Large boxes at Star Tours and TOT queues - queue changes coming? Shades of xPASS?

[magicbob]

The tall box outside ToT contains an interdimensional array Disney is building to pull Rod Serling (who is trapped between dimensions) back into this reality.

The short box outside Star Tours contains... EWOKS, of course!


That's what the bus driver told me, anyway.

 

[mattsdragon]

The tall box outside ToT contains an interdimensional array Disney is building to pull Rod Serling (who is trapped between dimensions) back into this reality.

The short box outside Star Tours contains... EWOKS, of course!


That's what the bus driver told me, anyway.

Better Ewoks than JarJar.

Mesa nosa being happyday ifin deys bringin' insa JarJar.

 

[joelkfla]

Notice that the Star Tours box is about the height of an information desk or ice cream stand, but the ToT box is a LOT taller (taller than the CMs standing next to it). It would seem that the these boxes do NOT contain the same things inside. So there's more fodder for speculation and conspiracy theories.

Don't forget about themeing. They could be the same thing functionally, just in different packages.

Or, 2 different prototypes, to test which works better.

 

[neffernie]

I rode ST today and I didn't see a box or anything different.

Are they still there and I was just so focused I missed them? Judiging by the photo, I should have noticed this, right? Maybe I had ride tunnel vision.

 

[magicbob]

I've finally solved the mystery!!!!

Both boxes contain devices for use when someone shows up with a late FP. The tall box contains an iron maiden and the short box is the rack.

I will be proven correct on March 7th. You'll see.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

They have some sort of sponsorship deal with Stanley. Most construction projects have had their logo on the signs. Some fairly well integrated/themed, others just kinda stuck on like those.

*sigh* Not again, did I really type "oonnection", instead of "connection"? Ugh ...the only thing worse than a typo is a typo in pink!

Anyway, thank you, this is very helpful and makes perfect sense. At least, that's one less thing I have to think about concerning this box, lol.

I was just checking my photos from mid- Jan and yep, I thought I remembered seeing that box at ToT even back then. So they've been around.

Wow, that's very interesting! How long is it going to sit there?

I rode ST today and I didn't see a box or anything different.

Are they still there and I was just so focused I missed them? Judiging by the photo, I should have noticed this, right? Maybe I had ride tunnel vision.

LOL. What?!? There is no way you can miss that box, it's larger than life. Where is the box, now?!?

As an aside, I just love Star Tours, it's one of my favorite rides!

 

[Experiment_626]

Inside is a button and if you push it, you will get 10 All Time Use FP, but someone, someone you don't even know will be thrown out of the park..."

Or you get three wishes. For your first, you say, "I wish none of the attractions I want to visit would ever have anyone in the queue when I walk up!" And then you go to those rides and find that they're all permanently closed!

This would be especially surreal — and yet strangely appropriate — for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

SSB

 

[Experiment_626]

I don't know why everyone here has missed the obvious. Each "box" is actually a crate. And we all know what comes in a crate, right?

That's right! It's obvious that each of these crates contains a Tasmanian Devil!

Better be careful! Once unleashed, the Tasmanian Devil is the most feared of all creatures! He eats A tickets, aardvarks, ADRs, annual passes, ants, B tickets, bears, boars, C tickets, cast members, cats, bats, D tickets, dogs, hogs, dragons, E tickets, elephants, antelopes, pheasants, ferrets, giraffes, gazelles, stoats, goats, shoats, ostriches, lions, jackals, muskrats, minks, dingoes, zebras, Fast Passes, Figments, foxes, boxes, octopuses, penguins, people, warthogs, yaks, gnus, newts, walrus, wildebeests, moose, mice, snipes, elk, wapiti, tortoise, roadrunners, elands, fifth gates, foxes, wolves, guinea hen, vultures, eagles, hummingbirds, sea turtles, squids, salamanders, water buffalo, bison, kangaroos, dawes, unicorns, vacation clubs, vixens, wigeons, yaks, yetis, newts, walruses, gnus, wildebeests, XPasses
… and especially DISsers!

SSB

 

[ftballfan7]

Give the cookie to KellyNY.
So true, it felt like only yesterday, when I told DH that it was either "me" or the "bike". He gave up his customized Hyabusa just for me and here we are approaching 10 years of marriage in June!

Hmmm, don't back over my bike on your way out the driveway!

 

[KJay]

Interesting info...all except GMR and The Land are Fastpass (with Indy a part-time gig), and they've been doing something at The Land for a while, with the rumor being to add Fastpass to make up for Test Track's impending refurb.

I thought The Land already had Fastpass- or did I imagine that? I could have sworn I saw the machines when I last visited...

 

[mesaboy2]

I thought The Land already had Fastpass- or did I imagine that? I could have sworn I saw the machines when I last visited...

You are correct--Living with the Land has FP. You caught doconeill in a rare FPFP (FastPass faux pas).

ETA: Now I'm imagining things. I swear I've seen FPs there too, but it's not listed on the park maps. Oh, well.

 

[doconeill]

I thought The Land already had Fastpass- or did I imagine that? I could have sworn I saw the machines when I last visited...

You are correct--Living with the Land has FP. You caught doconeill in a rare FPFP (FastPass faux pas).

ETA: Now I'm imagining things. I swear I've seen FPs there too, but it's not listed on the park maps. Oh, well.

Wait, what? Me make a mistake?!? NO WAY!

I think I was thinking of "The Land" as a pavilion, vs. Living With The Land the attraction, which does have FP but rarely needs it. And then confusing with what it going on at The Seas, where they appear to be building a Fastpass queue for reasons yet to be fathomed... (you see what I did there? Fathomed? The Seas?? )

 

[TacoBaco]

We were there mid February, and I swear I saw a similar box in front of Spaceship Earth?

