not happy with standby rant

[alvernon90]

I was really impressed that my girl kept her patience because i was loosing mine as we stood on that bridge for 50 minutes as fastpass kept blowing by us.

That is very impressive for a kid, but it also points to something that I think lots of people on the boards would do well to remember: sometimes sticking to the plan is not what makes kids the happiest. They change their minds quickly, and maybe they wanted to meet Ariel very badly before the trip began, but right now they are happier to wait for Splash than run off to see Ariel.

It's great that you worked it for both, but I also think it's great that you rolled the dice and stuck with Splash because that's what everyone wanted in the moment, instead of bowing to the oppression of the preexisting FP+.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Oh that is so annoying! I could see how that could happen, with the rides being so close together, both being major headliners and both being of the same thrill level roughly.

 

[mousehockey37]

Thanks. Forgot to add me running carrying her from splash mountain to the grotto through a rather high traffic day with my wife being lead blocker.

Yeah, not the smartest idea. The me, me, me mentality wins again. Putting people's safety at risk to meet a character... Lemme guess, your wife was using the stroller as a plow?

It seems the CMs should have warned people that the SB wait was getting really long. I guess you could look at the app, but I have to admit, I don't know if I would have thought to look for the wait time, once I was already in line. You can't see the displayed time once you are in line, so you don't really know. Some rides, you can't even see the FP+ line, so that's no help either.

It's not up to the CMs to do anything at that point. You're "on your own" so to speak. Disney isn't going to send CMs out as personal assistants to tell you that "we see you have another event coming up, but the line's getting long... you might want to head to your other event".

I'm guessing they need some dynamic load management that leaves the closest "E" ticket off the list of alternate FP+ locations to avoid exactly what happened to OP...

No. The system works the way it should. Sorry bout yer luck if you happen to be in a short standby line for an attraction which can be a FP+ alternative if a ride close by goes down. Disney has no reason at this time to change it so that the ride within X proximity of Y attraction that goes down is off limits to the FP+ compensation.

 

[alvernon90]

Disney has no reason at this time to change it so that the ride within X proximity of Y attraction that goes down is off limits to the FP+ compensation.

No reason? How about the fact that the current system will lead to a massive spike in demand at a nearby attraction, thus defeating the entire "spread out the crowds" purpose of the FP+ system? That might not be a good enough reason to Disney, or it might be a good enough reason but Disney IT people are too incompetent to implement it correctly, but it's not "no reason" to change.

 

[Planogirl]

Yeah, not the smartest idea. The me, me, me mentality wins again. Putting people's safety at risk to meet a character... Lemme guess, your wife was using the stroller as a plow?



It's not up to the CMs to do anything at that point. You're "on your own" so to speak. Disney isn't going to send CMs out as personal assistants to tell you that "we see you have another event coming up, but the line's getting long... you might want to head to your other event".



No. The system works the way it should. Sorry bout yer luck if you happen to be in a short standby line for an attraction which can be a FP+ alternative if a ride close by goes down. Disney has no reason at this time to change it so that the ride within X proximity of Y attraction that goes down is off limits to the FP+ compensation.

Wow. You've never hurried through a crowd?

That snarkiness aside, Disney could make announcements or develop their much praised MDE to send people alerts. If Disney is using the new system to control crowds, well maybe they should actually control crowds.

 

[AJ1983]

People love anytime fp's! There are always some exclusions anyways. TSMM at HS is almost always excluded from an anytime FP when a ride is down.

We must have gotten lucky because we got any anytime FP that included TSMM. Maybe that was because we actually broke down on TDMM and had to be evacuated? The pass was good for any Tier 1 attraction and valid for anytime until close of business until April 30th...and this was April 16th

 

[mousehockey37]

No reason? How about the fact that the current system will lead to a massive spike in demand at a nearby attraction, thus defeating the entire "spread out the crowds" purpose of the FP+ system? That might not be a good enough reason to Disney, or it might be a good enough reason but Disney IT people are too incompetent to implement it correctly, but it's not "no reason" to change.

When this scenario happens, Disney gives the FP holders (for the ride that is down) the capability of coming back to the same ride later OR going to one of several other rides. What those people decide to do with those options is out of Disney's hands and should NOT be dictated by Disney. Therefore, currently, the system is working as it should. Again, sorry bout yer luck if you're in the standby line of that nearby attraction, but remember, there are only a certain amount of FP's given per hour per ride, so the spike should not be that significant (as pointed out earlier by someone else in the thread).

Wow. You've never hurried through a crowd?

That snarkiness aside, Disney could make announcements or develop their much praised MDE to send people alerts. If Disney is using the new system to control crowds, well maybe they should actually control crowds.

