Has anyone been 'kicked out' at closing time?

[PetePanMan]

PPM Response: I don't think (?) anyone is suggesting that you be banned and I at least don't think you are breaking any rules. My point is that if say 10,000 or more people also want to stay 90mins to 2 hrs after closing (perhaps unlikely but maybe not on early close nights) then I think things would soon change as it would likely impact staffing levels / costs and pose increased security issues.

Don't you think those cast members would like to go home. Everyone in that park has a job to do and you just hold them up by taking your time. You think those employees staying late ushering people out are not being paid, do you think they have no families to get home to or maybe they are just exhausted and want to go home to get some sleep.[/QUOTE]
yup, I agree with you

 

[YawningDodo]

My work experience at Disney was more recent -- six years ago -- and they were really very formal about following the regulations re: eight hours between shifts (that's really not enough, still, but it was very rare for me to do a late shift followed by an early one), paying overtime appropriately, etc. Yes, there were aspects of the job that were frustrating, and yes, I heard plenty of guest horror stories from a couple of my on-stage friends. Yes, it was important that I clock out by my scheduled time...but on nights when it looked like we'd get held up, my manager made sure I could actually do so or got me excused. I'm not saying it was a worker's paradise (my schedule was very irregular, for one thing, and it would have been difficult to deal with that if I'd been at a different stage in my life), but it was quite a lot better than the other minimum wage jobs I held at various points in high school and college.

I do wish I'd asked my friends at the time whether they themselves had to stay until the last guests were out, or if they just left at the end of their scheduled shifts and it got taken care of by security. Like I said on page 2, there are people scheduled to be working in the parks at literally all hours. I imagine TS workers were more likely to get stranded, as one such CM noted in this thread, by the nature of restaurants allowing lingerers to sit with their coffee at the end of the night.

 

[Elenadc]

When I worked at DAK I used to help with closing a lot. I worked at the Tree, so we'd basically wait at the entrances to other lands for CMs there to tell us they were clear, and then we'd sweep toward the exit as a group following people on their way out to make sure the area behind us stayed empty. We'd check all the restrooms and things like that. If someone was taking their time, or in one case, sitting on their phone ignoring us, we'd just stand and wait. We weren't allowed to tell them to leave. If it got excessive then security was called to inform them that they needed to leave.

 

[maxiesmom]

The way I look at it is that, if Disney (the Company) was concerned about it, they would be more proactive in doing something about it. From my perspective, they obviously view the perceptions of their guests as more important than the perceptions of a few disgruntled ex-employees. I strongly suspect that some of the special moments that occur after 'park closure' do more to bring guests back than what they experience when the crowds are at their thickest.

And, for that matter, if I worked at the MK, I would rather work a 6:00 PM - 2:00 AM shift than a 4-12 shift anyway. That schedule would actually give me MORE time to spend with my family when they are awake.

Yes, the good old argument of "If Disney really wanted me to do XXX they would force me to". Far be it for people to actually stick to the posted park hours without the aid of a cattle prod and some tongs.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Yes, the good old argument of "If Disney really wanted me to do XXX they would force me to". Far be it for people to actually stick to the posted park hours without the aid of a cattle prod and some tongs.

If the whole park closes at posted closing time, then why is main street open for an hour after closing? That's not officially posted, afaik, but they keep the stores open and selling (as opposed to at the end of say MNSSHP when the park closes at 12, and they no longer let you even enter main street stores after 12).

 

[Robo]

As I said earlier in this thread, if guests were not expected to be in the park (MK, in this case) well after "closing time,"
why would Disney continue to run an actual "show" (minor as it is) every night an hour after that "closing time..."
then, run it again thirty minutes later?

That "show" (minor as it is) is called "Kiss Goodnight," and has been running for years.

Many experienced guests know about the Kiss Goodnight (minor as it is) and actually wait in the park for it to happen.

 

[ilovefh]

I can only tell you information from a bus drivers perspective because DH was a driver.

When he worked closing shifts he was ALWAYS scheduled past closing time. The trick with his union is you cannot clock out late or EARLY without permission. So if the park cleared early one night, say an hour before his shift ended, he had to get permission to clock out early. A manual override by a manager sort of thing. So he could seek out management to go home early or he could sit and wait to clock out.

My point is, there are many CM's in the park that are purposely scheduled well past closing. If the park clears earlier than expected they can usually stay and wait or seek out permission to leave early. But remember, if they leave early they don't get paid for that time. When you make less than $10 an hour, every hour counts.

So no, if you stay past closing you are probably not holding any CM up. It's not like their shift ends at closing but they have to wait for guests to leave.