What To Do After a Bad Experience at Disney

Have you ever had a bad experience at Disneyland?  Dealt with a rude cast member or fellow park goer?  With the recent news of a disgusting violent brawl in Disneyland, I started thinking about the best ways to handle a bad experience.  Not too long ago I dealt with a scary situation in which a large man started threatening the people around him in the Space Mountain queue.  He thought people were cutting and had no issues with terrifying women and children.  It was a scary experience to be sure but I felt much better after handling it in several ways.  I immediately reported his behavior to a cast member and then to Town Hall.  When I didn’t get a sufficient answer or solution from the reps there, I emailed Disneyland customer service and executive staff.  It was there that I got a great response and felt like I could go back to the parks confident that Disneyland was concerned about safety.  Here’s what to do when you have a bad experience at Disney.

1.  Find the closest Cast Member

Look around as soon as you see trouble brewing.  Unless you are in a line there is usually a cast member near by.  Get to them quickly even if it means leaving the line.  Report to them if you see something strange or dangerous.  They can call into security much faster than if you head to Town Hall to talk to a Disney representative.

2.  Head to City Hall

If it’s not an emergency make sure you get to Town Hall to report your complaint or issue.  Every time I’ve I’ve gone, I’ve been able to get more information about their security process or a new fast pass when the system goes down.  The reps here are usually very friendly and are trained to solve problems.  The only time I’ve been disappointed was when they sent out a young security cast member who had no empathy for my scary experience.  I made sure to get his name when I took my complaint up the ladder.

3.  Send an email to Disneyland customer service

My particular situation was so concerning that I eventually emailed Disneyland customer service and I was very happy about they way they handled my complaint.  The cast member took notes, updated me on their solution to the issue and let me know that they would be adjusting the training of security cast members so that my issue wouldn’t happen again. 

When I had an issue with my Galaxy’s Edge reservations, I called the support line and I got help with just explaining that we made a mistake and weren’t able to add anyone to the reservation.  Admitting our mess up made a bit more sympathetic to the Cast Member and helped get a quick solution.

4.  Keep cool and BE NICE!

You will get much further with a nice request than with a rude one and that’s just reality.  In my bad experience at Disneyland, I was upset but made sure I was calm.  I clearly let the cast member know that I didn’t feel safe in the park with a person walking around that was threatening other myself and other guests. 

I was told that they were monitoring his behavior in the Park but since no one witness anything they could not remove him from the park. After that, I composed an email to customer service.  I got a response within a few hours and a call back to get more details and to offer a solution to my experience.  I don’t think they would have gone that far if I was a jerk about it.

5.  Look for the good.

I get it, sometimes with all the people and system glitches Disney can be a frustrating place.  Everyone is trying their best to make sure you have a good time. Try to be patient and embrace all the fun times that Disney has to offer. 

Do you have any strategies for when you have a bad experience at Disney?

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