I Was a Disney World Ride Cast Member. This Was the WORST Part About My Job

Here on the DFB team, we’ve got a lot of longtime Disney fans, and that list includes several former Cast Members!

Cast Members

We’ve had people from our team work in all kinds of fields in Disney World — from entertainment to merchandise to food and beverage to attractions. And during those stints working at the parks, they experienced some wild things! Today, we’re sharing the WORST things our former Cast Members experienced when working Disney World rides.

Being in the Rain a LOT

The first problem many of our former Cast Members had is that they spent quite a bit of time in the rain. It rains nearly every day in Florida in the summertime, and fairly often throughout the year as well. For some rides, Cast Members have to walk across the park to get to their location, and doing that in the rain can be a pretty bummy start to your shift.

Rainy day in Magic Kingdom

Also, it was pretty rough to stand in the rain during their shift. If you’re not working indoors during a storm, you’ll likely be huddled outside with nothing but ponchos and strategically placed umbrellas to keep you dry. And Florida rain doesn’t like to play — sometimes that stuff sprays sideways!

Rain underneath Spaceship Earth

So the rain isn’t just bothering the visitors in the parks, it’s there to torment the Cast Members as well! 😜

Having to “Yell” at People

When you’re in a theme park and it’s loud, or you’re loading a ride and there’s a lot of chaos, it can be hard for people to hear you or notice you speaking at all. This was the case many times for some of our former Cast Members, and they lamented how they hated having to “yell” at people because it would startle them.

Haunted Mansion

But when the person couldn’t hear you the first five times you gave them instructions, you don’t have much choice! Sometimes you have to “yell” at them to put their backpack on the ground so that the lap bar will close and you can actually send the ride on its merry little way. Or sometimes you have to remind them to fill in the space in front of them a little more forcefully than you would like.

Rise of the Resistance

And it may be stressful for you to hear Cast Members shouting instructions, but we promise, it’s just as stressful for them to shout them!

Turning People Away for Reasons Out of Your Control

When a ride has to close down unexpectedly due to technical issues, weather, or someone acting a fool and jumping out of the vehicle mid-ride, it’s typically not the Cast Members’ fault. But they have to be the ones to deliver that news to hundreds of thousands of inconvenienced visitors.

Kali River Rapids closed

Trust us, they want the ride to be back up so that you stop asking about it, but we all have to wait patiently for that to happen. Dealing with angry people is never a pleasant part about being a Cast Member, and people typically get angriest when their plans are messed up.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

So there you have it, some of the worst things about working a RIDE in Disney World! Keep in mind that there were plenty of good things to mix with the bad, and many of the Cast Members on our team loved their time working for the mouse. Just like any job, there are good days and rough days. But being a polite and friendly visitor in the parks can help the Cast Members have great days — be kind to them!

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