Lines at the entrance gates.

[Fan2CSkr]

Our last visit was such a positive overall experience we had forgotten there was one negative that really bothered us.

My family are all PAP holders. Each morning or anytime we entered for that matter the entrance lines were nuts. One morning we wanted to be there at gate drop. We were about 20th on our line at 8:20A. The lines were all manned waiting for the signal to start allowing people in. I had no problem at all with what time they decided to open but knew its been earlier than the posted 9A lately.

So at around 8:50A they started letting people in. As usual we picked the wrong line! Then we looked around and noticed people being admitted at a snail rate. When it was our turn to enter it was obvious the hold up is for the biometric finger scan used for the multi day tickets. Honestly more times than not they didnt work! It looked like they were so frustrated many times and we watched them just send people through many times during our 5 day stay.

It was a downer to have to stand in those lines to just enter the park! One day after entering my husband wondered why they didnt have a separate AP entrance. I thought it was a good question too so we headed to guest services to ask. We were thanked for our question and told that would never happen and that they were working out the bugs right now with the scan. They also told us shortly all AP holders will be changed to the finger scan too.

To their credit we were there during a busy holiday weekend but it seemed they could have opened more gates, 1/2 were closed with really long lines. Our guest services visit lasted all of 30 seconds and my husband was handed a bunch of express passes for the family as a thank you for being "easy in the morning". That was nice but we were staying onsite. My husband didnt want to insult him by refusing the passes and spent some time looking for a family of 5 on a regular line that would appreciate them.

Anyway! Anyone else have to deal with long lines lately to get into the parks? Anyone on the inside know when they may be changing the whole system over? Thanks!

 

[Seahag]

did you hear anything about on-site guests getting in early?
we never are up that early........lol............but i heard that it is a perk for the on-site guests..........wondered if you had heard anything

 

[flatline]

I wasn't happy when I heard they were switching AP's. WDW hasn't been using the biometric machines during busy periods. BG and SW have pretty much stopped using them altogether, but will ask random people for ID. UO's are the perfect solution, and I've never had a problem with them being scanned right away at the gates.

I hope they don't put thumb scanners at every restaurant and store for security against discounts as well.

 

[robvia]

That's why I tell everyone to show up at 8am and be first to the gate. I realize many are on vacation, but the word has spread to arrive early. By 08:30am, the lines go past the ticket booths.

Yes, it is a bummer waiting on people to go thru, sign tickets, and wait as they get stuck. But the good news, is that if you go in at 8am, you have the entire park to yourself for a few rides.

 

[cbdmhgp]

did you hear anything about on-site guests getting in early?
we never are up that early........lol............but i heard that it is a perk for the on-site guests..........wondered if you had heard anything

that is true how guest staying at on-site hotels can get in early , but that's at WDW.My family and I have been getting there around 8:00- 8:15 a.m. , and we're some of the first people in.

 

[phamton]

Universal does do some early entrance for onsite guest who purchase vacation packages with that included. I don't believe they are offering it right now but it does happen several times a year.

 

[HolliePoppins]

A little off topic but.... I am all for getting there as early as possible but do they have bathrooms outside the park entrances? lol Thanks all.

 

[phamton]

Yes, yes, they do have bathrooms outside both parks. They are on the right near the Guest Service windows at both parks.

 

[mytwotinks]

I guess that I don't get what the difference would be for a AP only line. I have only used an AP to get in the parks and I have had to do the scan. So wouldn't that line move just as slow?

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I guess that I don't get what the difference would be for a AP only line. I have only used an AP to get in the parks and I have had to do the scan. So wouldn't that line move just as slow?

Any and every time we've entered with our AP we went right through, no signing anything and no finger scan.

 

[Figment22]

BG and SW have pretty much stopped using them altogether, but will ask random people for ID. UO's are the perfect solution, and I've never had a problem with them being scanned right away at the gates.

We have AP's at BGT and SW and were at both parks several times this past week. We had to use the biometric scanners each time we went. IMO, they work much better than the finger scans at USF/IOA. It's been great as a UO AP holder NOT to have to do the finger scan thing. I'm sorry to hear that will be changing soon.

