Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Moliphino]

There's nothing more impactful like seeing the MMRR queue at any point of day. It just winds back and forth through that entire courtyard and looks miserable in the heat. It's crazy the amount of people waiting for it. Optics are very important

It is super miserable in the heat. But a posted 105 minute wait time turned out to be only about an hour (we hit a cleaning cycle when we were in the loading room, so we were at least in the AC at that point).

FWIW, when I was there in late August there were occasionally lines to get into stores. There was a line probably ~50 people deep at MK at park close time. And this was when the parks were completely dead and I walked on pretty much everything. Doesn't surprise me one bit that there are more consistent/longer lines to get into stores now.

The line for the Emporium was always the worst toward the end of the park day. People trying to hit it on their way out and not have to carry their bags around all day.

 

[Moliphino]

I totally agree with you here. I posted yesterday some information from brookegmcdonald who is in the parks with her family that showed the difference between posted wait times and actual.

Almost all of the wait times were SIGNIFICANTLY shorter. I think only one (Soarin’) was in line with the posted time. She is definitely not one to sugar coat and did point out where things were busy. Eg. She was not willing to wait to get into Mexico!

She was at MK today and noted that they didn’t do a ton of rides but they did do the following:
Walked on Space Mountain at open
Haunted Mansion posted 25 and waited 15

We walked on Soarin every time (did 3 Epcot days). I've never ridden it so many times on a trip. The Land pavilion always seemed deserted.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

VelociCoaster ride vehicle was launched over the attraction’s 155-foot-tall hill for the first time ever

https://twitter.com/x/status/1316340126927253504

 

[HokieRaven5]

It is super miserable in the heat. But a posted 105 minute wait time turned out to be only about an hour (we hit a cleaning cycle when we were in the loading room, so we were at least in the AC at that point).



The line for the Emporium was always the worst toward the end of the park day. People trying to hit it on their way out and not have to carry their bags around all day.

It is super miserable in the heat. But a posted 105 minute wait time turned out to be only about an hour (we hit a cleaning cycle when we were in the loading room, so we were at least in the AC at that point).



The line for the Emporium was always the worst toward the end of the park day. People trying to hit it on their way out and not have to carry their bags around all day.

This is why I plan to hit any Merch needs at DHS in the middle of the day and skyliner back to CBR for a short break in the day.

Plus building a saber at Savis and don't feel like having it with me for the remainder of the day.

 

[JaxDad]

VelociCoaster ride vehicle was launched over the attraction’s 155-foot-tall hill for the first time ever

https://twitter.com/x/status/1316340126927253504

Awesome! Can't wait! Plus SeaWorld has Ice Breaker and Busch Gardens has Iron Gwazi both opening in 2021.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

Exactly! We waited over 30 minutes to ride the carousel, for goodness sakes (thanks, 4 year old kid!). The waits are real. And regardless, 40 “real” minutes instead of “posted” 60 minutes in a line doesn’t matter to our family— both are too long without FP, which at least would give us 3 “good” rides without any wait, and that makes all the difference for us. I’m their target audience who would rather pay for FP than stand in a line for anything over 15 min.

We were able to have a good trip, but only because we have APs and can justify going to the park for a few hours and doing a few things. I would not have enjoyed the trip as much if I was trying to get my money‘a worth each day from a daily ticket.

THIS THIS THIS. We've gone to MK on some of the busiest days pre COVID and there were still 5-10 "rides" with under 15 minute waits. It doesn't make me any happier to know that a 60 min wait is really only 45, because pre covid I wouldn't even wait 45. The FP guaranteed us 3 headliners (if we were lucky) and we filled in the rest of the day with waits under 20 minutes.

 

[tink2424]

We'll be there in 3 weeks and I'm not looking forward to it. I want to cancel but DH and DS13 still want to go. I'm going to show them this video and see what they think.
I don't care what the park capacity is. I don't want to spend the day in those lines. Disney needs to increase ride capacity or bring fast-passes back. Until things are back to normal we won't be going again.

If it helps most of the lines move quickly. As long as you aren't going on a weekend or during the holiday period you should be okay. I very much understand how you feel as some of the lines are actually long and will take the full time. It took 60 minutes for me to ride Splash Mountain about 2 weeks ago on a not very crowded day. And it was 45 minutes for SDMT. But other lines were faster than what was posted. Sometimes it just depended on when you hit the line.

Whatever you decide will be right for you but don't let the long lines deter you too much as the wait times are not always accurate.

 

[Krandor]

To be fair, he didn't enter any line so we have no idea the elapsed time it takes. Sure a line can look long but if it keeps moving at a decent pace it could be under 20-30 minutes. I'm here up north - far away from WDW - hearing him saying "Gee I really wish I could go on a ride" and I'm thinking to myself "What is stopping you?".

I felt bad using the word "snob" in a previous post - but I have no other word.

That is one of the things. The youtubers, etc saying "the line for x is all tthe way back at y" isn't helpful and can give people a wrong impressiosn. People are going to tink "wow.. I've never seen it past Z before and that was a 2 hour line). That was also a non-socially distanced line. So unless you've been during covid and have a point of reference describing to people where a line snakes to doesn't really convey much infformation about how long time wise the line is and in many cases will make people think it is longer time wise then it is.

