PAC

So... I'm going to do a little parade explanation. We set up for parades and then 'breakdown' so that its looks as if we were never there. We watch out along the route for people attempting to run across or sit on trash cans etc, and also we work the fireworks and have to move thousands of people around. Some areas are notorious for getting blocked up in seconds with people trying to go different ways, and one bridge becomes one way only during parades which is a challenge. In training you learn about 7 positions out of a hundred or so, so its scary. We can work MISI, day parade, electrical parade at 9 and 11 and fireworks, and also flag retreat at 5pm. I get scheduled 6-12 shifts which covers the 9 and 11 EP and fireworks in between at 10. We set up, work it, breakdown, go to fireworks positions, have a 20 min break then do it all again! Then if there's time after we return abandoned strollers. We can be West (of the castle which is always North) which is frontierland/lib square, or South, main street. South starts at 615 and meeting is at 7 so we break first, and West is 630 meeting at 730! At the meeting we are assigned parade and firework positions, given news, reminders and a pep talk and they are generally a good laugh depending on which leaders are in. Then we set up. We have ropes with clips, stanchions (poles), plugs (that fill the hole where stanchions go and burn your fingers and have to be removed with a pen lid and watched carefully as they roll in the cart tracks or the drain!!) And carts that hold the equipment. We set up whichever ropes are in our area then chat to guests and answer qs til we hear the announcement and start clearing the street or sidewalk. Then at the escort we close the ropes, and then watch guests during parade. At Elliot the dragon we pre breakdown which means place plugs by stanchions and remove any ropes not holding guests back from the street, then at the parade end we breakdown, rolling ropes with the end of it. Its scary because if you get ropes tangled or not tied tight enough and you don't roll your rope in time guests start to climb over or duck under like idiots and its chaos. We also do crossings during the parade which is stressful and have to be timed well to allow guests across and stop them again. We get funky lightsticks for that and for directing guests to keep right or keep moving during fireworks. Overall its more stressful than PG as anything could happen but its a lot freer as we can walk around and chat to people!