Originally Posted By SuperDry I know that when the parks close at 10pm (which is the case the majority of the days of the year), they will cap off the lines to popular attractions so that the last person in line doesn't ride more than 30 minutes or so after park closing (and I know that this is due to the CM's having to be off duty by a certain time so that they can catch the "last train" back home). My question is what is the situation on those days when the park closes early? For example, the parks close at 7pm on many of the days in January, and 9pm on many of the days in January and most of the days in February. Do they do a similar thing and cap the lines of popular attractions so that they don't extend much more than 30 minutes past posted park closing? Or do they let them get longer as "last train" is not an issue? Or, is it that the days with early closing are those such that no attraction has lines long enough to make this an issue one way or the other?
Originally Posted By Mr X I honestly have no idea...I could check into it if you REALLY want to know...send me a mail if this is important to you. But my GUESS would be that they follow the same procedure regardless. THAT would be the Japanese way, would it not? Flexibility is not something that is hardwired into the Japanese mindset, I have noticed. Not to sound prejudiced or anything, but I've encountered many situations where the LOGICAL "next step", or "better idea", or mid-course correction, doesn't go "by the book", and therefore cannot be done. If that makes sense...
Originally Posted By Kylesmom Just because you recognise a cultural difference doesn't make you a biggot IMO.
Originally Posted By Mr X One thing I am fairly sure of though, is that they do a thorough "sweep" of the park which empties the place of guests within one hour...This I know because they actually make an "all clear" announcement exactly one hour after the park is closed. At that time, cleaning and maintenence personnel are allowed to drive in (they wait for that announcement backstage), and entertainment rehersals and such are permitted "onstage". There is a similar parkwide announcement 30 minutes before park opening. Clockwork, baby! THAT'S what TDL (and Japan) are all about! Everything is VERY strict...compared to Orlando (where a guest can remain as long as he or she wishes pretty much). Even the "off time" schedules are very tight and to the minute. Just conjecture, of course, and probably not addressing the original post. Sorry.
Originally Posted By Mr X Thanks, Kylesmom! I appreciate that comment (specially since my child is half-Japanese!),
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I honestly have no idea...I could check into it if you REALLY want to know...send me a mail if this is important to you. >>> You have mail. <<< But my GUESS would be that they follow the same procedure regardless. THAT would be the Japanese way, would it not? >>> It most definately would be the Japanese way. Setting aside for the moment the issue of TDR being in Japan, it makes sense that they would use the same procedures on early closing days, as they already have everything set up to work a certain way on most days - why would they make an exception to provide for extended attraction operations past closing on only those days where they close early due to perceived light attendance? As you point out, once you take into consideration the Japanese factor, it's almost certain that they would do things by the book. My guess at this point would be that on most nights, the attraction lines at the end of the day are simply not an issue on early closing days.
Originally Posted By Mr X I have a few attractions cast member friends, I shall ask around for you...will mail back soon too.
Originally Posted By paulyahoo << they do a thorough "sweep" of the park which empties the place of guests within one hour >> Interesting, it seems DLRP is somewhere in the middle ground. They usually cap off the lines exactly at the time of closing, but clear all the park except Main Street very quickly.
Originally Posted By Mr X I think Orlando is really the exception to the rule. I remember being in Epcot once with friends, and we were strolling around and shopping and were NEVER asked to leave. I truly felt like a "guest". But I think all the other places (being in bigger cities where the workers needed to get home, maybe?), they definitely make some kind of "we are now closed, thanks for coming" anouncement...Cali folks, could you confirm this? I was definitely SHOCKED the first time I heard the "thanks for coming, now get out" anouncement at TDL...after my experience at Epcot.
Originally Posted By Park Hopper They announce closing and then about half an hour later cast members show up at crucial intersections to help direct guests toward Main Street. Should a guest try to pass a cast member and move further into the park, they are politely informed that the area they are walking toward is now closed and Main Street is the only area still open. As the park empties, the cast members move closer and closer to the hub until there are just a few at the top of Main Street. Attraction lines are cut off at park closing. Should an attraction have an exceptionaly long line at closing time so that the last guests emerge from the exit an hour or more after closing, they will find a cast member at the exit politly guiding them toward the exit. Usually there are also castmembers at all intersections along the way where guests might go astray.
