"Frozen Ever After" or "Frozen Until It Breaks Again"?

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

It's mechanical. Mechanical things break. Most every ride at Disney breaks down at some point or other.
I've purposely avoided learning much of anything about the ride itself, don't want to spoil my surprise next month. But DH has told me they have aminitronics that make 7 Dwarfs look like 20 year old tech. Maybe they just are struggling with keeping them from malfunctioning? Sometimes things work fine for short times but when you start to run them for hours and hours day after day they don't. Honestly, just toss out guesses

After all it's been open for SO long you should expect it to break.

Seriously this thing opened a week ago!

That's not a good excuse.

And it's not doing them any good on the PR side

http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/...r-after-isnt-having-the-smoothest-of-openings
https://www.yahoo.com/news/disney-frozen-ride-might-trouble-210434494.html


IT's all part of the new Disney model. Raise prices provide less! Send money to China!

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

...IT's all part of the new Disney model. Raise prices provide less! Send money to China!

This seems to be part of many business models
I don't think Disney is thinking into the future. They (and many many others) are thinking profit now; we'll worry about later...later. The problem with that is that you loose your regulars and you loose the reputation - there is an actual cost to the short-sightedness, but that's some unknown future CEOs problem...

 

[cvjw]

One of the most impressive rides I've experienced anywhere was Escape from Gringott's at U. If you take a look at any U board you'll see that during the first few months of operation they had huge problems with this ride and eventually they got all the bugs out. I am far from being a Disney apologist but this is no different than when we put a new system in at our offices. Takes a while then everything runs smoothly. It isn't a "Disney" problem...its just the nature of IT.

We were there the first week it opened to ride it. We waited over 3 hours to actually get on the ride because it kept breaking down. We have been back to Universal several times since then and it doesn't seem to break down anymore like it did. I guess it just takes time to get everything working like it should on a new attraction.

 

[Planogirl]

Yes it does take time to get things working.

It's interesting to me that the meet and greet never seems that busy. I would think that during a long break down that some people might head to it but I see no sign of that.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes it does take time to get things working.

It's interesting to me that the meet and greet never seems that busy. I would think that during a long break down that some people might head to it but I see no sign of that.

I'm really surprised by that too. With such a long outdoor line I figured everyone would send part of their group over to meet the sisters and escape the heat. Maybe several times.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm really surprised by that too. With such a long outdoor line I figured everyone would send part of their group over to meet the sisters and escape the heat. Maybe several times.

I might even do that myself to escape the heat. Naw, on second thought no way.

 

[mom2rtk]

I might even do that myself to escape the heat. Naw, on second thought no way.

In line for Frozen Ever After is the last place I would expect to find you.

 

[CS Torkelson]

It looks like the FEA ride has run and shut down every day since it "opened." The IT/engineers must be pulling their hair out. I don't know who I feel more sorry for -- the people who waited in line and didn't get to ride, the CMs who had to tell everyone it was closed again, or the guys who have to try to figure out how to fix it. I hope no one is getting yelled at. I can imagine the sense of dread by the CMs and IT/engineers working the ride...hoping it actually stays running for one whole day. Ya gotta keep rooting for them! Their jobs must not be easy.

 

[jade1]

We went last night around 8pm with a fastpass. MDE & TP showed the ride as closed on our walk over from Beach Club, but it was open for fastpass. The standby line was not open. We waited a total of 22 minutes from the time we entered the line until we were in the boat. What surprised me is that they didn't change the load/unload situation. They kept the same system from Maelstrom! Boat empties then moves forward to load more guests. No wonder the line backs up so much when they can only load one boat at a time! It's slow as molasses!

Weird. We did SB at 7:30, last night said 120 MIN, took 60 minutes and no mention during the walk that it went down. The line slowly but constantly moved the whole time. Everything worked on the ride it appeared. Loved it.

Did appear to be using a "weight" method, not headcount. 6 total in our boat, all from 110 pounds to 180. Could easily have held 12 to 16.

 

[Criickette]

Always wondered if one of the issues was weight per boat. The average weight per person has definitely increased since the the track was originally built. However, you would have thought that would have been addressed during the Frozen makeover.

 

[CS Torkelson]

Always wondered if one of the issues was weight per boat. The average weight per person has definitely increased since the the track was originally built. However, you would have thought that would have been addressed during the Frozen makeover.

Uh-oh. I'd better get on a diet. I'd hate to be responsible for breaking the ride. I'd sure hate to think they start weighing us before they let us in the boat!?!

 

[Criickette]

Uh-oh. I'd better get on a diet. I'd hate to be responsible for breaking the ride. I'd sure hate to think they start weighing us before they let us in the boat!?!

You may laugh but we actually had a nearby amusement park that had a wooden coaster delayed for seven years. During this time they learned that rider weight and sizes per car was the issue. Till this day, they have weight limits per car.

 

[Boski]

Yup, and that's kinda what I am saying. From a financial perspective (and lets be honest that's what a company really cares about), I doubt Disney did anything "incorrectly".

This opening is probably considered "a win" to the bean counters and therefore to the brass. It raises guest levels and it can officially be capitalized (which is crucial).

The only place that I think they absolutely messed up as far as they are concerned is in it is the handing out of fastpasses. I agree with mom2rtk there.

Well if it gets negative PR I don't know if thats a win. The ridiculous long wait times of the first few days were reported on many different news sites. One of my co-workers came up to me and said he heard about it on the radio and asked if the lines were like that at all the rides. Hes been asking me some questions lately as his family is discussing their next vacation destination, hearing that surely didn't help push him to Disney.

