No more Stanby line for A&E?

[surferdave]

This thread is almost like a family reunion except none of us have really aged that much. Surferdave....can you send out a bat signal to Shaden?

Shaden mostly hangs out on the resort board now, I'll have to get it aimed just right

 

[mom2rtk]

Shaden mostly hangs out on the resort board now, I'll have to get it aimed just right

You guys crack me up.

Anyone heard if this was handled any different today since it was AM EMH? Did anyone post when the return cards ran out?

 

[igk]

It's amazing the interest/popularity and buzz a WDW M&G creates on here, some parks need to spend millions on attractions that have 4 hour plus waits that break down and sends guests home and hardly gets any attention.

Talk about a business model dream come true.

You stand here and talk to kids as they come through, then take a pic with them. That's the whole attraction? Yep.

I agree it's incredible - but I guess they had to invest the millions to make the original movie to get the popular characters...

 

[maxsmom]

Yeah it is about equality but not everyone has the same chance... I think Disney got it right here with FP+....If I am staying on WDW property I can book 60 days out....of not then 30 days out with valid park admission linked to MDE...so I was up on my 60 day mark and got my A&E and SDMT

So if I am paying a premium to stay at a WDW resort I get a perk....isn't it the same with dining 180+10 to snag the reservations I want????

The late sleepers have more of a chance by reserving FP+ later in the day...don't we all remember TSM and running at RD to get a FP- and then get in line so we can do it twice??? I know I am not alone here, but if you were a late sleeper there was no way you were getting a FP- for TSM or Soarin or TT because they were gone sometimes by 10AM for THE WHOLE DAY!!!!! so you can now wait on line for 2 hours.

This in theory sounds like a good idea

But now you cannot! They've taken that away (for E & A anyways). We have been on all the rides you've mentioned w/ 30 min or less wait time during the summer busy months every yr by going late. Some days we don't even get to the parks until 5. We sleep in hang out at the pool and then head to the park. I was looking forward to FP+. Thinking this just might be better for us. Taking away the standby lines would NOT be ok. If they go that way, then I guess we'll move on to other places. Why would we pay to only be able to do some of the attractions and not the headliners?

 

[Mad Hattered]

Shaden mostly hangs out on the resort board now, I'll have to get it aimed just right

You, my friend, are AWESOME!! I really miss my access to my photo storage while at work. Damn those new Corporate filters. Half the time I can't even see the photos posted but this one showed up perfectly!


But I am curious about how today's Standby+ situation turned out with EMH. I know Practicallyperfect's friend at WDW this week so maybe they will be able to shed some light.

 

[LaurenT]

Actually, it isn't. Anyone remember that guy?

Wasn't there a guy with donkey or something in his name - years ago?

 

[practicallyperfect77]

You, my friend, are AWESOME!! I really miss my access to my photo storage while at work. Damn those new Corporate filters. Half the time I can't even see the photos posted but this one showed up perfectly!

But I am curious about how today's Standby+ situation turned out with EMH. I know Practicallyperfect's friend at WDW this week so maybe they will be able to shed some light.

No new info from my coworker. She's at HS today. Was at MK yesterday tho but they actually got in thru standby line (front of the pack due to a CP prepend adr). I wish I had new info tho. Would love to know how this is working. To be honest, I can kind of see the advantage....I mean I'd rather be given a ticket to come back from2-2:30 vs stand in a 3 hour line. Then again if they did this to other rides (Soarin and TSM come to mind), I think I'd be ticked.

 

[Mad Hattered]

I agree it's incredible - but I guess they had to invest the millions to make the original movie to get the popular characters...

Frozen's production budget was $150 million and that doesn't include marketing. That is about half of what it cost to build all of Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express.

 

[Aurora0427]

Yep, I agree. Don't worry, they'll tweak it a little so it just sucks less.

Hahsha I chuckled at the "sucks a little less" that is perfect.

 

[Mad Hattered]

No new info from my coworker. She's at HS today. Was at MK yesterday tho but they actually got in thru standby line (front of the pack due to a CP prepend adr). I wish I had new info tho. Would love to know how this is working. To be honest, I can kind of see the advantage....I mean I'd rather be given a ticket to come back from2-2:30 vs stand in a 3 hour line. Then again if they did this to other rides (Soarin and TSM come to mind), I think I'd be ticked.

