Question About Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Waits

[Sadie93]

So I've noticed that wait times for RNRC tend to be quite long, well over an hour on days that don't seem that crowded. Is there anyway that Disney could improve wait times for this attraction (for instance by adding a second pre-show)? It does seem like a planning error on Disney Imagineering's part to only have one pre-show room for an attraction they knew would be so popular.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd like to say it will be better when Star Wars Land opens, but that will likely just make it worse.

Its biggest issue is that it's in a park with too few attractions. California Screamin in DCA is quite similar and does not have this issue.

 

[stinkpickle]

I don't think having additional pre-shows would bump up the ride capacity any.

 

[wareagle57]

Pre-show rooms don't do anything to decrease wait times. If anything, it would make them longer. Having to be slowed down by a preshow at rope drop makes the wait time go up slightly faster. When we rode Dinosaur last week, we were on the next time rover with no one behind us because they were being held in the pre-show room, so empty time rovers were going out.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think having additional pre-shows would bump up the ride capacity any.

Ultimately that would require additional tracks. And I'd rather have a different ride than 2 of the same.

 

[Capang]

The thing is RnR is the biggest thrill ride on property. Disney just doesn't do many thrill rides and so people looking for thrills are going to ride this. Plus the rider capacity, I think, is much less than other attractions at the parks. The line is just going to be long. Even single rider can be a long wait.

 

[wdw&sonny]

they could decrease the number of available FPs.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

they could decrease the number of available FPs.

That will just put more people in the standby queue. The standby line might move quicker, but it will be longer.

 

[wdw&sonny]

That will just put more people in the standby queue. The standby line might move quicker, but it will be longer.

The standby wait time will decrease if fewer fast passes are issued. Currently, the posted wait time is inclusive of only the standby line. It does not take into account the shorter wait in the FP line. For example, a 60 minute wait in the standby line and a zero minute wait in the FP line is an average wait of 30 minutes. FP is basically an authorized "cut in line". Standby guests wait longer while the FP people cut in front. Fewer FPs mean fewer people cutting in front of the line. They would enter the line behind you, instead of in front of you, thus not extending your wait.
Also, many, many people who now use the FP to full advantage would never wait 60 minutes. So, fewer FPs issued will also discourage some people from entering a standby line, even if it is decreased to 40 minutes, by the fewer FPs issued.

 

[AngiTN]

Nope, can only put so many bodies on the ride at once and load them so fast and move so many coasters through at a time. Nothing can change that.

 

[AngiTN]

The standby wait time will decrease if fewer fast passes are issued. Currently, the posted wait time is inclusive of only the standby line. It does not take into account the shorter wait in the FP line. For example, a 60 minute wait in the standby line and a zero minute wait in the FP line is an average wait of 30 minutes. FP is basically an authorized "cut in line". Standby guests wait longer while the FP people cut in front. Fewer FPs mean fewer people cutting in front of the line. They would enter the line behind you, instead of in front of you, thus not extending your wait.
Also, many, many people who now use the FP to full advantage would never wait 60 minutes. So, fewer FPs issued will also discourage some people from entering a standby line, even if it is decreased to 40 minutes, by the fewer FPs issued.

You left out the people who got in line in front of you that would have used the FP line instead. All of them wouldn't be behind you. You can't equate that no FP means reduced stand by waits. It wasn't shown to be the case before paper FP came about. Capacity is capacity. RnR always exceeds it.

 

[Liberator]

When RnR is running all trains possible at the same time this type of rollercoaster (I think it was built by VEKOMA) already reaches a very high number of guests riding it per hour compared to the same type of coster operated in other parks.

Well trained and fast operating staff combined with people who just sit down and pull down the restraint when it is their turn makes wait times even shorter.

My personal experience is that the "feeling" of waiting at RnR is very boring because you stand on the same spot for long times.

When there wouldn't be FP the line would move quicker because FP would not merge at the front of it for filling up the PreShow room but the wait times would still be quite high.

This is the attraction at HS I would always ride first in the morning with very little wait.

What makes the loading process more efficient is that the trains arrive empty at the platform. BTMRR has a double loading station, but before people are allowed to sit down the people that just have ridden need to get off their seats first, searching for all their personal belongings, giggling around and moving very slow. This takes time in single loading platforms, so RnR and EE save this time with seperate stations for loading and unloading.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

You left out the people who got in line in front of you that would have used the FP line instead. All of them wouldn't be behind you. You can't equate that no FP means reduced stand by waits. It wasn't shown to be the case before paper FP came about. Capacity is capacity. RnR always exceeds it.

Exactly! Would some people opt not to ride it if they could only do standby? Sure, some would, but certainly not in the numbers the PP appears to be assuming. You could issue no FP and the standby wait would still be the same. You'd just be moving more people through that one line rather than merging the two lines.

 

[AngiTN]

Exactly! Would some people opt not to ride it if they could only do standby? Sure, some would, but certainly not in the numbers the PP appears to be assuming. You could issue no FP and the standby wait would still be the same. You'd just be moving more people through that one line rather than merging the two lines.

Plus, the way the line merges at RnR the FP riders really don't impact the line that much. I think RnR probably has one of the longest waits to ride even when you have a FP (though I have never timed this myself). It may be as PP said, it feels long because you are just standing there in that glom of people doing nothing. I hate the loading areas for this ride but love the ride so I suffer through it

 

[shanew21]

I'd like to say it will be better when Star Wars Land opens, but that will likely just make it worse.

Its biggest issue is that it's in a park with too few attractions. California Screamin in DCA is quite similar and does not have this issue.

It'll get better once Star Wars opens I think. You'll have 4 more rides added to the rotation (between TSL and Star Wars) and a lot of people will spend their entire day in SWL just due to the ambiance (see Universal Studios and HP)

 

[mom2rtk]

It'll get better once Star Wars opens I think. You'll have 4 more rides added to the rotation (between TSL and Star Wars) and a lot of people will spend their entire day in SWL just due to the ambiance (see Universal Studios and HP)

That was sort of my point. I think it's possible SWL will bring more people into the parks than the new rides add capacity for. At least for a while.

 

[Sadie93]

I think honestly the fact that nothing is going on in the line is more of what kills me. I love the Tower of Terror Queue and even BTMRR queue because of the theming. It allows for you to at least have something to look at. That being said, it is still a great roller coaster.

 

[maltdizzy]

That will just put more people in the standby queue. The standby line might move quicker, but it will be longer.

The data has shown pretty consistantly that FP increaese Standby lines by roughly 50%. This is from data from existing rides at DL and WDW that had FP added.

FP introduces a virtual second line without increased capacity. Fewer FP riders every hour means the Standy passengers get loaded faster.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Coaster also goes down a fair amount which then creates longer standby & FP lines when it reopens esp if it's an extended 101-

If it's got a crazy # compared to rest of park dollars to doughnuts it just came up...

 

[Bullseye]

Can they widen the track and make the coaster sit four across