Tuesday, December 23, 2008

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers, Part 8

The seventh batch of questions relating to Disneyland and Walt Disney Productions, as posed by Disneyland employees in 1972 and published in the July 21, 1972 Disneyland Line. More details can be found in Part 1.
QUESTION: "Since they rehab the Park every year, why don't they do the same thing in the ad building? It could sure use it. I thought we were all part of the Show! Anyway, that's what they tell us."

ANSWER: According to Disneyland's Director of Maintenance, Mel Cecil, most of the ad building will be repainted this summer. Work has already begun in Accounting and Payroll. The Computer Room is next on the schedule, along with the rehab of the hall adjacent to the Mail Room, and the hall displaying Disneyland's history.

As you know, most of the major rehab at Disneyland is performed during the winter months in the Park. Summer is when most of the backstage rehab takes place.

Next year, a complete evaluation of the ad building's air conditioning will take place, and hopefully all of these cooling problems can be solved.

QUESTION: "Why can't there be some improvements done in the Paint Shop? An area for preparation that is shaded and a place to put a finished product."

ANSWER: No sooner said than done! In August, work begins on the Paint Shop to add more shaded area to the shop adjacent to the old steam train building.

QUESTION: "What is planned for the area of land in which the old tin warehouse is sitting on, now that the new one is completed?"

ANSWER: The old tin warehouse is currently being used as a storage area for the Maintenance Division. Molds, parade items, and spare parts currently fill the place.

Within five to ten years from now, the land on which the warehouse sits will more than likely be the site of a new Park attraction.

QUESTION: "Was any consideration given to the principles of spacial ecology (that is, personal distance that an organism, or person, customarily places between itself and other organisms, or persons) when setting the ceiling on in-Park attendance. I feel the present guest count ceiling is an injustice to our guests.

ANSWER: We're doing our best to make it more comfortable for guests to visit Disneyland. Every year, our industrial engineers go through the Park to determine how we can make it better for the next year. Food facilities, restrooms, benches, drinking fountains, attraction waiting areas, and merchandise shops are all studied. And it's then determined how to best handle specific problems on busy summer days in these areas.

Improvements made this year as a result of last summer's studies include larger crowd control areas for attractions, enlarged restrooms, and the installation of more benches and drinking fountains.

One of the main considerations during the construction of Bear Country was to make sure that guests had enough room to roam in that area. Also, Bear Country's restroom facilities are one of the largest in the Park.

Since our guests come from all over the country and from all over the world, they expect to visit Disneyland on the day they have set aside in their travel schedules. It's an inconvenience if they have to be turned away, and in the past, we have had to stop people from entering the Park because we just couldn't handle them.

As Disneyland expands, we will be able to handle more people more comfortably. And, even then, the popular attractions and areas will still be crowded.

4 comments:

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Great series Jason, facisnting to read all the Q & A.

"ANSWER: The old tin warehouse is currently being used as a storage area for the Maintenance Division. Molds, parade items, and spare parts currently fill the place.

Within five to ten years from now, the land on which the warehouse sits will more than likely be the site of a new Park attraction."

Do you know where that old tin warehouse was and what attraction was (or was going to be) built there?

Katella Gate said...

VDT read my mind. Where is the "old tin warehouse?"

William Kelley said...

Same question here: where was the old tin warehouse? Oh and where is the new tin warehouse?

Great info!

Anonymous said...

You need to contact me anytime you mention any industrial engineering in your posts. DL IE is one of the areas that fascinates me the most.

Consider this: in fluid mechanics theory, flow rate (the movement of particles within a confined area with a defined cross-sectional area) is calculated as Q = VA, or flowrate = velocity * area. In Disneyland, the law of conservation of mass applies, that is, the flow of mass in must equal the flow of mass out because, for the most part, guests don't go to Disneyland to die, decompose, spontaneously combust or disappear. Therefore, when deciding to tackle the issue of guest crowds you have two options: 1) Make everyone walk faster, or 2) Increase the width of the walkways. Obviously, one consideration affects the other. Here is where the IE begins his data collection: what are the benchmark values for the walking speed of a family of four carrying a churro, a park map and a stroller?

Easily my favorite post...