The one thing no one can control about working at a theme park is the weather. This July of 2011 has been the rainiest on record in the Chicagoland area with over 9 inches of rain. It also has been extremely hot when it has not been raining. Many days the heat indexes topped 100 degrees.Santa’s Village, like any other outdoor attraction, is at the mercy of Mother Nature. The park has had to close on some of these days because of the rain and other days the park closed early because of the dangers of the heat wave that has been sticking around a lot this year. For the park officials the decision to close is a tough one, but they always put public safety, employee safety, and animal safety first.
Even if the park is closed because of the uncontrollable weather, the daily operations of maintenance, administration, and cleaning still have to take place. Plus the care for the animals that live at Santa’s Village need attention no matter what the weather may be. The park just does not get locked up and everyone goes home for a day off.
There are a lot of things that the general public might not understand about rainy days and hot days. And that is to be understood. But as an insider, I know that the park officials do make the right decisions when it comes to weather. It is a tough call sometimes and I am glad I don’t have to make that decision.
