Enough is enough... Disney Store open Thanksgiving night?

[RedsDrew]

This is an article from our local Cincinnati Enquirer... It says Macy's opening up on Thanksgiving night is causing all of our local malls to open at 8 PM on Thanksgiving night. And in that mix, the Disney Store indiciated it hasn't yet decided on opening at midnight...

Can't we have a couple days a year where we don't have to deal with big business?!?!?!?

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20131101/BIZ/311010142/Exclusive-Malls-opening-doors-Thanksgiving

 

[Chuck S]

You don't have to deal with big business on Thanksgiving, "Black Friday" or any other day. Just stay home on the days you don't want to shop. You couldn't pay me enough to go out shopping on Black Friday or Thanksgiving eve and fight those crowds.

 

[AquaDame]

I'll stick with cyber Monday. I don't care when shops want to be open, I just hope they only recruit volunteers to work instead of forcing anyone in on holidays...

 

[ShayBells]

I'll stick with cyber Monday. I don't care when shops want to be open, I just hope they only recruit volunteers to work instead of forcing anyone in on holidays...

My experience I customer service is that EVERYONE has to work. Even if you are part time or if you said in your job interview that you can't work Fridays. It doesn't matter everyone works "Black Friday"

I like the idea of volunteers but nobody probably would. Or at least not enough. I quit one job cause they tried to make me work Christmas when I was a teenager. I didn't NEED the job and they were over staffed. But it makes it fare if everyone has to work I guess.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[bmwdw]

I formerly worked retail, company will not be named, and worked my way into a management position. EVERYONE worked "black Friday" as well as most of the weekend. The company allowed for extra hours so part time basically became full time and full time got over time during the weekend and most of the holidays. The standing rule was if you did not show up to work on "black Friday" you no longer had a job. Food was brought in and breaks were scheduled so that the store was always properly staffed. So volunteering is not an option. Wanting a job and showing up was volunteering. I hated those years and will hopefully never go back to them. The only way to stop it is to stop shopping. Because as the big company sees a way to make a dollar they will and do.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

This is an article from our local Cincinnati Enquirer... It says Macy's opening up on Thanksgiving night is causing all of our local malls to open at 8 PM on Thanksgiving night. And in that mix, the Disney Store indiciated it hasn't yet decided on opening at midnight...

Can't we have a couple days a year where we don't have to deal with big business?!?!?!?

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20131101/BIZ/311010142/Exclusive-Malls-opening-doors-Thanksgiving

~Nope, nothing seems sacred anymore. Last Thanksgiving, we were headed home from visiting family when all of a sudden traffic stopped. The Walmart was jammed packed on Thanksgiving night. There were police, people protesting with picket signs, it was a mad house. Curiosity got to me and I had to see what we were missing. There people laying all over the floor waiting for $300 50 inch plasma's and people were complaining that the store only had a few. And, then a confrontation broke out just as we were running out of there. But yeah, I stopped doing serious Black Friday and after Christmas shopping years ago. I see no signs of this trend going away. It is what it is.

 

[sjs314]

If everyone would refuse to patronize stores on Holidays all this craziness might end. It has been getting progressively worse since the time I first worked in Retail in the early 70's when states started dropping the "Blue Laws" and businesses opened up on Sundays.

I remember the first year the company I worked for opened up on Thanksgiving Day...people went nuts grabbing up the 3-Hour specials it was so busy there was no turning back Thanksgiving Day would never again be a day that the Store was closed

I at times wanted to reach out and choke the living you know what out of the customers who as I checked them out said " It is a shame you have to work on a Holiday" and I wanted to say back Yes it is If only You people would stay home I wouldn't have to!

I refuse now to shop on Thanksgiving, Black Friday and New Years!

 

[raeolight]

My experience I customer service is that EVERYONE has to work. Even if you are part time or if you said in your job interview that you can't work Fridays. It doesn't matter everyone works "Black Friday"

I like the idea of volunteers but nobody probably would. Or at least not enough. I quit one job cause they tried to make me work Christmas when I was a teenager. I didn't NEED the job and they were over staffed. But it makes it fare if everyone has to work I guess.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I quit my job at Hobby Lobby because my manager wouldn't give me black Friday or Saturday off. I was extremely part time,only worked Saturdays to begin with. Had been with the company five years and knew they didn't need me. The reason I wanted off after working all the years prior? My grandpa was dying and it was to be my last thanksgiving with him. Sadly he died a week and a half earlier but damage was done and I had already put in my two weeks. It was a financial hardship for a while but I eventually found a job at a local frame shop that takes the person into consideration.

