Question from New CM

[andek098]

I have a question. Does anyone know how the CDS works? Is it random in selecting your assignments when you swipe or do leads organize it? And what does CDS mean anyway? I seem to get the sucky positions and am wondering if I am just lucky or selected.???

[andek098]

Question from New CM

On one of my shifts, I called Security for a guest's personal safety issue and they arrived within a minute or two. Very fast for being in the middle of the park. And, I agree with Pressler69. It is a shame that pot smoking is happening and being tolerated. It is illegal and Security should be more on it.

[speederscout]

Re: Question from New CM

On one of my shifts, I called Security for a guest's personal safety issue and they arrived within a minute or two. Very fast for being in the middle of the park. And, I agree with Pressler69. It is a shame that pot smoking is happening and being tolerated. It is illegal and Security should be more on it.

... that was out of the blue. huh??

[penguinsoda]

Re: Question from New CM

... that was out of the blue. huh??

No not really... some silly mod accidently moved that post too and now can't get it back where it actually belongs.... :whistling:

[speederscout]

Re: Question from New CM

I have a question. Does anyone know how the CDS works? Is it random in selecting your assignments when you swipe or do leads organize it? And what does CDS mean anyway? I seem to get the sucky positions and am wondering if I am just lucky or selected.???

CDS 'works'?? hmm.

CDS = Cast Deployment System. It says so in large letters right on the screen when you sign in. Didn't your trainer explain it?

The program is 'programed' but it can be modified by any of your leads if you are needed elsewhere or other situations arise.

[Wally]

Re: Question from New CM

I have a question. Does anyone know how the CDS works? Is it random in selecting your assignments when you swipe or do leads organize it? And what does CDS mean anyway? I seem to get the sucky positions and am wondering if I am just lucky or selected.???

As mentioned earlier- it stands for Cast Deployment System.

CDS ensures that CMs are assigned to the critical positions required for an area (whether it be a store or attraction or what have you) open. It also reponsible to ensure that breaks and lunches are sent out within a reasonable amount of time.
This is accomplished by making sure that there is always 1 CM on an OT, or Optimized Task, so that there is an extra person that 'bumps' others to either another position or to their breaks.
Where you go is different at each location depending on the rotation setup. In general CDS rotates CMs through a set cycle of positions, the order is preset as to which positions open and are dropped at which time. Leads are then responsible for adjusting this due to the little thing called 'reality' which always messes up pre-planned scenarios.

Getting the sucky positions? In general, you are just unlucky. It is possible to go into CDS and manually place you in the sucky positions, but it is not worth hassle unless someone is really determined to make your life miserable. It's just your luck of the draw, in the that your always entering the rotation at the time a sucky position needs to be filled.

Hope that didn't just confuse the situation further.

[mrfantasmic]

Re: Question from New CM

Yeah, you can occasionally get stuck in loops, where you become the person CDS uses to give people breaks... never letting you get to the place you want to go.

[Alpine]

Re: Question from New CM

Location size, start time, and how much extra breathing room is in the CDS assignments that day tend to lead to varied positions or catching rotation again and again. I like shifts that start at :15 or :45 since I know I'll at least definitely start out in any position aside from the first.

[Dan - Tasmic!]

Re: Question from New CM

Basically, CDS has a list of assignments in a queue and are assigned to each CM as they log in. They are arranged from rotational bumps, breaks or lunches, picking up a position, telling a CM to drop a position, or even an optimize task. a Lead has an option of assigning a task to a CM if they wanted to just in case breaks are early, someone has been bumped around, or taking someone off break or lunch.

Yeah, you can occasionally get stuck in loops, where you become the person CDS uses to give people breaks... never letting you get to the place you want to go.

Yeah, it sucks that you are at the last position before logging in, rotation comes, log ing, and you are back where you were before. This continues for several rotations and can get very annoying!

[wave789]

Re: Question from New CM

CDS sounds like a hassle... I'm glad I don't have to deal with it.

