News Round Up 2016

[rteetz]

Photo update

Some great avatar photos. Looks like they are starting to cover the steel support to look like vines.

http://damouse.com/2016/02/24/pandora-the-world-of-avatar-rises-now-with-more-than-steel/

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The most interesting thing going is whether or not the tiering rolls out.

I'm thinks no...because I think they'll try to get ahead of the message on that...and there's too much ripped up currently.

 

[a4matte]

Well actually the entirety of Jim and Len's thoughts on Frozen's FP+ dilemma is that Frozen Ever After as well as Three Caballeros will open with Future World and FEA will be FP exclusive until World Showcase opens at 11 and then the standby line will begin loading.

I think opening Frozen as FP only until the regular opening time of the countries would make the most sense. You'd get a nice chunk of people out of the way first thing in the morning. Having an entire ride like that, which will be insanely popular for at lease the first year or so, would cause a lot of problems and PO'd guests. It's one thing to wait in line, but to be there for a 1 day trip or if you weren't able to get the FP at all and then being told, "Well, sucks to be you. No stand by." would not go over well at all. On top of that you'd have a nonstop cluster of guests standing there arguing with the cast member about the FP Only rule when it's entirely out of their control... It would be a complete nightmare.

 

[Eoghann]

There's very little doubt that Frozen AND Soarin' and Test Track will all stay Tier 1. They may drop other things from Tier 1 in the process, but those 3 (or 4 including the M&G) will all remain Tier 1. However, we've always found that between rope drop and Fast Passes we can usually get in all the top rides, and have no doubt we will do that again.

That seems short sighted of them to me. The purpose of the tiers is to spread guests out. So you don't want all your big attractions in the one tier, because then people will just go standby for everything.

Right now there's nothing on Tier 2 that actually needs a fast pass. I mean, Spaceship Earth? If you add Frozen to Soarin', Test Track and Mission Space that seems incredibly lopsided.

But yes, particularly in Epcot if you're willing to do ropedrop getting to everything is not hard.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Personally I think they should just ditch tiers altogether. They don't tier MK, and have no problem dispersing FP+ throughout the park.

 

[Eoghann]

We have actually gotten into another good one here...preplanning how to navigate "tiers" for "new soarin" and olaf's boat cruise.

Why are tiers acceptable? Why were they ever? Good enough for your $105 ticket last year or your $135 "gold" ticket next year?

Well of course you know why the exist. Because Epcot doesn't have enough rides.

Personally I find them tolerable, but only because I'm a rope drop type of visitor anyway so they don't get in my way. Seriously though, look at the list of Tier 2 rides, it's a joke!

 

[Eoghann]

Personally I think they should just ditch tiers altogether. They don't tier MK, and have no problem dispersing FP+ throughout the park.

Thats because there's a lot more rides in the MK so people disperse themselves. Wouldn't happen in Epcot.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

That seems short sighted of them to me. The purpose of the tiers is to spread guests out. So you don't want all your big attractions in the one tier, because then people will just go standby for everything.

Right now there's nothing on Tier 2 that actually needs a fast pass. I mean, Spaceship Earth? If you add Frozen to Soarin', Test Track and Mission Space that seems incredibly lopsided.

But yes, particularly in Epcot if you're willing to do ropedrop getting to everything is not hard.

Actually... The last few times I was there (late October and early December) I was pretty pleased to have my spaceship earth fp. The line was pretty long.

If you're into characters it's also helpful to have a character connection fp. But yeah, besides that the tier 2 Epcot fast passes are worthless.

I'm guessing at the very least living with the land will go back to tier two since frozen will not have a height restriction.

I'm kind of wondering if they do away with tiers all together for Epcot fastpasses, what with increased capacity of soarin fastpass.

If not, I'm guessing tier one is test track, soarin and the frozen ride.

Which would mean I'd personally need several Epcot days. I want to see the new frozen ride (rip Maelstrom you'll always be in my heart), but I'll also want to see the new soarin film see several times.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Personally I think they should just ditch tiers altogether. They don't tier MK, and have no problem dispersing FP+ throughout the park.

