park open late?

It's nice that CP is deciding to stay open later. I always think its great when parks realize that maybe its crowded enough to justify giving the guests another hour or two. Bravo!

And while I can certainly understand the worker's frustration, it doesn't really sound like some of them handled it too well. I've had a low paying summer job where maybe 15 or 20 minutes before I am scheduled to leave I'm told I have to stay another hour or two (this happened quite often). It was definitely frustrating, but there is a time to deal with this frustration and there is a time to just keep a stiff upper lip and muscle it out. Instead of some of these employees throwing fits while running rides, or working at the park in general, it might have been better to either have a discussion with your boss at the end of the day, or at the end of the season (aka consider whether or not you want the job the next year).

Its a huge turn off to guests when they see workers that obviously hate their job and can't wait to get off work. I always hate when I'm at a park and the ride attendants will ask me every few seconds what time it is. And not only is it a turn off to guests, its a big turn off to an employer! I get that this is a hard, low paying summer job, but you're going to have to muscle through some of those jobs if you expect to get far in this world.

I was also there monday and no employees were not very happy.

They were announcing it all day. Some ride attendants made it part of their speech and some were funny.

On Magnum the attendant asked how we would like him to come to our jobs and keep him there late.

Someone told an attendant on TTD that it could be like this all week and she said she was quiting. I noticed this right before we launched. Normally we sit there for a couple of mins but we launched right away. Angry disgruntled employees.

Some were in good spirits but the attendant at MF was peeved and said it was not busy enough to do this. I had just waited an hour for the coaster so I disagreed.

Last year I think it was just the last week which closed at 8 and this week had been open until 10. A friend went Tues and they stayed open until 9. It seems up in the air.

Traditionally next week is dead but the LP and SS had sold out. I was able to change a reservation today when I caught an opening but I think it will be busy. Homeschool week or word of mouth of it being quiet will make it busy.

I have to defend the ride ops. I worked at a paramount park and it was rough. Minimum wage, bad hours and no job at the end of the summer.

I did leave eventually although it had its good parts as it was an amusement park.

Remember most of these kids are university students. They are out of a job in most cases in 2 weeks. They want to have some fun. They are probably all ready to leave now as the summer is winding down but feel the responsibility to stay on until the end of the summer. I am sure a lot have walked off. In a way they are doing the park a favor by staying to the end. All they can hope for at the end of the summer is a few more shifts and a job next summer if they like.

Imagine an entire po'd TTD crew walking off. Could happen and it would probably mean the ride would be down the rest of the nite.

^ What is there to defend? They are the ones who made there contract. CP does not lie to them about the hours they are going to work, and if they are out of a job in 2 weeks wouldn't this extra pay be nice? If an entire crew walked off it would be closed until they could get people who crossed trained over the year to run a major ride and close something on a smaller scale. This is a time that can separate the good leads and the bad leads. A good lead will try to show the good out of this and have fun with it, and keep crew morale up. A bad lead is going to be a person who complains to everyone on his/her crew and makes them upset about it in return. I stated before I am really impressed with CP that they are finally giving some good guest service, it's kind of rare.

A lot of the employees were dragging a bit yesterday anyway because of Big Bash the night before and adding an extra hour to the end of an already long day just makes it that much worse.

mermaidsair said:
On Magnum the attendant asked how we would like him to come to our jobs and keep him there late.

Its happened before. In the real world, **** happens and there isn't much you can do. They should be glad they had 8 hours notice rather than 8 minutes notice. There's nothing like trying to clean off your desk and get ready to leave when a customer calls with an issue.

mermaidsair said:
In a way they are doing the park a favor by staying to the end.

How is it a "favor" to honor a contract? This isn't the NFL.

Well, instead of having employees draggin from Big Bash, they didn't even have to throw the party. People should be happy for what they get, or find a new place to work.

^So true!!

Glad to see the park open late. I always enter the park early and keep riding rides until they close the lines. Sometimes I end up staying in the park an hour late waiting in line for my final ride or just wondering around. ;)

I don't disagree with what CP did. I think it is great to get more time in the park and it is good for guest service. I just think it is easy for us to look at that perspective without seeing the other side because that perspective benefits us.

