Getting in a queue line right before closing at a park.

[kandb]

My horse is pretty comfy, thanks. Makes it easier to wag my fingers at those of whose behavior I disapprove.

I know everyone has the right to do it, and Disney won't stop you. But as one is trying to find reasons to scheme, one might perhaps think of the consequences to other people. And for all the complaints people have here about CMs being less than glowing, of Disney nickel-and-diming them, or WDW not living up to Walt's dream, it never ceases to amaze how quick we are to find a way to take advantage, even if it's a little thing like getting in a line 5 minutes before the park's stated closing hours. Rudeness breeds rudeness, wanting to take advantage breed to wanting to take advantage. Maybe this is all the Golden Rule going both ways, and it may be acceptable, but you can't blame someone who finds it a little distasteful.

Or folks may be cool with it. That's fine, too, but there is another side.

Someone is trying to "scheme" because they want to get a last minute ride in before the park closes? That's kind of ridiculous. It's being "rude" or "taking advantage" by trying to ride a ride before closing? Your totally off base.

 

[whiporee]

Someone is trying to "scheme" because they want to get a last minute ride in before the park closes? That's kind of ridiculous. It's being "rude" or "taking advantage" by trying to ride a ride before closing? Your totally off base.

So I've been told many times in this thread. At least there's a consensus.

 

[bryanb]

Someone is trying to "scheme" because they want to get a last minute ride in before the park closes? That's kind of ridiculous. It's being "rude" or "taking advantage" by trying to ride a ride before closing? Your totally off base.

As a CM, I'd sometimes wave at people who were walking out to get in line before closing. It's kind of fun to think that you gave someone that one final memory to cap off their evening.

CMs are scheduled to work until a certain time. My latest shift for normal operating hours was 1.75 hours after park closing. For most attractions, it's earlier. If it's not busy, you might be allowed an "early release," but you don't get paid for that time. From a CM view, as long as a queue is open, there is absolutely no reason to feel bad about getting into it. Personally, I don't like to walk into a restaurant at 9:55pm if it closes at 10:00pm, but I think that's a very different situation.

 

[Jules76126]

There is nothing wrong with getting in a queue before the park closes. The CMs have every expectation that the ride will be open to closing time. The only exception to this is if it breaks down within an hour of closing, most likely it won't come back up that night.

I worked as a CP in Epcot for two different attractions. We never closed early. We would stay open until 9:00pm or later for EMH. However, once the clock struck 9, you can be sure we hustled to close those doors. Now I am not sure what it is like in MK, but in Epcot we never had any issues closing the doors at 9:00pm. Most of the time, we hadn't had anyone in the queue for 10 minutes. The only ride that tends to have a line after close was Soarin and this was well known. Since the park closed at 9:00pm, we were scheduled to work till 9:30pm. It usually took about 15 to 20 minutes to close down the rides. We were never mad that guests got in line at the last minutes, its just part of the job. Sometimes CMs might seem a little tired at the end of the night, but if you worked a 15 hour shift, you would be too. The only reason I could see for them closing the queue early would be if the wait time was very long as the CM are only scheduled for so long past closing. If they needed to force extend people, it can create problems (overtime pay, double back pay, etc) so they tend to avoid this as much as possible. I never thought this topic would generate such debate. Don't feel bad for the CMs - most of the closing attractions are worked by college kids anyways and we enjoyed the experience.

 

[Praying Colonel]

On our most recent visit, DS and I rode 7DMT and got off 4 minutes before park closing. We decided to try for Space Mountain and if we couldn't make it, no biggee. We power-walked to Space (felt like rope drop in reverse!) and got there probably 30 seconds before closing. We were among the last 8-10 to make it in before they closed. We'd never done that before and it was a neat little memory for us.

 

[Marbel]

As a CM, I'd sometimes wave at people who were walking out to get in line before closing. It's kind of fun to think that you gave someone that one final memory to cap off their evening.

You rock!!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I have several friends who work at a local buffet restaurant. I often am there at closing time, not so much as a patron but just hanging out and chatting with one of the owners who is also a friend of mine. I have seen the dismay on my friends' faces when diners come in a few minutes before closing and stay for an extended time. By that time of day employees are dog-tired and ready to go home, but they smile and give good service to all customers. Knowing this, I'd never go in anywhere expecting the full service treatment anywhere right at closing time. I tend to scoot on out of the theme parks 15-30 minutes before closing, depending on parade and nighttime show schedules (because I do avoid mass exoduses).

 

[charmed59]

Back in the day, when I worked in an amusement park, I loved it when we got to stay late. More money. It was a fun job and all, but in the end I'd rather stay late and get paid more than get home earlier and get paid less. I wasn't flush in cash. Perhaps we are thinking of the folks that take on Disney jobs but don't really need them? If so, they should trade their shifts for those with a definite end.

 

[maxiesmom]

Speaking as someone who worked in customer service for many years, across multiple employers, this is basically how it works.

At every place I worked, I was instructed to SAY this to our customers, "Please take as much time as you like."

If we didn't have live customers at the end of the night, we were still expected to stay past closing to do assorted jobs- like cleaning. In most my jobs, I preferred waiting on customers over the less desirable busywork I was otherwise assigned.

We are not instructed to tell people to take as much time as you like. We give them a bit of time, but then start encouraging them to check out. Usually around 20 minutes after close we will go up to any stragglers and tell them they either need to check out, or we will hold their merchandise for them until they return the next day. After a while, the registers automatically lock, and the lights will go off. All controlled by someplace not in the store. It is beyond rude to go someplace 5 minutes before close, and keep a bunch of employees after hours, because you couldn't make it into the store during the 12 hours it was open.

 

[bryanb]

We are not instructed to tell people to take as much time as you like. We give them a bit of time, but then start encouraging them to check out. Usually around 20 minutes after close we will go up to any stragglers and tell them they either need to check out, or we will hold their merchandise for them until they return the next day. After a while, the registers automatically lock, and the lights will go off. All controlled by someplace not in the store. It is beyond rude to go someplace 5 minutes before close, and keep a bunch of employees after hours, because you couldn't make it into the store during the 12 hours it was open.

Asking people to leave is one of the more touchy things. I'm sure this still exists, but we had this procedure called "the wall." Cast members would spread out into a line and stand there. We would never be allowed to ask stragglers to leave. Guests were free to linger as long as they wished, take pictures, talk, but they were not allowed to cross human "wall." Once a section was cleared out, the wall would take a few steps forward, and then another few steps forward. Most people would start to exit, but even an hour after closing there were occasionally a few people who didn't take the hint. It did get awkward and tiring at the end of the night doing that.

I didn't realize that the registers would automatically lock. I guess at some point, you really do need cut people off or you'll start paying out some serious overtime!