OSHA cites Disney World for multiple safety violations following monorail investigation
Featured, Jason Garcia, News — By Jason Garcia on December 23, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Federal workplace-safety investigators charged Walt Disney World on Wednesday with multiple violations and proposed $44,000 in fines following a July accident on the resort’s monorail that killed a 21-year-old employee.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Disney for one “serious” safety violation that contributed to the July 5 accident, which occurred as one of Disney’s trains was driving in reverse during a botched track switch and backed into another train, killing driver Austin Wuennenberg of Kissimmee.
The agency said Disney failed to recognize the potential hazards of driving the trains in reverse — noting, for instance, that the resort did not follow a 20-year-old operating guide written by the train’s manufacturer, Bombardier Inc. The guide recommends that, whenever a train is moving in reverse, an observer should be positioned to watch the opposite end. Disney this past weekend began requiring spotters whenever trains are backing up.
OSHA also charged Disney with three separate safety violations that were discovered during the monorail investigation but unrelated to the accident. OSHA cited the resort for exposing workers in the monorail’s maintenance shop to a fall of more than 8 feet without adequate protections, and for not training monorail employees in the use of portable fire extinguishers — both of which OSHA said were repeat violations for Disney World. The agency also cited Disney after discovering a drill press in the monorail-maintenance shop that did not have a safety guard installed.
In addition, OSHA issued a recommendation — though not a safety-violation citation — in connection with its investigation into the death of another Disney worker, Mark Priest, who died after falling during a stage performance in the Magic Kingdom in August.
OSHA said Disney should ensure that employees rehearse on a new stage before their first live performance in the new venue. Priest, 47, was injured after stumbling into a wall during a performance of “Captain Jack’s Pirate Tutorial” in the Magic Kingdom.
“With the monorail, Disney should have put procedures in place that would have prevented the fatal crash from occurring,” OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels said in a prepared statement. “Employers need to take effective and ongoing corrective action to protect the health and safety of their workers. In the case of the actor’s death, OSHA feels that greater familiarity with the new stage might have changed the outcome.”
OSHA is still investigating the death of a third Disney employee this past summer: 30-year-old Anislav Varbanov, who died after breaking his neck while rehearsing for the “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” in Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.
Disney has 15 business days to accept or challenge OSHA’s findings in the monorail case.
“We have just received OSHA’s findings and are in the process of reviewing them,” said Greg Hale, chief safety officer and vice president for worldwide safety and accessibility for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We will address any concerns and next steps directly with OSHA. We have already made several enhancements to the operation of the monorail and will review these findings to determine whether any additional steps are necessary.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the monorail crash; its probe isn’t expected to be complete for about another six months.
Of the $44,000 in fines proposed by OSHA, $35,000 was for the two repeat violations. The agency recommended a $7,000 fine for the violation directly related to the crash.
The crash occurred at about 2 a.m. on July 5 as a Disney train was supposed to be moving off of the resort’s Epcot loop at the end of a work day, a process that requires the train to move in reverse through a track switch and onto a short spur leading to one of the system’s Magic Kingdom loops. But the track switch was not activated that night, so the train wound up reversing back down the Epcot loop instead and colliding with Wuennenberg’s train.
According to people familiar with details of the events, the chain of events leading to the crash began when a worker in the maintenance bay, who was responsible for activating track switches, mistakenly radioed that it was clear for the train to begin backing up and transferring off the Epcot line — even though he had not realigned the track. The role of the monorail’s central coordinator, who directs the entire system by radio, was also in flux that night: An employee had gone home ill, so the job was being handled temporarily by a manager on his dinner break, and no one was at the coordinator’s console, where a display grid would have shown that the track switch had not moved.
OSHA broadly cited Disney because it “did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”
The agency outlined several ways that Disney World could address the safety violation, such as the use of a spotter as recommended by Montreal-based Bombardier. Among other remedies it said would be acceptable: Requiring the coordinator to be at his console at all times; ensuring clear visibility is maintained on monorail windshields; providing a way to use the trains without overriding an automated anti-collision system (which must be overridden during track switches); and providing written instruction, training and exams for the master operator in the monorail’s maintenance shop.
In an interview, Hale said Disney World has made a series of changes since the accident, including several that were suggested in OSHA’s report.
In addition to adopting the spotter requirement this past Sunday, for example, Hale said Disney now requires the central coordinator to remain at his console at all times. That change was made soon after the accident. Hale said workers in the maintenance shop have also been provided with new written training materials detailing train-transfer procedures.
Further, workers on the platforms at Disney monorail stations are now trained to use hand packs that can instantly cut off power to the track in the station — and thus stop a train from entering — in all emergencies. Previously, he said, workers had been trained to use them in more limited situations, such as when a guest wanders too close to the edge of the track.
When a train is being transferred from one monorail track, or “beam,” to another, the central coordinator must now actively verify that the appropriate switches have been realigned by the operator in the maintenance shop. And when the train must pass through the switch in reverse, drivers must now drive from the rear cab.
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75 Comments
They have cut maintenance and training on everything. Walt would roll over in his grave if he know how the Mouse has gone astray. All about greed now!!!! Can’t get enough!
