At the park now, FP+ lines are snaking through the park

[mom2mickeyfan]

You can delete any comment you want from your own facebook page. You can also ban someone from commenting again. Disney deletes negative reviews from their website so I'm betting they also delete the negatives from their facebook page.

But I think the review section comments are harder to delete.

 

[Vidia2]

They must be getting some pretty bad reviews. The review section for DCL is gone too. The DL one is there to leave a review but I can't see other people's reviews.

I'm not very hip with social networking but now have to go check out their twitter comments. LOL

They can't hide on the internet for long!

 

[summermac]

We just returned yesterday. In my experience, the hold up was to actually scan the magic bands. For the most part, after that, we mostly waited 5-10 minutes to ride anything FP. The only time that wasn't the case was EE on Saturday (AK was packed) where it took us about 20 minutes total and Space on Sunday - we actually waited about 1/2 hour through the FP line. That said, both of those rides at the time had standby of around an hour. So.....

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

They must be getting some pretty bad reviews. The review section for DCL is gone too. The DL one is there to leave a review but I can't see other people's reviews.

I'm not very hip with social networking but now have to go check out their twitter comments. LOL

They can't hide on the internet for long!

Interesting! You are right. The option to read the reviews on the DL page is gone too. Well then.....what does that say?

 

[Tbiafore]

I know there are a lot of FP haters, but I reserve my opinion until I actually use it myself....but here are two things that hit me while reading several pages of this thread...

1. Its a new system. Disney has had several years of historical data to be able to determine how many on average use of FP- tickets of each day, holiday, weekend that they can fit "X" number in each hour. You cant compare systems this early on, especially while they are still testing it.

2. The new system is more convenient, all you need is a smart phone or have setup your reservations before leavin...in past you either had someone run across the park or come back...I would do a fast pass maybe once a day if that...with the new system, I would be doing the max since I dont have to run or come back to a ride at a later time. So you are having more people than the regular fast pass hitting this thing.

I seriously doubt that Disney would leave the FP+ lines at 30+limit wait and "call it a day". They are still testing, fine tuning and improving the system. It would be an epic fail if the system doesnt diminish the wait times, this will NOT happen, I guarantee it.

 

[I M Fearless]

Just a thought...

Could it be that Disney are deliberately sabotaging their own system by allowing a much higher number of Fastpass Slots just to test what may happen in various extreme circumstances, for example on New Years or Independence Day?

My feeling is that there is some value in knowing what happens to any system when the most extreme circumstances apply.

Obviously there are huge negatives to doing this as well and I may not be on the right track at all. It would obviously be best for everyone to iron out potential problems before the really extended busy seasons begin.

I'm just thinking it would be beneficial for Disney to know NOW what problems occur when the system is working to the most extreme conditions, so that they can adjust the variables we can't see behind the scenes (e.g. number of fastpass slots available for each attraction, the number of Fastpass Slots available at different times of day for an attraction, the ratio of intake from each line Standby vs Fastpass, when Fastpass+ slots first become available to book)

Things like eliminating the RFID scanners at the start of the Fastpass queue could help reduce bottlenecks, the magic bands are still checked further on in the Fastpass queue in any case, they have to be to stop migration from the Standby line post queue entrance... They could still position RFID check points adjacent to the queue entrance for guests to check if they were able to join the queue yet.

I really do hope changes will be made to make this system work, potentially the benefits could be great for Disney and guests if the problems are eliminated.

 

[maybeecatlady]

Seriously???

Come to Michigan with history making snowfall. I just looked out this morning and the thankfully the snowplow came by my street but now I have not hope of getting out of my drive to work until I shovel and shovel and shovel...

Standing in land amidst the magic in Florida weather sounds a bit better

Right there with you!

 

[Nole95]

Everything like that that I have seen is referencing the *standby* wait times - not the FP line wait times.

Even the quote a PP in this thread made with a reference to a long FP line this time last year only referenced a FP line backup at one ride - TSMM. Not multiple headliners (and non-headliners, as I wouldn't put Star Tours in the same category as Soarin'/EE/TSMM generally) in multiple parks.

ETA: After seeing those pictures, I understand a bit more how standby for Star Tours reached 100 mins today. I have *never* seen it so long. We rode back to back on both of our trips last year (sometimes 3-4 times in a row - most SB!), even during spring break. But with the FP+ line as long as the twitter pic showed, the ratio of FP+ guests to SB guests being put on the ride would have been way out of whack, causing the ridiculously long SB line.

We were at HS Memorial Day week last year during a Star Wars Weekend and never waited more than 20 minutes to ride Star Tours. My son is a Star Wars nut. We rode it three times in a row in the morning, got a couple FPs during the course of the day as well as rode it at least one or two more times. A 100 minute wait for that ride anytime of year is insane.

 

[summermac]

2. The new system is more convenient, all you need is a smart phone or have setup your reservations before leavin...in past you either had someone run across the park or come back...I would do a fast pass maybe once a day if that...with the new system, I would be doing the max since I dont have to run or come back to a ride at a later time. So you are having more people than the regular fast pass hitting this thing.

