So how do I start working for Show Quality Control?

[Big Wallaby]

Yesterday, Liz and I were in Fantasyland, when I looked up at Cinderella Castle and saw some guy painting. Painting on the centerpiece park's centerpiece with the park open during DAYLIGHT HOURS! Had I had a slingshot... Instead, I made use of what I did have with me... my video camera... although I didn't spend a lot of time recording because I wanted as few guests to notice as possible... However, I do plan to figure out to whom to send it, to say something about how, while I was visiting as a guest (hey, when we go into the parks to play, that is what we are), there was something that happened that for a moment, ruined the magic for me. For how many other guests, guests who are spending money to be here, did that same thing happen. I can take it, but I don't want my guests to. I work too hard to create magic here for them to allow someone who doesn't care about the magic to 1) create an unmagical moment like that and 2) even exist on property.

But that got me thinking... I would love to go around and find things like that that need to be fixed. Of course, I would be the nitpick who would write up every little detail... but let's start with the stuff that happens during daylight hours that need to happen at night... when I am driving guests and we pass someone out with a mower, it makes my blood boil a bit. I've even had guests comment that they never thought they'd see that here.

I remember a day when all that was done at night, when people wouldn't see it. I loved how they would have different sets of flowers so that one day, the flowers at your resort are purple, the next day they're yellow or red or something that is very much not purple. The purpose of landscaping at Disney World is not just beauty: It's to throw you off your normal equilibrium of what the world should be outside Disney World and get you in line with what it should be here. To me, everything here is about that. To our guests, part of the show is that the parks and maintenance just magically take care of themselves, and we the Cast Members just take care of the guests. They shouldn't realize the work that has to happen every day to keep the place running smoothly.

So, is this something about which I could contact guest relations and say something? To whom should I say something? I have let some things slide as far as guest show, but as of the moment when I saw a worker on Cinderella Castle, that stopped. Now, I wish to wage an all-out war against unmagical things here in Walt Disney's World. I just don't exactly know how to go about it.

[Shorty82]

Talk to guest relations. They might know who to contact and if not hopefully be able to find out.

Try looking on the portal or whatever you guys call the CM website, there might be some information on there.

On my last trip I noticed a few things that just wasn't Disney quality IMO but nothing quite as bad as a painter on Cinderella Castle. Passing by the Yak and Yeti resturant (or whatever it's being called) in AK I saw some construction workers on scaffolding. There were wet paint signs on and around the small fountain behind the Castle on the path that goes down to Liberty Square. IMO it should have been painted the night before right after closing so it would hopefully be dry by morning and the signs gone. There were a few minor things on rides I noticed that needed work, such as on Splash where the porcupine and some other animal are making music (near the river boat I believe) the porcupine and pal weren't moving. Singing but no movement. I meant to mention it to a CM when I got off but never did. There were a few other minor things but I can't remember them now.

Whoever sent that painter up there during the day should be fired and the painter fired for going up there and painting in sight of guests. Show is very important, I know that. I know that safety is the only thing that trumps show and painting has nothing to do with safety.

[Floridian]

Last time I was in MK (well I think it was the last time I might be wrong about that) there was a crane next to the castle...that was really upsetting a lot of the guests around me. Now I can understand them not being able to get a crane in and out of the park during closed hours but there really is no excuse for that painter. I would understand if there was a major rehab going on with the castle and they were repainting the whole thing but if I understood you correctly this person was just touching up a bit? Thats not right.

You might want to look into getting into a job in show observations. I am not totally sure what they do in other locations but around me they ride the safaris and observe the driver's show. Seems like if main street has a show ops team they might be the people who would catch something like that.

Just in my own defense though when you are on a ride and some of the effects are not working correctly its not really the attractions workers fault...not that I thought you were trying to say that shorty. Work orders get put in to get things fixed but it takes at least the 3rd or 4th time they are submitted before anything ever gets done about it.

