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Alex S.
11-21-2005, 09:54 AM
In today's Park Update (link (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=dl051121xx)) we mentioned cutbacks in Merchandise due to staffing issues. We don't know for sure if that was the only consideration in the store closures that went into affect today but we expect it didn't help.

Starting today through Thursday the following locations are closed or on reduced hours. We're tracking to track down details for the weekend (odds are they'll be open) and next week and beyond.
Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost - Closed
Briar Patch - Closed
Frantasyland Camera Kiosk - Closed
Fantasy Fair Gift Cart - Closed
Stromboli's Wagon - Closed
Villain Lair - Closed
Frontierland Pin Cart - Closed
Guide 1 and Guide 2 (the souvenir carts near the train tunnels) - Closed
Main Street Pin Cart - Closed
New Century Timepieces - Opening at 10:00 a.m.
Newstand - Opening at 1:00 p.m.
Silhouette Studios - reduced hours
20th Century Music - reduced hours
Masquerade d'Orleans - Closed
Royal Street Sweets - Closed
Winner's Circle - Closed
Hatmosphere - Closed
Fly 'n' Buy (DCA) - Closed
Gone Hollywood (DCA) - Closed
Dinosaur Jack's Sunglass Shack (DCA) - Closed
Point Magu Tattoo and Sideshow Shirts (DCA) - Closed
Treasures in Paradise (DCA) - Closed Disneyana may also be closed but we want to confirm that before saying so.

3894
11-21-2005, 09:58 AM
Yikes. Out of respect for Alex Stroup, I'll refrain from using the shocked smiley.

Mermaid
11-21-2005, 10:06 AM
wow!! On a side note, where is the Villian's Lair? I love this shop but didn't see it last time I was there. Did they move it from near Peter Pan- Maybe it was closed??

Andrew
11-21-2005, 10:11 AM
My first thought is that this reminds me of Cynthia Harriss' ill-conceived staggered attraction hours debacle, where for a few short weeks every attraction in the park had different opening and closing hours. It was a mess and was quickly rescinded.

I fear that may not happen this time unless the labor problems can be resolved.

tod
11-21-2005, 10:13 AM
That's awful. Maybe this is a low-attendance week until Thursday.

Just for clarification:



Guide 1 and Guide 2 (the souvenir carts near the train tunnels) - Closed

I would have said


Guide 1 and Guide 2 (the souvenir carts near the entrance tunnels, just inside the park) - Closed

for clarity's sake.

--t
hoping I can get English Toffee this week.

Alex S.
11-21-2005, 10:16 AM
You should be able to, tod, since it appears that the Emporium/Candy Palace side of Main Street is unaffected.

Crazy4DL
11-21-2005, 10:17 AM
omg! That sounds so sad :crying:

Hopefully they can prehaps get the situation under control with some hiring insentives or something. :(

annieb727
11-21-2005, 10:18 AM
wow! i guess if they don't have the staffing for it, they have to do it, but i know there have been countless times I've purchased from those souvenir carts right as you enter DL -- just b/c it was there and i was there -- I bet lots of others do too....just glad the biggies will still be open -- wonder if they main stores will continue to stay open after park closing (that's when I always shop).

Darkbeer
11-21-2005, 10:21 AM
Actually, the hours are PEAK hours all week, and that might be a cause of the problem.

If your employee base is designed to cover 10 to 8 Monday thru Thursday, and the earlier openings and later closures on the Weekend, then you need to staff 8 to Midnight for 10 days in a row, you will have shortages Monday thru Thursday unless you can bring more people in, or hand out massive OT.

Alex S.
11-21-2005, 10:42 AM
I should add that this information came from the Cast Member Portal. It may be that the reality implemented does not match what was published on this newsletter. AVP is at the park now confirming things.

Alex S.
11-21-2005, 12:22 PM
Yeah, apparently the reality doesn't match the original list. A new list is going around and has 32 stores on it (DL and DCA) that will have reduced hours or simply be closed.

Apparently it is a worst-case scenario list and really depends on staffing availablity on any given day so a store on the list may be closed one day and then open the next. So today Guide 1 is open in the morning and Guide 2 is open in the afternoon (or vice versa, I forget which is which).

So, play it by ear, but since I expect nobody (other than AVP) goes to Disneyland NEEDING to visit a particular store it won't impact most people other than seeing a lot of locked doors.

cakimmy
11-21-2005, 12:27 PM
Does anyone know if the winnie the pooh store will be closed at all during the weekend? I need to get a winnie the pooh bear (the one holding a birthday cake) and I've only seen it there lately and I was going to go sometime this weekend. thanks.

Andrew
11-21-2005, 12:29 PM
For that matter, what are the options if the only store carrying the item you want is closed? Can you ask a CM from the store next door to go in and get it for you? (I'm guessing "No".)

olegc
11-21-2005, 12:44 PM
My first thought is that this reminds me of Cynthia Harriss' ill-conceived staggered attraction hours debacle, where for a few short weeks every attraction in the park had different opening and closing hours. It was a mess and was quickly rescinded.

