Grad Nite 2009

[glendalais]

One must wonder...did the Cast of Disney's Hollywood Studios, watching the School Busses coming up the road, realise that they were about to be overwhelmed?

It's that time of year again. Grad Nite 2009 is now upon the Walt Disney World Resort.

This year, Grad Nite moves from the Magic Kingdom Park to Disney's Hollywood Studios to be held on 17, 18, 24 and 25 April.

While Disney has done well by changing the hours of the event, making it from 8 PM to 2 AM rather than the traditional 10 PM to 6 AM, we all know that these will be a difficult series of nights for CMs at DHS. It's the craziness of Grad Nite for a Park that has never hosted one before, not to mention the first time Grad Nite has not been hosted in a Magic Kingdom-style Park.

Anyway, if anyone has any Grad Nite SGTs, please post them here!

[Cranbiz]

One must wonder...did the Cast of Disney's Hollywood Studios, watching the School Busses coming up the road, realise that they were about to be overwhelmed?

It's that time of year again. Grad Nite 2009 is now upon the Walt Disney World Resort.

This year, Grad Nite moves from the Magic Kingdom Park to Disney's Hollywood Studios to be held on 17, 18, 24 and 25 April.

While Disney has done well by changing the hours of the event, making it from 8 PM to 2 AM rather than the traditional 10 PM to 6 AM, we all know that these will be a difficult series of nights for CMs at DHS. It's the craziness of Grad Nite for a Park that has never hosted one before, not to mention the first time Grad Nite has not been hosted in a Magic Kingdom-style Park.

Anyway, if anyone has any Grad Nite SGTs, please post them here!

Well, the first thing is a SCT (Stupid Company Trick). World Drive will be closed to traffic during the fireworks as pyro will be setting mortars up in the median to achive the desires effect. It's bad enough when MK has perimeter fireworks (ask any cast member about road closures) but to shut down World Drive for 25 minutes or so! My driving nightmare has just begun.

[Shorty82]

Well, the first thing is a SCT (Stupid Company Trick). World Drive will be closed to traffic during the fireworks as pyro will be setting mortars up in the median to achive the desires effect. It's bad enough when MK has perimeter fireworks (ask any cast member about road closures) but to shut down World Drive for 25 minutes or so! My driving nightmare has just begun.

SCT doesn't begin to cover that! Closing down the main road on property and an important section at that is really, really, REALLY stupid.

At least the perimeter fireworks at the MK affect only CMs and mostly MK ones at that, this closure is going to affect guests and CMs going to and from most anywhere on property.

[turkeyham]

I just heard that allot of the long time cast members might be working Grad Nites because allot of departments are short on cast members. I can see my friends who have been there for over 15 years work a Grad Nite, that will be some fun. I would love to see a SG work a Grad Nite and see how hard it is for real to deal with them brats. :eek:

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

My sympathies to all the hard working CM's that will have to endure the onslaught!

[Main Streeter]

I just heard that allot of the long time cast members might be working Grad Nites because allot of departments are short on cast members.
This is not the case in my dept. Full Time CMs aren't even asked to fill out Grad Nite prefs. I'm working because a few Nites won't kill me, I can set my own hrs., & I kinda like crazy Grad Nites. ;)

[mechurchlady]

This is not the case in my dept. Full Time CMs aren't even asked to fill out Grad Nite prefs. I'm working because a few Nites won't kill me, I can set my own hrs., & I kinda like crazy Grad Nites. ;)
Make
sure you take notes and report back all the SG stories.:)

[GaTechGal]

How exactly is DHS going to handle all those kids. Let's see they can ride RNR, TOT, TSM, StarWars, and the Great Movie Ride. Have I left out any rides? All the rest are SHOWS!!! Are they going to run the shows during Grad Nites? As unplesant as it is for the CM's atleast the Magic Kingdom is ride heavy. What are all those kids going to do? I can see LOTS of misbehaving going on at DHS.:eek:

[goofyjoe]

Let's see they can ride RNR, TOT, TSM, StarWars, and the Great Movie Ride. Have I left out any rides? All the rest are SHOWS!!!