Personally, I don't get the benefit of the finger scans due to what I've seen happen at the gates. Someone will have a problem with the finger scan and have access denied, do it again and have access denied, do it a third time and have access denied and then the employee at the gate will push some button and let them in the park. So, what's the benefit if they're going to let everyone in anyway???

 

[flatline]

We have AP's at BGT and SW and were at both parks several times this past week. We had to use the biometric scanners each time we went. IMO, they work much better than the finger scans at USF/IOA. It's been great as a UO AP holder NOT to have to do the finger scan thing. I'm sorry to hear that will be changing soon.

Personally, I don't get the benefit of the finger scans due to what I've seen happen at the gates. Someone will have a problem with the finger scan and have access denied, do it again and have access denied, do it a third time and have access denied and then the employee at the gate will push some button and let them in the park. So, what's the benefit if they're going to let everyone in anyway???

maybe they're firing them up again with school being out and the crowds coming back. I've had to squeeze my fingers less than 5 times so far this year. I know what you mean about the override, but usually you have to show ID to get them to do it. I've seen the bio's actually spun backwards at the parks this year so you couldn't access them. maybe it has something to do with crowd projections.

 

[AlexandNessa]

Ick! Just say no to finger scans!

I thought that was the purpose of having your picture on your AP. Granted, one CM thought that Mike looked nothing like his AP picture (same haircut all of 2 years later) and questioned him, but she was the only one who ever did that. Really, we had a laugh that she either had bad eyesight or was having a bad day. No one seemed to ever question my going from light brown to blonde....

Anyway .... I agree that the lines to get in were long at times. Families were disorganized, not having signed their tickets, not being sure which tickets were whose, and then there was the matter of the scanners not always working, etc.

We usually snuck over to the "Re-Entry line" which was shorter, but I think anyone can use that line. It was just shorter because it was all the way over ot the left.

Luckily, it wasn't too too hot while we were there, but I can certainly see it being frustrating waiting a half hour to get into the park in the heat. It's not like the entry areas are shaded.

 

[phamton]

You may be worrying for nothing. Right now there are no plans to change the old APs to fingerscan just the new ones. There also is no set date for changing to the fingerscan for the new APs. It's all a "wait and see" right now. As of right now, the only APs with fingerscans are the 13 month FlexPay.

 

[flatline]

can we get new pics for our AP's taken? Aly keeps getting questioned because she's grown up so much and I look like a serial killer.

 

[phamton]

can we get new pics for our AP's taken? Aly keeps getting questioned because she's grown up so much and I look like a serial killer.

Absolutely! Just go to Vacation Services and they will make you another one for free.

 

[tricky1]

I was thinking the same thing on are recent trip, we waited an average
of atleast 20-30 mins to get in not because of long lines but finger scans
and mixed up tickets ..signing the ticket.
It seems that using one turnstile for single day tickets and pass holders
would be worth a try just to see if it helps.....they should try it oct 8th thru
13th this year

 

[Fan2CSkr]

can we get new pics for our AP's taken? Aly keeps getting questioned because she's grown up so much and I look like a serial killer.

We all just had our pics redone, wish I could say they were better! Go see Cheech at Vacation Services in USO.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I was thinking the same thing on are recent trip, we waited an average
of atleast 20-30 mins to get in not because of long lines but finger scans
and mixed up tickets ..signing the ticket.
It seems that using one turnstile for single day tickets and pass holders
would be worth a try just to see if it helps.....they should try it oct 8th thru
13th this year

The lines never seemed too horrible the wait is what was horrible for the same reasons you stated. Since Guest Services told me it was in the works to change AP's entrance to the scan and Phamton says its not I guess I was just pacified. I wish they would create a separate line to not have to deal with that crap. They could try it out Oct8-13 since I'll be there the week after and you can let me know how it went!

 

[phamton]

It is in the works but as of right now they haven't decided when or if the ones who have picuture APs will change.