Expedition Everest Line

[Kate and Family]

Don't worry, all the FP+ lovong hacks will tell you that FP+ is not having negative impact on line wait, either FP or stand by ....

Don't worry, all the trolls will tell you what the real numbers mean and that your personal experiences are an affront to their take on the matter..

 

[king kamehameha]

I will be waiting for someone from Disney to call me and offer to pay me before I visit the parks again. At least until this mess is cleared up.

 

[Dis703]

When we were there last May we experienced a crazy long line for the FP return for EE as well. And that was with the old FP. It was the one ride my sister really wanted to go on and I made the whole run for FP for everyone and then we couldn't use them because the line was so insane and we had to leave as it was our last day. No idea why it was so bad, but we were all bummed.

 

[davedmaine]

Things like this make it REALLY hard to restrain myself when FP+ supporters say how wonderful it is. I don't give a crap how fast it moves once you're PAST the scanners. Regular FP lines were never that long. I.E., this new system sucks.

I've been twice under FP+..,it was horrible both times.. I agree - anyone who defends this mess needs their head examined

 

[davedmaine]

I will take it one step further……. if there is a 1/2 hour line for FP+ returns, outside the first scanner, I would consider hopping on that line 1/2 hour BEFORE my return time, so that I would hit the first scanner shortly after my actual return time. Which would be a bummer for people who do not even get on the end of line until their window. Sorry, it would just seem to make sense to me; and would not happen if the lines were under control.

You're still waiting the same amount of time though

 

[JDUCKY]

What was the SB wait time when this was going on?

First few frames show it to be 35min

And I wonder if part of the reason for the length of the line is that every person has to hold their Magic Band to the FP- machine and wait for it to turn green. Under FP, a group could hand a stack of several FPs to a CM who would eye them in a sec (or less) and wave the group on.

And then, with FP-, every rider has to touch their Magic Band to another FP- reader again.

Great implementation, Disney. Just awesome!

 

[2Tiggies]

First few frames show it to be 35min

And I wonder if part of the reason for the length of the line is that every person has to hold their Magic Band to the FP- machine and wait for it to turn green. Under FP, a group could hand a stack of several FPs to a CM who would eye them in a sec (or less) and wave the group on.

And then, with FP-, every rider has to touch their Magic Band to another FP- reader again.

Great implementation, Disney. Just awesome!

Among other things, there is no doubt this is part of the reason. That line was barely moving though Often long lines at Disney are walking lines where you are slowly moving. This one didn't show too many signs of shifting through the duration of the recording.

 

[MisterPat]

I think you may have a problem with math.

And what does your math add up to?

Watch the video, and you will count a little over 230 people in that line. Since each train can hold 34 people, you would divide 230 by 34...which equals 6.76. Since the ride on EE lasts for 2 minutes and 50 seconds, and on a normal day they run 5 trains in that amount of time, that would mean that a train loads every 34 seconds.

That works out to about 4 minutes to run 7 trains. Try doing the math before you question someone else's.

BTW, I teach 5th graders to solve these types of rate problems.

 

[MisterPat]

Okay, A) Expedition Everest is almost three minutes long...just the ride (not including boarding and the safety check). I didn't take BC Calculus, but I'm pretty sure 7 trains in 4 minutes isn't right.

Are you thinking they only run 1 train at a time? They typically run 5 on a normal day, which means 5 trains run in 2 minutes and 50 seconds before the first one is loaded again. Unless there's a passing lane I'm unaware of.

As for the post about lines being outside the attraction instead of inside, I completely agree. But Disney has to finish installing more scanners at the entrances in order to get those people inside where they should be in line.

I'm done teaching math on this forum.

It's a shame that people don't recognize that even with a FP (legacy or FP+) you have to wait once you return. Inside or outside, you are still waiting. Change happens. And sometimes people don't like it. So, please make a different choice if you don't want to be at Disney. And leave the rest of us alone to enjoy our vacations.

 

[JimmyV]

That works out to about 4 minutes to run 7 trains. Try doing the math before you question someone else's.

