Backstage

[BrownStreak]

Okay, let me start off by mentioning that I know that many of the things which fascinate me are boring to many, but hey that's why I am so good in my field (Urban Planning). Out of all of the theme parks I have worked in, one of the most interesting ones as far as "behind-the-scenes" is included was SF Great America.

 

I thought it was a neat design to disguise the employee access road which leads into the center of the park with a covered bridge. This allows for many backstage operations to occur right in the middle of the park and the guests have no idea its there. I worked there at the tail end of the Warner days when the different rides had different costumes and the backstage spine made it so you were only ever seen in the correct themed area- like the tunnels at the MK, only the SFGrAm backstage didn't stink like the MK tunnels often did.

 

For those who don't know what I'm talking about- there is an employee-access roadway lined with backstage ops, buildings, break rooms, etc. which runs down the center of the park. One one end it ends near the Train Station and you can exit into Home Town Square or the New Orleans Section. It then travels up the park and in between Camp Cartoon Network and the Iron Wolf it exits the park under a covered bridge.

 

As mentioned, I have also been in the "tunnels" (which are actually at the real ground level) under MK. Their charm wore off though as they were very bland and many sections of them smelled VERY bad. It was also a pain that at the end of your (often) long day you had to wait at the Utilidor Exit to catch a packed shuttle bus out to the CM Lot which was 1-2 miles behind the park.

 

The Disney Studios backstage was small and compact. When they built Sunset Blvd (ToT) they had to build a new CM Parking Lot. If you were lucky you could park at the small lot right by wardrobe, but often you had to park in the other lot and wait for a shuttle. I suppose after RnR was built everyone probably had to use the remote lot. Unlike MK and EPCOT, Wardrobe at the Studios was tiny and you couldn't change clothes at your locker because that area was co-ed.

 

Yesterday I was looking at an aerial shot of AK and I could not figure out where the CM Parking was or any of its CM Buildings. Does anyone know where they are? Anyone have other info about interesting backstage layouts at various parks?

[irish]

cast parking for studios is right in front of wradrobe and at animal if you look at google maps its to the right of guest parking and behind the bus drop off

[BrownStreak]

When I worked there there was a remote lot that you often had to park at for the Studios and ride a van to wardrobe- I want to say that it was where the Fantasmic Stadium is now.

[irish]

I work there now and the cast park in the front except this week because of the cheerleading competition[/img]

[bgwfreak777]

I worked at Carowinds this past fall and it was interesting to see the park from the employee standpoint.

 

I've been going to Carowinds all my life and never knew there was an employee cafeteria right across from the Carolina Cobra entrance.

 

Also, the service road that loops the park, used to be part of the railroad loop that ran around the park in the 70s.