Disney, please implement a "Recovery Zone"! Thank you to Mr. Testa!

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Now- if you are looking for a snarky sensationalized hyperbolic article then you will be disappointed and for that I apologize in advance.

The folks who are looking for a thoughtful and insightful article that provides real solutions based on real observations of real problems regarding FastPass+ are in for a real treat!!!!

http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/03/21/3-simple-fixes-disney-make-fastpass/

3 Simple Fixes Disney Should Make to FastPass+
by Len Testa

I spent all of last week in Walt Disney World with Unofficial Guide author Bob Sehlinger, using FastPass+, listening to questions that guests asked to Cast Members, and seeing how guests used the new FastPass+ kiosks and lines.
One thing we noticed was that FastPass+ lines could grow quickly at an attraction, if even the simplest thing went wrong at the front of the FastPass+ line. Because we’re geeks, we tried to identify both the root cause of the problems, and their solutions.

We think that Disney can reduce guests’ waits at FastPass+ lines through a few simple operational changes. Here’s our list of suggestions.

1. Build a Recovery Zone Next to Each FastPass+ Entrance

The main reason for long FastPass+ return lines is that the guests at the very front of the line don’t have valid FastPass+ reservations. During our trip last week, this happened every 1 or 2 minutes, at every attraction, for a variety of reasons:

• Guests arriving outside of their FP+ window
• Guests not having a FP+ reservation for that attraction
• Guest not understanding how FP+ works

These issues are compounded if the guests don’t speak English.

Maybe the most common FastPass+ issue we saw was guests arriving too early for their FastPass+ reservations. Unlike paper FASTPASSes, MagicBands don’t have a way to display your return time, and checking the My Disney Experience app is a lot of effort. As a result, many guests just scan their MagicBands to see if they work.

If the MagicBands don’t work, a Cast Member has to figure out the problem, explain it to the Guests, and provide a resolution (let’s call this the Recovery Process, “Recovery” for short). This stops the entire FastPass+ line dead, because the Guests are still standing right in front of the FastPass+ readers while the CM is doing Recovery. Here’s a diagram showing the problem at Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland:

(Clearly, my drawing aptitude is giving my singing skills a run for their money.)

Disney should build a dedicated area for FastPass+ Recovery, just to the side of the main FastPass+ return line, and direct there anyone who needs help. This keeps the main FastPass+ return line flowing while guests needing assistance get their help from FastPass+ Cast Members. It’s also less embarrassing for the guests who need help, because there’s not a line of angry people behind them. Here’s what it might look like:

This is just solution #1!!!! It get's better so make sure to read the rest of Len's article!!!!! http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/03/21/3-simple-fixes-disney-make-fastpass/

Len Testa concludes:

"Another possibly solution is to change the readers’ warning light from blue to orange, or another universal “warning” color, so guests know that something is off. Or adopt the symbols used at pedestrian crossings, where a green, walking stick figure means “go” and a red hand means “stop.”

I completely agree with Len's assessment of the FastPass+ lines. The "Recovery Zone" will help Disney immediately address the perception issues with FastPass+ lines. The blue mickey head will just confuse and frustrate people......and it probably takes the CM's a while to register with "blue" as a warning too!

When there is any problem or issue that occurs at the check out of any retailer----the line will grow out of control quickly if the cashier holds the line to assist the one customer who needs to resolve a price or payment matter.
Len also suggested adding more CM's and readers at the checkpoint. I completely agree and figure the additional CM's needed to make this work is exactly what Disney was hoping to avoid!!!!! Too bad!!!!! This is an unintended and unforeseen consequence so Disney needs to handle it and quick!!!! Thank you again to Len Testa! This is great!!!!!

 

[Jennasis]

Or...OR (just hear me out...) Disney could try creating a freaking system that works when it's supposed to.

 

[prudence64]

Or...OR (just hear me out...) Disney could try creating a freaking system that works when it's supposed to.

Often the system works but it's the guest who is error in the wrong line.

 

[Jennasis]

Often the system works but it's the guest who is error in the wrong line.

It was like that before FP+ too. Only now waiting for the magical green light has slowed things down. Before a CM could SEE right away of someone had a FP ticket at all, and if they did if it was the right time for them.

 

[doctornick]

The recovery area is a good idea and would be the biggest benefit. It would also help if they had some sort of dual functionality to justify them (I'm thinking that guest could also go to that area to look up their FP+ times if the CM is otherwise not helping someone)

I don't see adding more more scanners and CMs as something that Disney would be willing to do. Maybe adding two more scanners to busier rides and a second CM to man those two.