Well, they do have parking trams! And after a certain point in the evening, which of these kids will be able to tell the difference? :D:

[turkeyham]

I have seen the parking lot at the studios. I wonder how many school buses fit into it? :confused:

[luckylady]

How exactly is DHS going to handle all those kids. Let's see they can ride RNR, TOT, TSM, StarWars, and the Great Movie Ride. Have I left out any rides? All the rest are SHOWS!!! Are they going to run the shows during Grad Nites? As unplesant as it is for the CM's atleast the Magic Kingdom is ride heavy. What are all those kids going to do? I can see LOTS of misbehaving going on at DHS.:eek:

I agree. Not a whole lot of rides here as in MK. Ya'll know teens when they get bored they get into trouble.Good luck to anyone who has to work this.

[goofyjoe]

Well, the first thing is a SCT (Stupid Company Trick). World Drive will be closed to traffic during the fireworks as pyro will be setting mortars up in the median to achive the desires effect. It's bad enough when MK has perimeter fireworks (ask any cast member about road closures) but to shut down World Drive for 25 minutes or so! My driving nightmare has just begun.

Are they shutting down all of World Drive? If so, I'm surprised that they don't just shut down the stretch between Buena Vista and Osceola. It might make sense just to have people go down Buena Vista to get to AKL or elsewhere on property. But if it's the whole stretch, then what are they going to do with people driving off-property to the south? How are people going to get out of MK?

[hhsrat]

World Drive between BVD and Osceola was all that was shut down.

[kurtisnelson]

Aren't the fireworks for that pretty late?

[Syndrome]

I heard 'em at midnight last night.

[Cranbiz]

Yes, World Drive was shut down between BVD and Osceola Parkway. Now it was from 10:45pm to 12:45am.

Now, there must be someone new in the ops center as the detours made sense from a drivers viewpoint. We used Bear Island Rd (all backstage areas) to Western Way for Coronado, All Stars and AKL, and Epcot Center Dr to everything else in that area ( CBR, Epcot Resorts and Pop) It actually went well on Saturday night (well, except for the fatal head-on on Epcot Center drive at 2am)

[Ms. Matterhorn]

It actually went well on Saturday night (well, except for the fatal head-on on Epcot Center drive at 2am)

OMG! What happened?

[mechurchlady]

OMG! What happened?
The accident was on Epcot Center Drive just west of World Drive. Wrong way driver killed a 19 year old who may have been a CM.

http://allfordmustangs.com/forums/mustang-lounge/169344-keep-my-friend-your-prayers-please.html
This is heart wrenching sad and please read page two when his friends talk about a teen whose life was snuff out by an incompetent SG. Not sure but from the pictures how does one drive on the wrong side of the road there.
It was 2am this morning when he was heading back home from his job(works for some part of disney)... Anyway, he was in a 20001 Honda Accord that was all tricked out that he bought at 16 yrs old when he lived in New Orleans.. After a huge hurricane destroyed their house, they moved down to florida.. Anyhow, the 50 year old male that was driving his big pickup truck was on the wrong side of the road at 2am..

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-crash-victim-disney-identity-042009,0,5061160.story

LAKE BUENA VISTA - - A driver killed Sunday while traveling the wrong way on Epcot Center Drive was identified tonight as Angel Morales, 50, of Orlando. His Dodge collided headon with a Honda about 2 a.m. near Buena Vista Drive. Both vehicles caught fire. Morales and the other driver, 19-year-old Aaron Pichoff of Winter Garden, were pronounced dead at the scene, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Yes, World Drive was shut down between BVD and Osceola Parkway. Now it was from 10:45pm to 12:45am.

