From Dan Babbitt on May 17, 2010 at 1:14 PM
I can vouche for that Robert. I'm statused at Tower of Terror but I'm also trained at all Sunset Blvd. attractions including Tower, Rock N' Roller Coaster, Beauty and the Beast, Fantasmic! Parade, and High School Musical.

So in my car I have 3 different costumes just in case.

What really gets me is keeping my spiels straight bcecause I have end up saying "Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the Hollywood Tower Hotel where we turn the music industry up side down!" guest just look at me Im crazy! Which I'am a little when I do 4 different attractions in one day!

From Anthony Murphy on May 17, 2010 at 2:22 PM
I am suprised you were not in the Hall of Presidents since I am guessing it probably was very similar to Country Bear Jamboree. While I understand the way cast members are trained based on lands, I felt that perhaps it should be by type

Examples of grouping:

Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Barnstormer

Tiki Room, Country Bears, Philharmagic, Presidents, Stitch, Monsters Inc, Carosel of Progress

Swiss Family, Character's House

Dumbo, Teacups

Pirates, Its a Small World

Haunted Mansion, Buzz

etc, etc, etc

From 76.243.38.183 on May 18, 2010 at 12:42 AM
Robert, you're famous (for 15 minutes, anyway) as you've made the Bing main landing page...!
http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Confessions+of+a+Disney+Cast+Member&cid=msn1143357&form=TRVCON>1=41000

From Scott Marlow on May 18, 2010 at 5:11 AM
I had heard about cast members working different rides before, but after this weekend I found the same to be true for cashiers, but on a broader scale. I was at the Star Wars shop in Hollywood Studios, and asked where an item was in the store. The cashier said "I'm sorry, I'm not sure where it would be. I'm from the Magic Kingdom, just here helping out today."

Definitely did not know they rotated parks as well as locations.

From Dan Babbitt on May 19, 2010 at 11:19 AM
For quick serve restaurant and outdoor food locations and as well as merchandise its all standard training and everyone that works in those departments gets. So if you want to pick up shifts or somewhere is heavily under staffed then they can pull from other areas.

But this is not true with park operations which has more specific training and such.

From Ted Heumann on May 19, 2010 at 1:59 PM
When I worked at Disneyland in Merchandising (store clerk for non-Disney types) in the late 80s/early 90s, we were assigned to a specific land (Main Street, Tomorrowland, Adventure/Frontier, New Orleans/Critter Co and my land, Fantasyland). However since Main St and especially Tomorrowland couldn't keep their people, we ended up in those lands often times. One night 75% of the cast members in the Star Trader were from Fantasyland.
Also I was able to pick up shifts in other lands as well. If someone was short, they would allow other lands cast members to fill in. Unfortunately (outside of Main St and Tomorrowland) I was only able to pull 1 shift in Critter Co and 1 (4 hour) shift in Adventureland. I was always hoping for a shift in New Orleans. :-(
Back then, the only "specialized" job was a hat writer. They tried to teach me how to do it, but I never got the hang of it.
We RARELY rotated during a shift unless you were the floater (they helped out during breaks at smaller locations).
Also back then we had lockers and costuming and were FORBIDDEN to take our costumes home. Actually when I was at Sunkist (a DL leasee) my buddy got fired for taking his jacket home.