Proof WDW inflates wait times during off peak season

[maxiesmom]

The advantage is Disney saving money...it's always about how they can get the most money, by providing less and less. It's a business and I get that, but it seems like they've been increasingly getting more and more greedy while providing less and less to their "guests."

How does it have money?

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Needing to is a matter of perspective. They never "need to," but while you may be happy and not be bothered to wait 45 mins for pirates because they're sending every other boat empty, many others, myself included find that pretty aggravating.

I'm not sure why you're trying so hard to come up with so many excuses as to why Disney may have just been forced to do this and fight so hard against the pretty standard consensus and logic, that this in fact just something that Disney CHOOSES to do to save money...it happens frequently. Sure there are times when it's out of their control (like someone throwing up,) but it's also fact that they do choose to understaff to save money during "off-peak" times. That's their right as a business, but there's no reason to act like that's not what's really going in as 9 times out of 10 it is.

Please tell me how I’m making excuses? Based on the times of when the person took a picture of Space (parks opened at 9 a.m. that week), I have never seen Space Mountain run 2 sides 2 hours into the park opening. Based on the picture, it looks like they were getting ready to open the other side.

The person never shared a picture of Pirates when that experience actually took place. Therefore, I just assumed it was still in the early morning or late evening.

I agreed that the teacups situation was odd.

I sorta agreed that RnRC was odd, and the experience I shared is the only situation I could think of. There are endless possibilities why they would have done that. I just know for that ride when they have to do a longer than scheduled stop, they can’t load every train.

I agree that Disney does this, because I listened to the interview that I talked about at the end of my post.

So, where was I making excuses? I posted my experiences.

 

[a11ie]

I think Disney is shooting themselves in the foot by doing this. Does it save money? Yes, currently it does. However, long run, it does not. If you inflate wait times during "non peak" times what is stopping me from saying "to hell with face melting September"? There's no incentive to go during a non peak time if I'm still experiencing peak waits.
They want people to visit in September, that's why they offer things like free dining and discounted rooms. If you're losing guest interest because you're adding extra wait time to rides its still a "lose", in my opinion.

**edited to add***
I would push my Sept 2019 trip back to October next year if I wasn't so worried about SWGE opening on time/early.

 

[snappy]

I think Disney is shooting themselves in the foot by doing this. Does it save money? Yes, currently it does. However, long run, it does not. If you inflate wait times during "non peak" times what is stopping me from saying "to hell with face melting September"? There's no incentive to go during a non peak time if I'm still experiencing peak waits.
They want people to visit in September, that's why they offer things like free dining and discounted rooms. If you're losing guest interest because you're adding extra wait time to rides its still a "lose", in my opinion.

I couldn’t agree more, I think they manage ride capacity and staffing costs based on attendance just because they can, without considering guest experience. So different from a few years ago.

 

[hiroMYhero]

There have been a number of threads regarding this topic and there was also an Unplugged podcast where this was the topic and where experts who keep park stats were involved.

This has been in place at Disneyland for 30 years or more. Disney correlates attendance and standard wait times and runs the attractions accordingly. It can be quite annoying to be the only people in line at BTMRR or Pirates and watch an empty vehicle or two take off before you are finally loaded on.

Please continue to discuss this Disney procedure in a civil manner. Thanks!

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

I can almost see closing half a loading zone like space mountain or dinosaur since they could save on the cost of staffing it, but what are they saving if they leave every other pirate boat or RNR empty? Or better yet, the tea cups..... the ride itself is still running! I’m lost

Pirates has two lines that load from opposite sides. If every other boat is empty it’s possible the second line was closed. We often see this first thing in the mornings too.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

Based on the times of when the person took a picture of Space (parks opened at 9 a.m. that week)

EMH park opened at 8:00am

The person never shared a picture of Pirates when that experience actually took place. Therefore, I just assumed it was still in the early morning or late evening.

I know it was mid day. Every morning was a different part of the park and we only stayed late 2 times and once was for MNSSHP and the other was at HS for TSL.

 

[snappy]

EMH park opened at 8:00am

I know it was mid day. Every morning was a different part of the park and we only stayed late 2 times and once was for MNSSHP and the other was at HS for TSL.

Thanks for clarifying the timing of your experiences and confirming that the reduction of ride capacity is not limited to park opening and closing.

 

[DizBelle]

There have been a number of threads regarding this topic and there was also an Unplugged podcast where this was the topic and where experts who keep park stats were involved.

This has been in place at Disneyland for 30 years or more. Disney correlates attendance and standard wait times and runs the attractions accordingly. It can be quite annoying to be the only people in line at BTMRR or Pirates and watch an empty vehicle or two take off before you are finally loaded on.

Please continue to discuss this Disney procedure in a civil manner. Thanks!

That's all well and good but at non-peak times, the park hours are shorter so you can't experience as many attractions in a park day if they are manipulating things to have the wait times "standard". At those times of the year, you have 3 fewer hours in the park day to experience attractions.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

EMH park opened at 8:00am

I know it was mid day. Every morning was a different part of the park and we only stayed late 2 times and once was for MNSSHP and the other was at HS for TSL.