Now, there must be someone new in the ops center as the detours made sense from a drivers viewpoint. We used Bear Island Rd (all backstage areas) to Western Way for Coronado, All Stars and AKL, and Epcot Center Dr to everything else in that area ( CBR, Epcot Resorts and Pop) It actually went well on Saturday night (well, except for the fatal head-on on Epcot Center drive at 2am)

read about that, very sad.

[mapo]

I agree. Not a whole lot of rides here as in MK. Ya'll know teens when they get bored they get into trouble.Good luck to anyone who has to work this.

Well, having worked the first two nights, I can say that the kids have been great! Very few incidents overall.

Studios will only host this event this year. Next year it returns to Magic Kingdom. :rolleyes:

Global operations staff and leaders have been pressed into service from all points of the property. Mandatory overtime has, as usual, been assigned to those senior people lucky enough to have Friday or Saturday off, from Global Operations. CMs statused at Studios do have longer days but most of the lines of business have been covered by voluntary shifts. Since most lines of business (not global) have been a bit starved for hours, this is a welcome relief.

Studios management have been quick to constantly ask how to improve the operation on a nightly basis from those of us in the trenches. Improvements have evolved quickly -- implemented the NEXT night! :eek:

Universal consensus has been that Studios has more than it can handle but is working as hard as they can to cover. Attendance is very, very low compared to MK Grad Nights so that helps Studios out immensely. Everyone has been asked to be as flexible as possible. I have not seen one CM not rise to the occasion, to pitch in as needed to make this work.

Senior management from all areas including Phil Holmes, VP MK have been on hand for hours walking the grad paths and areas helping target possible problem areas and SOLVE these challenges as seamlessly as possible.

So far it has been the best example of team work I have seen as a CM in my five years!

It has not been perfect. It has some major flaws. But these leaders openly admit they are not MK, do not have the resources of MK, and continually ask (not demand) patience and resilience from the front line cast.

I do not know if this is due to the recent shake up of leadership (layoffs, packages, and retirements). I will say that it gives me hope that we are now moving in the right direction as a global team.

As for the kids and the offerings:

More concert stages than MK
Two Fantasmic Shows per night
Two dance parties on opposite sides of park
All rides open; Toy Story mania and Star Tours getting a good work out too
Coaster area very popular; some issues but marginal given crowds

We still have a night with the historically difficult schools to go. Rival schools coming in this weekend.

Overall, the kids have been there to have fun, not fights. Chaperones have been more of a pain in the ass not wanting to adhere to dress code or listen to security. Love ejecting problem chaperone from park, lovely! :p:

[Disclaimer: It may sound like I am a company lackey from some of my comments. They really are doing a superb job working with front line CMs. Do we still have blue badges walking about doing nothing but holding pickup sticks? YUP...lots of em. However, being in global operations, I can tell you there is a core group that is more than covering for those slackers.]

[Monorail Piglet]

The accident was on Epcot Center Drive just west of World Drive. Wrong way driver killed a 19 year old who may have been a CM.

http://allfordmustangs.com/forums/mustang-lounge/169344-keep-my-friend-your-prayers-please.html
This is heart wrenching sad and please read page two when his friends talk about a teen whose life was snuff out by an incompetent SG. Not sure but from the pictures how does one drive on the wrong side of the road there.


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-crash-victim-disney-identity-042009,0,5061160.story

I saw that accident on my way home from work that night. I was direced to make a U-turn the other way to get home. I remember tons of smoke and one of the cars being literally totaled (basically, the car was smashed into itself).

It looks like Aaron was part of watercraft (there are funeral services times announcements available around the watercraft area). Now thinking about it, I "vaguely" know the CM from seeing him the break room area and talking to him once or twice.

It's really sad to come to this realization that the accident was cause by eitehr a SG, a drunk or both (or whatever reason).

[Monorail Piglet]

Well, having worked the first two nights, I can say that the kids have been great! Very few incidents overall.