They can't...and nobody gives them any crap about it...

They spent 14 years implementing and tweaking the fast pass system...but in that time have failed horribly in implementing additions to satisfy the uptick in attendance property wide. As we have discussed a million times...it's probably just about a bet zero due to closures.

 

[Eoghann]

Actually... The last few times I was there (late October and early December) I was pretty pleased to have my spaceship earth fp. The line was pretty long.

Really? That ride is a people eater and my last trip (December 2014) we practically walked on. Then again, I do rope drop... maybe if I hadn't got there until 11am it would have been a different story.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Really? That ride is a people eater and my last trip (December 2014) we practically walked on. Then again, I do rope drop... maybe if I hadn't got there until 11am it would have been a different story.

I do rope drop. I just don't go on spaceship earth at rope drop. I spend that time on a couple test track rides and a ride on soarin (which can take a lot of time even if you walk right in).

I really think all the wait times have exploded in the last year. But that point has been debated to death on these boards.

I do agree with you that in 2014 the fp for spaceship earth would have been a waste.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Spaceship Earth ebbs and flows. When the largest set of people arrive (9/10AM) there will be a line, but it moves pretty quickly. If it's early or later in the day, there is barely a line at all.

 

[skier_pete]

That seems short sighted of them to me. The purpose of the tiers is to spread guests out. So you don't want all your big attractions in the one tier, because then people will just go standby for everything.

Right now there's nothing on Tier 2 that actually needs a fast pass. I mean, Spaceship Earth? If you add Frozen to Soarin', Test Track and Mission Space that seems incredibly lopsided.

But yes, particularly in Epcot if you're willing to do ropedrop getting to everything is not hard.

No - I think you are incorrect on the assumption of the purpose of the tiers - the idea isn't to spread people out (well - partly this), it's to make sure everyone is able to get at least ONE of the premium rides. Disney put Soarin and Test Track as Tier 1, and then made it so you could only select ONE of those rides. If everyone could pick BOTH of them, most people would, and there wouldn't be enough FP to keep everyone happy.

So the same will happen with Frozen. By having Frozen, Soarin' AND Test Track as Tier 1s, you then make sure EVERYONE gets at least one of those 3. At first, FROZEN will be the high demand, but after a year or so, it will probably level out with the other two.

 

[rteetz]

Spaceship Earth ebbs and flows. When the largest set of people arrive (9/10AM) there will be a line, but it moves pretty quickly. If it's early or later in the day, there is barely a line at all.

However without FP it never had a long line before because it was a people eater.

 

[rteetz]

News

Disney Quest hours cut.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...16-disney-quest-operating-hours-to-be-cut.htm

I don't know if this is specifically due to Shanghai because this just doesn't get much traffic anymore. I can't see it being incredibly profitable.

 

[LSLS]

Magic Kingdom still doesn't have tiers last I remembered. So if Ana/Elsa weren't a separate tier in MK, I doubt it will be here. My guess is you will have the Frozen ride take over for Living with the lands, leaving you with something like:

Tier 1
Frozen
Soarin
Test Track
Illuminations

Tier 2
Living with the Lands
Character Spot
Meet Ana/Elsa
Mission Space
Spaceship Earth
Turtle Talk
The Seas

Honestly, with a 3 year old, I can find some good things for Fastpasses in that grouping.

 

[rteetz]

News

New menu items at Palo on DCL

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2016/02/disney-cruise-line-debuts-new-menu-items-at-palo/

 

[rteetz]

News

March merchandise events at WDW

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...walt-disney-world-merchandise-event-snapshot/

 

[mollmoll4]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...-march-7-at-disney-california-adventure-park/

Looks like Luigi's in DCA finally has a reopen date (sorry if this is a repeat, but I didn't see this info).

 

[rteetz]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...-march-7-at-disney-california-adventure-park/

Looks like Luigi's in DCA finally has a reopen date (sorry if this is a repeat, but I didn't see this info).

I put this in its own thread.