Experiencing FoP full queue at park opening?

[cigar95]

I posted this in the dedicated Pandora thread, but it sorta got lost, and since it's a specialized topic I'll risk Ryan's wrath and make it a separate thread:

I'm one of those who *wants* to ride standby on Flight of Passage at park opening, and I *want* to walk the entire queue. So the news in recent weeks about the "fastpass bypass" at park opening has given me one more thing to work out.

If anyone has experiences as to how soon in the morning they have switched over to using the full queue, or if someone has just stepped past the chain and walked the queue on their own, or asked a CM for an OK, please share your experiences.

We'll have to see how all this works out. I'm going to have to make a decision on the fly if it looks like seeing the queue will turn our wait from 15 minutes into two hours.

Thanks.

 

[Cinderella94]

We'll have to see how all this works out. I'm going to have to make a decision on the fly if it looks like seeing the queue will turn our wait from 15 minutes into two hours.

Thanks.

I don't have experience trying to do this - when we went at rope drop in early July, we did not see the full queue. We were off the ride by 8:20 after an 8 AM EMH opening. I hope people come along with real experience to share, but if not, my thought is just to ask the CM and the worst they say is no. However, I do think it would make your wait increase significantly. To me, that would not be worth it. But if you want to try and see the queue, I do hope it works out for you .

 

[hiroMYhero]

@cigar95 and @rteetz ~ Has anyone in the Pandora thread ever noted the earliest FP return window that is available for FoP? Asking because when I booked a FP at 4:00a PT when my window opened, I don't recall seeing anything for earlier than 10ish for Day#9 of my trip, but, I was looking for an afternoon time.

@cigar95 ~ If you are in the Standby line and stop at the point where Standby gets directed to the FP line, could you direct those behind you to keep going around you?

At a designated time prior to the first FP return window opening (10:00ish), Standby guests will remain in the Standby line without being diverted to the FP line.

This would have to occur a few minutes prior to the first FP guests entering the FP line as Disney calculates a 20 minute or so wait in the FP line. I would think you wouldn't have more than an hour wait from the time you enter the Standby line until you can walk through the complete queue.

 

[loves to dive]

We did FOP standby at rope drop on Sunday. We did not go through the entire line, we were out by about 9:30. Later at night we did it again without FP and did the entire line. I think the wait time was posted as 118 min. and we timed it around 100 min.

 

[cigar95]

@cigar95 and @rteetz ~ Has anyone in the Pandora thread ever noted the earliest FP return window that is available for FoP?

I have a FP at 0900 for each of the last two days of my trip, which is opening time. So they apparently start right away. This suggests to me that the fastpass bypass doesn't last very long, just for that first rush.

@cigar95 ~ If you are in the Standby line and stop at the point where Standby gets directed to the FP line, could you direct those behind you to keep going around you?

This would certainly be the plan if the strategy is to wait at the dividing point until it opens. My hope instead is that when arriving at that point, there's an option to zig while everyone else zags, even if it means I get a finger wagged at me, instead of just waiting.

I would think you wouldn't have more than an hour wait from the time you enter the Standby line until you can walk through the complete queue.

If that were the wait, on top of whatever line accumulated in front of us in the meantime, the answer would be to just forget it and take the FastPass. No chance my wife is going to volunteer for a >60-minute wait just to see an attraction queue. And I'm not sure I would either.

 

[rteetz]

@cigar95 and @rteetz ~ Has anyone in the Pandora thread ever noted the earliest FP return window that is available for FoP? Asking because when I booked a FP at 4:00a PT when my window opened, I don't recall seeing anything for earlier than 10ish for Day#9 of my trip, but, I was looking for an afternoon time

Good question... I haven't seen anything early. Either those get booked up right away or they aren't giving out as many in the morning.

 

[hiroMYhero]

If that were the wait, on top of whatever line accumulated in front of us in the meantime, the answer would be to just forget it and take the FastPass. No chance my wife is going to volunteer for a >60-minute wait just to see an attraction queue. And I'm not sure I would either.

If the first return window is 9:00, then you'd have much less than an hour wait.

If you're standing at the branching off point, then your group would be the first in the Standby portion and there would only be a 20 minute wait worth of guests in the FP line.

Then, depending on the FP guests, you'd be on the Banshees immediately after the first FP riders. The FP:Standby ratio they're using is probably 50:10.