1. Read my earlier post. Those people cannot get past the Mickey Tapstile in less than 12 minutes.

2. Use your own powers of observation. The first half of that video does not show a line of people moving in a steady stream that would get them to the boarding area in anything close to 4 minutes.

3. Apply past experience. I waited in a line that started across the bridge. I timed the wait. It was 23 minutes.

 

[MichelleVW]

I've been twice under FP+..,it was horrible both times.. I agree - anyone who defends this mess needs their head examined

I've also been twice under FP+, once during spring break....and I don't need my head examined because we never waited and had a fantastic time. Did everything we wanted in AK on a Tuesday morning multiple times with no fast passes and also no wait...took a break and went to DHS at 4:30 or so and used our Fast Pass for Toy Story Midway Mania with zero wait. What's not to love? We saw plenty of people using Fast Passes at less than smart times...like BTMRR at 9 am when there was no wait.

I REALLY WANTED to hate Fast Pass plus...went in December not having a clue what we would accomplish with the new system, and found that we did everything we wanted and more. Went during spring break and also had a great time with no waits. But maybe I'm just delusional or under some crazy mind control and I actually DID stand in long lines and just don't remember it?

Edited to add that we've been going to Disney at least once a year since 2001....usually 2 or 3 times so I did know how to work regular Fast Pass to my benefit.

 

[surferdave]

Pat, I think the ride is slowing down to as little as speed of the first FP scanner, and only picks up from there when they improve the efficiency of mixing in people from standby. They are not running the coaster through as many times as they could be. It's similar to how some of the boat rides and omnimovers are letting vehicles go by unmanned because they are struggling to work out mixing the queues back together and keeping the attractions loading efficiently.

Some rides that were never well built for a priority queue like PotC are struggling heavily now that they've added them, and some attractions like Everest that did have it before are turning out to be very sensitive to heavier FP demand. I think they may have to redesign some of these queues to ever get it straightened out, which would probably mean taking the attractions out of service for a long period of time.

It probably only occurs at certain times of the day, so as long as enough people say "it worked fine when I was there so there can't be a problem", I suppose it will be another FP+ Russian roulette game.

 

[joanchris]

I didn't read all the replies, so sorry if this was addressed....but what happens if you are within your window when you get in the line, (it's an hour window I think? Just began planning our next trip so I'm boning up on all the new info), but it takes so long to get to the scanner that you're out of your window? Maybe that's what people are afraid of, so are getting in line early.

 

[MisterPat]

3. Apply past experience. I waited in a line that started across the bridge. I timed the wait. It was 23 minutes.

Are you saying that 23 minutes is unacceptable for a wait in a FP+ line? Because in my experiences, 23 minutes may not be the average, but it certainly was common for a FP- wait time. It just seems to go by quicker when you are moving and already inside the attraction.

My point was not that those people would be done with their ride in 4 minutes, but rather that the line was not nearly as long as people would want to believe, considering the loading rate of the ride.

Sometimes, you get a family who clogs up the entrance because they don't have their bands out, don't know how to use them, don't really have a FP+, etc. etc. (see Splash Mountain FP- entrance) But, this same amount of people in line for FP- return would not draw nearly the same amount of negativity.

 

[JimmyV]

Are you saying that 23 minutes is unacceptable for a wait in a FP+ line? ...
My point was not that those people would be done with their ride in 4 minutes, but rather that the line was not nearly as long as people would want to believe, considering the loading rate of the ride.

I'm not really saying anything. Just stating a fact and people can take it as they will. My line across the bridge was 23 minutes. There is no point in applying calculus to this, or 5th grade math. It was what it was. It was longer than I anticipated. Perhaps I am being unreasonable. But it wasn't 4 minutes. Or 5 minutes. Or 6. Or 15. Or 20. When you say that "the line was not nearly as long as people would want to believe", I'm just not sure what to make of that, because I have no way of knowing what others believe. The videographer made a video. I am putting some context to it. Nothing more. But I would hope that this should put an end to any attempt to calculate the number of trains and the total minutes it takes to load 7 trains. 23 minutes is 23 minutes.