 

[book_junkie]

It was made known to CMs that IT *had* to make that 6/21 opening, no matter what. Doesn't matter what corners were cut, the thing had to work somewhat. And it does.
If they allowed people to queue all the time like Universal did when the HP rides opened, they would. Just look at the lines for opening day, and how they close the standby lines now.
If you get to ride it more than once, take a look at what's not there. When Olaf is singing about snow, where's the snow? What other projections and backdrops don't match? Why does the building still smell? Where is the HVAC in the first part of the building when every others queue has fans and AC that freezes you?
All of this is because they had to reach that 6/21 open date because of the "Awaken Summer" promo. It's not like New Fantasyland where things could be pushed back.
People aren't going to cancel trips because they hear FEA is offline or glitchy- they're going to wait around Epcot to ride or hop to MK because that's the age range of the key demographic. They're already here- Disney has the $$$.
What worries me is that if they feel this way over a retread ride (same track, same boats, new cover), what's going to happen once they start announcing official dates for Pandoraland? Star Wars? Toy Story? What's going to be pushed then?

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Well if it gets negative PR I don't know if thats a win. The ridiculous long wait times of the first few days were reported on many different news sites. One of my co-workers came up to me and said he heard about it on the radio and asked if the lines were like that at all the rides. Hes been asking me some questions lately as his family is discussing their next vacation destination, hearing that surely didn't help push him to Disney.

Again,you have to look at it from a different perspective. You are thinking as a guest, not an accountant.

You can put dollars against what it costs the company when the ride is not open. You can put dollars against the capitalization of an asset (which is what the ride is).
It's hard to put dollars against PR from The Sentinel. Keep in mind that the right now the media is focused on the gator issue (rightly so). the sentinel reaches only a very limited and focused demographic of WDW guests. For the most part, this is not reaching anyone at a national - much less global - level. The super majority of WDW guests are making their plans to visit Disney based on overall crowd levels, financial status, availability, recommendations from friends / family / travel sites / agents / etc. It would not surprise me to learn that some percentage of people have cancelled or changed their travel plans based on the gator attack (although IMHO that's silly). However, by and large you probably can not accurately count the people who might have changed their plans based on a rough start with FEA. MOST visitors will go to Disney. They will go to the park they were planning. They will pass by FEA and see that the wait is too long and move on.

from an accounting perspective, this is one is pretty cut and dry - they are able to depreciate the ride. It hits their tax books as of the opening date. they have not lost any meaningful or measurable amount of money by doing it. Therefore the amount of money by opening is more then the amount of money lost by opening. Thus - it was a win.

 

[NeuroCindy]

Uh-oh. I'd better get on a diet. I'd hate to be responsible for breaking the ride. I'd sure hate to think they start weighing us before they let us in the boat!?!

I've been to an amusement park that did just that. Great Wolf Lodge also weighs people for one of the waterslides. If you're over 250, you can't ride.

 

[CinderellaElla]

Let's not forget that even when Walt opened Disneyland for the first time, it didn't go all that well lol

 

[DeluxePrincess]

So "a friend of a friend", who supposedly was involved in construction, says the ride is down an average of 5 hours a day. The track from the old Norway ride was changed and the boats aren't handling it very well.

 

[Boski]

Again,you have to look at it from a different perspective. You are thinking as a guest, not an accountant.

You can put dollars against what it costs the company when the ride is not open. You can put dollars against the capitalization of an asset (which is what the ride is).
It's hard to put dollars against PR from The Sentinel. Keep in mind that the right now the media is focused on the gator issue (rightly so). the sentinel reaches only a very limited and focused demographic of WDW guests. For the most part, this is not reaching anyone at a national - much less global - level. The super majority of WDW guests are making their plans to visit Disney based on overall crowd levels, financial status, availability, recommendations from friends / family / travel sites / agents / etc. It would not surprise me to learn that some percentage of people have cancelled or changed their travel plans based on the gator attack (although IMHO that's silly). However, by and large you probably can not accurately count the people who might have changed their plans based on a rough start with FEA. MOST visitors will go to Disney. They will go to the park they were planning. They will pass by FEA and see that the wait is too long and move on.

from an accounting perspective, this is one is pretty cut and dry - they are able to depreciate the ride. It hits their tax books as of the opening date. they have not lost any meaningful or measurable amount of money by doing it. Therefore the amount of money by opening is more then the amount of money lost by opening. Thus - it was a win.

I live in Virginia and it was on the Radio. It was also on Yahoo's home page. I think its received more press than you are saying and when my co-worker (who is not a Disney person) brings it up to me (because I am a Disney person) I know its reached a greater audience then us fanatics.

So here is my take on accountants (because I just love dealing with them), they only live in numbers and see the colors red and black. Most are not on the ground, in the trenches, on the front line, running the show, etc. Nor have they ever been. They're not dealing with the disappointed guest having to wait in a ridiculous long line. They're not evacing people off the ride. They're not hearing the complaints. And because they don't live it they don't get it, but hey as long as we are making money who cares. Call it a win if you like, but I don't look at just the numbers.

 

[bbjunkie]

Uh-oh. I'd better get on a diet. I'd hate to be responsible for breaking the ride. I'd sure hate to think they start weighing us before they let us in the boat!?!

Now THIS I could see as being a potential nightmare for Disney; I don't think they will ever do it. I believe that if boat weight were the issue, they would err on the side of caution and intentionally under fill boats before ever making a guest give their weight. Disney is well-known for being "pooh-friendly" and other parks most decidedly are not. (US is an example). It would absolutely effect Disney's bottom line if suddenly weight and size became an issue on rides. Larger people go to Disney because they can; they are not excluded from participating in most rides as they are in other places.