I totally agree with you. As a cast member all that is conveyed is “money”— “make more money”. They over work the employees, with little pay, let alone care about the employee. Disney had this coming for a while, but it’s not only the monorail but in every other aspect in the company. There are too many red flags, ‘they’ know it but they cover it up.
It’s changed a lot of time but to the worst– it isn’t a friendly family type of atmosphere anymore, it’s more like “you can make overtime, and remember to punch out.
so if you hate Disney so much then find a new job…
It’s all about the stock holders! they have to make the number$$$ to keep the stock holders happy…and how do you make the numbers in a slow economy?? You fire lots of employees and double the workload on the others! It’s the fkng american way!
You’d make a great sweatshop boss.
There can be diminishing returns when trying to squeeze nickles out of an already immensely profitable operation by cutting corners.
The cost to properly staff the monorails at closing time so they can back in safely is probably less than one food stand (out of hundreds) takes in in 15 minutes.
They’re lucky it wasn’t guests that died, or it could have cost more than it costs to run the monorails all year.
Totally agree with you! I lost my job at Disney when I reported another employee for dropping a just cooked pizza on the floor. He was so afraid of losing is job that he scooped it up off the floor and put in back on the line for the guests! When I reported this to my supervisor, he had security remove me from the property permanently! His last words to me were, “We cannot waste money, we need to make money!
I have a really hard time believing your post. If food were dropped I’m sure Disney wouldn’t want it served to a guest. Imagine risking your food license for a dollar pizza. And if I were Disney I’d also monitor some of these boards for such libelous statements and act on them.
So you just called the person a liar with zero proof. Talk about libel!
You also said Disney wouldn’t want to jeopardize a “food license” for $1. Any proof of that either? I didn’t think so.
And if you think that Disney risks losing a license over a single food violation, you are mistaken. Slaps on the hands.
If they killed a guy and got fined just $44,000, what do you think a pizza touching the floor would bring?
OK my friend, here’s one for you. I’m also a former Disney F&B employee, but this story isn’t about Disney, just an example that your view represents the “how it should be” view which is what most people figure is how things actually are when they can’t see for themselves.
I was working in the clubhouse at a professional tennis tournament, most of the biggest names were there, and my supervisor dropped a large tray of sliced fruit on the floor — all of it went off the tray onto the floor. We had a spare tray, but lest the big boss find out he’d just wasted a tray of food, he picked the 300 or so dirt-covered wet slices off the floor, rinsed them briefly in the sink, and put them right back on the tray for VIP’s to eat whose health is worth millions. I reported it, and was fired.
So, you are deluded by your own imagination, sorry.
Obviously, you’ve never worked for a major corporation before….They’ll do anything for a dollar! This greed will be the end of us eventually.
Cast member is correct about maintenance all one has to do is walk the properties and see what is in dis-repair. Listen to gst complaints in the Resort Hotels. It has long passed what Walt Disney wanted for the supposed “Happiest Place on Earth”. It is not longer a family of employees as Walt saw it, it is multi billion dollar corporation managed by inexperienced young managers whose goals are to try and move up the corporate ladder. The glorios “World of Disney” is now passed and yes it is now and ever will be only a business for the Share Holders.
I stayed at Carribean Beach in the first week of December. My door didn’t shut properly and would get stuck once it did. My AC only worked on max setting so the room was either cold enough to hang meat or hot/humid. My ceiling fan hummed so loud we couldn’t even turn it on. My fridge froze everything the first night and then died the next day spoiling all of our perishable food we just bought. Our toilet wasn’t bolted to the floor properly and moved all over the place. Thankfully it didn’t leak, but they did have to pull it to put a new gasket on and reseat it. One of our electrical outlet boxes came right out of the wall when we tried to unplug something. And even after I had used the Online Checkin, we had to wait FOURTY MINUTES to checkin and finally had to get a manager since they had ONE person working the Online counter.
Other than that, I saw no effects from the cutbacks in staff, maintenance, or other areas that directly effected my stay
Disney needs to hire me with over 25 years of police service in the transit field , I would oversee all operations and watch these employees with both eyes. safety and security first.
They will hire you, how does $10 per hour sound for all of your experience? Remember to punch out promptly!
and dont come in to work a minute late it will affect the operation!!!!
All I have to say is $44k is not even a slap on the wrist; it is a joke and an insult to the family of the poor young man who died.
It does show that preference has no doubt been given to Disney; the fine was not just serious, it was a serious willful violation that has a minimum fine of $70k! The company knew from the manufacture they were not operating the system in accordance with the manufactures safety standards; therefore they willfully disregarded them and the loss of a life resulted.
I have been a safety professional for a very long time; and never have I seen an inspection with such clear evidence as the manufacture telling the company they are operating the equipment in an unsafe manner.
Regardless if Disney made their own safety policies and procedures, bottom line is if they followed the directions from the company who made the monorails, there might not have even been an accident and death we are reading about.
Two BIG thumbs down to OSHA! Why is OSHA backing down from Disney? Look at the news on OSHA’s site of fines that normal companies get:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=NEWS_RELEASES&p_toc_level=0&p_keyvalue=
What are the difference between those fines and the parking violation this accident received? Sorry, but I have to say Disney is the reason. Not Disney bashing, just pointing out the truth.
Good job OSHA, I’m sure Austin’s family appreciated the hard work and effort a 6 month investigation into the death of their family member resulted in something Disney would make in an hour of balloon sales at one park.