[Dan - Tasmic!]

Re: Question from New CM

When CDS goes down, WE are all screwed!!

[Karnever]

Re: Question from New CM

When CDS goes down, WE are all screwed!!

not if the lead is smart and prints out the Daily activity queue

[Dan - Tasmic!]

Re: Question from New CM

not if the lead is smart and prints out the Daily activity queue

You mean actually PRINT out the activity queue or hand write it ALL out???

That's why you are Lead Of The Year, Karnever,

[mrfantasmic]

Re: Question from New CM

That's always fun. I can tell when my lunch will be!

[mrfantasmic]

Re: Question from New CM

And hang on... were there multiple leads of the year?

[Wally]

Re: Question from New CM

You mean actually PRINT out the activity queue or hand write it ALL out???

That's why you are Lead Of The Year, Karnever,

That's what we always do for the areas that are staffed by 'self-breakers'. The specialty positions in stores. They get a page print out that gives everyones breaks and lunch times and then CDS is just used as a timeclock.

[Burnt Toast]

Re: Question from New CM

CDS honestly isn't all that bad... there's a few faults, but if the system works correctly it's not that bad. I feel like I'm playing "Press Your Luck" every time I go to pull an activity.

"Merge?!" whooaugh whoowaaawwww...

It's a computer... there's that saying regarding all computers, "garbage in... garbage out". If the human being in charge messes up the activity queue or doesn't maintain it, it can get screwed up. It does a fairly decent job at prioritizing things... rotations are lower in priority then people's breaks and lunches, if the next thing to give out is someone's break or lunch or a rotation and it's just way too early... it'll automatically give you an optimized task (as long as the Lead put one or two tasks in) to keep you busy for 10 minutes or so while still being productive. At my current attraction, there's only one optimized task usually... "Go assist in the station and come back at xxxxxxx". When I worked at Grizzly 5 years ago, the Leads had a whole mess of optimized tasks... ranging from assisting on the turntable to help Guests take a picture with Timmy the Rafting Bear/assist Greeter.

Nothing beats break rotations though... hopefully the tests will continue to bring them back to Attractions. As someone who has been around long enough to even remember working with break rotations (not just at grad nites like some folks, I remember where BRs were standard operation), they are needed in Attractions. I've also seen the development of CDS throughout the years (I worked at the initial Disneyland Resort test attraction for CDS, which was RC Challenge Trail/Grizzly River Run) then watch it spread throughout the Parks with each new version... it's definitely a lot better then what it used to be.

[youcancallmechris]

Re: Question from New CM

On one of my shifts, I called Security for a guest's personal safety issue and they arrived within a minute or two. Very fast for being in the middle of the park. And, I agree with Pressler69. It is a shame that pot smoking is happening and being tolerated. It is illegal and Security should be more on it.

Security wants to actually SEE the suspected item. Really, it doesn't matter what you saw- sometimes Cast Members are wrong. There's a lot of bad things that can come about should the Office be accusing an innocent person. There are a few things they do not take any jokes with and are darn serious about 'serious threats' to Guests, Cast, or Property- mind you all my info is a few years old.

I'd imagine their (CFA/Security) response time varies on the staffing amounts crossed with the overall attendance and volume of incidents. I've had response times so quick you'd swear they were chillin' in the breakroom right behind your location, and I've also had opposite experiences.

[DLcastmbr]

Re: Question from New CM

I know what you mean i always end up getting the suck postions but thats only becuase thats were the person is that needs the break simple as that. Although I always wander how CDS dictates who gets a break first out of 2 ppl who started at the same time.

[Alpine]

Re: Question from New CM

Although I always wander how CDS dictates who gets a break first out of 2 ppl who started at the same time.

Unless one of them is optimized or at the end of a rotation already in motion, it's random. It's possible a lead might have adjusted things to be predictable, or even asked and found out between two people who would rather have his break slightly early or late.