Thank you for clarifying. Definitely an odd experience that you went through.

I do recommend listening to the DisUnplugged Audio-Only Podcast with Len Testa regarding this very issue on iTunes.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

They want to keep you on property as many days as possible? If you can get through a park in half a day, you won't need as many days and might frequent other Orlando attractions.

This makes the most since

I do recommend listening to the DisUnplugged Audio-Only Podcast with Len Testa regarding this very issue on iTunes.

I did awhile back when it was brought up but I refused to believe the all mighty Disney could do wrong But either way, I am a slave to the Mouse and will continue to go and give them all my money

 

[AngieInOH]

I can almost see closing half a loading zone like space mountain or dinosaur since they could save on the cost of staffing it, but what are they saving if they leave every other pirate boat or RNR empty? Or better yet, the tea cups..... the ride itself is still running! I’m lost

My thoughts exactly!

 

[zebrastreyepz]

There have been a number of threads regarding this topic and there was also an Unplugged podcast where this was the topic and where experts who keep park stats were involved.

This has been in place at Disneyland for 30 years or more. Disney correlates attendance and standard wait times and runs the attractions accordingly. It can be quite annoying to be the only people in line at BTMRR or Pirates and watch an empty vehicle or two take off before you are finally loaded on.

Please continue to discuss this Disney procedure in a civil manner. Thanks!

Can anyone link me to this podcast? I'm really really curious about this subject.

I've read the second sentence a bunch of times and am not sure how that makes sense. I mean, your sentence structure is fine and everything I meant make sense like, the why does Disney do that kind of sense.

How does it benefit them to keep people waiting?

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I've read the second sentence a bunch of times and am not sure how that makes sense. I mean, your sentence structure is fine and everything I meant make sense like, the why does Disney do that kind of sense.

How does it benefit them to keep people waiting?

Basically they are trying to standardize the wait times throughout the year. So for example, maybe they want the wait at Space Mountain to be 45 minutes all year round. They can do that by lowering the ride capacity (i.e. having fewer CMs operating the rides) during the lower seasons. Fewer CMs = money saved

 

[hiroMYhero]

Basically they are trying to standardize the wait times throughout the year. So for example, maybe they want the wait at Space Mountain to be 45 minutes all year round. They can do that by lowering the ride capacity (i.e. having fewer CMs operating the rides) during the lower seasons. Fewer CMs = money saved

Correct. And it’s also a way to enforce crowd control and spread out guests throughout the park.

 

[Br'er Rabbit is the Best]

Basically they are trying to standardize the wait times throughout the year. So for example, maybe they want the wait at Space Mountain to be 45 minutes all year round. They can do that by lowering the ride capacity (i.e. having fewer CMs operating the rides) during the lower seasons. Fewer CMs = money saved

I think what they are asking is do you need fewer CMs to operate rides like RnR or Pirates when you are just sending trains and boats empty? Isn't staffing the same?

 

[hiroMYhero]

I think what they are asking is do you need fewer CMs to operate rides like RnR or Pirates when you are just sending trains and boats empty? Isn't staffing the same?

The staffing is the same whether each vehicle is loaded or one of three is loaded.

It’s the standardization of wait times and spreading out of the guests that is the goal.

 

[disneyseniors]

I guess I really don't understand that concept, Hiro.
When we were at Disney in the first week of March this year, we noticed that only one car was being filled in the entire "pod" of 4 or 6 cars? on the Peoplemover. Everyone in line was commenting on all the empty cars being sent out. The line was out past the entryway. When the 2 of us made it to the front of the line to get onto the car, the CM instructed us to the last car in an empty "pod". So at least 4 cars were not used out of each section. I hope I am saying this right? Not sure what to call the sections?
It just seemed odd, as it was a continuous ride with several open cars available.
So, no, I really don't understand this thinking at all.

 

[Br'er Rabbit is the Best]

The staffing is the same whether each vehicle is loaded or one of three is loaded.

It’s the standardization of wait times and spreading out of the guests that is the goal.

Right so the answer said, "Fewer CMs = money saved". But if staffing is the same whether the vehicle is loaded or not, then no money is saved. So the goal is just to have people standing in line at Pirates and make the wait time for Pirates longer to keep them from making the wait time at Space Mountain go up?

 

[hiroMYhero]

Right so the answer said, "Fewer CMs = money saved". But if staffing is the same whether the vehicle is loaded or not, then no money is saved. So the goal is just to have people standing in line at Pirates and make the wait time for Pirates longer to keep them from making the wait time at Space Mountain go up?

That’s how it always was in Disneyland during slow periods. We’d go for a few days the day after Labor Day when the park reverted to early closures and very few people in the park.

Disney studies and analyzes everything. From the number of steps between trash cans to the amount of time a guest will tolerate waiting in line, they enforce these details. This even applies to the FP/Standby quotas for attractions...there’s a range of the number of FPs holders allowed before 10 Standby guests can “merge”...and that’s also based on park capacity.