Venting...

[Shorty82]

I was off today, so I can't tell you personally. However, generally, when CDS (or MATRA, or any other big pan-Parks and Resorts system) dies at WDW, it does at the DLR as well.

That's stupid, they should have used separate servers for the two resorts instead of the same ones.

Welcome to my world (that of working without CDS, that is) :p: .

I don't really mean to be mean, but I find it a tad hillarious of the chaos that went on without CDS. I guess that's what happens when Leads/Coordinators become too dependent on the computer.

One of my coordinators really got on a roll yesterday, he got good at making sure the right people went to the right places and that breaks and bumps happened on time.

Eh ?

Our Clocking Policy at the DLR is up to 5 minutes before the start of your shift, and up to 20 minutes before it ends (to account for the 20 minute Walk/Dress time).

So assuming a 800-1630 (8 hours with a half hour lunch), it looks something like this (not including Paid Break Periods):

755: Clock In
755-800: Grace Period to Start of Shift
800-1200: Work
1200: Clock Out - Lunch Start
1200-1230: Lunch
1230: Clock In - Lunch End
1230-1610: Work
1610: Clock Out
1610-1630: Dress/Walk Time
1630:End of Shift

However, if I understand what's been said here, and if I remember some things right (like WDW CMs having a 10 minute walk time instead of 20), it looks something like this??

745: Clock In
745-800: Grace Period to Start of Shift
800-1200: Work
1200: Clock Out - Lunch Start
1200-1230: Lunch
1230: Clock In - Lunch End
1230-1620: Work
1620-1630: Dress/Walk Time
1630: End of Shift
1630-1645: ?????
1645: Clock Out

We don't clock out for lunch, the system handles that for us (at least no one who uses CDS nor Entertainment cast). At the end of our breaks/lunch we log back in to get a new assignment. Also, the Magic Kingdom is the only park that gets walk time (not dress time as we can take our costumes home) which is only 10 minutes and that's only because of the shuttle. Can you guys not take your costumes home, is that why you have dress time? Entertainment cast do get 20 minutes dress/walk time though as naturally the friends can't go home in costume but neither can their attendants.

Using your example shift:

Magic Kingdom:

745: Clock In
745-800: Grace Period to Start of Shift
800-1620: Work (lunch in there but no clocking for it)
1620: Clock Out
1620-1630: Dress/Walk Time
1630:End of Shift

Entertainment:

745: Clock In
745-800: Grace Period to Start of Shift
800-1610: Work (lunch in there but no clocking for it)
1610: Clock Out
1610-1630: Dress/Walk Time
1630:End of Shift

Everybody else:

745: Clock In
745-800: Grace Period to Start of Shift
800-1630: Work (lunch in there but no clocking for it)
1630: Clock Out
1630:End of Shift

If you forget to clock out you have (using the example above) until 16:45 to do so before getting a clocking point on your record for failure to clock out. I believe the grace time is in there to allow for problems with CDS requiring the CM to go to the closest wall-clock, line ups at the wall-clock (which I've seen on normal days when a bunch of non-CDS cast go home at the same time and all day yesterday), line-ups at the CDS terminal when a bunch of CDS cast go home or come back from break at one time, problems with a wall-clock requiring you to go to another clock, that kind of thing.

[hhsrat]

In my area yesterday, we had a mostly complete copy of the CDS Activity queue, as well as a mostly complete copy of our cast shifts, and by having a coordinator monitor things all day, we were able to achieve "CDS-like" functionality, including re-deploying after breaks, rather than doing all rotations all the time.

[Euterpe]

That's one thing I really miss about Port Orleans. They still use the wall clocks... You clock in at the beginning of your shift, and you clock out at the end. That's all you have to do. Your manager comes around and gives you your break, so you (almost) always get it on time, and you see your managers a lot more, which is amazing.

You also got an hour break for lunch, instead of a 15 and a 45, which was kind of nice, plus you could step out whenever you needed to go to the bathroom or get a drink or water or smoke. You didn't have to call a manager or coordinator. The only time it's a problem is when you have lazy Cast Members who take 45 minute smoke breaks, and they'll disappear for ever. Besides that, it's kind of nice to work in a place that runs itself so well.

One huge complaint I have about Soarin' is that the management doesn't seem very involved with the Cast Members. You can go through a whole shift and never, ever see a manager. I don't like that at all. Sure, it means if you goof up, or if you wear brighter eye shadow than would be allowed... no one is there to care, but there's definitely something to be said about knowing that if something goes wrong... your managers are right there with you.

