ehagerty
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2001
- Messages
- 2,099
This trip, I noticed concerted efforts to address the fore-attraction (queue) and post-attraction (exit) limitations I remembered from our 1993 trip and documented in Part #30.
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Attraction Ins - Line Queues:
Newer queues seemed to be built indoors (cooler), with some attempt to paint the walls and hand rails to match the theme. There is still not much in the way of story build up (Mummy, Spiderman - although Terminator and Schrek were decent), but the transition / shock is lessened and it is physically (generally) more comfortable.
The newer rides (both US and WDW) seem to be built with fast/express pass and single riders in mind (Mission Space was a premier example), allowing maximum ride load, with a minimum of fuss by others who were waiting.
US vs WDW line queue management. US has a lot to learn, starting with customer perception of fairness & efficiency:
1. When I was waiting in a Disney queue (with no FOTL options, just fast pass like everyone else), I always felt the queuing was fair. I also thought the queue managers (they probably have some nicer, customer-oriented name by now) were very competent and pleasant. The US queue managers seemed to act on intuition / impulse or some other hidden thought process that didnt always seem apparent to me. Other people waiting were less tolerant, hollering recommendations, often resulting in the squeaky wheels getting greased, which further aggravated most of us.
2. As for Express Pass, a total stranger stopped me to complain about how he was sold a book of express passes (1 pass per ride for $20) and told he could get through all the rides in 3 hours (dont know who told him THAT, just relaying his comments) and he had to wait in the Express Line for Mummy for 75 minutes. Well, I know Mummy was down almost as often as it was up, being new and all. My husband didnt even get to finish the ride and had to be escorted off of it but Ill cover that under attractions . Still, this man was loudly claiming he was going to sue for mis-representing Express Pass (no, he was not from New York, but a Harley guy from the mid-south-west) .. Anyway, his was not the only grousing voice, freely offered, in my short time there (I must either look like an employee or like I care and I know it wasnt the latter .)
In summary: I was talking to my SeaWorld friend about how theme park business seems to be doing well in Orlando this June. She noted that, yes, it had picked up quite a bit, resulting in some scrambling for the part-time workers. She claims there is a strata of kids who would rather work at US where they can talk to their friends than at Sea World or Disney where youre expected to focus on the customer. Well, Id say, even though it wasnt BAD, you could definitely see what she was talking about in action at US/IOA. Many were nice, there just wasnt the same level of focus and/or customer interaction.
The Attraction Exits
Newer exits have followed the Disney model of placing a theme-related gift shop at the end of a ride. I, for one, have never been bothered by this crass commercialism that has been mentioned by other writers, for the following reasons:
- It is usually well done (at least at Disney), so that the transition is pleasant and thematically continuous with the ride you just left.
- It provides a extension out of the ride, making it seem longer, and avoids that dumping you in an alley sensation. A gradual let-down one YOU control by how long you decide to linger.
- Lots of people WANT gifts / mementos
- I figure gift shop dollars are a revenue stream for Disney / US. If other people WANT to buy stuff, and those revenue dollars help keep the price of tickets down for people like me (who seldom buy stuff), well thats what I call win-win.
Coming next: US/IOA Attraction Summary
------------------------------------------------------
Attraction Ins - Line Queues:
Newer queues seemed to be built indoors (cooler), with some attempt to paint the walls and hand rails to match the theme. There is still not much in the way of story build up (Mummy, Spiderman - although Terminator and Schrek were decent), but the transition / shock is lessened and it is physically (generally) more comfortable.
The newer rides (both US and WDW) seem to be built with fast/express pass and single riders in mind (Mission Space was a premier example), allowing maximum ride load, with a minimum of fuss by others who were waiting.
US vs WDW line queue management. US has a lot to learn, starting with customer perception of fairness & efficiency:
1. When I was waiting in a Disney queue (with no FOTL options, just fast pass like everyone else), I always felt the queuing was fair. I also thought the queue managers (they probably have some nicer, customer-oriented name by now) were very competent and pleasant. The US queue managers seemed to act on intuition / impulse or some other hidden thought process that didnt always seem apparent to me. Other people waiting were less tolerant, hollering recommendations, often resulting in the squeaky wheels getting greased, which further aggravated most of us.
2. As for Express Pass, a total stranger stopped me to complain about how he was sold a book of express passes (1 pass per ride for $20) and told he could get through all the rides in 3 hours (dont know who told him THAT, just relaying his comments) and he had to wait in the Express Line for Mummy for 75 minutes. Well, I know Mummy was down almost as often as it was up, being new and all. My husband didnt even get to finish the ride and had to be escorted off of it but Ill cover that under attractions . Still, this man was loudly claiming he was going to sue for mis-representing Express Pass (no, he was not from New York, but a Harley guy from the mid-south-west) .. Anyway, his was not the only grousing voice, freely offered, in my short time there (I must either look like an employee or like I care and I know it wasnt the latter .)
In summary: I was talking to my SeaWorld friend about how theme park business seems to be doing well in Orlando this June. She noted that, yes, it had picked up quite a bit, resulting in some scrambling for the part-time workers. She claims there is a strata of kids who would rather work at US where they can talk to their friends than at Sea World or Disney where youre expected to focus on the customer. Well, Id say, even though it wasnt BAD, you could definitely see what she was talking about in action at US/IOA. Many were nice, there just wasnt the same level of focus and/or customer interaction.
The Attraction Exits
Newer exits have followed the Disney model of placing a theme-related gift shop at the end of a ride. I, for one, have never been bothered by this crass commercialism that has been mentioned by other writers, for the following reasons:
- It is usually well done (at least at Disney), so that the transition is pleasant and thematically continuous with the ride you just left.
- It provides a extension out of the ride, making it seem longer, and avoids that dumping you in an alley sensation. A gradual let-down one YOU control by how long you decide to linger.
- Lots of people WANT gifts / mementos
- I figure gift shop dollars are a revenue stream for Disney / US. If other people WANT to buy stuff, and those revenue dollars help keep the price of tickets down for people like me (who seldom buy stuff), well thats what I call win-win.
Coming next: US/IOA Attraction Summary