Yeah...that move would create a way worse reaction here than this M&G.

 

[momof2n2]

Then again if they did this to other rides (Soarin and TSM come to mind), I think I'd be ticked.

If it comes to that I won't even visit the BOARD any more, much less WDW.

I'd learn to like hiking or something...

 

[Aurora0427]

I wonder if Disney will waive the $10 dining cancellation fee. Because if FP+ fails me, and at 10am I get a return standby ticket for A&E from 4.30-5:30, that's going to put a wrench in my ADR's I scheduled back in June. I may start telling my kid Anna & Elsa went back to Arendelle for the winter.

 

[maxsmom]

If it comes to that I won't even visit the BOARD any more, much less WDW.

I'd learn to like hiking or something...

I totally agree!

 

[surferdave]

Frozen's production budget was $150 million and that doesn't include marketing. That is about half of what it cost to build all of Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express.

Movies are incredibly hit and miss. The claim (really more of a taunt) that all Disney has to do is make a movie and put a meet & greet in the parks to get this kind of success is more than a little disingenuous. More accurately they had to make about 10-20 movies to hit one that turned out to be this popular (done) and then capitalize on it (not so done - they are still leaving a lot of money on the table with stock outs and missed opportunities in the parks).

 

[practicallyperfect77]

If it comes to that I won't even visit the BOARD any more, much less WDW.

I'd learn to like hiking or something...

I think I'd still go one last time. I am going in Oct with my sis and her 3 kids. Went with my older sis in 2008 and she had 4 kids at the time. Now she has 6. The youngest 2 deserve a trip. However, maybe I could convince them to take a trip out west. =) I can't see no standby ever flying at DL.

 

[momof2n2]

I think I'd still go one last time. I am going in Oct with my sis and her 3 kids. Went with my older sis in 2008 and she had 4 kids at the time. Now she has 6. The youngest 2 deserve a trip. However, maybe I could convince them to take a trip out west. =) I can't see no standby ever flying at DL.

(Yeah. I'm actually planning DLR 5/2015. But was thinking I'd bump it if I can get a good DCL *GT rate next spring & tie it in with WDW. But threads like this and others make me think DLR is the only way to go.)

 

[ArwenMarie]

Just read somewhere else that the reason they are testing this is because there are some customers who don't have smartphones and can't figure out the kiosks and they want to have something to give them that doesn't involve those things, to help them with their waits too. /faceplant-on-desk

ETA Just something I read, I'm not saying this is true or not.

 

[momof2n2]

Just read somewhere else that the reason they are testing this is because there are some customers who don't have smartphones and can't figure out the kiosks and they want to have something to give them that doesn't involve those things, to help them with their waits too. /faceplant-on-desk

What? You mean not everyone has access to a smartphone? You mean they built a whole technology that is device-dependent and it is leaving people out?

 

[surferdave]

Just read somewhere else that the reason they are testing this is because there are some customers who don't have smartphones and can't figure out the kiosks and they want to have something to give them that doesn't involve those things, to help them with their waits too.

/faceplant-on-desk

I don't buy it. There's another reason.

 

[clsteve]

It's amazing the interest/popularity and buzz a WDW M&G creates on here, some parks need to spend millions on attractions that have 4 hour plus waits that break down and sends guests home and hardly gets any attention.

Talk about a business model dream come true.

You stand here and talk to kids as they come through, then take a pic with them. That's the whole attraction? Yep.

Jade, rides break down when they first open- no matter if it's WDW or Universal. I don't see how Gringott's having downtime within first few of weeks of opening has any more relevance to this discussion than 7DMT being down 9 hours out of 15 on opening day or being down for one full day 3 weeks ago.

Disney changing the rules for A&E during Peak Summer, without any official heads up is a real issue in real time.

M&G's aren't a big thing for my family, but I respect someone wanting and willing to wait many hours Stand-by as a priority - especially if they weren't able to score and FP+ for it. Now they can't - even if it's "just" for 3 days....? Believe me, if this happened to HM or PoTC mid vacation and I wasn't able to ride Stand-by because I didn't know about the new, unannounced "rule" and had burned my FP's earlier - big issue.

Everybody has different priorities. Rides breaking down are just part of the experience - unpredictable like the weather. Disney (or Uni) changing their rules unannounced in the middle of a several thousand dollar vacation.... that's the issue