EDIT : not saying lines are not long but they need to be reported by time not "line is back to this location"

 

[Farro]

it's been explained several times why fp right now wouldn't work. It would be an extremely limited get and then it would balloon standby wait time where now you see 60 minutes becomeing 90+

Hi! Are you going to try and go to CSR and livestream at all when it opens? For some reason I'm just so excited to see videos coming from there again - will make it seem like my trip might actually happen!

 

[yulilin3]

Hi! Are you going to try and go to CSR and livestream at all when it opens? For some reason I'm just so excited to see videos coming from there again - will make it seem like my trip might actually happen!

yeah, going Friday, streaming at 4pm

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I agree that FP+ will not help anyone until they can load rides at full capacity and open some shows.

 

[Farro]

yeah, going Friday, streaming at 4pm

Yes!!!!

thanks!!!!

 

[yulilin3]

That is one of the things. The youtubers, etc saying "the line for x is all tthe way back at y" isn't helpful and can give people a wrong impressiosn. People are going to tink "wow.. I've never seen it past Z before and that was a 2 hour line). That was also a non-socially distanced line. So unless you've been during covid and have a point of reference describing to people where a line snakes to doesn't really convey much infformation about how long time wise the line is and in many cases will make people think it is longer time wise then it is.

EDIT : not saying lines are not long but they need to be reported by time not "line is back to this location"

yes and the big issue is that no one knows just by looking at a queue how long will it be, not even the CM working these attractions simply because of the way they load each ride, it's not the length but the make of each group riding
Case in point Tom Sawyer Island, the lines have been pretty backed up (before refurb, its closed now) and everyone is like, wow that's crazy, but what people don't stop and understand is that each raft would take only 3 groups at a time, so, me being a single ride I would take up one of those 3 spots.

 

[tink2424]

absolutely - tell it like it is.
Stand in line and tell me how long it took to actually get on the ride.

also a few months ago people were saying how the park would fail if attendance was that low all the time & that it looked “eerie”.
So we are on the other end of the see-saw.

Agree but the only thing they need to do a better job of is these long lines that are in the sun. During the warmer months/weeks it is so draining and really hard to be out in the sun like that. If they can load more people onto the rides and do it safely then they need to start doing that. That also would eliminate the bottleneck areas where the lines are stretching so far into the walkways.

 

[Krandor]

yes and the big issue is that no one knows just by looking at a queue how long will it be, not even the CM working these attractions simply because of the way they load each ride, it's not the length but the make of each group riding
Case in point Tom Sawyer Island, the lines have been pretty backed up (before refurb, its closed now) and everyone is like, wow that's crazy, but what people don't stop and understand is that each raft would take only 3 groups at a time, so, me being a single ride I would take up one of those 3 spots.

Very true and I thought from the beginning when people were thinking 25% capacity sounds great but when you take lower capacity in the park and add in lower capcity on the rides the kinda balance out. If we take a ride that is every other row and one party per row that is probably going to be 30-40% normal capacity (factoring in some large and some small groups). So 25% part capacity and 30-40% ride capacity lines will be shorter but not by a huge amount just on that. Then you add in no shows and other places to put people and now you are at longer wait times then in normal times. So just thinking about the numbers, 25% seems about right for what we are seeing even if it seems like lines shouldn't be this long at limited park capacity.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I wonder if the traditionally walk on/low wait attractions queues are being made longer by the perception problem. Somebody walks by 7DMT, looks at it, and thinks “OMG THAT IS INSANE!!” so they keep on walking to the carousel or Philharmagic for example that don’t look *as* bad, making those lesser lines longer and bringing actual wait times down on the attractions that look worse than they are.

I hope that made sense, I am waiting in the Starbucks drive thru and not caffeinated yet, lol.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Awesome! Can't wait! Plus SeaWorld has Ice Breaker and Busch Gardens has Iron Gwazi both opening in 2021.

And then Tron and Guardians at Disney - bug year for coasters in central Florida

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I wonder if the traditionally walk on/low wait attractions queues are being made longer by the perception problem. Somebody walks by 7DMT, looks at it, and thinks “OMG THAT IS INSANE!!” so they keep on walking to the carousel or Philharmagic for example that don’t look *as* bad, making those lesser lines longer and bringing actual wait times down on the attractions that look worse than they are.

I hope that made sense, I am waiting in the Starbucks drive thru and not caffeinated yet, lol.

I could see some truth to that - again optics could come in to play - if the line for a ride is in a different land of the park it is hard to make yourself get on the end of the line, even if timewise it isn't *that* bad

 

[RedK]

I think Disney is going to end up with a problem because of the perceived line length. Families doing any sort of research at all are going to see those lines and those posted wait times, and unless they do serious research on real wait times, they are going to be worried - not just about the wait times, but about the crowding. Disney is going to have to combat the perception that it is a bad experience in order to keep drawing the crowds in.

Although I have wondered if maybe they have decided to cater to locals and APs only. That would explain why they can get rid of shows, streetmosphere etc - locals and APs are more likely going to come no matter what is missing. If distance travelers aren't going to come because of Covid, then you can make your business decisions based on what cuts a local will accept and still come to the park.

 

[Farro]

And then Tron and Guardians at Disney - bug year for coasters in central Florida

Do we know they are opening in 2021?