 

[morethananyonex]

I didn't read all the replies, so sorry if this was addressed....but what happens if you are within your window when you get in the line, (it's an hour window I think? Just began planning our next trip so I'm boning up on all the new info), but it takes so long to get to the scanner that you're out of your window? Maybe that's what people are afraid of, so are getting in line early.

Your FP+ will turn Mickey green up to 15 minutes after your window (and 5 minutes before). If your window is 12:00-1:00 for example, and you get in line at 12:55 and wait anything under 20 minutes you'd still be okay and scan. If the wait is awful and even the 15 minute grace period doesn't help, I would tell the CM what time you got in line. They'll likely let you in, but if not I wouldn't take no for an answer since you were in line on time.

 

[bjakmom]

Are you saying that 23 minutes is unacceptable for a wait in a FP+ line? Because in my experiences, 23 minutes may not be the average, but it certainly was common for a FP- wait time. It just seems to go by quicker when you are moving and already inside the attraction.

I have been to WDW 3-4 (sometimes 5) times yearly for the last 10 years and used FP- very efficiently and can NEVER think of one time that I waited in an FP- line for as long as 23 minutes - maybe 15 at Soarin', but that was my max. I am just surprised and a bit shocked to hear someone say that a 23 minute wait was common for FP-!?
After my last 3 trips (Aug/Nov and Jan) while watching the progressive 'roll-out' of this new system, I am totally convinced that Disney has increased the # of FPs they are giving out/allowing in order to sell the MB/FP+ system and satisfy as many guests as possible with what they are trying to sell us.

 

[verdell82]

I didn't read all the replies, so sorry if this was addressed....but what happens if you are within your window when you get in the line, (it's an hour window I think? Just began planning our next trip so I'm boning up on all the new info), but it takes so long to get to the scanner that you're out of your window? Maybe that's what people are afraid of, so are getting in line early.

When I was at HS last November, lines like this happened like crazy. I asked a CM at the time, he said he wasn't totally sure, but if push came to shove I could always go into the app or a kiosk and try and change my time.

The first time I ever went to Disney back in 2008 I loved HS, but this last year I couldn't barely stand it. Every FP+ line looked longer than the regular line. Ever regular line was basically unmoving because they had to accommodate all the FP+ people first, so unless you had FP+ you weren't going to go on anything in under 3 hours. It was awful.

 

[tlady]

I have been to WDW 3-4 (sometimes 5) times yearly for the last 10 years and used FP- very efficiently and can NEVER think of one time that I waited in an FP- line for as long as 23 minutes - maybe 15 at Soarin', but that was my max. I am just surprised and a bit shocked to hear someone say that a 23 minute wait was common for FP-!?
After my last 3 trips (Aug/Nov and Jan) while watching the progressive 'roll-out' of this new system, I am totally convinced that Disney has increased the # of FPs they are giving out/allowing in order to sell the MB/FP+ system and satisfy as many guests as possible with what they are trying to sell us.

I agree with you. Have never waited 23 minutes in any of the old FP lines. Never. And, yes, I am one of those saying that a 23 minute wait for FP+ is TOTALLY unacceptable!!!

My lord, are some of us that beholden to the Disney god that we are now trying to convince ourselves and others that a 23 minutes wait in a FAST pass line is ok or somehow to be endured????? Is this the new reality that Disney is trying to get us onboard with????

 

[tlady]

I can confirm that the FP+ return line that we got into at EE on 2/15 did indeed cross the bridge and began at the Nemo theater entrance. There was a CM there with a sign that read: "FP+ Return Line" and that person kept moving back further and further as the line grew. The CM was necessary because people with FPs simply could not believe that this was really the line. The "good news" is that it took only 23 minutes to get from the end of that line to the ride boarding area. Yeah!!

So are we now reduced to thinking that a 23 minute wait in the FP line is ok??? LOL. I have been to WDW 7 times, used the old FP extensively and have NEVER waited that long in a FP line.

It's amazing to me what people are willing to accept as part of the new reality.

And as long as enough people are willing to put up with this, things at WDW will not change.