College Student Theme Park Employment

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Only taking pride in working at Dragster and nowhere else seems kinda childish on your part. It goes far past CP or any park. As an eployee at a job there may be things required of you that you may not enjoy. Now I was with you up until the whole "can't be proud of CS" thing. Think of it this way. There are 20 slots they fill for Dragster, and 30 for Snoopy. 18 out of those 30 decide to quit because they were butt-sore hurt that they didn't get Maverick. Now there are twelve slots that need to be filled until replacements can be filled. What would you expect to get out of an internship at Cedar Point if you quit whenever you specifically can't get your way? I don't know too many jobs period where its sunshine and lolipops 100% of the time. I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you, but it doesn't sound like the park was all to blame.

[dpxtreme]

If there are 20 openings for TTD hypothetically, then they should only put 20 positions of TTD on 20 different contracts. If someone before that arrives and wants TTD instead, they should have to wait until someone drops or be moved to another ride. Why did they overbook the staff of TTD in the first place? They knew I wanted to work a major attraction ahead of time, and I'm sure they just told everyone they would get something they'd like, even if that was not the intent at all.

 

I guess you could think of it like how airlines overbook their flights on purpose. Hypothetically, if an airline has 75 seats, and only booked those 75 seats, and a family of 4 pulls out at the last minute, that airline just lost money. If a park purposely over staffs a ride, they have the "no show" factor just in case people don't show up.

[SonOfBeastSucks]

If a park purposely over staffs a ride, they have the "no show" factor just in case people don't show up.

Even if someone doesn't show up for TTD, it would be better to switch someone from Camp Snoopy to TTD, rather than TTD to Camp Snoopy.

[Wood Dragon 1988]

I'm just going to say that I've had three jobs in three different industries, and the first week of ALL of them SUCKED HORRIBLY. That to me is just the way it goes. You keep talking about your contract, but there had to be a legal way for them to get around it, or they wouldn't have done it. If CP was really your dream summer, I don't think you would have quit after one day.

 

Just my two cents, and I'm not trying to judge you.

[Swimace]

I think the topic of Tyler's employment has been discussed to death by now, the should have ended in June. I feel like the majority of posts in this thread have nothing to do with the author's request for advice and more to do with telling one person how they should have made their employment decisions. The guy works part time in a fast food restaurant, I think he understands the realities of having a less than glamorous job.

 

[/rant]

[Capitalize]

Cedar Point's policies in hiring ride ops seems kind of dumb to me. To tell people exactly where they'll be all summer, or to make it seem that way, is short sighted and naive. I know with SFA you were given the job and didn't find out until your first day of work where you would be. Then you're assigned an entire division or section of the park and you start out by being trained for one ride.

 

From there you get trained on more rides until eventually you can operate/attend all the rides in your division. The more rides you know the better off you are as it gives you options and gives you the chance to work a different ride every day. When you're working every day of the week for hours on end having the chance to mix it up and work a different ride is fantastic. And you eventually become good friends with everyone in your division and people in other divisions as you work with everyone and spend so much time in the park.

 

Seems like a lot better solution then giving people the false hope of working everyday at a major coaster. Obviously some days the ride is going to be closed or someone won't be able to come in and work, so people have to be moved around...

[RaptorBoyASU]

^I actually liked only working one ride (or trio of flat rides when I first started). You get to know the ride really well, to the point that you would know why a breakdown happened before anyone even read out the error code from the computer. Being sent to other rides for a day or two was a nice break, but it always felt great to come back "home" to the ride you operated every day.

 

My first summer was not what I was expecting either. After the interview, they told me I would be placed on a fast-paced major ride. When the contract came in the mail, it was for White Water Landing (definitely not fast paced). I decided it wasn't awful, and I was going for the experience of working at the park more than the experience of working a coaster. Well, when I processed in, they told me that they could really use help at the Chaos/Troika/Super Himalaya triangle for a couple weeks until more people processed in. I could still go to White Water Landing for now, but they were sending people to other rides on a daily basis there anyways because they were so overstaffed. I agreed, and two weeks later I was given the choice of staying at the Chaos triangle, or going over to WWL like I was contracted for (though with less hours). I chose WWL. It was far more boring than working the flats. But I made sure I did a good job and did all I could to make it fun (including singing at the top of my lungs on the catwalk above the drop).

 

Well, they must have noticed, because when I asked to be transferred to Raptor (they had 3 people leave the crew one week), they moved me the next morning. I spent the 2nd half of the summer on one of the best crews in the park, and I made sure to return to that same crew the next year.

 

It really wasn't what I was doing in the park that made the experience so much fun. It was the people I worked with on a daily basis, and the fun we had after park closing. Even in the first two weeks I was there, I felt like I had made a lot of friends, from all over the park. It really was two summers I wouldn't trade for anything.

