Attractions Past Present and Future

[ckrisie]

Hey everyone! I was just wondering who all has is or will be doing Attractions in WDW. I am going down June 15th as an Attractions Cast Member. I was just wondering
A.) what people's experiences have been.
B.) What attraction/park everyone is hoping to work in
or
C.) what are you working now

and anything else you all want to share!

I hope I work in MK but I'll be happy wherever, and I kinda want a high spiel role

Thanks!

 

[Joanna71985]

I haven't done attractions yet, but I will be starting in Aug. I really hope to get JC. But if not, then GMR or KS.

 

[luv_wdw20]

This is my first time doing the program and I check in May 20th for Fall Advantage Attractions. I'm hoping to be able to work in either Disney Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom.

 

[jellipop]

I'll be in attractions in 35 days!

 

[bonbon]

I was Attractions in Epcot - Innoventions. Im accepted into the Summer Alumni for Attractions, so hoping for Innov again!

 

[jellipop]

I was Attractions in Epcot - Innoventions. Im accepted into the Summer Alumni for Attractions, so hoping for Innov again!

I'm still ridiculously jealous of you! LOL

Innov <3

 

[~Zephyr~]

I'm Attractions in May, and I'm hoping for Hollywood Studios.

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

To anyone who's done it before:

Does it get repetitive and boring?

I want to put attractions down because I think certain rides would be so fun to work, but then other rides don't seem like they'd be very fun at all, and I'm kind of nervous to chance it.

Anyone have Pros/Cons? Thanks!

 

[kelly_1220]

Hi! I got accepted Fall 2009 Attractions!!! Honestly while there are some places I think would be AWESOME to work at, I am really not partial. Just not somewhere too terrible.

 

[dopeyrunner]

I was attractions started at Great Movie Ride... Loved it even though yes you are spieling 22 minutes thru scenes of classic movies. It can get repetative but if you have one bad show you get another right after. The only con was sometimes your break would be late getting out or CDS is acting up and you get stuck on a tram for 8 shows. That 176 minutes of talking and yes it happened to me.
Mission:Space I was opening crew, I was in the building before it was even finished and got to work with imaginears. I know hate me right. Con its cold inside and hot outside, people ask does this ride spin (though now they have a side that doesn't), protein spills positive the costumes are really comfy and at the time you could get cross trained at Test Track. I never did that ride always breaks down.lol
Soarin again I was opening crew and got to sit on the ride for hours and ride it up and down played uno in the hallways while waiting for testing.. I know I know what the heck right how did I get so lucky. Cons the lines were crazy and still are.. Get people upset that all the fastpasses are gone and this is the only ride they wanted. Costumes are hot as hell full on long sleeve shirts under a polyester blue flight attendant costume. Shoes can not be tennis shoes nice lace up dress shoes.. The only time I have every hated WDI was the costuming divison for this ride. The Soarin at DCA in Cali have the best costumes. There are mechanic jump suits and they can wear tennis shoes.
I got all the fun attractions that were more then just push a button like the pooh pots over in Fantasyland. But you make your day fun by talking to your co-workers and they guest there. The summer can get crazy if they do mandatory six day overtime again but just think it will slow down again.

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

Wow thats super lucky! Awesome.

Is anyone else an attractions alumni that can give us a story or two?

 

[BabyPiglet]

I was attractions started at Great Movie Ride... Loved it even though yes you are spieling 22 minutes thru scenes of classic movies. It can get repetative but if you have one bad show you get another right after. The only con was sometimes your break would be late getting out or CDS is acting up and you get stuck on a tram for 8 shows. That 176 minutes of talking and yes it happened to me.
Mission:Space I was opening crew, I was in the building before it was even finished and got to work with imaginears. I know hate me right. Con its cold inside and hot outside, people ask does this ride spin (though now they have a side that doesn't), protein spills positive the costumes are really comfy and at the time you could get cross trained at Test Track. I never did that ride always breaks down.lol
Soarin again I was opening crew and got to sit on the ride for hours and ride it up and down played uno in the hallways while waiting for testing.. I know I know what the heck right how did I get so lucky. Cons the lines were crazy and still are.. Get people upset that all the fastpasses are gone and this is the only ride they wanted. Costumes are hot as hell full on long sleeve shirts under a polyester blue flight attendant costume. Shoes can not be tennis shoes nice lace up dress shoes.. The only time I have every hated WDI was the costuming divison for this ride. The Soarin at DCA in Cali have the best costumes. There are mechanic jump suits and they can wear tennis shoes.
I got all the fun attractions that were more then just push a button like the pooh pots over in Fantasyland. But you make your day fun by talking to your co-workers and they guest there. The summer can get crazy if they do mandatory six day overtime again but just think it will slow down again.

Wow. I really want to work at GMR, but I hear they don't have air-conditioning? Is that true?

 

[Tink the Rock Star]

I worked at Kilimanjaro Safaris on two programs. Each trip around is roughly 20 minutes. The trucks can be very hot, but you get used to it. It may be the same spiel over and over, but with live animals it rarely gets old.

The costumes are comfy, and I loved wearing the hiking boots. If anyone ends up working there or any other location that requires hiking boots, I suggest steel toed boots - no more squished toes from strollers, regular wheelchairs, and the worst - ECVs.

