American Egg House Omelet Record

In regards to the American Egg House, Chris Strodder writes in The Disneyland Encyclopedia:

...in fact there's mention of some kind of "omelet record" being set at this Main Street location, though what the record was remains unclear and unverified.

I'm not sure where he got this information originally. Perhaps it came from a souvenir guidebook. The July 20, 1978 Disneyland Line fills in the gap:

An artful display of culinary genius added to the excitement of last Friday's Grand Opening ceremonies at Main Street's American Egg House. Howard Helmer, demonstrating cook with the American Egg Board, broke the world record for omelet preparation. Easily passing the old record of 188 omelets, Howard produced 217 two-egg omelets in only 30 minutes, assuring himself a spot in Guinness's next edition of its famous record book.

Helmer even runs his own blog at http://www.incredibleeggman.com.

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers, Part 10

The ninth and final batch of questions relating to Disneyland and Walt Disney Productions, as posed by Disneyland employees in 1972 and published in the August 16, 1972 Disneyland Line. More details can be found in Part 1.

QUESTION: "Has Disneyland ever considered installing a theft-proof type of parking lot or lockers for bicycles?"

ANSWER: The Maintenance Division is now taking the proper steps to prepare an area in the North Lot (that's the fenced-in lot to your right as you enter Disneyland from Harbor Blvd), where you can safely park your cycles and bikes. Bike racks will be provided, and, as mentioned, the entire area is already fenced in.

QUESTION: "Why can't there be more security officers on Main Street during operation hours to keep the guest from boarding the vehicles while moving and unnecessarily bothering the horses?"

ANSWER: According to Ron Dominguez, Director of Operations, keeping people from jumping on and off a moving Main Street vehicle is the responsibility of the person or persons who operate that attraction.

If you have a workable method in which Security officers can aid the Main Street operators in this matter, give Ron Dominguez a call at Ext. 410.

QUESTION: "It was unfortunate that I was unable to attend this meeting of Disneyland employees at the Convention Center, due to my being on a vacation that week.

"Only good can come from meetings of this nature...maintaining a good employer and employee improved relationship.

"What I would have liked to submit is as follows:

"MONORAIL SYSTEM FOR ORANGE COUNTY....This county has developed into an internationally known Vacationland. Traffic and parking conditions have been greatly increased by this progress. As a step into the future (as we approach the year 2,000), the construction of a Monorail System connecting these locales of pleasure and interest would greatly reduce the congestions. This system could be used by the employees getting to and from work.

"Connection to such points of interest:

"DISNEYLAND, KNOTT'S BERRY FARM, CINEDOME 20 and 21, LAGUNA BEACH FESTIVAL OF ARTS, MOVIELAND WAX MUSEUM, JAPANESE VILLAGE, LION COUNTRY SAFARI, AND CAPISTRANO.

"Eventually it would include: Marineland and San Diego's Mission Bay.

"One exception which would prevent this vision of Tomorrow would be: Auto industry, oil companies, bus lines, etc."

ANSWER: We have given some thought to extending the Monorail system to other places in the Disneyland area.

Your idea is too great for our financing ability or even our engineering ability at this time.

QUESTION: "When will the Opportunities Questionnaire be passed out?"

ANSWER: Disneyland's Opportunities' Resume, "Where Do You Go From Here," is scheduled to be mailed to all Disneyland employees around the middle of September. When you receive this Questionnaire, fill it out as soon as possible and return it to Disneyland in the envelope provided.

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers, Part 9

The eighth batch of questions relating to Disneyland and Walt Disney Productions, as posed by Disneyland employees in 1972 and published in the August 2, 1972 Disneyland Line. More details can be found in Part 1.

QUESTION: "As a very concerned sweeper, I would like to inquire why we in Bear Country have such an inadequate costume.

"Granted, the costumes look good, but they are quite impractical. A sweeper probably does as much walking as anybody, and the heavy boots are not made for walking. The sole is so hard that it has given me shin splints. A sweeper should be mobile - the boots are a hinderance.

"The hats are constructed with no air vents, and one's head becomes very hot and sweaty. The shirts are equivalent to wearing flannel underwear on a hot, humid summer night. They are fine for the winter season, but much too heavy for summer. The pants are closely knit so they keep in the heat. Also, we are required to keep the pants tucked into the boots, which makes the situation even more cumbersome.

