Without modern technology, cleaning Walt Disney World would take weeks. But today's institutional housekeeper has such a wide choice of equipment to work with that we're practically spotless each day - after five or six hours!
In developing the cleaning program for the Vacation Kingdom in Florida, we not only looked at the vast scope .of the job, but learned from previous experience at California's Disneyland. To ease up on congestion, "utilidors," an underground tunnel system below the Magic Kingdom was built for both deliveries and employees. Staff going to or coming from work walk through the tunnel to their work area. Visitors never see the deliveries or merchandise and food supplies.
Occasionally, a special challenge was met by designing our own equipment. To clean both debris and coins from the waterways in the Magic Kingdom, we rigged up a Swan Boat, which carries guests along the Magic Kingdom waterways, with a vacuum and now we have a "Vacuum Boat" to sail around keeping the water sparkling.
In examining the state of the art of housekeeping as our country begins its third century, think the housekeeper today must "get out of the basement" and look at the managerial skills that are needed. The executive housekeeper must be able to deal with people in his own and other departments; must keep up-to- date on new equipment and techniques developed by a need to get more out of man hours; must have a well-rounded knowledge of budgets and accounting.
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