Any fine of Disney by OSHA is great news to Austins family if a wrongful death suit is being considered. Before anyone snaps with the obvious “That won’t bring their son back” we’ll all say it together. Those involved with this situation made bad choices and unfortunately changes are often made only after the wallet takes a hit.
I doubt a suit would be played out in the media if Disney has a vote.
I found it ironic that this year Disney put out a movie remake
of a story that teaches someone the importance of family over money especially on the holidays..
When anyone that has worked for Disney knows you don’t even dare ask
for a holiday off they will fire you for it…
you know when you are hired by Disney you will have to work on holidays..get yourself a new job
Fire you? That’s absurd!
it is a great thing to work for disney and you can be pro disney but you only see the big picture and dont see how bad it is from the inside out. if you were there and knew and heard the stories from the senior cast who knew how it was “in the old days” compared to how it is now, you would know that being pro disney and putting your heart and soul into “making magic” isnt always the easiest thing to do. its fun to reminisce about the old days and dream for them to bring it back to the way times were, but things have changed and they are going for the worse unfortunately. disney needs to come back to the old ways and not manage things like a bunch of stock brokers and manage it with heart and compassion the way it used to be when you were known by name but not by an employee number to fill in a spot to keep a ride running. i am ashamed at osha for giving them such a weak punishment. and smile and be happy tomorrow because if you work at disney you can go ahead and utilize your 50% off discount if you are a cast memeber! YAY! $44,000 is what, 10 minutes of sales at the emporium??
nazi mouse!!!!
I’ve spent some serious amount of time around the monorails although I’ve never driven one, know many of the pilots, and since the accident occurd have wondered why the news mdeia has not reported till I’ve seen this report, about the hand packs, I also questioned several pilots about a year prior to this accident when they remove a train from the track, if there was a pilot in both ends like a ferry boat at the MK, and many responses were “we just don’t”, about the quote that its a slap on the wrist about the $44k, it may be true, but osha under federal requirements has strickt first incident and multiple incident actions, which is why the larger slap was for the repeated incidents, dosent quite make it right but its how the goverment works
I am fully aware of all the laws for occupational safety and the violations they carry. I have many clients that have seen much higher citations for an inspection that was not initiated from an injury or fatal accident; and with fines higher then what is seen here for what Disney received for a fatal accident that was no doubt preventable had they followed the manufactures safety guidelines.
Occupational safety is no doubt hard to keep up with these days; but there is no ignorance for the law. I would point out in the case of OSHA that earlier this year they changed their whole operation. If you take a look at the new Field Operations Manual that can also be found at:
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/CPL_02-00-148.pdf
Take note of Page 4-28 and 6-1
With the notice from the manufacture of the monorail to Disney informing them they were not following the minimum safety procedures, that Disney disregarded until the fatal accident.
Now Disney is following the safety procedures from the monorail’s manufacture!
Please tell me how this is not a “High Gravity (as a death occurred) Serious Willful Violation”?
There is no doubt at all Disney was fully aware they were not following the safety guidelines set by the manufacture, so did OSHA miss that bit of information that is all over the news?
It’s a shocker to see this very small citation issued; and being in the Safety industry myself for the better part of 20 years, I am amazed that this only yielded very few other violations for the amount of areas that had to be inspected to conduct the investigation properly.
Big WIN for Disney; and a big screw-up by OHSA.
I’m tired of people posting on this topic and who work for Disney complaining how bad it is to work there.
If you dont like it there, than quit. And oh yah, wake up to reality….you’re not going to make $50,000 standing there and pushing a button. The skills and intelligence needed to work in a theme park is slightly above that required to work in either the fast food or custodial industries. Slightly above minimum wage that is….
Well the obvious solution is to treat the employees like you pretend you treat them!
I have worked in rails for 10 year. First off, its not just that easy to leave Disney. When I was younger, I probably could have quit anytime I chose, but as I got older, and things got more expensive, I couldn’t afford to just quit. And Disney has routinely scheduled me 20 hours a day, 6 days a week. That doesn’t exactly leave a lot of time for job searching, or interviews. Disney is like a drug, if you’re there long enough (usually about six months) its stops being a job and becomes a way a life. A way of life under a tyrant. Thats something they won’t tell you at casting, or in traditions, if you wear that nametage for 6 months, changes are you’re a CM for life. Furthermore. I specifically asked management long before this accident happened, as to why is there absolutely no failsafe to stop an ‘event’ like this from happening. Their response was (much like Ford’s reaction to people dying when their cars would explode) I quote, “We are a business, we are here to make money, and it is cheaper for us to pay off the victims in the unlikely event of an accident than it is to impliment and keep active a security measure.” I assure you, its one of the first things they tell you when you’re hired. They are a business, they are there to make money. Durring training they break the magic. (Showing you the the ‘Backstage’ of Disney is really like, and I assure you Cinderella smoking doesn’t compare to seeing Ariel and Snow White making out in the udilador.) I would leave if I could, but I can’t afford it. And I’m if if you read this, your thought would be its my own fault. And its as much my fault as a Soldier who is now fighting a war I’m sure you would never agree to, because his recruiter told him he wouldn’t be on the front lines.
