How is MK with no Legacy FP?

[rastuso]

We saw the same bottlenecking on Friday at MK for BTMRR. And those cms were amongst the ones I asked about the longer FP lines/backups, who indicated they thought it was the increase in time it takes to swipe MB's/tickets at the 2 "choke points" vs collecting/reviewing paper FPs, especially for whole parties/groups.

If the choke points were the problem, once you cleared the second one, you would have no wait to get not the ride.

-jason

 

[amg35]

We saw the same bottlenecking on Friday at MK for BTMRR.

And those cms were amongst the ones I asked about the longer FP lines/backups, who indicated they thought it was the increase in time it takes to swipe MB's/tickets at the 2 "choke points" vs collecting/reviewing paper FPs, especially for whole parties/groups.

I guess then my question is why is it taking so long to scan the bands?
Is it the system reads the bands to slow/breaks, or human error ( guests aren't holding arm correctly for reader, etc), a combination of both?

 

[Laketravis]

I guess then my question is why is it taking so long to scan the bands?
Is it the system reads the bands to slow/breaks, or human error ( guests aren't hold arm correctly for reader, etc), a combination of both?

It's due to multiple and compounded issues.

I offered my observations in this trip report from last month: 16 Days of FP+

 

[ucfknight]

I guess then my question is why is it taking so long to scan the bands?
Is it the system reads the bands to slow/breaks, or human error ( guests aren't holding arm correctly for reader, etc), a combination of both?

It take a few seconds to position your arm correctly, then a few more seconds to get the green Mickey. Invariably there will be a family of 8 all trying to use one scanner despite a cast member yelling at them to use both.

 

[pilferk]

Yes, but the experts tell us that those lines move very, very fast.

Depends on the definition of "fast".

Certainly still faster than standby. No arguments there.

But it doesn't seem nearly as fast as the old system was.

We waited in a line very similar to the one pictured to ride BTMRR. It took a good 3-5 min to get to the first set of swipe points. Then, as described, it was mostly walking the que..and then you'd hit another logjam at the last check point (choke point)...and it would taken another good 3 to 5 min til you got through it. Now, 6 to 10 min isn't at all horrible.

But, in previous visits...even on busier days...we've never experienced that in any FP line before. There may have been "lines", but not like this. Might it be a function of Splash being off line and BTMRR having to handle additional capacity in the FP line? Maybe. But the CM's...10+ that I talked to, in different parks, and on different attractions...all mentioned the same issue: It takes longer to clear "parties" through the swipe points than it did with paper FP's.

That's with no prompting from me...just a question either specifically about reasons for the backups (if there were any on the ride, like BTMRR and RNR), or about how they felt about the new system vs the old one.

There might be objections to the validity of those observations...Brian Noble presented his theory that it shouldn't matter in relation to ride capacity...but that's what the CMs seem to be thinking.

 

[pilferk]

If the choke points were the problem, once you cleared the second one, you would have no wait to get not the ride.

-jason

For BTMRR..that was the case for us.

Once through the final check point, we basically moved forward (sometimes a little slower than a full walking pace) til we got to loading.

 

[bcrook]

It's due to multiple and compounded issues.

I offered my observations in this trip report from last month: 16 Days of FP+

I am glad you put that report link in your signature.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

It take a few seconds to position your arm correctly, then a few more seconds to get the green Mickey. Invariably there will be a family of 8 all trying to use one scanner despite a cast member yelling at them to use both.

This is most of it. You need to put the center of the "Mickey" on the band flat against the center of the scanners. When on a wrist, this can take some twisting. Also, if the guest has on a long-sleeve shirt or jacket, they usually don't think ahead and pull up their sleeve while in the queue - they wait until it is time to scan the band.

After the first day, my wife and I found it very fast and easy, taking no more time that it took for a CM to check the time on a FP- ticket. If the band is aligned properly, it takes less than a second to go green from the first touch.

 

[Laketravis]

I am glad you put that report link in your signature.

Yeah, unfortunately a lot of these live reports are sounding all too familiar.

 

[pilferk]

I guess then my question is why is it taking so long to scan the bands?
Is it the system reads the bands to slow/breaks, or human error ( guests aren't holding arm correctly for reader, etc), a combination of both?

Under the old system:

If you had a family of 5, you flashed the initial greeter 5 pieces of paper, fanned out. They glanced, counted your party of five through, and moved on. Then you moved to the final greeter who took your 5 pieces of paper and counted you through (which, if your party is huddled together, doesn't really take any time). You never really stopped moving forward (unless there was a bottleneck related to ride capacity) but maybe for the second or two it took for them to quickly glance at your paper FPs.

Now, EVERY person in that group has to scan their band, and each scan takes around 2 to 3 seconds. And then again at the final checkpoint.

And that's if everyone knows how the system works (not just your party, but those in front of you), can get their arm/wrist positioned exactly right the first time, that there's 2 scanners that can be used at the same time, etc. Any interaction with the CM that's required slows that process down by another 4 to 5 seconds (or more). Any fidgeting to get the band positioned right (mickey head turned right, sleeve pulled up etc) likewise slows things down.

The larger the group, the larger the inefficiency between the two systems.

Again, this isn't coming from "me", per se. That was basically the explanation I was being given by the CMs. I've "plussed it up" with some additional language and explanation. But that was it, in a nutshell.

