Week 4: Closing Trilo-Bites in Dinoland

Cosmic Ray’s: Sonny Eclipse, Disney’s Magic Kingdom

After a long week, I can finally conclude that my week of closing trilobites at Dinoland is done! The first week of closing, I was given someone to come and preclose for me. This means that the cast members, depending on what time the park closes, start to shut down the machines that will no longer be of much use throughout the last hour and minute of closing time. For instance, the precloser starts by closing the churro ovens once we have a tray filled with them. Secondly, the Margherita bubblers get turned off and the mix goes into a pour bottle, which makes serving quick and less messy while the bubblers are three-step washed. Along with this, we start cleaning the beer kegs, draining them, and wrapping them in plastic wrap for them to be clean and one thing less to worry about. However, my only downfall with closing Trilo-Bites is that it has to be within the 45 minutes they give you to close. Now this is my biggest challenge since it’s only DCP’s closing. Everyone is lost and unaware of what to do next. Plus, this kiosk specifically has two huge ice cream machines we have to triple wash and take apart for us to be sent home. I’m small, and these machines have me climbing up and down from a ladder across the room to turn the water hose on and off. Apart from this, the kiosk needs to be restocked and swept and scrubbed behind every machine which involves someone pulling the big machines forward. Many of the people I close have been new and avoid moving the machines, leaving me with the big tasks and also the small ones. From a manager’s point of view closing shouldn’t be timed but rather paired with a DCP and a well-known cast member that way closing time goes by smoothly. So far, I’m still trying to Ace working fast, but overall, my closing skills have improved and are admired by my coordinators and leaders.