Labor Day Visit: FP changes, Crowd Observations, the Lilly Belle and more!

[melancholywings]

Vexorg - you wouldn't happen to be a dark haired mother daughter duo that was staying at Cali would you? Who we met up with later on Soarin? I only ask because we meet a nice family from Bellevue and it would totally rock if you are them.

 

[melancholywings]

Vexorg - you wouldn't happen to be a dark haired mother daughter duo that was staying at Cali would you? Who we met up with later on Soarin? I only ask because we meet a nice family from Bellevue and it would totally rock if you are them.

Haha. Never mind - I went to your blog (I feel like a cyber stalker) and got all excited because you mentioned PAX and I thought 'holy small world'. And then read that you were also in QA and I thought 'what are the odds!'

And then I read that you're a dude so I guess not the mom we met.

 

[Vexorg]

It's not quite as improbable as you might think (you'd be surprised who you can run into in the most improbable places,) but yes, pretty sure I'm a guy, at least that seemed to be the case last time I checked.

 

[HydroGuy]

I forgot to include in my original observations about the craziness that is the rope drop for TSMM on Monday (Labor Day). I have come to the realization that rope drop for TSMM and I just don't get along. Monday was crazy busy and the line after rope drop for TSMM quickly built past Screamin' and up the pier. People were cutting in line and I was soon over it. I think they were trying to get folks in the queue, but for whatever reason it wasn't happening that day. I said forget it and rode Screamin' and when I got off the line was still long! It then rose to 45 minutes about 1/2 hour after park opening. I rode it after lunch and it was 30. So I am basically over trying to figure it out, lol.

I have tried prior to this to do rope drop to TSMM and the ride has been down, so I basically wasted any time up to that point. That's it TSMM and rope drop, we are officially over!

Arch I think we must agree on everything Disney!

TSMM rope drop is just not worth it. I have tried it three times. Once it worked for us last month - on my third try - and we got on TSMM at about 10:06. And we waited for rope drop for about 10 minutes. I was with DS16 and we are fast walkers but still had a 16 minute wait altogether. Later that day we were able to ride it thru standby in 25 minutes. But during that trip the line was usually 30-35 minutes long. Just not worth the whole rope drop thing.

We tried the same thing in June only to be told at 9:55AM that TSMM was down that morning and would open late. So we watsed our time.

I also tried it in summer 2010 when they had two rope drop lines (one at Bugs Land and one at GRR) and I chose the Bugs land line which had a rope drop after the GRR line already was opened. So we still waited in line at TSMM for 15 minutes after waiting at rope drop for 15 - so 30 total minutes.

Basically if you do TSMM rope drop and you try real hard and walk real fast you have a chance of shaving off 15 minutes (maybe 20) off your TSMM wait. If they open on time and if you are in the right rope drop line. And on mornings when DL opens earlier than DCA you sacrifice a DL morning.

I am 100% confident this will all change once Cars Land opens next summer! But I will never do TSMM rope drop again in its current form.

 

[Caseystigger]

Love the pictures of the Lillie Bell! If I get to ride that, get a good view of WOC and see some of the hidden Mickey's then I will be on cloud nine!

 

[ArchOwl]

Arch I think we must agree on everything Disney!

TSMM rope drop is just not worth it. I have tried it three times. Once it worked for us last month - on my third try - and we got on TSMM at about 10:06. And we waited for rope drop for about 10 minutes. I was with DS16 and we are fast walkers but still had a 16 minute wait altogether. Later that day we were able to ride it thru standby in 25 minutes. But during that trip the line was usually 30-35 minutes long. Just not worth the whole rope drop thing.

We tried the same thing in June only to be told at 9:55AM that TSMM was down that morning and would open late. So we watsed our time.

I also tried it in summer 2010 when they had two rope drop lines (one at Bugs Land and one at GRR) and I chose the Bugs land line which had a rope drop after the GRR line already was opened. So we still waited in line at TSMM for 15 minutes after waiting at rope drop for 15 - so 30 total minutes.

Basically if you do TSMM rope drop and you try real hard and walk real fast you have a chance of shaving off 15 minutes (maybe 20) off your TSMM wait. If they open on time and if you are in the right rope drop line. And on mornings when DL opens earlier than DCA you sacrifice a DL morning.

I am 100% confident this will all change once Cars Land opens next summer! But I will never do TSMM rope drop again in its current form.

LOL, well not everything. I am sure we could find something to disagree on.

But TSMM rope drop is something we totally agree on. This was also my third attempt and third failure. No more! If it is not something I can consistently do, then I am not going to bother anymore. I think after Carsland opens it will be a moot point. I could probably waltz over to TSMM and get in line with little wait. Although I think folks were saying that Little Mermaid might change TSMM strategy and as far as I can tell it hasn't really. Which is interesting...

 

[ArchOwl]

Love the pictures of the Lillie Bell! If I get to ride that, get a good view of WOC and see some of the hidden Mickey's then I will be on cloud nine!

Good luck! I hope you are able to ride her, it is very fun. With some good planning, WOC should not be an issue and there is plenty of info on how to spot the hidden Mickeys. You should have a blast!

 

[ArchOwl]

More pictures of the Lilly Belle with the good camera!