 

[doconeill]

I think the boxes have often come and gone for various reasons. The timing is a little more interesting this time.

And thinking back, the "box" at TOT might have been there a while.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

Hmmm, don't back over my bike on your way out the driveway!

Strange comment, I don't "hate" bikes.

I think the boxes have often come and gone for various reasons. The timing is a little more interesting this time.

And thinking back, the "box" at TOT might have been there a while.

You started this, I won't give those boxes another thought. I hope you keep us updated on any further developments, if it turns out there is something quite special about the boxes.

~I have an unrelated question. I was just on Disney's website and I don't see anything about a refurb for Test Track. Why is that? I thought TT was supposed to close in April. Did Disney ever make an "official" announcement as to when TT would close or is this just another rumor?

 

[doconeill]

Strange comment, I don't "hate" bikes.

You started this, I won't give those boxes another thought. I hope you keep us updated on any further developments, if it turns out there is something quite special about the boxes.

The box at Star Tours is definitely new...but it's appearance might have caused more notice of the one at TOT.

~I have an unrelated question. I was just on Disney's website and I don't see anything about a refurb for Test Track. Why is that? I thought TT was supposed to close in April. Did Disney ever make an "official" announcement as to when TT would close or is this just another rumor?

Disney has not officially announced when it will close, but they did already say what they are doing to it.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

The box at Star Tours is definitely new...but it's appearance might have caused more notice of the one at TOT.

Disney has not officially announced when it will close, but they did already say what they are doing to it.

~Thank you. I guess it's just an oversight on Disney's behalf as to why TT is not mentioned on the planning website for refurbishment. I did find an official announcement from GM, confirming that TT will close sometime in April.

• ~With the new late FP enforcement and lack of TT, will this change how you tour? Do you have a new strategy?

~Test Track was our first ride! While everyone made a bee line over to Soarin', we went to TT-first, MS-second and then over to Soarin' & Livin' w/the land. We would ride Soarin' standby and pull a FP for later. We would usually leave midday for rest/pool time and return after dinner to use FP's for both TT and Soarin' and watch Illuminations. The lines for Soarin' can get outrageous with FP's and TT. I can only imagine what they are going to be like this summer, right?

~With the new late FP enforcement and lack of TT, I'm thinking we'll ride Soarin' at rope drop standby, but I won't pull an FP because the return times would be far to early for me. This means I would have to keep checking the board until I see my desired return window which is around 8PM.

• ~If you had to guess what time during the day do you think FP's for Soarin' will run out?

• ~Also, is the Nemo ride going to be an FP attraction or is it just getting an enhanced queue?

~Since the name of your thread is aptly titled "Shades of xPASS", I think it's appropriate to post this here.

~It's the latest article from Jim Hill regarding xPASS. I admit I just skimmed it, I like Jim Hill but his writing style does not appeal to me -- at all. Hopefully, you can summarize the key points and offer some insight. Here is a tiny excerpt from his article that caught my eye.

• Jim Hill ~ How xPASS plans on servicing Resort Guests as well as Disney World's day visitors ~Link to full article ---> HERE

And speaking of time ... The more that I talk to Disney insiders, the more that I believe that we're talking years -- rather than months -- before we see full-blown integration & implementation of xPASS (or whatever this system will ultimately be called when it's finally unveiled at the Walt Disney World Resort) in all its permutations.

• ~What's your opinion?

 

[doconeill]

I think it will certainly be a couple years before we see the "full blown" implementation like he says. There are (reportedly) a LOT of things to incorporate, mostly as conveniences. But it doesn't mean some aspects won't be rolled out sooner than later. Especially the ones that they can monetize - that is, sell.

I'm not going to pay just to have my ticket, room key, and photopass placed on an RFID bracelet. What's the advantage to me? Right now, it's only reducing two cards to one.

Attraction and meet&greet customization? Neat, but I don't really need that stuff to enjoy the attraction itself.

But xPASS? Especially as it relates to attraction wait times? That appears to be something people might be willing to pay for. That's why it's likely to be Phase I. But they also need to get a critical mass of attractions to use it with, and they can't wait forever to get the required pieces in place, given how many attractions they need to roll it out to.

 

[KingK12]

OMG that was so funny!

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

~Thanks, so much Doc, I got your PM!

I think it will certainly be a couple years before we see the "full blown" implementation like he says. There are (reportedly) a LOT of things to incorporate, mostly as conveniences. But it doesn't mean some aspects won't be rolled out sooner than later. Especially the ones that they can monetize - that is, sell.

~That's not what he said. He said, the more he talks to his "Disney Insiders" the more he believes that it will be years before we see XPASS. To me, full implementation means ready to roll out. Disney will not charge guests for anything (bracelets, primarily) until this product is ready. Remember, Disney is enhancing all of the queues, that's going to take a long time.

I'm not going to pay just to have my ticket, room key, and photopass placed on an RFID bracelet. What's the advantage to me? Right now, it's only reducing two cards to one.

Attraction and meet&greet customization? Neat, but I don't really need that stuff to enjoy the attraction itself.

But xPASS? Especially as it relates to attraction wait times? That appears to be something people might be willing to pay for. That's why it's likely to be Phase I. But they also need to get a critical mass of attractions to use it with, and they can't wait forever to get the required pieces in place, given how many attractions they need to roll it out to.

~With the new late FP enforcement I cannot wait for XPASS! I don't like having to wait an hour for another fastpass and now we will be criss crossing the parks, it's not like we're just crossing the street.

~I would love to be able to ride Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and all the other attractions in Frontierland and Adventureland "without" having to go over to Tomorrowland just for a Space Mountain FP or vice versa.