Nobody works 20 hour days for 6 days a week in rails. My goodness the monorails aren’t up and running 20 hours a day, especially during the less busy times. So to the castmember who is saying this…you’re wrong….LOL What you are doing 20 hours a day while you say you are working is your business. But I have never heard of ANY castmember working 6 days a week for 20 hours a day every single week of the year. Yes, people extend shifts for call sicks, etc. But scheduling would never give anyone that kind of overtime rountinely.
Well said, Jan!
what planet are you on. disney will schedule you a 20 hour shift without blinking. i mean maybe 20 hours is a bit of an exaggeration. but in all honesty i was scheduled over 80 hours during christmas. i worked 17 days without a day off. this is not a lie!
20 hours a day? That’s an FLSA violation. Can’t work more than 12 hours a day. Let alone doing it six times a week. I find your story very difficult to believe.
FRY..20 hours a week is part time work, you have plenty of time to look. Yes, working for them is like a drug habit. One that you need to kick and get on with life. Many have done it, including me. WE make real money now in the real world. WE aren’t sucked into their “discounts” to keep us anymore. We can afford to go without their discounts since we really earn money now. 20 hours is part time, you get next to nothing from them in benefits!
Fry… Listen, I, unlike you, actually work for monorails. First off, nobody and I mean NOBODY work 20 hours a day 6 days a week in monorails. Management wouldn’t let you work that much and besides, we don’t run long enough each day for someone to have to work that long. And you’re quote from management: “We are a business, we are here to make money, and it is cheaper for us to pay off the victims in the unlikely event of an accident than it is to impliment and keep active a security measure.” – is total BS.
Why don’t you have some freakin respect for those of us who work in rails, worked the night of the accident, and have to be constantly reminded everyday by the guests about what happened in July. My friend died in that accident. None of us have been able to get over what happened because no one will let us. There is always someone there to make a joke or tell us that WE screwed up and then laugh in our faces.
On behalf of all monorail cast members, please have some respect and don’t talk about something you know absolutely nothing about.
It’s never easy to look for another job while you’re still working. Working for Disney isnt any different. Yet, if you’re really unhappy there, you find a way to search for another job, instead of just complaining about it. With your skills and attitude, I’m sure you have plenty of career opportunities in either the fast food or janitorial industries and should have no problems finding another job. Heck, maybe it’ll pay 5 cents more!
well, aren’t you special? Sometimes a crap job is better than no job. I think you’re insulting disney employees. you’re basically saying that they don’t deserve what little they get. On my last visit to disney I noticed its a lot like retail (which I have worked for years, and USED TO make a decent living at until they cut wages and did away with commission to”stay competitive”which actually just upped mgmts bonuses)What happened to a livable wage?
re: working on holidays
I worked in retail for over a decade. All retail workers are quite used to working weekends and holidays, so give the Disney-bashing a rest. Ask anyone in the tourism business. It’s the way it goes.
re: safety
I’ll match 1 death in almost 30 years of monorail operations plus all the changes made since the accident plus the rest of WDW’s safety record against any major travel or vehicle corporation. Accidents happen even under the best of circumstances. Fact: you are more safe traveling on Disney property than even in your own neighborhood.
re: pay & working conditions
If the very best you can do is $10/hr anywhere, you should have paid attention in school, ya moron. If you choose to wok at Disney wages and make the magic Cast members do so well, then more power to you. And thanks for making my vacations great!
Now if you truly hate Disney, then don’t work there, don’t visit there and spare the rest of us your whine and cheese party.
If you looked at the “facts” (go for it and Google it) you will see that the monorails have not been as harmless as you suggest.
I can tell you that accidents do not happen under the best circumstances; that statement makes no logical sense.
Fact: Unless your neighborhood is the autobahn, you are not being at all accurate in your made up “fictional-fact” statement.
Look at the bus accident that happened this summer, the boat accidents, other monorail incidents, and more that you will not find on the news; but I’m sure there are many stories from the employee cast members that will help you get your facts straight.
Opinion: To me it seems that you are more than likely a very young adult. What do you know about Disney’s safety record? I have done case study research on some safety incidents from Disney in FL and CA; as many in my field have conducted as well.
Your statements show me that you clearly have no real idea of what you are saying.
Also, when you are talking down to people by their wage as a direct result of their education (or lack thereof) shows that you, at best, are nothing above the level of an ignorant adolescent fool; and I agree you should be spared the “wine” and cheese party as I have strong doubts you are even old enough to drink wine.
Go ahead and comment back on how I am wrong, and that you really are an adult. FACT: I don’t care, and I doubt anyone else does, so don’t waste your time on my behalf.
Good luck getting around your neighborhood safely.
Hey, Joey. Who relieved himself in your cornflakes? And what’s the point in saying don’t respond because you don’t care about facts and “nobody else does”? First you undermine your petty argument then you pretend to spreak for everyone while claiming get a clue is immature.
You might want to step away from that self-projection mirror.
I’m just sayin’.
Glee – First, take a few moments to read what was posted. Nothing you posted was in my post.
Please point out where I said “don’t respond because I don’t care about facts” and “nobody else does [care about facts]”?
Also, if you could please be as kind as to point out where “get a clue” was posted as well?
Let me help you out as you obviously haven’t even had your cornflakes, not to mention a much needed V8 this morning.