 

So if you want to work in a park only because you want to work a coaster, you might be a bit disappointed in the experience. But if you want to work in a park for the overall experience, the friendships, and the strange memories you're sure to make, then you should go for it.

[thrillrideseeker]

It really wasn't what I was doing in the park that made the experience so much fun. It was the people I worked with on a daily basis, and the fun we had after park closing. Even in the first two weeks I was there, I felt like I had made a lot of friends, from all over the park. It really was two summers I wouldn't trade for anything.

More True words have never been spoken! Its not where you work that makes the difference, its the people you work with!

~Matthew

[BrownStreak]

/\ Wow, cry me a river .

 

It doesnt matter what park you go to, theyll put you where they need people and will get rid of you if you wont work it. Actually if theres one thing CP is good at its those types of jobs. Not many parks have on-property employee housing, and they give their ride ops plenty of hours.

 

Correct. And I wouldn't normally have a problem with this, except that I signed a contract to work at a particular attraction and they broke the contract without my consent. That's why I respect the DCP, they don't tell you which ride you will be at. You just find out that you got attractions. And I think that's how Cedar Point should do it. And I don't know if the housing even constitutes as housing, as much as a cardboard box.

 

That was actually a huge problem this past summer. I worked all the way through the end of July from Day 1 and never worked my contracted ride- in fact I wasn't even in the same Zone or Area by July. There were a bunch of us that were "re-assigned" that got together and compared our assignments vs. what we were working and then we check around others in the park and our conclusion was that they intentionally assigned more people than necessary to the good rides to get you to sign your contract.

 

Disney was the same way back in '94 when I worked there (not College Program). When you went through Casting if you were "cast" as a Sky Ride Host that was code that you'd be working in MK East; if you were cast as Big Thunder that was code that you'd be working in MK West- they reassigned you when you got to your department after two days of Traditions.

 

I guess to some extent it makes sense of the park's end. Not many theme park employee-aged people are going to travel cross-country to work in Kiddie Kingdom- but they will if they THINK they will be working Top Thrill Drag Queen.

 

The best part of working at CP this summer though was working at Mine Ride where I could sit up on the mic and announce to people I was the 2nd oldest ride op working on their 2nd oldest coaster- which often got me applause (which is better than pity).

[coolhandluke]

I was going for the experience of working at the park more than the experience of working a coaster.

This makes a lot of sense and actually helps me understand both sides of the previous debate. Most people on here seem more supportive of working for the experience of working at the park, regardless of specific duties. With Tyler's story (not to put words in your mouth, Tyler, this is just how I interpreted it), he was planning to work at CP for the thrill and experience of working a big ride. Didn't get the ride; don't want the job. I've had both trains of thought in the past, so I get both sides.

 

As evidenced, talking myself through it helps me see both sides. [/thinking]

 

^Completely off topic, but were you the op there who would sarcastically hyperbolize all of the underwhelming stats of that ride? That op and one at Corkscrew who did the same thing gave me the best station experiences of the year.

[BrownStreak]

^You mean like "We're going to take you forty...five...feet. Not once... but twice...traveling at speeds of up to...forty miles an hour! Five miles an hour faster than the casueway speed limit!" Stuff like that? Yeah that was me- I also faked a southern drawl at times and at other times I used other odd voices. I actually got a guest compliment.

 

I really enjoyed Mine Ride and didn't mind working on the train either. Working in the back of the park I could dance to the music working the Gemini Gatehouse and chat with people working the Mean Streak Gatehouse...and sneak cigarettes rotating between the two.

 

They moved me to sweep for one full week and I started having severe foot trouble. The CP Doc told me I was developing issues with my arches and they transfered me to Admissions which I didn't like so I was like "I can get a job back in Cleveland that I don't like and make the same ammount of money working less hours."

[Coasterlvr_nc]

In all honesty the decision is up to you.

However, my experiences were sort of similar to those of Tyler's (only to a vague extent). I started working at Carowinds when I was 15 years old, not old enough to operate the rides. At the beginning of last year, I decided to try out rides for a change but I really, really wanted Afterburn. Because of my rehire status in my old department, I was able to be the first person with afterburn on their contract.

 

This is where my story differs from Tyler's. I did stay at afterburn, for about a month and a half actually. But, during the first week working up there, I was slowly being disappointed because of all of the hype I had created in my head. (Just don't let it get to you!) Afterwards, I began to make friends and have fun. My reason for telling this is because at the beginning, you may be slightly disappointed as well.

 

During my month and a half at afterburn, I decided to apply for the assistant supervisor position. After my interview, my choices were to accept the co-supervisor position and be in nick-central or stay at afterburn. I did take the co-supervisor position for the experience, and honestly, I haven't regretted it to this day. Because of my attitude towards my job, no matter where I work. Whether I'm supervising my usual area, or nick-central as a whole, I would always enjoy every day working with the friends I have made over the summer.