I would hardly call it more convenient to set up. I am not a FP hater nor am I drinking any kool-aid from the other side but at multiple times during our trip last week it was definitely NOT more convenient to try to change/set up new FPs. I was often unable to access MDE for one reason or another on my phone. And the line for the kiosks? Um, no thanks.

It is definitely more convenient to initially set them up (as opposed to running all over the park) but changing them on the fly - not so easy.

 

[Tbiafore]

It is definitely more convenient to initially set them up (as opposed to running all over the park) but changing them on the fly - not so easy.

That is my point and why everyone and their mother is using the Fast Pass+ system...

and the issue on changing your FP+ only complicates things for Disney and another kink that they have to work out as the old system didnt have this.
They will work it out. I have faith

 

[mom2rtk]

I know there are a lot of FP haters, but I reserve my opinion until I actually use it myself....but here are two things that hit me while reading several pages of this thread...

1. Its a new system. Disney has had several years of historical data to be able to determine how many on average use of FP- tickets of each day, holiday, weekend that they can fit "X" number in each hour. You cant compare systems this early on, especially while they are still testing it.

2. The new system is more convenient, all you need is a smart phone or have setup your reservations before leavin...in past you either had someone run across the park or come back...I would do a fast pass maybe once a day if that...with the new system, I would be doing the max since I dont have to run or come back to a ride at a later time. So you are having more people than the regular fast pass hitting this thing.

I seriously doubt that Disney would leave the FP+ lines at 30+limit wait and "call it a day". They are still testing, fine tuning and improving the system. It would be an epic fail if the system doesnt diminish the wait times, this will NOT happen, I guarantee it.

Disney has years of data on legacy FP. They had years of data on how many FPs people use when you have to be IN the park AT the attraction to pull your time. As you pointed out yourself, it's quite different when they remove those barriers.

So I'm curious...... to all of you saying Disney is going to "fix" the problem........ what sorts of "fixes" do you think are possible? Do they add more FPs? Do they reduce FPs? Do they develop more sensitive Mickey head readers?

 

[FLchick415]

Call me an "RCG" or a kool-aid drinker or whatever you like, IDC. I'm just not bothered. I'm local. I have an AP. I can visit basically whenever I want. So I GET the frustration by some who have shelled out thousands of dollars on a vacation, only to be let down by this system. I understand and I feel sorry that some are so put off by it because it's just not what it used to be for them. I really don't like waiting in lines either, but I'm still going to have a good time when I go to Disney, FastPass or not. I hope that this system eventually gets to the point where it works for everyone in some way.

 

[kbelle8995]

For those who are willing to leave the snow, would you be willing to wait in the FP+ line if it was raining and chilly. It was when I was there in early Februrary ?

I get those who are upset and hope that Disney will tweak the system and work out the kinks.

 

[clsteve]

Disney has years of data on legacy FP. They had years of data on how many FPs people use when you have to be IN the park AT the attraction to pull your time. As you pointed out yourself, it's quite different when they remove those barriers.

So I'm curious...... to all of you saying Disney is going to "fix" the problem........ what sorts of "fixes" do you think are possible? Do they add more FPs? Do they reduce FPs? Do they develop more sensitive Mickey head readers?

Maybe turn the whole area in front of Splash and BTMR into one big interactive queue....??

 

[mom2rtk]

Maybe turn the whole area in front of Splash and BTMR into one big interactive queue....??

I hadn't even considered that one! Maybe they could turn it into an interactive playground a la Dumbo?

 

[clsteve]

I hadn't even considered that one! Maybe they could turn it into an interactive playground a la Dumbo?

Exactly! with lots of water spraying, 'cause you know how hot standing out there's going to be.......

 

[JanaDee]

Never for me. Not on 4th of July, not during a Friday night at food and wine, not during June Star Wars weekends at DHS, not Memorial Day, not Father's Day, never.

The only FP line we *ever* waited in longer than a minute or two was Soarin' and that was before the second checkpoint.

 

[AlanPeterson]

Yes, that's right It would be very interesting to see with all the data disney has how the wait times are shaping up once hitting the actual flashing paper queue. Scanning at the mickey head was much slower than flashing paper. Multiple people could come in earlier with one flash of flashing paper tickets. Now each person has to scan and it takes a lot of time.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, that's right It would be very interesting to see with all the data disney has how the wait times are shaping up once hitting the actual flashing paper queue. Scanning at the mickey head was much slower than flashing paper. Multiple people could come in earlier with one flash of flashing paper tickets. Now each person has to scan and it takes a lot of time.

I really don't see how Disney didn't see this one coming.

 

[JanaDee]

Hmm, the whole slow down at scan point is a problem aspect that I hadn't considered. Post above brings up a valid point in that FL heat. Yikes! And not sure there's any really good solution here either...it's simply a slower process. More scanners??

We just got back from a Disney cruise and our kids used magic bands to scan out of the kid's clubs...it probably took 3 or 4 seconds for the mickey head to read the bands. Maybe the readers at the park attractions can be made to scan faster, but if not, my family of four will now take 12-16 seconds to clear the scanners, whereas with FP- it was probably 3-4 seconds total. Not good. Guess they better start on interactive activities for the FP+ scanning line!!

This issue of taking longer to scan the bands was brought up at the very beginning of this whole FP+ mess.