Studios will only host this event this year. Next year it returns to Magic Kingdom. :rolleyes:

Global operations staff and leaders have been pressed into service from all points of the property. Mandatory overtime has, as usual, been assigned to those senior people lucky enough to have Friday or Saturday off, from Global Operations. CMs statused at Studios do have longer days but most of the lines of business have been covered by voluntary shifts. Since most lines of business (not global) have been a bit starved for hours, this is a welcome relief.

Studios management have been quick to constantly ask how to improve the operation on a nightly basis from those of us in the trenches. Improvements have evolved quickly -- implemented the NEXT night! :eek:

Universal consensus has been that Studios has more than it can handle but is working as hard as they can to cover. Attendance is very, very low compared to MK Grad Nights so that helps Studios out immensely. Everyone has been asked to be as flexible as possible. I have not seen one CM not rise to the occasion, to pitch in as needed to make this work.

Senior management from all areas including Phil Holmes, VP MK have been on hand for hours walking the grad paths and areas helping target possible problem areas and SOLVE these challenges as seamlessly as possible.

So far it has been the best example of team work I have seen as a CM in my five years!

It has not been perfect. It has some major flaws. But these leaders openly admit they are not MK, do not have the resources of MK, and continually ask (not demand) patience and resilience from the front line cast.

I do not know if this is due to the recent shake up of leadership (layoffs, packages, and retirements). I will say that it gives me hope that we are now moving in the right direction as a global team.

As for the kids and the offerings:

More concert stages than MK
Two Fantasmic Shows per night
Two dance parties on opposite sides of park
All rides open; Toy Story mania and Star Tours getting a good work out too
Coaster area very popular; some issues but marginal given crowds

We still have a night with the historically difficult schools to go. Rival schools coming in this weekend.

Overall, the kids have been there to have fun, not fights. Chaperones have been more of a pain in the ass not wanting to adhere to dress code or listen to security. Love ejecting problem chaperone from park, lovely! :p:

[Disclaimer: It may sound like I am a company lackey from some of my comments. They really are doing a superb job working with front line CMs. Do we still have blue badges walking about doing nothing but holding pickup sticks? YUP...lots of em. However, being in global operations, I can tell you there is a core group that is more than covering for those slackers.]

Wait, it returns to MK next year?

*remembers last year staying until 7am at the MK monorail station*

if this is true......nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ho-say]

Curious - does anyone know what was behind the decision to move grad nites to the Studios, esp. if only for one year?

[edua87]

On the Merchandise Side, Youse Guys, on streets of america was VERY well staffed for the event. Directly across one of the stages we expected many problems, however they did great having 6 CMs watching the place rather than the usual 2.

[Rob562]

Curious - does anyone know what was behind the decision to move grad nites to the Studios, esp. if only for one year?


My thought was that it was because of Space Mountain. It would have only been open for the first Grad Night or two before going down for its multi-month refurb.
Perhaps upper management thought that not having all E-tickets available would have been a bad idea? (No Space Mountain would most likely leave Tomorrowland VERY empty of students, and very busy over in Fronteirland)

-Rob

[mapo]

As I understand it, this is a very very recent decision to return to Magic Kingdom. The stripes figured out that MK brings em in, Studios doesn't. and most importantly, Studios just is not resource laden to take on this event.

[Big Wallaby]

Well, the first thing is a SCT (Stupid Company Trick). World Drive will be closed to traffic during the fireworks as pyro will be setting mortars up in the median to achive the desires effect. It's bad enough when MK has perimeter fireworks (ask any cast member about road closures) but to shut down World Drive for 25 minutes or so! My driving nightmare has just begun.I have to beg this question: Whose decision was it, that in order to keep things moving, we should reroute people staying at AKL, Pop, ASR, CB, CS, and anywhere else in that vicinity down Bear Island Road? I mean, I know guests love to see backstage, but the sewage processing facility is a wee bit over the top.

I hated doing that one by myself. I would never take guests back there. I would rather go to Coronado Springs by way of Idaho Falls in 2780 (may that thing finally die soon) than take guests on Bear Island Road. Can anyone say, "Bad show"?