 

[cigar95]

Hiro, this makes total sense, but it makes me wonder what's going on with that first batch of standby guests that go in through the FP line? Are they letting in just enough of them to "build up" a 20-minute wait for the first FP group that enters the FP queue right at 0900? Given that big flood of guests, that would probably take about five minutes. Maybe less.

This is where it would be handy to find someone who's actually familiar with the procedures, and this is really the motivation behind my thread. We have lots of members who know what happened to *them*, but they can't tell us what happened to the guy 10 minutes behind them? So I'm crowdsourcing!

OK gang, here's your challenge: Who has gone through the entire FoP queue before 0915? Before 0910? Before 0905?

Or, conversely, who has taken the "fastpass bypass" after 0905? After 0910?

(If your park opening time was 0800 rather than 0900, adjust as necessary. And early EMH throws the whole process off.)

 

[Lesley Wake]

Hiro, this makes total sense, but it makes me wonder what's going on with that first batch of standby guests that go in through the FP line? Are they letting in just enough of them to "build up" a 20-minute wait for the first FP group that enters the FP queue right at 0900? Given that big flood of guests, that would probably take about five minutes. Maybe less.

This is where it would be handy to find someone who's actually familiar with the procedures, and this is really the motivation behind my thread. We have lots of members who know what happened to *them*, but they can't tell us what happened to the guy 10 minutes behind them? So I'm crowdsourcing!

OK gang, here's your challenge: Who has gone through the entire FoP queue before 0915? Before 0910? Before 0905?

Or, conversely, who has taken the "fastpass bypass" after 0905? After 0910?

(If your park opening time was 0800 rather than 0900, adjust as necessary. And early EMH throws the whole process off.)

This is definitely something I'm interested in too! I have 9am FPs but want to see the queue. And I don't want to get stuck in an insane time! I probably will just risk the finger wagging and go through the whole line at rope drop, unless I hear otherwise before our trip (in 31 days!!!)!

 

[hiroMYhero]

Are they letting in just enough of them to "build up" a 20-minute wait for the first FP group that enters the FP queue right at 0900?

Disney has quotas and ratios for everything.

They have to have it calculated so they know how many Standby guests enter through the FP line and can load and ride and then still have a line creating a 20 minute wait prior to the first FP guests arriving for the first return window of the day.

 

[ScrapYap]

Hey Cigar!

I experimented with this the other day, but I made a hash of it.

Arrived only a hour before regular 9:00 opening. Big mistake. If you can't commit to at least 90 minutes before regular rope drop, don't bother. Probably you need to be there 2 hours early during a holiday period, for 9:00 opening. On an EMH day, 75 minutes might be enough. There were about 10 people ahead of me, which I thought wasn't too bad. I was wrong.

I made the stupid mistake of using the passholder turnstiles - which allowed so, so, so many people ahead of me. The AP entrance is to the far right. It needs to be moved to the far left - on the Pandora side! And while there were "only" 10 people ahead of me in line, I needed to multiply that 10 guests by a dozen or more turnstiles. (All of whom will be ahead of you if you use the pass holder entrance.). And it's the ten people BEHIND you that will be the problem (multiplied by 12 or 15 turnstiles) - because they will run by you and line jump you. The rope drop run brings out the primal worst in people.
Line jumping is a huge problem along the length of the queue - inspired by the mob mentality that takes over. Cast members are not controlling this.

I didn't join the packs of people running, and the stated wait was 90 minutes when I passed into the actual queue (after winding halfway down the long path to Africa and back).

Disney is doing nothing to control bad behavior. Running - even sprinting - is totally uncontrolled. Dangerous and so unfair. If you walk fast, literally 100 or more people will run past you. The rope only controls the top of the line -- not the hundreds of guests who are packing in behind - and who run from the turnstiles to Tiffins.

A HUGE part of the problem is that a family will send one runner ahead - who will literally sprint. Then the rest of the family walks along briskly until they find their runner - and they jump into line with the runner. This works because the line doubles back on itself for a long stretch on the path to Africa. So you're passing people who are 45 or 60 minutes ahead of you in line. Some people "pretend" to see a friend and just jump in. Others really see a friend whom they've sent ahead with the intention of line jumping to. The line twists and turns in those crazy pathways that Joe R. put in to make Pandora seem larger than it is (and more mysterious). At bends in the pathways, people slip into the queue. It really is extraordinary.

FOP is a heck of a ride - but not worth this Ellis Island/Klingon pain stick initiation ritual/Soylent Green scene. And most certainly don't forego FP because you want to see the standby queue. Get FP and see the standby queue next year when sanity and good manners finally come to Pandora.