I fear that may not happen this time unless the labor problems can be resolved.

To build on that thought - is it not true that Merchandise is one area of Park Ops that still has a significant number of managers who were brought in during the Harriss era? It seems to be the case that this group time and again seems to follow the older patterns - while Park Ops (and last time I went Foods was ramping up) seems to handle this better. Better, of course, is a relative term.

Closing so many places in DCA, already without much to do, really messes with their P&L - if indeed they are financially managed separately.

Jeremiah
11-21-2005, 12:57 PM
nevermind

J

spectromen
11-21-2005, 03:53 PM
I feel bad for Guest Relations, having to make up some contrived nonsense about how they weren't expecting this kind of traffic the week before Thanksgiving. Good luck, guys.

AVP
11-21-2005, 09:02 PM
Information about store closures is really muddled out there, and some stores that are listed in the Cast Member reference guide as closed are actually open, or on reduced hours.

From what I noticed today:

Disneyana (listed as closed) - open, but I'm not sure if it was at 8 or at 10
Magic (listed as closed) - opened at 2
Music (listed as closed) - opened at 2
Guide 1 (listed as closed) - opened with the park, but closed at 4 or 4:30 so...
Guide 2 (listed as closed) - could open at 4 or 4:30
Newstand (listed as 1:30 open) - was open by 11:30

The Main Street merchandise cart, Frontierland merchandise cart and Main Street pin carts were all listed as closed and were, indeed, closed.

No idea if the listed Tomorrowland closure (Hatmosphere & Winners Circle) was accurate, but I saw merchandise being transported to the Winner's Circle, so I believe at least that may have been open.

No idea about the rest of Disneyland, or any of DCA. Apparently a new "open / close" list was distributed within Disneyland stores, and there are 32 locations either completely closed or operating on reduced hours this week.

And yes, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Disneyland is open today, tomorrow and Wednesday from 8-midnight, which is not the norm for the week of Thanksgiving. Also, CRs and CTs are not required to be "fully available" until after Thanksgiving, so they don't have quite as many people to schedule.

cakimmy, the Pooh bear you mention is also sold at the Emporium on Main Street, as well as the World of Disney store.

Andrew, depending on which store you're talking about, you *can* ask CMs from an adjoining location to go into the closed store and get something for you, so long as you're reasonably clear on exactly what you want and are willing to wait a bit. They may need to call a lead, stock person or area manager to help you or to cover their store location while they help you.

This is something they will usually only do if the store in question will be closed for the entire day, and the merchandise is not available anywhere else. They usually won't fetch something from the Disney Gallery for you before it opens - even though the store opens late, it will open that day. And they are not usually going to open the Magic shop so you can get a Sorcerer Mickey hat if you could just walk next door to the Main Street Hatter and get one there.

AVP

SandraVB79
11-22-2005, 12:10 AM
I would be so mad if I got to DL and half of the stores would be closed! Stores are a main reason why I go to DL. I like the rides, but I absolutely LOVE to shop at DL, so that I can add things to my collection, or buy cheaper things that remind me of my trip, ...

Having those stores closed will cost Disney a lot of money, and will probably create complete chaos in stores that are open, like the Emporium. Otherwise, shopping people are spread out over the park, now they virtually all have to come to the same place...


At DLP, during some time they had a system where in the morning only one land was open, then two hours after that another land opened, and so on. I don't think it was a big success, because now, everything opens just at once.

motomickey
11-22-2005, 07:21 AM
well, i am working thursday, friday, saturday and sunday from 8:30pm-2:30am so at least the stores on Main Street are definitely open!

spectromen
11-22-2005, 07:57 AM
Does anybody know about the Disney Gallery? It's not on the list, but it was closed at about 1pm this past Sunday 11/20 which I thought was odd.

Maus
11-22-2005, 09:00 AM
The Main Street merchandise cart, Frontierland merchandise cart and Main Street pin carts were all listed as closed and were, indeed, closed.

I noticed this morning that the cart in Central Plaza is gone! I don't think this is taken offstage at night is it? It's actually a great improvement to Central Plaza!

cpeak
11-22-2005, 10:38 AM
My husband will be thrilled by all these closures if they are still in effect when we go. He hates shopping, especially at Disneyland.

Andrew
11-22-2005, 10:49 AM
My husband will be thrilled by all these closures if they are still in effect when we go. He hates shopping, especially at Disneyland.
Open shops suck up Park guests, at least somewhat. Will he be thrilled with the measurable increase in crowds on the walkways, attractions and restaurants?

evrythngwmn
11-22-2005, 11:01 AM
Open shops suck up Park guests, at least somewhat. Will he be thrilled with the measurable increase in crowds on the walkways, attractions and restaurants?

Very true. This will affect max capacity numbers and could lead to a stop of guests being allowed to enter the park.

Also, count me in as someone who goes into the park just to shop. I buy a lot of my holiday gifts at DLR.

cpeak
11-22-2005, 12:27 PM
Open shops tend to suck up his money too!