[mapo]

I have to beg this question: Whose decision was it, that in order to keep things moving, we should reroute people staying at AKL, Pop, ASR, CB, CS, and anywhere else in that vicinity down Bear Island Road? I mean, I know guests love to see backstage, but the sewage processing facility is a wee bit over the top.

I hated doing that one by myself. I would never take guests back there. I would rather go to Coronado Springs by way of Idaho Falls in 2780 (may that thing finally die soon) than take guests on Bear Island Road. Can anyone say, "Bad show"?

Big Wallaby, sorry to say but Transportation made that call.:eek:

[hobie16]

I just got an email from my niece. Her parents rented a limo to haul her and her friends to the prom. On the way to the prom the limo driver caused a wreck and ran. The cops caught him and charged him with DUI.

The kids had to call their parents to come get them and deliver them to the dance.

How mortifying!

[kurtisnelson]

At least the kids weren't drinking. I guess I should make the obligatory rum comment.

[Mad Maxx]

Wait... You guys only had to do FOUR GradNites and they are ALL DONE already?

We have to do SEVEN out here in CA spread out over 6 weeks. And silly me went and volunteered to work every single one of them... 1830 - 2700 shifts, here I come again! And we haven't even started them yet...

[DisneyMom]

Wait... You guys only had to do FOUR GradNites and they are ALL DONE already?

We have to do SEVEN out here in CA spread out over 6 weeks. And silly me went and volunteered to work every single one of them... 1830 - 2700 shifts, here I come again! And we haven't even started them yet...

Nurses DO use military time, but I've never worked until 2700! Is that Twilight Zone Time?;)

[Big Wallaby]

Yeah, seems that graduations occur earlier here in the Eastern states than back out West.

[ktulu]

Nurses DO use military time, but I've never worked until 2700! Is that Twilight Zone Time?;)

You have, you were just too tired to notice.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Wait... You guys only had to do FOUR GradNites and they are ALL DONE already?

We have to do SEVEN out here in CA spread out over 6 weeks. And silly me went and volunteered to work every single one of them... 1830 - 2700 shifts, here I come again! And we haven't even started them yet...

maybe he worked Buzz, something about beyond infinity?

hehehehee

[Zazu]

Nurses DO use military time, but I've never worked until 2700! Is that Twilight Zone Time?;)
No, it's just Disney time. Disney uses a "24-hour" clock to avoid confusion between am and pm, but if you work past midnight the hours just keep counting. I think they're afraid that subtracting 1600 from 0300 would make the time clerks' heads explode.

Just like 24-hour time, it works pretty well once you get used to it.

Plus you don't have to clean exploding clerks' brains off your costume!

Does make me think of Dali's artwork though.

[Alyssa3467]

The usage seems to be getting phased out at Disneyland, at least from what I can tell.

[Cheshire Figment]

It is my understanding that the time clocks/CDS/whatever actually go up to 3600. So 2700 is still early.

[Cranbiz]

I have to beg this question: Whose decision was it, that in order to keep things moving, we should reroute people staying at AKL, Pop, ASR, CB, CS, and anywhere else in that vicinity down Bear Island Road? I mean, I know guests love to see backstage, but the sewage processing facility is a wee bit over the top.

I hated doing that one by myself. I would never take guests back there. I would rather go to Coronado Springs by way of Idaho Falls in 2780 (may that thing finally die soon) than take guests on Bear Island Road. Can anyone say, "Bad show"?

Well, I for one thought is was a good idea. It also gave me a lot more materiel for my running commentary instead listening to Dave.

"Ok folks, on our right you will see a maintenance facility, what is maintained there, I don't know but I'm sure it's maintained properly" and "Once again on our right there is our golf course maintenance facility, how do I know, well there is a sign out front that say's golf course maintenance and also by the sheer number of lawn mowers there".

At 1045pm these was much less to see than there would have been at 3pm.