Do cast members change locations during a shift?

[maui2k5]

My daughter (12) had a question for me today that I did not have the answer to. She said "If a cast member is working in Tower of Terror at the elevator loading, do they stay there the entire 8 hour shift or move around the attraction every few hours during their shift like to the front of the attraction?".

No idea - anyone know the answer? Do cast members get moved around attractions during their shift or work in a specific spot for the entire shift?

 

[Stacybaeasm]

They are rotated through many different areas of the ride/place they are assigned. In your example, a person may be on loading for awhile and then moved up to working in front of the viewing room, and possibly even out to the fast pass line and also given appropriate breaks. If you watch, you may see one CM approach another with a slip of paper. That paper gives the person the next assignment to move to.

 

[goofyernmost]

If the question is would they move from the ToT to Rise of the Resistance the answer would likely be no. For one thing they are not trained on every attraction and even more important, they are in costume for whichever one they are assigned. That doesn't mean that they might not change to some degree on a daily basis, but again that depends on training level and costume availability.

 

[larjani]

I had a friend that worked Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. He said they worked each station for 15 minutes, then took a break once they rotated through. After break they would start over again. That was the late 80s early 90s. 15 minutes seems short too.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I had a friend that worked Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. He said they worked each station for 15 minutes, then took a break once they rotated through. After break they would start over again. That was the late 80s early 90s. 15 minutes seems short too.

I don't know about Attractions, but Merchandise cast in the parks usually do about 45 minutes, depending on location.

 

[Mle8308]

There is a rotation system. A CM is assigned a position at the attraction when they arrive at the start of their shift, certain positions have set start times (which can be changed depending on park attendance). A rotation is also set up in the system, usually every hour, and that moves the CM's to the next position on the list (the white slip of paper you may see CM's hand off). Rotations are designed to be efficient but also provide CM's some inside time when possible, so they are not outside all day. Once the rotation is done, that last person signs back in and is given a task to do. It may be to go to a certain position and send that CM to break, it could be to add another position into the rotation (as the day progresses and it gets busier), put through another "bump" or, if there are no scheduled breaks or rotations, it may assign a task such as to sweep the area or assist at another position for 15 minutes. It's a pretty efficient system and it keeps people moving through out the day.

 

[Lizgistix]

If you watch, you may see one CM approach another with a slip of paper. That paper gives the person the next assignment to move to.

Another mystery solved! I always wondered what that piece of paper was.

 

[HopperFan]

There is a rotation system. A CM is assigned a position at the attraction when they arrive at the start of their shift, certain positions have set start times (which can be changed depending on park attendance). A rotation is also set up in the system, usually every hour, and that moves the CM's to the next position on the list (the white slip of paper you may see CM's hand off). Rotations are designed to be efficient but also provide CM's some inside time when possible, so they are not outside all day. Once the rotation is done, that last person signs back in and is given a task to do. It may be to go to a certain position and send that CM to break, it could be to add another position into the rotation (as the day progresses and it gets busier), put through another "bump" or, if there are no scheduled breaks or rotations, it may assign a task such as to sweep the area or assist at another position for 15 minutes. It's a pretty efficient system and it keeps people moving through out the day.

ALL OF THIS^

Think about costumes, one will always be working within the area that their costume works. You might work Peter Pan, Small World and Carousel. You might work Buzz Lightyear, AstroOrbiter and COP. My DD worked at DisneyQuest and she was trained in every single attraction in there and would rotate often. She was also a Hopper so cross trained including Custodial, which she had to use a few times at Soarin' when custodial wouldn't show up. Now at Soarin' she only rotated within the ride itself because they had specific costumes and the ride has many jobs. If you are very good at something others hate you might find yourself sent there over and over, DD was often at the Soarin' FP+/SB merge because guests were so ugly and she could handle it, some of the CMs were often in tears.

Now if one is trained in Custodial, that is the easiest job to pick up shifts because you can work ANYWHERE! If you are Merchandise you can work at other stores but you have to pick up a costume to do it, or if you do often you can probably hold two costumes (they keep very detailed track of what you have.) DD had two jobs at once, DisneyQuest and RescueRanger - outdoor GR in Disney Springs during all the construction to help people find their way around etc. So she held two costumes.

 

[Timmy Boy]

Yes they rotate positions within their attraction ever 45 minutes to an hour. The person outside checking heights may eventually load you, unload you, or be in the rides control room watching the cameras.

 

[Boopuff]

My DD was photopass at MK. She had one “newsboy” costume for Main Street (where she could work anywhere up and down that area) she may work the hub for a bit then move to another location on Main Street. she also worked at AK and there she could be assigned anywhere in the park or as a character photographer- I was always amazed at the intricacies of her job

 

[bryanb]

I had a friend that worked Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. He said they worked each station for 15 minutes, then took a break once they rotated through. After break they would start over again. That was the late 80s early 90s. 15 minutes seems short too.

Indeed, in the old days it was approximately every 15 minutes on most attractions. You’d work a rotation of three or so positions, staying in one place until someone came back from break and bumped you to the next station. When people were taking lunches, you might stay in the same spot for 30 minutes. The rationale for staying in one task not more than 15-30 minutes is fatigue. Some of these positions are mindnumbingly repetitive if you let them be. Even the most enthusiastic Jungle Cruise skipper needs a break from talking and being “on” after doing three trips in a row.

More importantly, you might be one of the button pushers at Big Thunder Mountain, where you need to stay focused and vigilant at all times for any number of safety concerns. A dispatch position at may seem laid back, but they’re watching for kids not well seated, fingers that could get smashed, etc., holding their hands over the emergency stop button. It doesn’t matter how if you’re a tall, strapping 19-year-old: on a hot summer day, you’ll need a switch after several trips on the canoes keeping up that high energy spiel.

Of course, Disney realized that 15 minute rotations was underutilizing CMs. Attractions CMs were getting more than the required lunch + two 15 minute breaks. Sometimes you’d get a break after every hour of work in a five-CM rotation. And plus, some attractions really don’t need such frequent rotations/breaks… like the Tiki Room or riverboat captain (which we dubbed “The Floating Breakroom.”)

 

[bryanb]

Yes they rotate positions within their attraction ever 45 minutes to an hour. The person outside checking heights may eventually load you, unload you, or be in the rides control room watching the cameras.

I used to work Big Thunder Mountain. As greeter, I measured a kid who was an inch below the height requirement and would not let the kid in. The parents insisted to the point of confrontation, stopped listening to me, and entered the line saying that they were fine to ride. Of course, I had a radio and warned there were unauthorized guests expecting to ride. They thought they had gotten past me until, bump… my turn to rotate to load where guess who shows up at the front of the queue. I directed the kid to wait with their parent but they would not be riding that day.