I stated “Go ahead and comment back on how I am wrong, and that you really are an adult. FACT: I don’t care, and I doubt anyone else does, so don’t waste your time on my behalf.”
Now if you will take a minute, read the words, than you should see what you made-up. I did not say “don’t respond because I don’t care about facts” and “nobody else does”. Where did “get a clue” come from? Not even in my post.
You are either a good tabloid reporter in the making or struggle in reading comprehension.
Also, it’s Joe, not Joey… I’m just sayin’
Have a Merry Christmas
Hmm, since you like name calling….I smell an ambulance chaser in our midst. All you have said is spoken like a true lawyer. Lots of double talk and much innuendo and not much substance ….But I digress, ho ho ho…MERRY CHRISTMAS!
SafetyProJoe,
You seem very smart and have a great knowledge of safety. It’s too bad that author of the article didn’t consult you for the FACTS.
Also, were you a bully in high school too?
Only $44,000 in fines how about $44,000,000 in fines…
To all that are xomplaining about working conditions at Disney. I’m sorry but this whole area is built on the back of workers who make generall less than $12/hr. So you ae going to get that amount of concern from any management. Even those who make more money in support type industries. This is a pervasive attitude of greed and easy money. Soak the tourist give them a pretty facade and run for the hills with the cash. Who is to blame? Disney for a great business plan that thought up this scheme to get as much as they could from the tourism trade? The local politicians who also envisioned a cash cow? O the general public and workers who thought this area was the land of milk and honey? It is only now in a serious down economy that the dirty underbelly of the tourism industry is being exposed for what it really is. My only advise, there is no free ride, go to school get a legitimate trade and then work for someone or in someplace that has legitimate products and services, that is doing something sustainable. Think before you leap, all you people who flocked to Florida thinking it was a better life shame on you, all you politicians that sucked everyone dry shame on you. And all you sleazy developers and businesses that came here looking for a big score with nothing behind it and big shame on you!!
I’ve enjoyed reading these comments especially the ones from readers who tell you if you don’t like working for Disney then quit. I’d like to know if they live in Central Florida and if they’re aware that Walt Disney World employs the most people in the area. Now I’m not standing up for this company….absolutely NOT. The is a company who employs people asking them to create magic for it’s guests and screws their cast members every chance they get. They have no regard for the health or safety of their employees. I’ve known many costumed cast members (Mickey Mouse being one of them), that have suffered permanent injuries to their necks and backs because they have been forced to wear a costume which is not in their approved height range. Your height range for specific characters are set upon employment. My daughter was injured in Winnie the Pooh when it was clearly stated that she was disapproved in that costume. In other areas, you are forced to work 20+ hours of overtime every week. Not even a medical note from your doctor would keep them from scheduling you. If you couldn’t work it you were told to leave the company. Cast members were regularly transported by ambulance because of health issues. And when the dividends drop slightly or the upper management won’t get the high bonuses they’re used to the company decides to “eliminate your position”. They hire thousands of college students from all over the world who come to Disney to work for 6-12 months but the residents from the area are put out on unemployment compensation which is 2/3 of the salary Disney will pay you. And believe me, $12.00 high end is not a king’s ransom!
With all the years Disney has gotten away with abusing their cast members I say, make them pay…BIG!
I find it hard too believe that people are forced to work overtime or wear an unapproved costume. It seems that the people that are being “forced” to do these things are not able to speak for themselves and say that they will not do them.
When I worked at The Land in the 90’s I was told I would have to work 6 8 hour days instead of my normal 4 ten hour days. I was unable since I needed to be home to take care of my children. Daycare was/is out of the question. I took my concerns to a higher level of management and was told not to worry about it.
If people would just speak up…
It’s hard to believe people would be required to work on a construction site without water or a first aid kit anywhere within a mile, but I’ve experienced that. Tell someone about it and they say, “My father owns a construction company and they’re required to have water…” and they think that means there must have been water, because it’s required?
It’s hard to believe workers would be made to descend a 30 foot shaft and haul heavy mats up held in one hand while climbing the ladder with the other — having to let go of one rung and be in free-fall for a moment before grabbing the next, but I’ve had to do that. When I mentioned it to the office, not even with a complaining attitude, I was never given a shift again. But tell anyone, and they don’t believe.
It’s hard to believe you’d be scheduled 80 hours one week then 10 the next week, and the hours averaged over 2 weeks to deprive you of the overtime (in violation of state law), but it’s happened to me. I complained about it to a coworker, it reached the bosses, and I was no longer given shifts there.
It’s hard to believe a supervisor would say to you, “Heel, Dog!” but I’ve had that said to me — only when no-one else was around to hear, of course. If I told someone (see, I’ve learned not to) I would have been fired. Tell you, and you probably don’t believe.
The small man must be in the wrong, because he’s small. The superiors must be right, they’re superior.
I totally believe it, especially if nobody complained. Things have gotten really strange. I wish people would just stop buying things that aren’t worth the money. Personally, I am on a spending moratorium.
Something easily missed by those not in the circumstance is that if you quit Disney without arranging clearly better work first, then what? The first question out of the mouth of anyone would be, “why did you quit?” with a gleam in the eye that tells you they’ll never believe you weren’t fired or quit as persona non grata. Then all your good opportunities would go away, and you’d have a worse situation. Most people who haven’t worked there look at Disney as a good place and think, why would you quit? It’s the happiest place on earth.
