The
Disneyland Resort Security force, once 600 officers strong, is gradually cutting
back to pre-9/11 staffing levels—basically a 50 percent reduction.
Layoffs
were supposed to begin several months ago, but were delayed by the Big Thunder
accident. Then, in late November, more than a dozen supervisors were let go and
half the security leads were demoted.
Now that the busy holiday season has
passed, attrition is beginning among the general workforce.
“If you’re
a CT (Casual Temporary), CR (Casual Regular), or B, don’t count on getting a lot
of hours,” said one officer. “Management is hoping that these cast members
will eventually leave when they realize that there will be no hours to give.”
Another
guard confirmed: “The big cut in hours has begun. Fewer people are being
scheduled. People who have worked there a year or more are being scheduled two
days, some are lucky to get three. Many areas are no longer covered by security,
large gaps in coverage, no breaker shifts. The people in the towers are trying
to cover breaks. So they are left unmanned, as are many areas. This is the resort
complex, not just the park. Some hotel areas have no security personnel at all.”
The
number of employees affected is large since there is a disproportionate percentage
of “casual” positions. An officer related, “Generally after a season
or two cast members get turned to regular part time. This did not happen after
last spring break or summer.”
Certainly the force had gotten bloated
over the last two years, but let’s hope the reductions don’t compromise the safety
of the resort.
T’ing off?
Months after the Big Thunder tragedy,
the reorganization of Disneyland’s Facilities department is in full swing. According
to reports, V.P. of Facilities Guy Davis resigned at the end of January. Former
military associate General T Irby recruited Davis as his second-in-command in
1997 to assist his “streamlining” of the maintenance department.
Insiders
also expect Irby to no longer be on the Disneyland payroll by the end of this
month. One scenario has Irby transferring to the Disney Cruise Lines, to oversee
its expansion to the West Coast. Disney, says one source, is considering “having
a ship set sail to Mexico from the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Long Beach.
Irby is supposed to be put in charge to get this in place and in operation. His
former position would be filled by an old-timer.”
Fastpass
Disneyland
has made it a little trickier to fool the Fastpass system. Fastpass is now connected
with the Main Entrance.
A cast member explained: “When you have your
Annual Pass or entrance ticket scanned in at the entrance of the park, this registers
you as a paying guest to the Fastpass machines. So when you get a Fastpass, they
know exactly who you are. However, if you just got a new AP, and it was not scanned
when it was processed, the Fastpass machine will reject it with a ticket stating
‘ticket not scanned.’ There are still bugs, and City Hall is trying for a way
to solve it.”
Special Assistance Passes
The hordes of guests
who have been storming City Hall to argue over the changes in the Special Assistance
Passes may be getting some relief—in the form of more room to complain.
Disney
is considering remodeling City Hall. Cast members report that the “quiet
room” to the left of the lobby will be disappearing. The lobby will be expanded
into this room to accommodate additional guests and their complaints.
Annual
Pass processing center
The Resort is again giving thought to relocating
the Annual Pass processing center from Disneyland to Disney’s California Adventure.
The most likely spot would be one of the buildings directly across from Golden
Dreams.
Talk is that the current AP processing center (the former Plaza
Pavilion) would be converted back into a restaurant.
Triton’s Gardens
Triton’s
Gardens is undergoing a much-needed rehab. The corroded railings around the water
jets have been disassembled and the rocks are being repainted.
Rafts
The
single-operator Rafts reported a few weeks ago evidently were just a “test.”
According
to one insider, “Management has to look over new procedures and modifications
that have to be done to the rafts to make it ‘safe.’ The scheduled start date
for this operation is said to be some time in February. Ride operators are fighting
this, with attractions management not listening.”
