Pushed out at park close

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Either last year or the year before, they wouldn't let me into the Emporium after park closing. I don't blame them in the least. I was actually just trying to find the rest of my party so I too could go home.
And working in retail (part time) I can understand how frustrating it can be, the mall is open 12 hours and people wait until you are closing to decide to go shopping? We just tell them that for security purposes we HAVE to close or the security company will send the police to check on us.
And it's actually the busses that run one hour past park closing, not the shops that are posted as staying open that late. So I guess if you shop for 1 hour past park closing you could find yourself without a ride back to your hotel! And yes I know that they will find a way to accomodate you and they will get you back to your hotel. So now you are keeping someone else at work even later. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

[big blue and hairy]

In all fairness, you had all day to shop. Why wait until the last minute?

What? You think we bring our brains with us on vacation? That certainly never happened in Myrtle Beach when I lived there.

[I take the Ferry]

1) Yep.
2) Everyone knew the closing was at 10:00pm.
3) Why try to stretch beyond what was paid for?
4) One should leave when the closing occurs.
5) CM's want to go home.
6) How many others would want someone to hold up their leaving work?
7) And it isn't once, as this can happen every night.

NOTE: I frequently criticize WDW, but I do not hesitate to place criticism where it is due. In this case, I side with WDW. Why should guests be able extend their time and be rude to CM's who want to get home?

Whoa, there.

Park close was at 10:00... so were the fireworks. Should I have been outside the turnstiles for Wishes? Or was I being "rude"?

*IF* it was WDW's policy that closing time means "get out now", then why the emporium hours? Why the "Kiss Goodnight"?

I have been in the parks many times when it is obvious that they don't mind guests taking their time leaving. Saturday was not one of those nights. Was just curious why.

Jessica, is it possible they were doing something out of the ordinary that night? Like, rehearsing for MNSSHP or something?

Thanks for understanding my question and getting back on-topic.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Jessica, is it possible they were doing something out of the ordinary that night? Like, rehearsing for MNSSHP or something?

That's very likely.

[TheRustyScupper]

Whos said anything about being rude?

1) Maybe "rude" was harsh.
2) But, that is the word that a lot of CM's use for lingerers.
3) Sure, Main Street is usually ope for 1-hr for shopping.
4) But, many other CM's want to get out of Dodge to get home.

NOTE: I picked up a shift for a friend who needed the day off. When closing came, I really wanted to get out and couldn't wait for the guests to clear. We ended up with 30-minutes overtime waiting for folks to move along. Maybe the people didn't mean to be
"rude", but it wasn't polite to keep us at work longer that we should have been.

[MaxPower]

It's often very clear in all of the parks that the CMs approach those guests who just want to linger on a bench and tell them that they should start heading for the exit. When The Studios used to have Sorcerer Mickey and Fireworks above the Chinese Theater, guests had to be removed because burnt shells from the fireworks would fall onto Mickey Avenue. Guests were upset because they were cleared out of the back of the park a half an hour "before it closed."

[prttynpnk]

As someone who works retail at home- it really frosts my cupcake to have to stay late for people who want to extend my hours. I feel like they are telling me my time isn't valuable- even though I know that that is not the intention.
My family has long come to expect that retail means I miss a lot of the beginning of movies, parties and such!

[CaptSmee]

That's very likely.

That's what I was wondering...you have to realize that they need rehearsal time. There could have been a number of reasons that you felt "rushed" out the door.

Thenks Jessica! You seem like an excellent CM! Mabye i'll bump into you next time i'm down!

[badkitty]

Okay, but if Disney wanted the parks cleared of all vistors at the stroke of "closing" so that we are not "rude" and linger, why schedule the fireworks at close? It takes a long time to clear the hub. I for one do not like to take the cattle parade down Main Street and prefer to wait a few minutes until the crowd moves along a bit. How is a guest to know that staying during the one extra hour of shopping that is advertised is causing a guest to work OT? I would assume that there would be appropriate coverage for that hour.

I worked retail for 15 years before moving into the corporate world and my current boss thinks nothing of requiring me to work OT (without extra $$ since I am now salary - the price you pay.)

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

.....I've already said it doesn't matter.

Even with the hour, CM's still stay well after that to clean.

Park Close: 10pm
Emporium Close: 11pm
Post-Shift Meeting: 11:30ish
Clean-Up/Stock/Organize/Size: 12:00am-2:00am
Average Clock-Out: 2:00am

So even if there are still people in the store it won't affect our time. We will still be leaving much later than you.

If they push you out, it's because of the parade/castle show rehearsals or something similar. It could be press-event, private events, photograph, set-up, training, moving in decorations, anything.

[big blue and hairy]

it really frosts my cupcake

I agree with what you said, but cupcake thing almost made me spit my coffee.

[big blue and hairy]

1) Maybe "rude" was harsh.
2) But, that is the word that a lot of CM's use for lingerers.
3) Sure, Main Street is usually ope for 1-hr for shopping.
4) But, many other CM's want to get out of Dodge to get home.

Well, rude still would be wrong, since we're pretty much encouraged to shop on the way out. I know Disney likes the money made on the way out. I also understand wanting to go home, although after Capt Jess's post, I don't understand why they would care.

[JPL]

Jessica is talking about the workings of the Emporium and how those shifts work so to the CMs in positions similar to that it might not matter but maybe it effects attraction hosts and other workers differently. I know that they can start painting an area until the guests have cleared out or move in any equipment they may need for the evening. So if park close is at 10 PM and the average time it take to clear the park is an hour and a half after official close that means they can't start maintenance until about 11:30 PM. The Park need to be ready to open as early as 7:30 AM the next morning to start letting people in for breakfast at CP. That's only 8 hours to get any work they need done. Imagine if it was your responsibility to paint an area near the Tomorrowland Bridge and you had limited time to get it done and you couldn't even start to the equipmwent you needed set up until a guest left the area. If you notice the whole idea of keeping things on main Street open is to funnel you closer to the exit so they can start their work in the back of the park first.

[MickeysEars]

I am not sure if a CM has commented, however, we were at Islands of Adventure one night and they started setting up for an after hours event before the park closed. And that night was the first night we were directed out right at closing. I don't know, but it could be they were either having a meeting or an after hours "something". But there are 2 sides, let the people go home, but don't make the "guests" feel like they are in the way. either way, if you have never experienced it before, there was probably a good reason.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Jessica is talking about the workings of the Emporium and how those shifts work so to the CMs in positions similar to that it might not matter but maybe it effects attraction hosts and other workers differently. I know that they can start painting an area until the guests have cleared out or move in any equipment they may need for the evening. So if park close is at 10 PM and the average time it take to clear the park is an hour and a half after official close that means they can't start maintenance until about 11:30 PM. The Park need to be ready to open as early as 7:30 AM the next morning to start letting people in for breakfast at CP. That's only 8 hours to get any work they need done. Imagine if it was your responsibility to paint an area near the Tomorrowland Bridge and you had limited time to get it done and you couldn't even start to the equipmwent you needed set up until a guest left the area. If you notice the whole idea of keeping things on main Street open is to funnel you closer to the exit so they can start their work in the back of the park first.

Attractions leave about 45 minutes after closing. Depending on the attraction, they will have a longer exit time. I'm sure TSM is probably 1 1/2 hours based on the wait times at close. We rarely have to extend in attractions, and most times, we finish early. But the official time to get all closing procedures done is 45 minutes after the last Guests leaves the ride. You're forgetting, I work just about everywhere. -^_^-