 

[bcrook]

I would imagine with legacy being removed and everyone on the three and done system, people will start grabbing the FP"+" reservations online in advance at a quicker pace.

It will be interesting to see how the kiosk availability changes at spring break with more people understanding the system and booking ahead of time.

If off-site don't get to book in advance, there is no way this can be good for them during peak season.

Off site guests NEED to be at the park BEFORE rope drop to have a fighting chance. I wonder if that small glimmer of rope drop hope will drive up early morning attendance from the off site guests.

As more off-site guests show up early and grab what they can, more on-site guests will be forced to grab their advanced ride reservations in advance.

It seems to me that the ARR battle will inevitably move to the cyber arena.

When the race for FP"+" moves online, the off set guests will be doomed.

 

[pilferk]

This is most of it. You need to put the center of the "Mickey" on the band flat against the center of the scanners. When on a wrist, this can take some twisting. Also, if the guest has on a long-sleeve shirt or jacket, they usually don't think ahead and pull up their sleeve while in the queue - they wait until it is time to scan the band.

After the first day, my wife and I found it very fast and easy, taking no more time that it took for a CM to check the time on a FP- ticket. If the band is aligned properly, it takes less than a second to go green from the first touch.

I timed it out with 1-1000, 2-1000's, across mutliple rides in multiple parks.

It could be as quick as 1 sec, but usually was between 2 and 3, and sometimes as long as 5. Only ONCE was it longer than 5, and we got a blue. Rescanned it and got a green in about 3.

Yes, I was that interested.

 

[lugnut33]

I guess then my question is why is it taking so long to scan the bands?
Is it the system reads the bands to slow/breaks, or human error ( guests aren't holding arm correctly for reader, etc), a combination of both?

I posted this video after our Thanksgiving trip, it will give you a very good idea of the problems with scanning:
http://youtu.be/gnutHcc8tbk

Of course there will be one poster who will be along shortly to tell you the line moves quickly and you shouldn't care about another line to get into line..

 

[pilferk]

I posted this video after our Thanksgiving trip, it will give you a very good idea of the problems with scanning:
http://youtu.be/gnutHcc8tbk

Of course there will be one poster who will be along shortly to tell you the line moves quickly and you shouldn't care about another line to get into line..

That's a great example! And it's indicative of what we saw all week, last week. Not the backup...thought it's a great example of that, too, there were only a few rides where we saw that...but the discrepancy between the paper fp system vs the fp+ system.

You can see the "wave through" for those with paper fps.

And then the difference in time it takes to scan through. I 1-1000, 2-1000 the scans and, as per what I saw last week, it usually takes 2 to 3 seconds to scan per person.

While you watched, in the video, a large group of people where the "leader" flashes their paper passes....not one of them stops walking forward as they get the "wave through", en masse.

 

[bcrook]

That's a great example! And it's indicative of what we saw all week, last week.

You can see the "wave through" for those with paper fps.

And then the difference in time it takes to scan through. I 1-1000, 2-1000 the scans and, as per what I saw last week, it usually takes 2 to 3 seconds to scan per person.

While you watched, in the video, a large group of people where the "leader" flashes their paper passes....not one of them stops walking forward as they get the "wave through", en masse.

And a blue mickey head slows things down more too.

 

[Vidia2]

I posted this video after our Thanksgiving trip, it will give you a very good idea of the problems with scanning: http://youtu.be/gnutHcc8tbk Of course there will be one poster who will be along shortly to tell you the line moves quickly and you shouldn't care about another line to get into line..

How was the red-sweatered group able to cut in that really long line without starting a riot?

 

[pilferk]

And a blue mickey head slows things down more too.

Yup, sure does...because there's no feedback as to WHY. Bad scan? Network time out? Time out of range? You have no idea why, so have to hold up the line and interact with a CM to get more info.

We only got ONE while there, and a rescan got us a green. But we saw others, too.

 

[lugnut33]

That's a great example! And it's indicative of what we saw all week, last week. Not the backup...thought it's a great example of that, too, there were only a few rides where we saw that...but the discrepancy between the paper fp system vs the fp+ system.

You can see the "wave through" for those with paper fps.

And then the difference in time it takes to scan through. I 1-1000, 2-1000 the scans and, as per what I saw last week, it usually takes 2 to 3 seconds to scan per person.

While you watched, in the video, a large group of people where the "leader" flashes their paper passes....not one of them stops walking forward as they get the "wave through", en masse.

I know people won't want to admit it, but those scans are going to be one of the reasons why the standby wait times will increase. I saw it happening at Dinosaur where the CM had to focus his complete attention to getting FP people scanned correctly and basically ignored the standby line.

 

[lugnut33]

How was the red-sweatered group able to cut in that really long line without starting a riot?

I'm just going to ignore that question so I don't get in trouble.

 

[pilferk]

I know people won't want to admit it, but those scans are going to be one of the reasons why the standby wait times will increase. I saw it happening at Dinosaur where the CM had to focus his complete attention to getting FP people scanned correctly and basically ignored the standby line.

We anecdotally noticed a lot more "focus" on the FP line...I'm not sure they whys and hows, or if it was just "luck" that we hit the final check point at a time they were focused on clearing FP guests. Could be any of that, or none of it. I want to hear/see more before I form a conclusion.

But it wouldn't surprise me to find out you are right...

Incidentally, our Dinosaur FP check in CM (a very nice lady) was the only who best explained the process differences for them. Much of my example/explanation is modeled off hers.