The process begins long before our Disney Parks open, starting with the night shifts — particularly the Landscaping teams. Taking advantage of the absence of guests, they prepared the grounds and cleared the roadways in anticipation of the day ahead. By 7:00 AM, the walkways were clean ; however, the heaviest snowfall was expected between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM — right as the gates were set to open!
As the snow fell heavily, an unusual calm settled over our Disney parks. It is often futile to clear “powder” snow that will simply settle again minutes later. Likewise, it is counterproductive to salt snow that might melt and then refreeze, creating an even more dangerous icy surface. Sometimes, the best decision is to wait. During these times, only priority pathways are treated, specifically to ensure access for guests with reduced mobility.
By noon, the Guest Flow teams were hard at work securing the areas around the Animagique Theater to allow performances of Mickey and the Magician to proceed. Gradually, “photolocations” were cleared one by one, allowing Disney Character meet-and-greets to resume.
All eyes now turn toward the day’s major challenge: today marks the return of the Disney Stars on Parade after the Christmas season, a highly anticipated moment for our guests. Over the course of three hours, a different kind of choreography takes place: Guest Flow leads the way, the Landscaping team heads down Main Street, U.S.A. operating snow removal machinery, the Custodial teams move in to brush away snow residue, and Operations teams arrive as backup to secure the sidewalk edges.
It takes numerous back-and-forth passes and a careful balance of blades, brushes, salt, and squeegees to clear the route. As Emilien from the Custodial team summarizes: “We all help each other out. Regardless of the costume, regardless of the role. I walked two kilometers to get here this morning; my colleague Clémentine walked four. It’s a day I won’t forget. I’m proud to be part of this”.
At 4:30 PM, a ray of sunshine finally breaks through the clouds. The first musical notes echo through Fantasyland. Mission accomplished!
