Incorrect wait times

[SeanCLV]

On our trip earlier this week I noticed that the posted wait times on the rides seemed to off by a lot. First on RSR it said the wait was 110 minutes, but we only waited about 45 minutes. Then on The Toy Story ride the wait said 20 minutes, and we waited for an hour. The Monsters Inc ride said 20 minutes, and we waited 5.

On my iPad app, the user submitted wait times seemed more accurate than what they had posted at the ride. This seems very uncharacteristic, as they usually have line timing down to a science. Is Disney doing this to shape crowd traffic around the park? I have a hard time believing that it is them being lax.

Also on the apps where people submit wait times, do you submit the time that the sign on the ride says? Or how long you actually waited?

 

[sonnyjane]

Regarding the apps, most people just submit the time that is posted on the sign, as in "hey, I just got in line and it says 10 minutes". I can actually honestly say that I have not once in my dozens of times at Disneyland ever actually timed my wait! I know that sometimes it has been shorter, for example TSMM said 45 but it ended up being more like 35, but I never specifically timed it to see if it matched the sign.

 

[DisneytheKid]

Were you taking the SR line for RSR? Also, were you aware of any breakdowns while you were in line? It does seem a little odd that the times would be that far off...

 

[SeanCLV]

Were you taking the SR line for RSR? Also, were you aware of any breakdowns while you were in line? It does seem a little odd that the times would be that far off...

No for RSR we were on the normal standby line no breakdowns, we got on line at about 9:30 am. The line started at that second bridge you go under. The single rider and FP lines were very short. So perhaps it was just some odd fluke.

 

[CamoMama]

On our trip earlier this week I noticed that the posted wait times on the rides seemed to off by a lot. First on RSR it said the wait was 110 minutes, but we only waited about 45 minutes. Then on The Toy Story ride the wait said 20 minutes, and we waited for an hour. The Monsters Inc ride said 20 minutes, and we waited 5.

On my iPad app, the user submitted wait times seemed more accurate than what they had posted at the ride. This seems very uncharacteristic, as they usually have line timing down to a science. Is Disney doing this to shape crowd traffic around the park? I have a hard time believing that it is them being lax.

Also on the apps where people submit wait times, do you submit the time that the sign on the ride says? Or how long you actually waited?

The way they calculate wait times at Disney isn't an exact science. Sometimes the times posted at the ride are off a bit. I don't know how often they do it, but we've been the "test" subjects quite a few times at both WDW and DLR. The CM at the entrance to the queue will ask a guest to take a red card to the CM at the loading area. The amount of time it takes for the card to reach the loading queue informs them how long the wait time is. Sometimes that time can vary. If it was off by that much I'd say they probably hadn't done a test recently, and were probably going to do so soon.

 

[disneychrista]

Wait times are only updated like one per hour or so. So if you go in line and it said 1 hour but it had been 50 minutes since the last update, then it is likely to be wrong.

TSMM seems to be the worst we waited nearly an hour in a line that said 30 mins.

 

[owensamo]

We were at DLR in early July (after the 4th) and noticed that the wait times were really off - the mobile app and posted times didn't seem to jive with the actual times or even what the user-submitted times seemed to indicate. It was kind of frustrating, mostly because we didn't really know how to judge the accuracy, not having been there before! I know the wait times at WDW are often not what's posted as well, but having spent so many days there, I have a good idea by looking at where the line ends just how accurate it is.

At DLR we were completely in the dark. For example - DD and I got in line for Star Tours one afternoon while DH and DFIL rode Space Mountain. The posted wait time was 40 minutes, but what we didn't realize was that the queue went inside, then outside again before going into the main Star Tours queue. DH rode Space mountain twice (with fast passes) before we were even on the ride! We probably spent at least an hour in the queue. Fortunately, DD and I do enjoy spending time together.

 

[LisaT91403]

We had a big discrepancy with Soarin'. Posted wait was 35 minutes, but we waited an hour. I truly believe that the discrepancy was due to the Fast Pass return line. If there were any people in that queue, they were allowed in first. Once that queue was empty, they let a few people from the stand by line in. It took FOREVER! It was the end of the night, and I'm thinking a lot of people saved the Fast Passes they had collected earlier in the day, and all came back to Soarin' on their way out of the park that night.

Never again will I wait for Soarin' without a FP. I learned my lesson.

 

[jason41483]

What app have people found most reliable for wait times? I have a Windows Phone.

I see Disney Mobile Magic for Verizon get advertised a lot, I wish they had something like that for other providers.

 

[towels]

You can get Mobile Magic from other providers. Verizon folks just get videos or games or something.

 

[Brian Noble]

Wait times are measured by giving a guest who enters the line a little RFID card---that guest hands it to the Cast Member when boarding the ride. So, the wait times are always a little bit out of date. When wait times are changing rapidly (beginning/end of the day, after a nearby show lets out, right around major parades, etc.) they can be off by quite a bit. I think the CMs can adjust the time based on their experience---"If the guests are back to *here*, then the wait time is about *this*"---but I'm not sure how many do.