"May I suggest that the sweepers wear the traditional white linens. They are practical, cheaper, and much more appropriate for our specific job situation."

ANSWER: "Your costume is a duplication of the kind of clothes the loggers and trappers wore in the old Northwest.

"In our efforts to keep ten years ahead of our competitors, we are trying to theme all sweepers' costumes to the area in which they are assigned to work.

We believe that the white uniforms exclude the sweepers from the Show.

In regards to the question:

1. Hats are being vented as you suggested.

2. The homespun weave of the shirt may appear to be heavy, but actually it is 100% cotton, which is the coolest fabric available. The pants are also 100% cotton.

3. The composition of the last and the sole in your boots are similar to the type of well-constructed shoes worn by many construction workers. Once the boot has been broken in, it becomes quite comfortable.

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.

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers, Part 7

The sixth batch of questions relating to Disneyland and Walt Disney Productions, as posed by Disneyland employees in 1972 and published in the July 17, 1972 Disneyland Line. More details can be found in Part 1.

QUESTION: "Has Disneyland ever considered manufacturing and selling models of the Park and its attractions to our guests?

"Many guests ask for models of the Park for their kids to make, including model kits of the Autopia Freeway, the Disneyland trains, the Columbia, and the Mark Twain."

ANSWER: Yes, Disneyland has considered the possibility of selling model kits of the Park and attractions. When the Park first opened, a model of the original rocket to the moon was available in our shops, but it sold just fairly well. We have considered other model kits of various attractions, but the cost of molds and the initial quantity to order, would be too great in comparison with estimated sales.

QUESTION: "Why is there so much duplication of merchandise throughout the Park? Is this good business?"

ANSWER: There are more than 25,000 different items sold throughout the shops in the Park. In actuality, a small percentage of these items are duplicated and these are popular items like Winnie the Pooh. The reason for the duplication of popular items is so guests can purchase the item in more than one shop. In other words, we want to make it easy for a guest to purchase an item when he wants to purchase it.

QUESTION: "How do you make an appointment with one of the Park's merchandise buyers if you feel that you have a saleable item?"

ANSWER: Call one of our eight merchandise buyers and make an appointment. They can be reached at Ext 441.

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers, Part 6

The fifth batch of questions relating to Disneyland and Walt Disney Productions, as posed by Disneyland employees in 1972 and published in the July 7, 1972 Disneyland Line. More details can be found in Part 1.

QUESTION: "Why must we share our Employee Cafeteria with large groups of charter bus drivers?

"A fifteen-minute break does not allow for any delays, and I do not feel that employees should stand and let the minutes fly by while the line is filled with charter drivers who have all day to eat. Isn't our cafeteria for employees only, and isn't it the job of the cafeteria to take care of the employees' needs first? I have discussed this on many occasions with various cafeteria supervisors and managers and they agree, but shrug it off. Knowing charter bus drivers, I also am aware they are handsomely paid and can afford the breakfasts offered by Hills Brothers, Carnation, and the River Belle Terrace."

ANSWERS: Arrangements have already been made to keep non-employees from the cafeteria from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. As you know, there are signs at the Inn Between that state the cafeteria is for employees only. We are now checking into the possibility of having cards printed up that will be handed to bus drivers as they enter the Park. The card will remind them that the cafeteria is for employees only and that they - the drivers - should use our in-Park [restaurants] when getting something to eat.

QUESTION: "Why aren't more sanitary measures taken or enforced in food service, especially at the Inn Between? Are hair nets no longer required?"

ANSWER: "All female Disneyland employees handling food are required by the Health Department and Disneyland, to wear hair nets or a cap on their heads. It's a law. However, many hair nets worn today, thanks to technology, are invisible. An
employee can wear it, but it looks like she doesn't have one on. As far as sanitary standards are concerned we feel that the Food Division maintains the highest standards possible, and we are always looking for ways to improve.