It’s really easy to say to someone else, “why don’t you quit”, but employers try to make it hard and damaging to quit or even try to quit, and many of them are very good at that. They’ll dump you like trash whenever they want, but they want the decision to be theirs, not yours.
Don’t all of you find it rather sad that the Sentinel keeps harping on this incident, especially during the holiday season? I can’t imagine being Austin’s family and having to see this everyday. You’d think the Sentinel would at least show some respect for his family during the holiday season and then go after them again in January. I’m sure they have the nosy reporters hounding them yet again. How sad. It’s also sad to see so many people who hate Disney. You people need to take a step back since you are so obsessed to see Disney destroyed. Guess they turned you down or fired you for your stinking attitude. And I don’t work for Disney myself but I see nothing about them that I don’t see at other employers.
Jan – It was not OS who decided to keep “harping on this incident”.
First, it was OSHA who decided to do the Press Release yesterday. So you can blame OSHA for that, or you need to add many more news outlets who “keep harping” on this preventable death (aka: incident).
I do share your thoughts with the family and the timing of this, but again it was not the media who decided to time it in this manner.
I don’t think people want to see Disney destroyed, people just want to see justice brought to the companies who in this case are clearly above the law (you can reference my previous posts in regard to the lack of punishment received).
OSHA, who in their own manual clearly shows that “incident” would at a minimum fall into the $70,000 bracket due to the knowledge the employer had from the manufacture.
The employer made a choice to disregard the safety recommendations, and it resulted in a death.
If there was a spotter, they would have said “hey, you are on the wrong track” at least, right? Well we will never know as there was not a spotter as the manufacture recommended.
This is just like an Erin Brockovich tale, but without the “fairy tale ending”.
Merry Christmas
Jan nobody hates disney but people need to know how it is and the truth.
Wow, just wow! I never cease to be amazed at the perpetual argument between the “I’m a cast member and they treat me like crap” people and the “Go out and get a real job if you hate it so much” people. I’ve been a Disney cast member for many years and also worked at four other parks (including the two other major operations in Orlando). I still work in the parks. It is my career. Do I expect to get rich doing it? No, of course not. It’s not a high paying career. Do I wish they would pay me more what I’m worth? Yes, of course I do. Pays are low because unfortunately the theme park companies themselves tend to have the same understanding of their employee’s worth as those who feel my career is somehow “unskilled” or only for the uneducated. Even the parks treat their employees, even us lifetimers, as transient temporary help. That’s a problem.
I suspect that those of you who claim it’s not a “real” job or at least not a “skilled” job don’t realize what we do every day to make your vacations enjoyable (at least those of us who care about our jobs and do them to the best of our abilities – there are many hourly employees who get by on the minimum daily requirements if not less). I’ll enlighten you. (And for this job description, I’m describing the so-called “button pushers” who run the rides every day):
First, we are customer service reps. We answer questions, give directions, deal with complaints, and give assistance to thousands of guests a day.
Next, we are safety engineers. We must know and follow safety rules, recognize when guests are not following those rules, and enforce them, often without managment’s assistance. We must recognize when our operation becomes unsafe due to technical problems and often have to make the call ourselves whether to keep the operation running or close it and call for repairs. The weight of that decision sits squarely on our shoulders.
We are mechanics, or at least have a basic understanding of the mechanics of our operation. Want to know how a roller coaster works? Ask the guy who pushes the buttons on it. He or she knows. We have to recognize when a ride is operating smoothly, and when it is not. We have to be aware of telltale smells, or sounds, or even how the ride feels. We often know what’s wrong with the ride before the trained technicians even arrive to diagnose it’s problems.
We are efficiency experts. We have to move a huge number of people through our operation as quickly as possible without seeming like we are herding cattle. Customer service must still be adhered to along with safety. But if we slip on efficiency, our lines get too long and customers complain. We have to hurry, but be friendly and fun while doing it.
We are actors. We do all of the above in an environment where we are playing a role. We are pirates, or ghosts, or whatever. We also have to be able to recognize when playing that role is not appropriate. We can’t drop our roles lightly because that ruins the experience for other guests, but at the same time, we have to do all of the other jobs listed above. We have to be smart enough to know the difference.
I’ll end by saying that theme parks like Disney ARE businesses, and making money is, was and always will be the first goal of those businesses. The problem now seems to be that Disney is forgetting that to make that money, they still need to concentrate on customer service, keeping their employees happy and employed, safety, and overall appearance. That takes money. You have to spend some to make more. Cutting the budget at the expence of the guest or cast experience will in the long run lose them money. They do need to work out those problems as cast members are leaving for greener pastures, and sadly so are some of the guests.
No matter how much you polish a turd, it’s still a turd. Dont try to “hype up” what you’re really doing.
“First, we are customer service reps. We answer questions, give directions, deal with complaints, and give assistance to thousands of guests a day” Answering the same question a hundred times doesnt really take any more skills. In fact anyone can answer a question.
“Next, we are safety engineers.” Again, more common sense things than anything else. If there’s a puddle of puke, it doesnt take a rocket science to warn people about it.
“We are efficiency experts.” How many in your part? Row XX…repeat. Again..not really a skill there.
