vacation!
Again, the name and hometown are listed as optional, but this is a pointless exercise without accurately filling those in. It’s simply a “feel good” feature with only the top blue sections completed. You’re just wasting your own time doing that. It’s the name and hometown that truly matter.
Why You Should Leave Cast Compliments
Cast Compliments are significant for internal recognition and career advancement opportunities within the company. Most leadership positions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland are filled from within, and this is part of how.
This recognition ensures that the Cast Members who are living up to Walt’s legacy and making magic for guests are recognized and promoted. This is exactly what we should want to see as fans–the cream rise to the top.
For this reason, we’d recommend giving Cast Compliments not just to Cast Members who go above and beyond to add an element of ‘entertainment’ to a mundane experience, but those who deliver more straightforward-but-exemplary guest service.
There’s a reason why two Kilimanjaro Safaris guides are among the most complimented Cast Members. I would hazard a guess that Cast Members in those roles, Jungle Cruise skippers, servers at Whispering Canyon, and other entertaining roles receive a disproportionate number of Cast Compliments. There’s more of a spotlight on them, and they have a guest’s attention for a certain amount of time.
Meanwhile, there are far more Cast Members who less visibly (or completely invisibly) ensure you’re having a great experience. Show some appreciation for them, too! We’re not suggesting you make hundreds of Cast Compliments per trip, but try to be cognizant of the underappreciated Cast Members doing the traditionally thankless jobs.
One compliment from a brief but cheery custodial interaction probably means more to that Cast Member than a dozen to a Jungle Cruise skipper. Same goes for security, parking lot, toll booth, turnstiles, etc. Cast Members.
Cast Compliments are a nice morale boost and break the cycle of entitlement and negativity.
I speak from very indirect experience. Although I’ve never worked as a Cast Member, I was a Subway Sandwich Artist for years. On the rare occasions when customers would say something nice or even just treat me as a fellow human, it made my day. It was such a little thing, and those people probably forgot about it within minutes, not knowing how positively impactful they were.
The default was indifference, with rudeness being all too common. If my experience nearly two decades ago with $5 footlongs was any indication, I cannot even imagine how much worse the entitlement and abuse is with a $5,000+ vacation. (Actually, I can imagine it. I know Cast Members and have heard too many horror stories. I could never do what they do.)
This is why I’ve written repeatedly that all Americans should work in a service industry so they “learn” how to treat others. You wouldn’t think this is something that requires learning, that kindness is a given. You would be wrong. Too many people consider the workers in customer service roles to be “beneath” them.
One thing I’ve noticed over the last few years is that we’ve received more complaints about Cast Members from readers. And you know what, painting with broad strokes, this is accurate. As a whole, guest service is worse now than it was in 2019. But there’s a lot more nuance to it than that.
You’ve probably noticed this pretty much everywhere, not just at Disney. One big driver is that the labor market is tighter. This is especially true in Central Florida, which is rapidly growing in terms of employment opportunities in the hospitality industry without a commensurate increase in the labor pool due to a variety of real world factors.
Not only that, but youth labor force participation has experienced a long-term decline for a variety of factors. This was once a big portion of Disney’s workforce, and still is at Walt Disney World thanks to the College Program. As wealth among older generations has increased, it’s also likely that fewer retirees need jobs. Again, that was once part of Disney’s bread and butter.
The more limited labor market is precisely why the Disney Look was relaxed a few years back. The explanations Disney gave at the time were merely window dressing. The bottom line was that the Disney Look needed to be relaxed to help resolve staffing shortages.
It’s been curious to see fans complain about that. Then also complain about the quality of Cast Members. And then also complain about wages increasing (sometimes on the basis that Cast Members don’t “deserve” more on the basis of the first two points, but also because it’ll drive up prices). It’s impossible to reconcile all of these perspectives; those fans are living in Fantasyland.
Along similar lines, consumer entitlement is at an all-time high for a variety of reasons, some of which can be blamed on Disney’s decisions. We’ve witnessed countless Cast Members subjected to adult meltdowns at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. These happen for any number of reasons, but the underlying reasons mostly relate back to the sense of entitlement at the core of the Disney Parks Pet Peeves post, or the stresses and pressures that many adults feel when going on a Disney vacation.
The point of all this is that if Disney fans want “better” Cast Members, we need to be part of the solution. To help break the cycle of negativity and help cultivate a positive feedback loop instead of a negative one. It’s time to reverse the vicious cycle of lower employee satisfaction and lower guest satisfaction.
Being kind and gracious to Cast Members is one way. If you interact a less than cheerful Cast Member, you can give them the benefit of the doubt. You never know what their last interaction was before you, or what else has happened in their day. As noted above, Cast Members are dealing with a of angry and entitled guests; it’s probably tough to take abuse and then resume their role as if nothing happened, putting on a smile and going out of their way to be pleasant to other guests.
The biggest way, though, is taking a few minutes out of our days to give Cast Compliments. Paying it forward makes a big difference for that Cast Member’s career, and probably has an outsized impact on their morale. You’re probably NOT the audience that needs to hear this–and it’s probably preachy, but I make no apologies for that. This is the right hill to die on.
In the wise-words of dearly-departed former CEO Bob Chapek, Cast Members are the “secret sauce” and the key to a great guest experience. He said that around 99% of the positive guest feedback he received when running Parks & Resorts was about Cast Members. “You have to make sure the Cast is at the center of everything you do,” Chapek reflected. This is what we in the blogging biz call a Rare Chapek Win.
Chapek isn’t the only one who has said something like that. During that Disneyland Business Update we attended last week, Disney leadership explained how Cast Member interactions are integral to overall guest satisfaction scores. It was sentiment also shared by the new CEO during my meeting with Josh D’Amaro, who has long emphasized the importance of Cast Members.
All of this is also what saddened us about this week’s earlier news that an Olaf Audio Animatronics Figure is Replacing Human Cast Member Artists at Animation Academy. It seems like Disney is fully aware of just how much the human connection between guests and Cast Members matter…but that all goes out the window when looking at a spreadsheet of labor costs.
Cast Members are the heart and soul of Disney–the people who breathe life into the parks, making them truly special places. We can’t point to a single moment or trip that made us lifelong Disney fans. Included among those events were a series of little interactions with Cast Members that left a lasting impression long after our trips were over. We know we’re not alone–the outsized impact of Cast Members is probably why many of you are on this blog in the first place.
The parks wouldn’t be what they are without your hard work and dedication. Cast Members carry the torch of Disney’s legendary guest service are Walt’s most enduring legacy. “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Let’s all do our part to help keep that reality alive.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts on the Mobile Cast Compliment feature? Will you be using this liberally going forward to appreciate the magic makers who add something special to your Disney vacations? Have any magical memories made by Cast Members? Agree that they’re the heart and soul of the Disney magic, and the true stewards of Walt Disney’s legacy? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and appreciated by other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!