QUESTION: TO THE FOOD DIVISION

"What research has been done on the problem of waste disposal, and particularly, waste recycling? Before we are someday subjected to a special tax for resource useage or are limited in our production, shouldn't we become a leader in the food
industry in divising ways and means of better utilizing our resources and in preventing pollution?"

ANSWER: We are doing as much along these lines as possible. By the nature, our business - fast food service - it is almost impossible to offer good service using silverware and regular plates. We do try to use as few paper items as possible in the fast-food operation, and have considered using other utensils. There are companies that make reuseable plastic plates and glasses, but these items still have a paper base. And, since we are required to wash our plates, glasses, and knives and forks, in 180 degree water, these items would melt and dissolve. Industries are working on a feasible and reuseable method in which fast-food operations can cut way down on their paper items. When a method is finally found, it would revolutionize the industry and cause us to do many things differently. Disneyland is aware of the problem and has made many changes already. For instance, we save many of our cardboard boxes, return them to the warehouse which in turn sends them to a recycling center. No longer do we receive soft drinks in paper or wax containers. Coke is delivered in five-gallon stainless steel reuseable containers. We no longer use cardboard containers to carry and store sandwiches - we now use sturdy plastic containers. Any ideas you might have along these lines would be appreciated by the Food Division. Just give them a call, Ext 285, and relay your idea to them.

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers, Part 5

The fourth batch of questions relating to Disneyland and Walt Disney Productions, as posed by Disneyland employees in 1972 and published in the June 30, 1972 Disneyland Line. More details can be found in Part 1.

QUESTION: Can anything be done to improve the relations between the Security Department and Disneyland employees in general?

ANSWER: The Security Department has held meetings with their manager, supervisors, and all permanent employees to discuss - in length - all questions pertaining to Security that were asked at the "Disneyland Report."

Discussions in these meetings were centered around how security can come up with better ways to improve their operation.

Security employees talked about any problems they were faced with, and hopefully, relations between Security and Disneyland employees will improve, noticeably. Security officers need love too, and an understanding on our part of what they do every day, will help us all. It's a two-way street and we all have to use it.

QUESTION: "Why aren't supervisors more familiar with the 'Standard Practice Instruction Manual' (SPI)? Because of their lack of knowledge, employees are misinformed, creating an unnecessary amount of dissension and ill will."

ANSWER: You make a very good point. All Disneyland supervision either have SPI manuals or have ready access to one. It is unlikely that each supervisor will know all that is contained in the manual. They can, however, refer to it when necessary to answer specific questions when they come up. If you have any occasion to be unsure about an answer given by your supervisor, ask him if you can review it with him in the SPI Manual. If there is any reason for a more detailed explanation, you may also verify information with Fred Newcomb - Employee Relations Manager at EXT 352.

QUESTION: "Why is not the union or management concerned at the low starting rate for seasonal part-time workers? They work during the Park's most trying and frustrating summer and holiday periods when conditions are most difficult."

ANSWER: Disneyland periodically checks the casual/seasonal start rate for student part-time work with what other companies in the community are paying for similar job activities. With this information, we make every effort to insure that we are paying fair rates.

Seasonal employees also receive progression increases when certain length of service terms are satisfied. A seasonal employee who is on our payroll prior to August 1st and remains through two weeks after Labor Day and is available for work prior to June 10 of the following summer season will receive a 5¢ per hour increase at the time he returns for the new season.

Also, seasonal employees who are on the payroll by July 1 will receive a 5¢ per hour increase on August 1 if they are still on the payroll at that time. This increase pattern continues until the total of 15¢ over the start rate is reached, provided the above conditions are continually met.

In addition, an employee has the potential to become permanent, and within a two-year period go to the top of the rate for his occupation.

QUESTION: "As most ideas and suggestions come from those working on the job in the maintenance shops, many ideas have been used without recognition (some believe supervision gets the credit), therefore, many ideas are withheld. It would be to everyone's advantage if a selection and reward system were set up and employees encouraged to cooperate."

ANSWER: We have used a "Creative Idea" suggestion program in one of our operating divisions and found it to be successful. The individual submitting the idea is told whether or not his idea will be adopted, and the copy of the letter - recognizing he has submitted an idea - is placed in his file in the Personnel office. We are presently looking into the possibilities of making this creative idea program a company-wide operation.