I think that implementing a "only one member of your party needs to scan" at the first checkpoint is probably a good idea as well. Yes, some groups will not have FP+ for everyone, but that will be caught at the second, more definitive scanner anyway. Perhaps the first scanner can pop up something that says that not only do you have a valid FP+ but x number of people are in your group and linked to you that also have valid FP+.

 

[Angel Ariel]

You know, the article itself is well written, but IMO the mocking attitude taken in the OP doesn't make me interested in discussing it here.

 

[morethananyonex]

Phew, I got worried about the lack of snark in the article, but I'm glad OP made up for it in his/her post.

Anyways, I totally agree with the article. Those 3 suggestions would alleviate a lot of the problems at the FP entrances. However, I think their suggestions, particularly the one that requires 5 extra CMs at an attraction, are not entirely realistic. That's a huge jump in labour costs at the attractions.

From a monetary perspective, does the amount of money FP+ stands to bring in justify an additional 5 CMs at each FP attraction?

 

[Kate and Family]

The recovery area is a good idea and would be the biggest benefit. It would also help if they had some sort of dual functionality to justify them (I'm thinking that guest could also go to that area to look up their FP+ times if the CM is otherwise not helping someone)

That is a terrific idea
What if there were scanners through out the park that folks could use check their times before they get in line. They could check the times for all 3 of their fast passes (and get a bit of practice as well).

 

[morethananyonex]

That is a terrific idea
What if there were scanners through out the park that folks could use check their times before they get in line. They could check the times for all 3 of their fast passes (and get a bit of practice as well).

Those exist. They're the kiosks.

I used them a few times in February when I saw them without line ups. I imagine with offsite guests gaining the ability to use MDE, kiosks will be much calmer and they can be used for this purpose more often.

 

[ariel326]

Or guests could take a screen shot of their fast pass times via their smart phone or ipad or whatever they are using to look up MDE on and keep that photo in their photo gallery on their phone.

OR
if they are at a kiosk- they could take a picture of the screen before they leave the kiosk (this is what we did)

OR

People could right down their times and keep the paper in their pocket and check their times.

This is really not that complicated.

 

[mousefan73]

Like the idea of crowd management.

But may I suggest adding a trap door thing that opens on the floor when people outside their time and hope to get on.

And with an express shoot out the park if they still try to argue with a CM.

 

[surferdave]

I think the author has a good handle on one of the worst gross inefficiencies of the system, being the clueless guest who's not really in his window who clogs the line. But I think that corralling such guests into an area that's clearly not heading towards the attraction is not going to be a smooth operation. Many will not go willingly without some explanation. There will be a lot of the "my English gets even worse the less I like what you're saying to me" effect. Disney will certainly not like adding another permanent CM to each FP attraction, they have to be pulling their hair out over the resources they're throwing at this monster now.

 

[2Tiggies]

Or...OR (just hear me out...) Disney could try creating a freaking system that works when it's supposed to.

Although that would just be too easy!

Often the system works but it's the guest who is error in the wrong line.

If so many guests are getting it wrong and that is the reason for these long lines and delays, then the system doesn't work. If the average user can't use it, it's a fail.

User error is not the only cause of the delays. The new system does not allow guests to be processed through the scanners at the same rate as the former system did.

All that said, I really like Len's concept.

 

[freewill]

You know, the article itself is well written, but IMO the mocking attitude taken in the OP doesn't make me interested in discussing it here.

I don't understand?

 

[ariel326]

Like the idea of crowd management.

But may I suggest adding a trap door thing that opens on the floor when people outside their time and hope to get on. And with an express shoot out the park if they still try to argue with a CM.

 

[ConvenientTruth]

So Disney should find a way to account for the lack of intelligence of some guest....

 

[2Tiggies]

So Disney should find a way to account for the lack of intelligence of some guest....

No. Disney should find a way to account for rolling out its own incomplete system before it was ready for prime time.

 

[ConvenientTruth]

No. Disney should find a way to account for rolling out its own incomplete system before it was ready for prime time.

System has worked great the times I have used it...

 

[BuckeyeBama]

This would be like adding a customer service desk in a department store - except that WDW would require one at every main attraction. Too expensive - not going to happen.

This part of the system was poorly conceived. What is needed is a clear response from the system upon scan, visible to the patron, that identfies the problem. The existing CM can take quick and immediate action, like with a printed FP.

 

[morethananyonex]

System has worked great the times I have used it...

Good for you. Really.

That doesn't mean that there aren't major problems with back ups at the scanners at the entrance to FP lines. Disney even recognizes this issue, and has their CMs carrying big "FP+ line here" signs so people know what the heck that mass of people is.