I've had to hurry, but a Disney crowd is not the place, and with the entitlement factor multiplied immensely, the "me" factor leads to people using strollers as plows and running for things that aren't needed.

That aside, it's not on Disney to make announcements that a ride is down. They also DO send you an email (why an email who knows), but they DO make contact to tell you that you have a FP that is good for use on rides X, Y, Z because your ride was down during your scheduled FP.

 

[smitch425]

Well, apparently, a lot of them did when OP was there...

Yes, but HOW does OP know that? That's what I want to know. Did they give everyone in the STANDBY line AND FP line a FP for Splash? The timing just doesn't add up for it to be ONLY a FP+ issue.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't think there is anything else Disney can do. When a park is open 365 days a year rides will break down, and that will affect the other rides. All we can do when that happens is make the best of it. And it sounds like you did that OP.

 

[Planogirl]

I've had to hurry, but a Disney crowd is not the place, and with the entitlement factor multiplied immensely, the "me" factor leads to people using strollers as plows and running for things that aren't needed.

That aside, it's not on Disney to make announcements that a ride is down. They also DO send you an email (why an email who knows), but they DO make contact to tell you that you have a FP that is good for use on rides X, Y, Z because your ride was down during your scheduled FP.

I don't know if the OP used a stroller so I won't comment on that.

However, the idea of using MDE to distribute crowds isn't a bad one. However they can't send people from a broken down ride to another ride (if that is the case) without affecting those waiting standby at the still open ride. Part of controlling crowds wouldn't be just sending FP+ holders elsewhere but would also account for those waiting standby. If those people are ignored then MDE isn't doing much to distribute crowds evenly.

 

[larryz]

Yes, but HOW does OP know that? That's what I want to know. Did they give everyone in the STANDBY line AND FP line a FP for Splash? The timing just doesn't add up for it to be ONLY a FP+ issue.

Well, I know if I had a FP for BTMRR and I'm almost there, and I get an email or message in MDE saying BTMRR is down and I can now ride Splash in the FP line, I'm probably going to do it. So you have not only all the pre-scheduled Splash FPs, but now also all the FPs in line and FPs headed for BTMRR. Two rides worth of FPs in a particular time block, and the closest E-ticket is Splash.

 

[mousehockey37]

I don't know if the OP used a stroller so I won't comment on that.

However, the idea of using MDE to distribute crowds isn't a bad one. However they can't send people from a broken down ride to another ride (if that is the case) without affecting those waiting standby at the still open ride. Part of controlling crowds wouldn't be just sending FP+ holders elsewhere but would also account for those waiting standby. If those people are ignored then MDE isn't doing much to distribute crowds evenly.

This is MDE's Jurassic Park (movie, not ride) moment. Crowd control is an illusion. They can send out anything they want, they can sky write it with a bi-plane if they wanted to... You aren't going to control the crowds. The sheeple are going to go where they want. The FP holders that can't use their FP due to the ride being down get the communication and have the options. If you are in the standby line, you don't get the FP for another ride. You either get to wait, or you have to go elsewhere. With Splash and Big Thunder being so close, it's going to happen that one goes to the other.

A flaw that you aren't realizing is that if you don't have a FP+ for the ride that is broken down, Disney only has a "relative" idea of where you are. You don't scan your band to get in the standby line. Disney knows what park you are in and potentially where you might be in a park, but for them to send out text blasts of every ride shutdown to every guest? Not gonna happen. The last thing someone wants is to be having their phone going crazy because they're getting blasts from Disney that this ride is down, now back up, now this is down, back up. Imagine the lawsuit Disney could face if they implemented something like that because they ran someone's phone bill up because of text blasts of ride closures and openings...

 

[mousehockey37]

Well, I know if I had a FP for BTMRR and I'm almost there, and I get an email or message in MDE saying BTMRR is down and I can now ride Splash in the FP line, I'm probably going to do it. So you have not only all the pre-scheduled Splash FPs, but now also all the FPs in line and FPs headed for BTMRR. Two rides worth of FPs in a particular time block, and the closest E-ticket is Splash.

The thing people overlook is that you can use that FP for the rides they list to you at pretty much anytime through a certain date. You don't have to use it right away. It also includes coming back to the ride that was broken down and riding that using the FP lane. So while the instinct is there to use it, some will, others won't. That's the part that Disney can't control.

 

[Planogirl]

There's a lot that Disney can't control and that is really my point. Too much can happen and it's correct that people will do what they want. MDE doesn't seem to be particularly useful when it comes to controlling crowds in many ways.

 

[mousehockey37]

Wow. You've never hurried through a crowd?