 

Moral of the story, it doesnt matter where you work, but how you go about doing your job.

[Reon]

This seemed like the best place to bring this topic up. I've been working as a ride operator at Coney Island Cincinnati for the last 6 summers, pretty much the best job ever since its like larger park operations but with a more managable schedual and coverage of basically every ride in the park. While I would love to stay there forever, I am well aware that I'm now a 24 year old looking into the "real" world and I've come to the conclusion that being a ride operator is what I want to do.

 

Unfortunately, Coney is only open during the summer, and $7.30 an hour just wont cut it, reguardless of how many hours I work (I average a full time load unless I'm taking time off for coaster expiditions). This brings me to my question..are there any amusement parks open more or less year round? I figure stuff in Florida/California/Texas/Indoor malls, but I can't be 100% certain, and who better to ask than the TPR goers that venture around the world in search of credits yearround.

 

PS: Yes, I know not every park is as glamourous as Coney in terms of employment, but I dont care. My alternative right now is working as a game attendant at a local Chuck E Cheese, and with how I'm being treated there, its pretty clear that my path goes to pure ride opness.

 

/necropost

[BrownStreak]

I would suggest the park at Mall of America...at least when I worked there it wasn't too hard to get a full time position...if you wait until they are hiring for "bulk positions" leading into summer. Originally I was going to be hired for the standard summer and part-time winter; however, I got "promoted" before I even began working. The only problem with working there (keep in mind this was 15 years ago) was there was a Born Again college not far away and a lot of the employees were from there and they had a problem with me being gay and constantly made stuff up to complain about me with...

[HappyEisentrout]

The thing I have found strange is the Sandusky/Orlando lifestyle. It seems that a lot of people start out at Cedar Point, after a season or two they move to Sandusky, they get crummy off season jobs (that's what it's referred to) and then work at the park during the summer. Sandusky businesses hate the park workers because that means that during their peak times, when all the tourists are in town, their employees have all left for the park. After a year or two of this, most of the "townies" move to Orlando, either to work the off season at a park down there and return or to make the move and just work down there. I have so many friends that have migrated down south and have stayed, all working at various parks in Central Florida. I've considered the move as well.

 

Another strange thing is that here at Cedar Point, if you stay during the off season, Castaway Bay seems like a great opportunity. It's open year round, its the same company as the park, you can stay in housing (if you really want to), great perks. But, if you work at the water park, they will not let you transfer back to the park for the summer. The only way is to stop employment for 6 months and then you can apply for the park. I mean it seems like the perfect way to have the quality employees during the winter months. They don't want to quit because they want to return to the park and they will work because they don't want to get fired. It just makes sense.

[bgroodog]

The thing I have found strange is the Sandusky/Orlando lifestyle. It seems that a lot of people start out at Cedar Point, after a season or two they move to Sandusky, they get crummy off season jobs (that's what it's referred to) and then work at the park during the summer. Sandusky businesses hate the park workers because that means that during their peak times, when all the tourists are in town, their employees have all left for the park. After a year or two of this, most of the "townies" move to Orlando, either to work the off season at a park down there and return or to make the move and just work down there. I have so many friends that have migrated down south and have stayed, all working at various parks in Central Florida. I've considered the move as well.

 

Another strange thing is that here at Cedar Point, if you stay during the off season, Castaway Bay seems like a great opportunity. It's open year round, its the same company as the park, you can stay in housing (if you really want to), great perks. But, if you work at the water park, they will not let you transfer back to the park for the summer. The only way is to stop employment for 6 months and then you can apply for the park. I mean it seems like the perfect way to have the quality employees during the winter months. They don't want to quit because they want to return to the park and they will work because they don't want to get fired. It just makes sense.

 

Yea, that sounds about right as far as Sandusky is concerned. I moved up here to continue working at Cedar Point and I have managed to find an off season job that manages well and that will allow me to return to the park once that time arrives (and then return again when the season is over). I know MOST employers up here will look at your application and if there is a hind of Cedar Point on it they avoid your application like the plague. You mentioned Castaway Bay being a reliable place for winter employment. It seems however this may be the last winter this will be an option due to new Obama Legislation, something with the "Obama Care" stuff that requires employers to offer a 401k plan to employees the work more than 1800 hours in a year. Since Castaway Bay is a part of Cedar Point and not its own place of employment this would require Cedar Point to offer a 401k plan to Seasonal/Part Time employees. Human Resources is starting to crack down on departmental transfers because of this legislation, so this option may no longer exist at the end of this season.

 

The thought has also crossed my mind to head "south" and join the many of friends I have down there and get settled into a park in and around Orlando. I would love to get down there and see my friends again and do what I love, work in the Amusement Industry.