Yes in the "real" world we are told we have to do things we don't like and sometimes they are unfair. It is complex.

I don't blame them for being unhappy but I don't think the park did the wrong thing either. Just don't think anything is black and white. Why does it have to be?

I have been there done that. 2005,2006, and 2007. I finally had enough and moved to Orlando to do what I love! It is amazing that a company pays me $4 more an hour to do the same job I did at CP. They all know better is out there but it is the friends that keep them coming back...

They extended the hours to 9 today as well.

It's not like the park closed at 8:00pm all summer and the employees were not used to it. Suck it up, it's not that bad and you are getting paid.

The ride operator on Magnum had a bad attitude, but I'm not surprised going by what I've seen some people do working that ride this summer that were just wrong. Like the one guy spieling while sitting on the blue rail in the station close to where the back of the train parks. Yes, the one with the 15 foot drop on the other side.

CP is getting the crowds back at the end of August because of the later start of many schools. I bet even more schools will start after Labor Day next year. I wouldn't be surprised if the schedule next year has 10pm closing all the way through Labor Day. That's how it was back in the day when it was universal for schools to start after Labor Day.

The reason the park is open later than expected is because, 1. The crowds were over their "goals" as well as the weather was nice, so they stayed open 2 hours more. As far as disgruntled employees, it's kind of a touchy subject with most of us. I mean on one hand it is more money in our pockets, but 10-8s were something we were all looking forward to. We had just finished a summer of stress, monotony, etc.

On a side note a total of 3 people (total throughout the park) walked off. Sure some people threatened it, but only 3 had enough guts to do it. Like I said it is a touchy subject for most.

Btw: Local Schools? Try Erie county and All of Michigan, Eastern Counties go back BEFORE Labor Day.

What is the actual closing time this week (August 25th to 29th)?

Villainboi said:
As far as disgruntled employees, it's kind of a touchy subject with most of us. I mean on one hand it is more money in our pockets, but 10-8s were something we were all looking forward to. We had just finished a summer of stress, monotony, etc.

Welcome to the real world! Here in Orlando we just had a tropcial storm come through, hours were adjusted, Cast members were called in to be on ride out crews, and it lasted 3 days longer than anticipated! Guess what, we got over it, pulled up our boot straps, and went to work. One thing we did NOT do was complain in front of or to guests, or get on an interntet site to bash our company! Now guess what? There is another storm brewing out in the Atlantic! Stuff happens, grow up and act like an adult!

Tropical Storm Gustav with winds already to 60 :)

Mikeybo2004 said:
Two extra hours is nothing to complain about. They are getting paid? There are some people out there loosing there jobs right now because of the declining state of our economy. They should be happy they have a job and cash there paycheck with pride. I know I am happy to get overtime when I can. I do not get paid much either. I work at a gas station.

Peace, Mikey

Two extra hours is something to complain about. These employees have put in a whole summers worth of work and finally, as the crews get down to the point where many people don't even have days off, they're allowed to get out a little earlier. They can finally do something other than work at the park and sleep. How does Cedar Point repay them? By taking that away. I envy the kid at dragster that got fired for going off about cedar point.

So what if the real world makes you stay extra hours? Working at Cedar Point isn't a career.

The 2 extra hours isn't the only reason employees are upset. It was just the final straw.

Disney Mike said:

Villainboi said:
As far as disgruntled employees, it's kind of a touchy subject with most of us. I mean on one hand it is more money in our pockets, but 10-8s were something we were all looking forward to. We had just finished a summer of stress, monotony, etc.

Welcome to the real world! Here in Orlando we just had a tropcial storm come through, hours were adjusted, Cast members were called in to be on ride out crews, and it lasted 3 days longer than anticipated! Guess what, we got over it, pulled up our boot straps, and went to work. One thing we did NOT do was complain in front of or to guests, or get on an interntet site to bash our company! Now guess what? There is another storm brewing out in the Atlantic! Stuff happens, grow up and act like an adult!

Did I say I was angry about it? No! I'm just explaining what was happening. So don't tell me to grow up! No one was complaining besides the aforementioned employees.

You're the one who used the words "disgruntled" and "touchy subject".

Trust me, if you're going to get disgruntled over 2 hours, you have a very long work life ahead of you!