 

[GoofyCampers09]

Working in health care I've always worked a holiday weather it's thanksgiving or Christmas etc but I always try to get Black Friday off I'm one of those freaks who love the challenge of shopping on that day, I time myself to see how fast I can get in & out with what I need! I make a list split up with my husband and go hahaha but I do have to say it always amazes me how down right rude some people are!!

 

[Mk0323]

I think it's crazy too and feel bad for the employees.....but think about the Disney resorts. They operate every day. I was a CM for nearly 12 years. I remember my first couple of years, I worked EVERY major holiday. I don't think most guests who decide to vacation over holidays really appreciate the cast members who are there ....and that they have to miss time away from their own family's to make guests holidays magical.

 

[MissPrincessKendall]

I have worked in retail and sadly I still do however now I am in management. My first time was in college I worked for the local Disney store, our mall had macys opening at 9pm so our store opened at 10pm along with almost every other store in the mall. It was unfortunate for myself because this was my first thanksgiving and holiday season home because the previous two years I was working at WDW for two DCP's. The local mall was by my college and I needed the money but my hometown was over an hour away. Sadly that year my thanksgiving ended for me before dinner when I went to bed and I was not home until 10am the following day. Now years later I am in management for a corporate company that has retail and now I am in on 3pm thanksgiving day to make sure all goes smooth, sadly it's a vicious cycle all created by money.

 

[amberpi]

IDK. For me, Black Friday is a mom and I family tradition. We spike our coffee - dad picks us up because our mall doesn't have valet and we're spoiled...and we have some of my BEST mother/daughter memories of my life. Are we OMG we gotta have a new TV? Nope, do we just enjoy the crazies? You betcha. That said, my husband and his entire family thinks we are nuts. Or should say my husband formerly thought I was nuts, until my wrapping was done a week before Hanukkah (we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah) and he was running around like a crazy person the night of still buying things and I was enjoying a glass of wine

I have tons of MDs in my fam and nurses and they don't close for the holidays. I worked Black Friday myself in high school/college and had a blast. Its to each their own. No one forces you to participate and such is the wonder of the current world. Either way, enjoy the holidays!

 

[xlsm]

I was a cast member for over a year at a Disney Store in a major tourist area with outlet malls. (I would still be there if not for relocating due to my husband's job. I loved it!)

The year I was there we opened on Thanksgiving night at 10pm and were open for nearly 24 hours. Everyone had to pull at least one shift, PLUS we were allowed to hire temp workers just for that 24 hour time period (they were children/siblings/SOs/parents of current workers)

Typical shifts for our Disney store are 4 hour blocks, sometimes you have call in shifts attached (or just on their own). During the Thanksgiving/Black Friday ordeal, we were required to work at least one 6 hour stretch (4 hour shift/2 hour call in). I got two 4 hour back to back blocks from 3am - noon, with an hour "lunch" break at 7am.

It was way more fun than a regular work day. The guests were all generally in a good party mood. Part of the enjoyment was that our team all got along freakishly well. We had awesome managers and cast members (some of whom are HARD CORE Disney people. One guy does a Princess tree every year and buys new classic dolls every time they get a costume update to put on it. It's nuts. And also kind of amazing.)

I've never done any black Friday shopping myself, but I think most people who do make it a fun activity. We had people showing up in matching outfits, chugging coffee, singing, having a good ol' loopy time.

I can see how working in certain places on Tgiving/BF would SUCK, but at our store it was amped up and lots of fun. Maybe part of it was because the guests who want to shop at the Disney store at 3am are naturally cheerful???

I realize this is not the case for many workers, but it was fun to see everyone so happy and excited. Plus we had great flash sales, so we saw some REALLY excited people, LOL!!

 

[davedmaine]

I was a cast member for over a year at a Disney Store in a major tourist area with outlet malls. (I would still be there if not for relocating due to my husband's job. I loved it!)

The year I was there we opened on Thanksgiving night at 10pm and were open for nearly 24 hours. Everyone had to pull at least one shift, PLUS we were allowed to hire temp workers just for that 24 hour time period (they were children/siblings/SOs/parents of current workers)

Typical shifts for our Disney store are 4 hour blocks, sometimes you have call in shifts attached (or just on their own). During the Thanksgiving/Black Friday ordeal, we were required to work at least one 6 hour stretch (4 hour shift/2 hour call in). I got two 4 hour back to back blocks from 3am - noon, with an hour "lunch" break at 7am.

