Concerned about new Frozen ride wait times (low capacity)

[DVCcurious]

The waits will be what they are, and as the parent of a 5 year old girl I will be waiting in that line, so I don't really want to complain just to complain but.....


I only rode Maelstrom twice so I'm no Maelstrom expert. But my memory is that those boats didn't hold a ton of people, and it took a long time to load and launch them. I just looked at youtube and there are 4 rows with 2-4 people per row. And 1 boat looks to launch every 20 seconds. So that's a max of 16 people * 3 = 46 people per minute * 60 = 2,700 people per hour.

It just seems like a really small capacity for the demand. I wish Disney had torn down the old Maelstrom completely and built a brand new attraction with a better capacity.

I see trouble ahead!

 

[HopperFan]

No doubt it's going to be painful...

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

I will be in that line with you. Wonder if they can add more boats? Make the loading more efficient? Nevermind the lines, I just hope it can run without breaking down constantly!

 

[rteetz]

I will be in that line with you. Wonder if they can add more boats? Make the loading more efficient? Nevermind the lines, I just hope it can run without breaking down constantly!

As far as I know no more boats added but they have combined the load and unload station into one. That should make for a more efficient loading. This also allowed for the former load station to be used an a new scene which will allow about 30 more seconds to the ride. Either way this is going to have long lines as it is a low capacity attraction.

 

[dkrauss]

I don't believe the information, you're assuming about, has been released yet. Although its probably smart to level set for this ride. Worrying about it now seems like a waste of time to me. It will be a HUGE ride when it opens..........."There will be lines" but you can't assume that it will just match what the Malestrom was? Could it be..........sure............but there's no way to know now. Keep in mind there will also be (if I remember correctly) an A&E MG in the general area too............. I would imagine (although I'm assuming now ) Disney is considering traffic patterns in that area.

Doug

 

[rteetz]

I don't believe the information, you're assuming about, has been released yet. Although its probably smart to level set for this ride. Worrying about it now seems like a waste of time to me. It will be a HUGE ride when it opens..........."There will be lines" but you can't assume that it will just match what the Malestrom was? Could it be..........sure............but there's no way to know now. Keep in mind there will also be (if I remember correctly) an A&E MG in the general area too............. I would imagine (although I'm assuming now ) Disney is considering traffic patterns in that area.

Doug

The ride layout is exactly the same as maelstrom except for the fact they have combined the load and unload station into one. The meet and greet building is next door to the ride and will also feature a new large womens bathroom.

 

[pamkat1820]

Maybe I'm missing something but I would prefer a larger ride with more boats than a larger bathroom. What is with disney and bathrooms lately . They made Raphazel's tower into a bathroom? I never understood that move.

 

[DrewJB]

I expect you will need to have a VERY long stay booked at Disney in order to score a fastpass for this. The only real strategy to avoid 4 hour lines in the opening months is going to be to make a mad dash at rope drop - just like with the Anna and Elsa meet up.

 

[rteetz]

Maybe I'm missing something but I would prefer a larger ride with more boats than a larger bathroom. What is with disney and bathrooms lately . They made Raphazel's tower into a bathroom? I never understood that move.

That meet and greet building is not connected to the ride building. The bathrooms are not taking away from the ride.

 

[rteetz]

just like with the Anna and Elsa meet up.

Anna and Elsa waits have died down a bit.

 

[minnie mum]

Maybe I'm missing something but I would prefer a larger ride with more boats than a larger bathroom. What is with disney and bathrooms lately . They made Raphazel's tower into a bathroom? I never understood that move.

They've squeezed in a slightly longer ride into the existing building as described in earlier posts. Theoretically this would permit a few extra boats into a ride cycle. But they couldn't enlarge the existing building. Have a look on Google Earth and you will see the backstage structures that would make this problematic.

The M&G hall ( and bathrooms) are a completely separate building, between the Mexico Pavilion and the Kringla Bakery. With the huge lines and long wait times expected for these attractions, I think that they were smart to include a very large women's bathroom. Who is the target audience for these new attractions? Kids. Little kids. And who (generally) has to take these kids to the potty? Moms.

 

[mlbrv]

can someone tell me when this ride is opening?

 

[hammie59]

I feel like this might turn into the Peter Pan of EPCOT. Extremely popular with long wait times and it doesn't help that EPCOT isn't really known for it's rides. I'm curious to see how the FP+ tiering goes with this added.

 

[DebbieB]

can someone tell me when this ride is opening?

Rumor is May 1.

 

[HopperFan]

But I don't believe the Meet & Greet will be ready when the ride is ready. So the chaos to be will grow over time. I'm thinking Norway may need a bypass.

 

[rteetz]

Rumor is May 1.

The disney website lists Maelstrom as closed for refurbishment until the end of April so that is where that rumor comes from.

 

[rteetz]

But I don't believe the Meet & Greet will be ready when the ride is ready. So the chaos to be will grow over time. I'm thinking Norway may need a bypass.

As far as I am aware they are supposed to open together. Based on recent construction updates of the new building I think that is completely possible.

 

[ELSA711]

Anna and Elsa waits have died down a bit.

I agree. We were there last week and I scored same day FP+ for them every one of our MK days, not sure if that was possible before. Of course this time around my neither my DDs nor my DS took me up on those offers for FP to see them

 

[Mac30188]

But I don't believe the Meet & Greet will be ready when the ride is ready. So the chaos to be will grow over time. I'm thinking Norway may need a bypass.

I actually am very curious if the lines get out of control whether this is an issue. How do you manage what could be completely unmanageable crowd/line? Do you rope off Norway and have a limit to even how many people are allowed to get in line? In theory, that could be the only way you allow the ride to close. You have to wait in line to get a spot in line. Until you actually make it to the line, you are not guaranteed to get on the attraction. Hopefully all a non-issue, but when Harry Potter first opened at Universal they really had their hands full. Will this be worse?

 

[larryz]

How do you manage what could be completely unmanageable crowd/line? Do you rope off Norway and have a limit to even how many people are allowed to get in line? In theory, that could be the only way you allow the ride to close. You have to wait in line to get a spot in line. Until you actually make it to the line, you are not guaranteed to get on the attraction.

Write to Guest Communications and suggest that the line be restricted to families with children 8 years or younger ONLY until the end of the year... or make the attraction an up-charge (like the go-karts in a Six Flags park...).