“We are actors.” We are all actors at our jobs. No one acts the same way out of the office as they do in the office. That’s just the way all people operate….
Either you’ve never worked in the parks (which I suspect) and have no appreciation for the hard-working and often under-appreciated people who serve you when you visit, or you are one of those cast members I refer to when I speak of those who do the bare minimum or less. I hate to rise to your insults, but I will only because others who visit the parks may actually take you seriously rather than recognizing you for the inciter that you are.
I argue that first of all, it DOES take a lot to answer the same question over and over and not SOUND like you’ve already answered that question a billion times. Secondly, we don’t only answer the same questions over and over. We have to be the experts on not only our own park, but also all the others in town. We have to recognize attraction descriptions given by guests who butcher them (along with the attraction names). We have to give honest recommendations based on very little knowledge of the people we’re recommending to. We have to know the dining options, and all of the ticket options, the times for shows and their seating arrangements, and whether you’ll “enjoy this ride or is it too scary.”
As safety engineers, you’re lives are in our hands. Sure, we direct guests around hazards like spills, etc. but we also know our rides well enough to determine when they are approaching unsafe conditions. We are the first to report malfunctions, and make the first call on whether to keep a ride open or close it due to technical malfunction. We also ensure all of you, the thrill seekers who feel you can’t have a good time without endangering your lives and those around you, follow the safety rules and stay safe.
As efficiency experts we do count out parties into seats, but we also maintain moving queues, run crowd control for parades and shows, and attempt to maximize the experience for a large number of guests, all of whom feel they should be entitled to be first in line and get the best experience. I also argue that it’s not easy to count out xx people in row B when your party doesn’t have the slightest idea how many you are and Grandma isn’t sure she wants to ride or not. Add to that little Jimmy who wants the front row, and Daddy, who doesn’t and do all that in less than a second so you can keep the line moving and not have empty seats.
As far as being an “actor,” you are correct to a degree. Everyone plays a “role” in their job. But do you play a pirate? Or ghost? And do you have to do that completely in character while explaining to an arguing guest that their child is too small to ride, or the wait is an hour and they can’t jump the line? Do you have a memorized spiel that you HAVE to repeat 100 times a day with precision because it contains safety information, but in character and without sounding like a stuck record?
If you are ever a guest in the parks, I strongly suggest you leave your contempt for the cast members who run the place at home. You’ll have a better time if you do, and quite frankly, so will the cast members.
OK, I have a double point of view for you. I was a Disney lowly front-lines park employee for a long time (like 3 to 4 times the average), and have also been an engineer and technical rep. And… the hardest, most demanding job I ever had was working front lines at Disney. It does take intelligence — a lot of intelligence, if you’re going to do the job right and also survive the workplace politics and interpersonal dynamics. Do you know any big PhD scientist researchers? I do. Many of them are totally focused on one little thing that they sit around an office or lab all day thinking about with few distractions. Work in a theme park and you have to divide your brain into many functional units, working in parallel, communicating and coordinating, aware of so many things, keep control of your emotions, think separately from how you look, your expression, your body language and speech, dealing with stuff from all sides, listening to a radio in touch with your department and tracking the multiparty conversation and situation there while simultaneously listening to and serving two guests while evaluating your stock and planning your next order in view of the changing park-wide situation you’re hearing on the radio, but seeming fully attentive and intelligent to the guests who don’t recognize the radio or your situation. I could go on for pages. Plus you’re baking in 95 degrees, 95 percent humidity, direct sunlight, lightning’s on the way, keep your money from blowing away, answer questions and manage 3 lines at once, know everything, think about your supervisors who appear out of nowhere like ghosts, your performance, your career, your future, your statistics, your accuracy, who might be a plainclothes evaluator vs. a real guest, when can you use the bathroom or get some water, will you have enough time to sleep before your next shift, are you getting sunburned yet, what are you going to do about that difficult coordinator who’s back in the office right now talking influential trash about you and everyone else to the group… why don’t you just try it? It’s a very skilled job, requiring much more complete human development than even a doctor has to use in his nice organized controlled environment with helpers around him.
I’ve met doctors ignorant of basic science, one guy’s a nuclear medicine specialist and doesn’t even know the principle of a decay series — thinks radioactive decay means E=mc2, “it’s gone”. That’s 7th grade fundamental material, and he doesn’t know it. Try working front lines at Disney with such a degenerate mind and you’ll be terminated before long.
Why don’t you just try working a Disney park, then come back and tell us how much brain capacity it took. It takes more capacity, speed, and as much intelligence, as many “educated” jobs. Plus, the politics — you want to be part of something volatile, join a Disney workgroup. They’ll eat you alive unless you manage things right, and you’ve got to figure how to survive (and have good times) without becoming part of the problem and turning into a cannibal yourself. Sure, that’s life elsewhere, but it’s much faster paced and more intense and volatile at Disney than I’ve seen elsewhere. Massive turnover rate too, so watch out!
There are a lot of business majors who go to work there for their benefit, it’s not a moronic job except in some cases, but even the custodians are to some degree “hosts”, low-level guest services reps.
Well said, but you’re probably preaching to a moron.