It was way more fun than a regular work day. The guests were all generally in a good party mood. Part of the enjoyment was that our team all got along freakishly well. We had awesome managers and cast members (some of whom are HARD CORE Disney people. One guy does a Princess tree every year and buys new classic dolls every time they get a costume update to put on it. It's nuts. And also kind of amazing.)

I've never done any black Friday shopping myself, but I think most people who do make it a fun activity. We had people showing up in matching outfits, chugging coffee, singing, having a good ol' loopy time.

I can see how working in certain places on Tgiving/BF would SUCK, but at our store it was amped up and lots of fun. Maybe part of it was because the guests who want to shop at the Disney store at 3am are naturally cheerful???

I realize this is not the case for many workers, but it was fun to see everyone so happy and excited. Plus we had great flash sales, so we saw some REALLY excited people, LOL!!

Sounds pretty bad to me. I can think of a million places I'd rather be at 3 a.m. Thanksgiving night than peddling some Chinese mass-produced Disney store crap

 

[JoWiJo]

In general, it's only worth standing in line waiting for the store to open on Black Friday if there is a great buy on something that is in limited supply that you really want to get.

Even then, it can be questionable. A report I saw a few years ago said that most doorbuster items like TVs are either models that are on their way out (inventory clearance) or specially made items that are basically the same as a main model, but with some key features removed. While I can't personally verify that report, based on what I've seen, it's largely true. When the ads come out this year, Google the model number on advertised doorbuster TVs (or computers, cameras, etc.) and you might well find items that were released last year or are things that have very limited info on them anywhere, even from their own manufacturer.

So your doorbuster bargain might not be as good as you think. There are exceptions, of course.

With that said, it's not so bad hitting the stores late morning. The worst of the vultures have left by that time. The stores are still quite busy, but will have enough cashiers and other employees to keep things moving fairly well.

 

[lugnut33]

Should I feel bad about being at WDW on Thanksgiving?

 

[Lorelei528]

I worked in a buying office as an assistant buyer years ago, and our office (and corporate headquarters) were open on Black Friday....

It is what it is, I knew I had to work that day working for a retail company. I really didn't mind.

My husband is a mover and usually works Black Friday, again, it is what it is. He works Christmas and New Year's Eve too, sometimes not getting home till 8 or 9 pm, and sometimes the customers give lousy tips on Christmas Eve....but again, we just roll with it, it is how our lives our right now.

 

[DPCummerbund]

I think it's crazy too and feel bad for the employees.....but think about the Disney resorts. They operate every day. I was a CM for nearly 12 years. I remember my first couple of years, I worked EVERY major holiday. I don't think most guests who decide to vacation over holidays really appreciate the cast members who are there ....and that they have to miss time away from their own family's to make guests holidays magical.

Should I feel bad about being at WDW on Thanksgiving?

All WDW employees, everyone at all airlines and hotels everywhere, convenience stores / gas stations, not to mention the doctors, police, EMTs, etc. Lots and lots of people work holidays.

I work retail, and although I haven't had to work on Thanksgiving or Christmas yet, I've worked pretty much every Black Friday Christmas Eve, and "Boxing Day." Tradition is just another word for routine. When you've worked dozens of Christmas Eves, work is just another thing you do on that day.

 

[bmwdw]

In general, it's only worth standing in line waiting for the store to open on Black Friday if there is a great buy on something that is in limited supply that you really want to get.

Even then, it can be questionable. A report I saw a few years ago said that most doorbuster items like TVs are either models that are on their way out (inventory clearance) or specially made items that are basically the same as a main model, but with some key features removed. While I can't personally verify that report, based on what I've seen, it's largely true. When the ads come out this year, Google the model number on advertised doorbuster TVs (or computers, cameras, etc.) and you might well find items that were released last year or are things that have very limited info on them anywhere, even from their own manufacturer.

So your doorbuster bargain might not be as good as you think. There are exceptions, of course.

With that said, it's not so bad hitting the stores late morning. The worst of the vultures have left by that time. The stores are still quite busy, but will have enough cashiers and other employees to keep things moving fairly well.

As previously stated I worked for a retail store that sold electronics. I can assure you that the doorbusters are indeed products that are a lower tier than what is normally sold. At least that is how it was with the company I worked for and I imagine it is that way industry wide. The products were either models we did not carry and were brought in specifically for holiday promotions or items that had been discontinued by the manufacture and were held back for the holiday shopping season. So in my opinion the doorbusters especially were not worth waiting in line during the wee hours of the morning to make sure you got them.

 

[MommaChip]

Black Friday shopping is a tradition for our family. But last year we didn't go because it was getting so ridiculous that stores were open on thanksgiving But on a good note JC Penny's is starting their snowglobes again this year