 

[Steamboat Philly]

In my experiences, the bigger the line, the harder it is to pinpoint it's accuracy. But what you're talking about seems odd, I've never experienced that big of a difference myself. Usually maybe 5-15 mins difference going either way, longer wait or shorter. Never personally timed it, still have fun with the family even waiting in line

 

[Daphy]

Wait times are measured by giving a guest who enters the line a little RFID card---that guest hands it to the Cast Member when boarding the ride. So, the wait times are always a little bit out of date. When wait times are changing rapidly (beginning/end of the day, after a nearby show lets out, right around major parades, etc.) they can be off by quite a bit. I think the CMs can adjust the time based on their experience---"If the guests are back to *here*, then the wait time is about *this*"---but I'm not sure how many do.

Here is what we noticed on this trip to the park...and it skews the results drastically. Every time a red card was given to us (3x this visit) or someone else near us, they were given to people in the FP line. If they are basing their wait times on FP riders, then the time posted will be much faster than the actual time. Are they doing that to direct traffic flow because it is a holiday weekend? Frankly, I thought this was a rather deceptive tactic if so.

 

[Brian Noble]

At least at WDW, FLIC is used on both Standby and Fastpass returns. I would assume that the same is true at DLR, and that only the Standby measurements are used to update the displays.

 

[sonnyjane]

At least at WDW, FLIC is used on both Standby and Fastpass returns. I would assume that the same is true at DLR, and that only the Standby measurements are used to update the displays.

Daphy, I was just about to post the same thing as the PP. They measure the times in both the standby and the FP lines. The FP line time is NOT the posted standby time.

 

[Daphy]

Daphy, I was just about to post the same thing as the PP. They measure the times in both the standby and the FP lines. The FP line time is NOT the posted standby time.

Okay, that would make sense, BUT on EVERY ride we saw a card being given, it was for the FP line. And the wait times were MUCH longer than the posted time on the standby line.

 

[SarafinaPink]

I've found that the official times are off the busier the park is and I think because it's simple: the busier it is, the less time CMS have to pay attention to line length and updating.

Using apps helps, but often not as much as you think as most people will post the time the wait board says, which can be off. On mousewait, you are encouraged to post the actual time if you know it's different, but without knowing DLR really well, that's hard to say for most visitors just by looking at the line. Not to mention, if you time it and it post it when you get out, it may be off still because the line is different from when you got in.

Basically, I would say to look at both times and if there is a big difference, ask the CM at the entrance. Both apps and official DL times can and will be off randomly, so there is no option that is always right.

 

[starshine514]

Using apps helps, but often not as much as you think as most people will post the time the wait board says, which can be off. On mousewait, you are encouraged to post the actual time if you know it's different, but without knowing DLR really well, that's hard to say for most visitors just by looking at the line. Not to mention, if you time it and it post it when you get out, it may be off still because the line is different from when you got in.

I agree. I think it's one thing to post a 2 minute wait time for something because when you post the actual wait time, that probably is still the actual time. If I've been in line for 35 minutes or more, who knows what the wait time is by then? It could be sigificantly different than when I got in the line...

I've found the apps are most helpful for deciding if I want to head to the other side of the park, or to the other park.

 

[Eeee-va]

If you visit the parks often enough, sometimes you can look at the line itself and out-guess the wait board. I was recently at Disneyland on a day when the park was open til 11 and there were no fireworks, so Toontown was open until park close (or close to it) and totally deserted. The ride for Gadget's Go-Coaster said 20 minutes, I think...I couldn't see the queue line in the dark, so I just chanced it. It was walk-on. Mickey's house was 60 minutes but the house was empty and it was maybe a 10 minute wait once you reached the movie room (I assume Mickey was only "on one set" so the wait time was longer).

 

[LisaT91403]

If you visit the parks often enough, sometimes you can look at the line itself and out-guess the wait board. I was recently at Disneyland on a day when the park was open til 11 and there were no fireworks, so Toontown was open until park close (or close to it) and totally deserted. The ride for Gadget's Go-Coaster said 20 minutes, I think...I couldn't see the queue line in the dark, so I just chanced it. It was walk-on. Mickey's house was 60 minutes but the house was empty and it was maybe a 10 minute wait once you reached the movie room (I assume Mickey was only "on one set" so the wait time was longer).

You also have to take note of what I'd call "permanent" wait time signs versus the ones that change. For example, the sign at the opening to the Gadget's line is permanent. It says that the wait is 20 minutes from that point, and it never changes. But if the line isn't backed up all the way to that point, then the wait is not going to be 20 minutes. Same for IASW; that usually has a wait time posted at the entrance, but it is also from that point. A lot of times, you can walk all the way down the ramp before the real line starts.