[Shorty82]

Just in my own defense though when you are on a ride and some of the effects are not working correctly its not really the attractions workers fault...not that I thought you were trying to say that shorty. Work orders get put in to get things fixed but it takes at least the 3rd or 4th time they are submitted before anything ever gets done about it.

Oh, I definately would never blame the CM for something like that. I meant to tell them in case they didn't know so it could get fixed.

It takes 3 or 4 work orders to get things done? That is messed up, especially at WDW where the show is so important.

[ktulu]

My dad worked for a railroad construction company. They were contracted by DL to change out the main street stuff (he's also did work on the Disneyland RR), they were backstage before closing waiting, and went in and did the work, ripping up the track and replacing it while a guy waited with an asphalt machine. Dad said at 7am (parked opened at 8am) there was a guy hosing down the asphalt to cool it down.

Yes, this is something that has to be done at night, but the guy waiting with the asphalt machine all night shows the commitment to get it done so there is no delay.

There are some things that are probably better done during the day, but if road crews can build/repair at night, surely Disney can get exterior painting done at night with some flood lights.

[Zazu]

I guess I need to pitch in here, seeing as I was the Magic Kingdom's Show Quality Team for four years.

First, about painting in the daytime -- we gotta. We don't use oil-based paint any more, having moved to latex where we can and epoxy where we must. Trouble is, it won't set properly in low temperatures or with nighttime dew. The result is having to do a lot of painting during the day that used to be done at night. I hate it too, but it comes down to chemistry.

Painting high on the castle is also done in daylight for safety reasons. We can light up the first couple of stories well enough, but there aren't enough spotlights to make high jobs like that safe after dark.

As for the nitpicking, that was pretty much my job as a Show Quality Monitor. When I left (and the Show Quality Program was shut down), I had about 400 items just for Main Street (including everything that can be seen from the WDW RR, all three RR stations, turnstiles, monorail, ferry, and bus stations) -- about half the park. Some were on there when I started and are still unrepaired, others got fixed the same day.

As for mowing in daylight, at least that's restricted to areas out of sight and hearing from the Parks, just as it's restricted from areas in earshot of the hotels before 8am. As for landscaping work continuing into park hours, give 'em a break. They already start work at 4am!

The biggest challenge of the job was figuring out which of the nineteen different maintenance departments were responsible for fixing each item. A close second was identifying exactly what needed fixing. Those of us who worked on the Railroad had nicknames for all the critters, but they didn't match the list that West Engineering worked from.

Somebody mentioned "Show Observation". That's not the same as Show Quality. SQ deals with the physical plant, SO deals with cast member performances. Still, both could use more staffing.

As for working in Show Quality, or telling someone about Show Quality problems, forget it -- at least in the Magic Kingdom. That program was discontinued (largely to get rid of me) and hasn't yet been reinstated.

Then again, I still have Maintenance Ops' number on my cell phone, and have been known to call in a few things, even on my days off.

[Big Wallaby]

Actually, when they turn the existing lighting for the castle on, you can see it at night for miles. I can't imagine that lighting is an issue, when they can get it bright, stark white with just the show lights.

[Big Wallaby]

In regards to my last post... I hadn't read Zazu's post. So I am not responding to anything he said there. Everything he said makes sense.

[mechurchlady]

Thank you Zasu as that was very informative.

Disneyland had major problems with maintenance and upkeep like bathroom stall doors not staying closed, support posts for a stairway rusting through, peeling paint, and the bathroom doors at City Hall were severely worn. Complaining only gets you labeled as a pest.

[Floridian]

Somebody mentioned "Show Observation". That's not the same as Show Quality. SQ deals with the physical plant, SO deals with cast member performances. Still, both could use more staffing.

My bad, I only ever deal directly with show ops people so I wasn't even aware that show quality was its own department. Would sure hope the two departments keep in close contact but I doubt its set up a way to allow that lol.