It gets very busy, and when it starts to cool off, the days get shorter, it closes earlier. You can have a closing shift and be off by 5 or 6. The only down side to closing early - guests can and will get upset.

But overall, few issues. I loved it there.

 

[dopeyrunner]

Wow. I really want to work at GMR, but I hear they don't have air-conditioning? Is that true?

GMR does have A/C actually pretty good A/C

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

I've worked at a lot of different types of attractions ... I've had high spiel (Kilimanjaro Safaris, Backlot Tour Shuttles, Backlot Tour Tank, Magic of Disney Animation), large theater (LMA), small theater (OMD, Mermaid, Playhouse), playground (HISK), push-button (Pooh, Snow White, Small World), omni-mover (Peter Pan), spinny (Tea Cups), and a roller coaster (Barnstormer).

Out of all these, my favorite was Kilimanjaro Safaris. Tink_The_Rock_Star is right, the live animals make all the difference. (There were 3 baby elephants that were growing up during my time there ... it's really cool to get to watch them growing up). Plus, even though there was no A/C on the trucks (as the driver, you're sitting right behind a 220 degree engine, and there's a heat vent right behind you ... combine that with an open air vehicle, and even the worlds best a/c system wouldn't be able to do anything), time still seemed to usually go by pretty quickly.

(And for the person who complained about 8 trips around in the air conditioning at GMR, you can't say anything until you've done 14 trips around on a safari truck )

 

[dopeyrunner]

Yea about that it was during the summer and some how when I went from outside - note I had to wear a long sleeve pumpkin jacket cause costuming lost the short sleeve. So I was gross sweaty hot and went and stood in the theater in the gross sweaty long sleeve pumpkin jacket and then went on the tram. All gross and sweaty. I am not complaining cause yea there was A/C but there isn't much down time of not talking. And the b---ch of it was you know that someone has your break cause they come out just as you step on the ride vehicle. And since they can't take over they get another 22 min break and you get another show as you wave to the person that has your break. . It just sucked cause I could have used a bathroom break. Overall it was alot of fun. New Years Eve in 02 when it was monsooning outside we had a ride vehicle die in finale where the doors are and we couldn't fix it so we closed the building even though the park was dead. We ended up hanging out and putting the New Years Eve Hats on the characters, light cleaning and just having fun.

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

I've worked at a lot of different types of attractions ... I've had high spiel (Kilimanjaro Safaris, Backlot Tour Shuttles, Backlot Tour Tank, Magic of Disney Animation), large theater (LMA), small theater (OMD, Mermaid, Playhouse), playground (HISK), push-button (Pooh, Snow White, Small World), omni-mover (Peter Pan), spinny (Tea Cups), and a roller coaster (Barnstormer).

Out of all these, my favorite was Kilimanjaro Safaris. Tink_The_Rock_Star is right, the live animals make all the difference. (There were 3 baby elephants that were growing up during my time there ... it's really cool to get to watch them growing up). Plus, even though there was no A/C on the trucks (as the driver, you're sitting right behind a 220 degree engine, and there's a heat vent right behind you ... combine that with an open air vehicle, and even the worlds best a/c system wouldn't be able to do anything), time still seemed to usually go by pretty quickly.

(And for the person who complained about 8 trips around in the air conditioning at GMR, you can't say anything until you've done 14 trips around on a safari truck )

Wow how were you able to get so many ride assignments? Have you just been working there a long while? That's so awesome.

Out of most people I see who get attractions, they request GMR, KS, or JC. Since there are limited slots for those attractions, what would you say was your second favorite attraction (or type of attraction)?

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

I've been FT with Disney for over 4 years now. Plus, when you're assigned to one area, it's not terribly difficult to cross train to other attractions within that area. So, for example, when I worked Backlands at the Studios, I started at the Backlot Tour and got cross trained at LMA/HISK/OMD/PHD/VoLM ... all the other attractions in the area, except for Toy Story Mania, which was just opening as I was leaving to go to the MK.

And, yes, there are limited spots at each attraction, but keep in mind, KSR has 200 cast members at just that one attraction. It's the largest attraction on property, in terms of staffing requirements. (It's also the largest in terms of space ... there's enough space within just the safari to fit the entire Magic Kingdom (~80 acres), and still have ~20 acres left for parking)

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

I've been FT with Disney for over 4 years now. Plus, when you're assigned to one area, it's not terribly difficult to cross train to other attractions within that area. So, for example, when I worked Backlands at the Studios, I started at the Backlot Tour and got cross trained at LMA/HISK/OMD/PHD/VoLM ... all the other attractions in the area, except for Toy Story Mania, which was just opening as I was leaving to go to the MK.

And, yes, there are limited spots at each attraction, but keep in mind, KSR has 200 cast members at just that one attraction. It's the largest attraction on property, in terms of staffing requirements. (It's also the largest in terms of space ... there's enough space within just the safari to fit the entire Magic Kingdom (~80 acres), and still have ~20 acres left for parking)

Oh wow, I didn't know that! What great trivia! haha. I would LOVE to do KS. I'm like constantly at the zoo here in town, haha.