 

[cigar95]

Scrap, thanks for the report. Your scenario sounds a lot worse than other reports. We don't know what things will be like once the summer crowds are gone - late September is traditionally the slowest time of the year but we're in uncharted waters with Pandora.
It won't surprise you that I have a few FP for Flight, but I'm committed to experiencing the whole enchilada my first time. All depends on if my wife is willing to wait.
Your tip about avoiding the pass holder line is a good one.
We can talk about this "offline " when I get back from the current vacation - I'm writing this on an old iPhone from a small hotel in Grand Lake Colorado!

 

[jsmla]

I can't speak for experiencing the standby line but @ScrapYap 's post reaffirmed my opinion that it was well worth arriving 90 minutes before opening. My waiting experience at the front of the crowds was much calmer. We did have two young men cut in front once we were in the actual queue but the rest of the wait was both shady and fairly zen when compared to what I've been reading from later arrivals.

 

[ScrapYap]

It won't surprise you that I have a few FP for Flight,

Of course you do.

but I'm committed to experiencing the whole enchilada my first time. All depends on if my wife is willing to wait.
Your tip about avoiding the pass holder line is a good one.
We can talk about this "offline " when I get back from the current vacation - I'm writing this on an old iPhone from a small hotel in Grand Lake Colorado!

Have a great trip. (Were you in the totality? Mikat was!!) We'll all talk to you when you get back.

I do admire your determination to see the blue guy in his bathtub. And knowing that the standby queue must be opened in literally minutes (I had thought it might be as long as 15 or 20 minutes before they opened it - and a firmly closed queue might get you more than a finger wag) - there would certainly be no problem in your opting for it, even if you're being led to the FP queue as a first-comer. You should still be there 90 minutes before rope drop (or 60 minutes before EMH drop) - at the turnstile furthest to the left!

Did you see the MDE update yesterday? Adds some nice functionality, but doesn't limit anything previously possible.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

If you're interested in an alternate strategy, there have been plenty of reports of less than 40 minute actual waits by about 9 pm or so. This may be less stressful than fighting through the morning crowds and hoping that you can see the queue with less than a 2 hour wait.

 

[JPKnapp]

Is the trade-off really worth it? Waiting 90 min before rope drop vs. 120 min in a general standby line? I think I'll just avoid the stress of RD runners and cutters and attempting to keep the family together in the Lion King stampede, and just watch Avatar while in line for FoP.

 

[ScrapYap]

If you're interested in an alternate strategy, there have been plenty of reports of less than 40 minute actual waits by about 9 pm or so. This may be less stressful than fighting through the morning crowds and hoping that you can see the queue with less than a 2 hour wait.

Good idea. I haven't seen times anywhere near that low when looking at FOP wait times on the app, but I haven't checked since last week when many Florida schools resumed. Disney property was definitely quieter across the board, starting on August 14. I'll check the wait time tonight. It's time for a new strategy!

 

[ScrapYap]

Is the trade-off really worth it? Waiting 90 min before rope drop vs. 120 min in a general standby line? I think I'll just avoid the stress of RD runners and cutters and attempting to keep the family together in the Lion King stampede, and just watch Avatar while in line for FoP.

Love the idea of watching the movie while in line! (Though it's funny how very few movie references there are in Pandora or on the rides.

A 120 minute wait isn't a "general" general standby line for FOP though. Since the ride opened, the wait times had been over 200 (or 300) minutes all day - even at park closing. I wonder what the record was for last guest exiting the ride - after 3:00 a.m.!

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Good idea. I haven't seen times anywhere near that low when looking at FOP wait times on the app, but I haven't checked since last week when many Florida schools resumed. Disney property was definitely quieter across the board, starting on August 14. I'll check the wait time tonight. It's time for a new strategy!

Keep in mind that the posted wait times are often greatly exaggerated in the evening. The reports I've read claimed that the posted waits were in the 100-120 minute range with actual waits of 35-40 minutes.

Disney does this intentionally to discourage late night riders and they have techniques in place to make the lines appear to be longer than they actually are. We read about this in the 1999 Unofficial Guide so it's definitely not a new strategy. We've enjoyed short lines ever since.

 

[GaPaige]

What is the target arrival time for 8am EMH? We will have a car and can drive theres so we won't need to depend on buses. Is 6:30am early enough?