Disney could make announcements or develop their much praised MDE to send people alerts. If Disney is using the new system to control crowds, well maybe they should actually control crowds.

I don't know if the OP used a stroller so I won't comment on that.

However, the idea of using MDE to distribute crowds isn't a bad one. However they can't send people from a broken down ride to another ride (if that is the case) without affecting those waiting standby at the still open ride. Part of controlling crowds wouldn't be just sending FP+ holders elsewhere but would also account for those waiting standby. If those people are ignored then MDE isn't doing much to distribute crowds evenly.

There's a lot that Disney can't control and that is really my point. Too much can happen and it's correct that people will do what they want. MDE doesn't seem to be particularly useful when it comes to controlling crowds in many ways.

So what exactly is your stance here?

How do you propose Disney get to riders in a standby line of a certain attraction? Disney has no idea who those guests are. You don't scan your band for standby. The only way they could, in theory, would be to take the log of everyone that has scanned their band somewhere in the MK, whether it be a shop, the front gate, etc and blast them with a text message and have the assumption that everyone checks their phone. Believe it or not, people still turn off the phones when they're on vacation or very seldom check it. With the app, it does make it easier to manage parts of your trip, but I don't know anyone who wants to pick up their phone on vacation to 100+ messages from Disney with every little thing that's happening in a certain park they are or were in (because if you haven't scanned your band for somewhere else, you should technically still be on the blast list).

 

[Planogirl]

So what exactly is your stance here?

How do you propose Disney get to riders in a standby line of a certain attraction? Disney has no idea who those guests are. You don't scan your band for standby. The only way they could, in theory, would be to take the log of everyone that has scanned their band somewhere in the MK, whether it be a shop, the front gate, etc and blast them with a text message and have the assumption that everyone checks their phone. Believe it or not, people still turn off the phones when they're on vacation or very seldom check it. With the app, it does make it easier to manage parts of your trip, but I don't know anyone who wants to pick up their phone on vacation to 100+ messages from Disney with every little thing that's happening in a certain park they are or were in (because if you haven't scanned your band for somewhere else, you should technically still be on the blast list).

Announcements of some sort in the standby lines via speakers to let them know that their wait time might have increased? This could be good for those who have other FP+ or ADR's to be concerned with. People constantly post that they missed their time for something else.

I don't know. I'm not a park planner but I often hear that MDE was developed to distribute crowds. Aren't most people standby or in no line at all? That tells me that most visitors aren't being controlled by MDE at all.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think this story is a really good example of how Standby has changed since FP+. It is turning more and more into true standby and I think we will see this increase as time goes on. They'll move as many spots as they want to the FP system if it means locking people in (like Anna and Elsa with their three-hour waits). And so the march to an (almost) all-reservation ride system continues.

When they had all of these FPs from broken-down BTMRR to accommodate, sure, why not move them into Splash. They don't CARE what happens to the Standby line. It's FP+ that must be seen as the success.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

It seems like they are doing an automatic 'ride almost anything else for your fastpass' when a ride breaks down. If Thunder Mtn breaks down (happened to us a few tines this month), you can ride almost anything else. Instead of walking over to Space Mtn or something, they will just go next door instead to Splash Mtn. Its not necessarily that the FPs for Thunder Mtn got moved to Splash, its just people looking to use their FPs on something close by that wasn't broken down. When Thunder mtn broke down, Splash's line grew and grew. We just left and came back later. Unfortunately the day Space Mtn went down, it never did come back up again. Fortunately, we have annual passes now and our friends had already ridden it, so we will get another day. Others were definitely cashing that FP blank into something else... These days, it automatically emails you when a ride goes down too that you have an FP for... Hope that helps..

 

[mousehockey37]

Announcements of some sort in the standby lines via speakers to let them know that their wait time might have increased? This could be good for those who have other FP+ or ADR's to be concerned with. People constantly post that they missed their time for something else.

I don't know. I'm not a park planner but I often hear that MDE was developed to distribute crowds. Aren't most people standby or in no line at all? That tells me that most visitors aren't being controlled by MDE at all.

Disney won't go to making the standby lines sound like an airport terminal. If people haven't moved or are moving slower than normal through a queue and have other arrangements, well, they're (for the most part) adults and should be able to make that decision that "we're not going to get on the ride and we need to head to our other pre-made arrangements.".

 

[WillAustin]

I don't know. I'm not a park planner but I often hear that MDE was developed to distribute crowds. Aren't most people standby or in no line at all? That tells me that most visitors aren't being controlled by MDE at all.

I think its goal is distributing crowds to best disguise rationing of limited capacity.