Originally Posted By beamerdog >>I remember being in Epcot once with friends, and we were strolling around and shopping and were NEVER asked to leave.<< In Dec. '04 I had to beg to get into a shop before fireworks started (way before the park closed)to purchase a Figment attenna topper for my son. They were in the process of closing and had a cm stationed at the door only letting people out. You were probably in WS which is open later.
Originally Posted By SuperDry I thought that the rush to get people out of the Tokyo parks was a bit overblown until I experienced it myself recently. To add to what Mr X said above, even though they have everyone completely cleared out at the 1-hour-after-closing mark and sound the "all clear," they start clearing people out at the far ends of the park immediately upon closing. I was among the last to ride Raging Spirits at closing (7pm that night I believe). As I got off it, it was something like 7:04pm, and I wanted to take pictures of the front of the attraction. There had to have been a dozen CMs standing nearby, between the attraction CMs, custodial, security, and a "suit." They were outwardly friendly but at the same time delivered a not-so-subtle message that it was time to move along. As I left the area, they all waved to me and said "Adios!" which I found very strange until I realized that this must be the standard saying for Lost River Delta. Anyway, I thought it was a bit pushy for it being 4 minutes after closing. Once I got to the next land, it was more or less abandoned and I could linger, although I knew it would not be long before I was moved along from there.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Gotta love TDR's staff for their efficiency. It'd be nice if 10% of that rubbed on the WDW cast.
Originally Posted By Mr X >>>You were probably in WS which is open later.<<< Nope. It was FutureWorld, we had left World Showcase quite a while after the fireworks...the park MUST have already been closed a good half hour before we wandered into the shop (it was a shop on the right hand side of the fountain, on the Horizons side), and after a while they made it clear that they were "closing up" (by stocking shelves and whatnot) but never were we asked to leave the shop. After THAT, we lingered even longer around the fountain and actually saw a fountain show before finally strolling out, close to or after an hour after the park closed. This was back in 94 or 95 though, seems times have changed (Walt would NOT approve of a shop closing before closing time, by the way...of that I am sure!). >>>Anyway, I thought it was a bit pushy for it being 4 minutes after closing.<<< Yeah, I agree. But then again, like TDLFAN said, they are efficient. In order to make their strict 1 hour deadline, they must have to work fast from the outside inwards towards the main gate and I'm not surprised that you got the bums rush being on the outskirts of the park. Well, at least we all discovered that their strict closing schedules are followed, EVEN at those rare times when the parks are closed early.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN It's obvious they mean business and that there is a sense of urgency in getting CMs off for the day, as opposed to WDW..where profits override the closing time... Let them shop 2 hrs past closing time!!!
Originally Posted By Mr X Yes, TDLFAN, BUT it's interesting that they are so strict about things on such an early closing day, don't you think? By the way, the urgency has NOTHING to do with getting CMs off for the day. They load them down with hours and hours of useless paperwork long after the last guests have left, and the management couldn't care less if those poor cast members miss their train or whatever. In fact, I was recently told that "those insignificant cast members are all pretty stupid and worthless, and if we could fire them all and hire college graduates in their place, we gladly would". This by a Tokyo Disney resort supervisor, and HIS boss concurred. YES, the onstage cast are AWSOME. I love each and every one of them. But the people running the show from behind the scenes are NOT looking out for their own. Or even for the guests. They are just busy running their insane schedules just because that's the way Japanese do things. Sorry to spoil the magic though.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>Yes, TDLFAN, BUT it's interesting that they are so strict about things on such an early closing day, don't you think?<< No, I don't think, because my experience with the japanese is..they never deviate from the norm . You of all people should know that by now.
Originally Posted By Mr X Of course, I know that. I'm trying very hard to fix that "inflexible" thing right now at TDR. What did you think of the REST of my comments, good sir?