[CMGUY89]

I had heard that CDS was down EVERYWHERE. WDW, DLR, DLRP, HKDL, and TDL.
At Epcot we don't have walk time. Our shift goes like this

8:00 Clock in
8:00-8:15 Grace-in
8:15 Shift start
12:15-13:00(approximate) Lunch (no clocking)
17:00 Shift End
17:00-17:15 Grace-out
17:15 Clock out
Very few people use grace-out because we have to clock in our work locations. But that allows for slower than normal closes etc.

[glendalais]

I had heard that CDS was down EVERYWHERE. WDW, DLR, DLRP, HKDL, and TDL.

I'm not sure about WDW today, but I saw a bunch of CMs waiting around the Day Custodial CDS Computers backstage to clock in, so I'm assuming it was working this morning.

Though when I went into the park after my shift, I also saw a Main Street Stores CM who looked ready to rip out the CDS computer in his Cashwrap and chuck it out the door, so it might have died later.

We don't clock out for lunch, the system handles that for us (at least no one who uses CDS nor Entertainment cast). At the end of our breaks/lunch we log back in to get a new assignment. Also, the Magic Kingdom is the only park that gets walk time (not dress time as we can take our costumes home) which is only 10 minutes and that's only because of the shuttle. Can you guys not take your costumes home, is that why you have dress time? Entertainment cast do get 20 minutes dress/walk time though as naturally the friends can't go home in costume but neither can their attendants.

DLR CMs can take their costumes home, though they are encouraged to change into street clothes before leaving property. However, the tradition of paid Dress/Walk time has been around since before we introduced Costume FastTrack (DLR's version of Castzooming), so I assume it's just something that's worked in the past that they don't want to change.

And, ever since they got rid of the Harbor House CM parking lot (it's at the very upper right hand corner of any old satellite image of Disneyland's old parking lot), most frontline CMs do have to take a shuttle to get to our parking lot.

[Euterpe]

Wow... you're supposed to change before you leave?! I wear mine to Wal-Mart or Wendy's or Denny's or whatever all the time. The only rule at WDW is that you have to take off your name tag.

[Shorty82]

I'm not sure about WDW today, but I saw a bunch of CMs waiting around the Day Custodial CDS Computers backstage to clock in, so I'm assuming it was working this morning.

Though when I went into the park after my shift, I also saw a Main Street Stores CM who looked ready to rip out the CDS computer in his Cashwrap and chuck it out the door, so it might have died later.

CDS was up and down a couple of times yesterday.

DLR CMs can take their costumes home, though they are encouraged to change into street clothes before leaving property. However, the tradition of paid Dress/Walk time has been around since before we introduced Costume FastTrack (DLR's version of Castzooming), so I assume it's just something that's worked in the past that they don't want to change.

And, ever since they got rid of the Harbor House CM parking lot (it's at the very upper right hand corner of any old satellite image of Disneyland's old parking lot), most frontline CMs do have to take a shuttle to get to our parking lot.

20 minutes dress/walk time had been around since the Magic Kingdom opened but after they started Castzooming the time was reduced as it was no longer a requirement to change in the tunnel.

While we can wear our costume shopping they prefer us not to and we have to remove the name tag. I personally avoid doing any shopping while in costume.

[Big Wallaby]

In my experience, CDS was up for clock-in, and after that it is a wild card. At least, that was a week ago. Anything changed on that front?

I think they should roll back CDS to the one that worked, get the bugs out on this new one, then (and only then) try it again.

[glendalais]

Wow... you're supposed to change before you leave?! I wear mine to Wal-Mart or Wendy's or Denny's or whatever all the time. The only rule at WDW is that you have to take off your name tag.

We're not required to change, but we're highly encouraged to. It's just good show, especially given that the DLR is completely surrounded by hotels full of tourists. There are a good number of CMs who walk out the door wearing their costumes.

We don't have assigned lockers anymore (with a few exceptions for grandfathered CMs), so you either have to take your costume home at the end of the day, or, what I do, change into street clothes, return the costume, and get a new one the next day.

[Cheshire Figment]

The problem with any major upgrade or replacement is you cannot test it properly.

I was on the team that installed and ran the Central Accounting System for the Federal Courts. I was hired at the beginning of February 1987 and we went live October 1, 1989. Our two largest problems were we had to change almost all codes and there was no way to run any sort of effective parallel, both because recoding was necessary and the volume of transactions. We used to have our budgeting on one computer system and the obligations/payments on another; these systems did not talk to each other. Also we went from a cash-basis system to an accrual basis.

We were very happy on October 1, 1993 with FY90 having been closed for three years and we could get rid of all of the records from the first year of operations.

And subsequent upgrades were not that bad a nightmare, but we had fewer than 20 people, both employees and contractors, involved while the operating system had about 200 people at the headquarters plus 96 Courts interfacing their data into the system.

So any major upgrade of a system will have its problems.