SDMT Soft Opening Lookout Post

[notnothin]

It's open!!

My wife and I were the first two official guests to ride it this morning! A manager took our picture with his cell phone before we went into the queue. Just got off and now it's a 90 minute and rising wait time.

Congrats on being the first riders!

I am hearing the wait is nearly three hours at this point.

 

[notnothin]

*double post*

 

[rjh1979]

Overheard a CM say it will be standby only today...no fp+.

 

[MightyGitis]

Overheard a CM say it will be standby only today...no fp+.

Doesn't surprise me. I've never seen FP- used during soft opening. Just checked MDE and can confirm it is not listed as available for today.

 

[Ellwood970]

In line 90 minutes wait estimate

 

[bluwater]

For those who have ridden......what did you thnk of it?

 

[emilyyvic]

Rode this morning, posted 120 min wait, all the way back by the teacups...was on and off the ride within 25 mins! Super quick line! I'm in line again now

 

[emilyyvic]

For those who have ridden......what did you thnk of it?

It was fun. Very smooth ride, and very quick at times. Was in first cart for my first ride which was pretty awesome! Never got that dropping feeling in my stomach though. The rocking motion was really noticeable and added to the experience! Awesome time

 

[Ellwood970]

Wait was 20 minutes the line moves very fast.

 

[tfc3rid]

The line is not as long as the wait times are posted... There is no FP, therefore the standby lines are actually moving, just like in the good old days...

FP artificially increases wait times... This is the clear proof...

 

[MightyGitis]

The line is not as long as the wait times are posted... There is no FP, therefore the standby lines are actually moving, just like in the good old days... FP artificially increases wait times... This is the clear proof...

Actually I think it just proves thy inflate the listed wait time. Because allegedly the red lanyard cards they send thru should measure the actual wait time and post it but I always seems to list a higher wait than reality.

 

[tfc3rid]

Actually I think it just proves thy inflate the listed wait time. Because allegedly the red lanyard cards they send thru should measure the actual wait time and post it but I always seems to list a higher wait than reality.

Well, the waits are inflated but seriously though, with lines to Storybook Circus and folks got through in less than 45 minutes? My guess is, if lines are to Storybook Circus with FP, they estimate standby near to 3 hours... Without FP, it's 45 minutes... Come on...

Standby line constantly moving... You have to admit FP kills wait times... This is solid proof. It's like it was back in the 1980's... I know you all love FP but it really does artificially inflate wait times standby.

 

[mom2rtk]

Of course they're inflating the wait time. It's brand new and they don't want the area overwhelmed.

But that red card only works if they keep filing people through continuously in the same fashion as when the person holding the red card went through. When you add FP, they often stop loading SB people to clear through large amounts of FP people.

You don't need a ride opening without FP to know that FP slows a line.

 

[harrowgirl]

We aren't back until Sunday - I hope they are allowing guests to ride then .

 

[DieHardJoe]

My daughter texted me at 8:15 and said the posted wait time was 60 minutes. So as people are saying, it looks like the line is moving very well.

 

[MightyGitis]

Well, the waits are inflated but seriously though, with lines to Storybook Circus and folks got through in less than 45 minutes? My guess is, if lines are to Storybook Circus with FP, they estimate standby near to 3 hours... Without FP, it's 45 minutes... Come on... Standby line constantly moving... You have to admit FP kills wait times... This is solid proof. It's like it was back in the 1980's... I know you all love FP but it really does artificially inflate wait times standby.

Haha those were the good old days!!! I remember when they first introduced FP- we were pretty frustrated with it.

Don't mistake my acceptance as being thrilled with the system. I don't wanna have to get a FP+ to ride pirates of the Carribean I assure you.

 

[tfc3rid]

Haha those were the good old days!!! I remember when they first introduced FP- we were pretty frustrated with it.

Don't mistake my acceptance as being thrilled with the system. I don't wanna have to get a FP+ to ride pirates of the Carribean I assure you.

I will say the one positive is FP+ takes stress out of trying to hit up E-tickets. I go often enough that I only look to ride E Tickets so it works for me.

However, I hate seeing the even larger wait times for C and D-ticket attractions in standby because of FP. Insane. It's worse than with only FP-

 

[PEC]

Haha those were the good old days!!! I remember when they first introduced FP- we were pretty frustrated with it.

Don't mistake my acceptance as being thrilled with the system. I don't wanna have to get a FP+ to ride pirates of the Carribean I assure you.

This reminds me of a couple of years ago, when I made a tactical mistake and didn't get a FP for Soarin' fast enough. I knew though that EPCOT had EMH that day and if I went during EMH the Standby line would move significantly faster because there was no FPs at that time. Of course that is exactly what happened. Instead of a 2+ hour wait, it was about 35-40 minutes.
For me I was fine when everybody did standby (old school), FP-, and now FP+. I will figure out a way to make it work. Let me caveat. I am not one that needs get 10+ FPs on top tier attractions for me to say my plan worked.

 

[sam_gordon]

We went to SDMT just to take a look around yesterday morning and saw the queue building up outside the entry gate, ran over, and had the line cut off right in front of us. So disappointing!

I'd like to say we didn't let it bother us, but in truth, it ruined our day. It was our first day in MK this trip, and we went back several more times throughout the day and were told testing was done for the day - they were ADAMANT, but I suspected they weren't being honest, and just trying to clear the area.

We are starting to tire of having our chained yanked by Disney. The FP lines we've seen this week have been longer than most standby lines we have ever waited in (admittedly, we go at previously slow times of the year) - for the safari at AK and Splash at MK, we couldn't even figure out where the lines ended, they were so long and twisty! We spent over an hour at guest relations over two visits on our first day correcting things about our MBs and were told they weren't set up properly at the resort - really? After almost a year and a half of 'testing'? And we have experienced much shorter ride wait times posted on the headliners (30 minutes for Splash with the line spilling out of the entry gate) and longer than actual times posted on those which never previously never had a line (the same 30 minutes posted on Haunted Mansion twice when it was walk on). Both should have been very obviously wrong to the person posting wait times.

And, most recently, the SDMT... Testing? Seriously? Weeks after the media event? I mean, if they really wanted to test, they could do it at night without impacting guests. I get the distinct impression this SDMT business is all about building excitement for a mediocre ride which has been sitting relatively empty for weeks in the middle of their busiest park. Creating demand, and more than a few disgruntled guests.

There is no where else in the world people would willingly put up with this level of service or in some cases outright incompetence. Repeatedly. And those who say they gladly would for Disney are IMHO feeding the beast.

Really badly done, Disney. Yank, yank, yank.

So it "ruined" your day that you weren't able to get on a "mediocre" ride that you had thought wasn't open before you got there?

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

So happy to have finally found this open, today. The line wrapped well around toward the Tea Cups, and there was a cast member at the end of the line saying 60 Minute Wait. We were through much fast, though -- only about 35.

The seat was tight for a Pooh - sized person like myself, but I made it work. It was a little uncomfortable during the ride, but not too bad. It's an individual pullback bar for each person like on Everest, except there's a support bar on both sides of your legs. Squeezing my legs into this space when I pulled the bar back is what was tight. Don't worry, though. If I fit, you will.

The interactive stations in the queue were on, but not "interacting." I think they had them set like this to move the line faster. Theming in the queue was very well done.

The ride itself has some his and curves, but is nowhere near as fast as Big Thunder. Closer to Barn Stormer.

Animitronics in this ride are AMAZING! Well done, Imagineering.

Not my favorite Disney Parks ride, but very well done.