As a former cast member for 4 of the deluxe hotels at WDW (I toggled between 4 of them), I have only the best memories of a great experience, and actually wish I never left the company. Do I wish I was paid more an hour? Yes. Was I offered OT? Yes. Was I FORCED to do OT? No. Did I have to work holidays? Yes, but they were split – if I worked Christmas, I was off New Years, and vice versa for my co-workers. I never expected NOT to work on holidays for a company open 24/7/365 (at least in the hotels!).
I tend to side w/ those who say if you don’t like it, quit bashing and simply get another job! Why do you continue to work for WDW if you hate it so much? Surely, if you are griping about pay, you can find something of comparable pay (or more) using your skills elsewhere. But, if you’re FT, the practically free full medical benefits sure do come in handy! Also, the perks to the parks are not so bad, either.
Many people continue to bash Disney, but many would not actually be living here if it weren’t for Disney coming to the Orlando area in the 60s. Would SeaWorld, Universal, etc. be here? Would Orlando still be mostly citrus fields if it weren’t for the population boom thanks to the high number jobs created by the tourism industry, manufacturing operations settling here, etc., etc?
Though I’m not blind to aggressive business practices by Disney and understand strategic manuevering to gain optimal bottom-line results, I still think the pros outweight the cons of having Disney in our area; thus, I’ll never fully understand why people (disgruntled workers who may have had one bad experience or non-workers who especially know NOTHING of the inner-workings) bash them so.
I have 10 years experience driving a 40 foot twin diesel power cruiser in some of the most hazardous waters on the planet, I have certificates for offshore navigation etc but when I applied to drive watercraft at both Disney and Universal I did not even get an interview yet when I asked the water taxi drivers what experience they had every one of them had never been on a boat in their lives until they came to Orlando and applied for work in the parks. No wonder these accidents occur mainly due to the crap system of only being allowed to apply on line where the people looking at the applications cant see what they are getting
Perhaps it was your attitude that didn’t get you the job
I’ve been on Disney watercraft many times over the years and cannot recall even one instance that I felt the driver of the boat was unqualified. I applaud these people that work there. They aren’t paid a fortune and have to be nice to some really awful guests…like many on this board. Yet they do it with a smile.
Maybe driving a water taxi isn’t as complicated as you’re trying to get us to believe it is? And maybe all of your experience isnt worth anything if you have a crappy attitude. The fact that you never got an interview points to that.
Let’s face it. The majority of people may rush to criticize but the majority of people don’t really care about the quality of their own work — which is why you have massive recalls, newspapers with typos or grammatical errors, etc. The rush to get it out there or keep it up and running is driven by profit and not by pride of work anymore. Disney is not alone in this. In fact, Universal was recently cited by OSHA as well for an employee serious injury. However, Universal doesn’t drive the attention from the media as the name Disney.
I worked in the Fire Department for 33 years and the rule was, if anything was backing up, someone had to be in the rear at ALL times.Never had a back up accident in all that time.Safety must be observed each and every time….NO EXCEPTIONS..Retired Lt.
So let me get this….working in the Fire Department is the same as driving a monorail on a fixed track? I dont get the comparison you’re trying to make. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
I just want to say that i am a cast member and i LOVE my job. To all you castmember that hate there job so much.. why dont you just quit!!! Let people that actually want to WORK and make magic for our guest work for this amazing company. I can not tell u how many castmember i come across everyday that just are sooooo rude to guest. Just because you have sooo many years of seniority doesnt give you the right to be rude and say such awful things about ur company. Lets me be honest , we can never please all of our guest but we still can try. All your castmembers that hate there job so much.. why dont you be THANKFUL u even have a freakin job! Some people are still looking for jobs… So stop complaining and be thankful… stop dissing ur own job. I LOVE MY JOB and i am personally thankful to have a amazing job and work for one of the best companys in the world.
RIP AUSTIN!!!! i will never truly know what his family is going thru but we will never forget you. I still pray for your family everyday!!!! WE MISS YOU!!!!
( ps sorry for the typos im typing on my blackberry )
Castmembers who love their job. Thank you. We vacation 2-3 times a year from PA to Disney World and everyone knows you don’t receive the highest pay, best benefits etc but we do appreciate your great attitude and thoughtfullness. You make us want to vacation with you. For those of you complaining, don’t vacation here. You are ruining it for the rest of us. My family appreciates the workers and Disney for giving us a vacation we talk about all year. No place else does that.
Thank you
we do it all for guests like you! come see us again soon Jeff and family!
I love Disney World and have been about 13 times in 25 years. We were just there Christmas at the Pop Century Resort. Can someone explain to me what the violation for the drill press guarding was about? I am a maintenence supervisor at Dupont in Virginia and want to be sure we have the correct guarding that OSHA says is required.
Thanks
My wife and I along with our 6 and 3 year olds recently stayed at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. I called the manager on duty as we needed a roll away bed. I knew there was to be an extra fee as outlined in the rules and regulations however she replied, “don’t worry about it.” Guess she didn’t get the memo about how they are there to make money !!! Hope springs eternal.
working for Disney is a bit like the military mentality. still it is a great place to ‘do your time’ if they pay you good.
There can be diminishing returns when trying to squeeze nickles out of an already immensely profitable operation by cutting corners.
The cost to properly staff the monorails at closing time so they can back in safely is probably less than one food stand (out of hundreds) takes in in 15 minutes.