READ POST 1 & 2 FIRST-Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group Planning and Information-*No Spoilers*

[scrappinginontario]

So, we’ll be there in March (the week after Runaway Railway opens). We will be headed to DHS on both a Friday and a Sunday for a total of two day visits. On both days, the park is set to open at 8 AM... we would like to get to the park not only in order to be able to snag a boarding group without hassle but also be in pretty good standing for rope drop of either Runaway Railway, Slinky Dog Dash or Millennium Falcon.

I currently have my wake up call planned for 5:30 AM and I’m sure we should be ready to grab a bus by 6:30 AM, maybe? I’m just wondering when in order to best make what I’ve described above be most likely to happen... when should we be getting up and on a bus out to DHS? I really don’t want to screw this up for my group so I thought I’d ask for some advice and opinions... any additional thoughts or tips would be welcome as well!

If you REALLY want to be at the front of the RD crowds, given the newness of MMRR for your trip, this is one time I (who never likes to pay for vehicles at Disney) would arrange for a 6am pickup and arrive shortly after 6:00.

I think you’ll get into the park no problem with a 6:30 bus but I think the 30 min lead will get you much deeper into the park when the taps open as you’ll be a lot closer to the front of the RD crowd at your ride of selection.

 

[caitycaity]

I know lots of people ask this, and I do think the number of people who get *something* doing what they should be right at opening are probably quite high, save for people with major issues like Blistex had.

The answers I want more are the number of people (doing everything right) who missed out riding that day, and those who missed out all together because of being in a back up without auto recovery. That’s what really matters IMO at least. I’m not super concerned about not getting a BG, I’m thinking more about breakdowns having us attempting to get on for hours, or pushing us to another day (or not at all).

I have an AP and am at WDW a little more than once/month. I've tried 3 times.

First time got bg in 50s. Ride was down multiple times (three times I checked in they told me it was down which was super frustrating. It wasn't that inconvenient because I was staying at Pop and could just take the Skyliner over. But I did go back in and out of HS three separate times. I eventually got to ride around 5 or 5:30p).

Second time, I was with my sister and BIL. My phone had major glitches and if I had been by myself I wouldn't have gotten one. Fortunately BIL got in and we were also in the 50s. We did have to wait around a bit to get called but eventually got on around 2 in the afternoon. We got evacuated in the middle of the ride and got recovery fast passes for later in the day. We waited for another hour after that and the ride did not come up. I was exhausted and decided I was heading back to resort (Coronado) to take a nap. Right after I left, they reopened and sister and BIL got back on. I could have gone back and gone by myself but didn't want to. It was a hassle to get back there from Coronado and I was really cranky from being up for so long. If I had been solo, I probably would have gone to guest relations and asked if I could get a fp for the next day. But since I'd already ridden it and was with sister and BIL, I just decided to punt.

Third time, I got bg in the 50s (sense a trend here? LOL). I finished all rides I wanted to do, grabbed lunch and waited for another hour or so at Baseline tap house which was quite pleasant. They called my group, I got on and rode without incident around 1pm.

I'm trying again this morning, so gl me!

I'm also headed back next week with my 70 year old parents who are not local and want to try to ride it. I think other than getting in the park by opening and reading about tricks about how the app works here the best advice I can give someone is that if you really want to ride, your day will have to be flexible unless you are lucky enough to get a very low bg. Each day I've gone in with a few fp's but been prepared to call audibles. The rest of your day needs to be flexible if you want to ride because you will never know when the ride will break down or for how long. If you can be flexible, I'd say your odds of getting on at some point with a non backup bg are really good. If you can't be flexible, your odds decrease a lot.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[Elias1901]

If you REALLY want to be at the front of the RD crowds, given the newness of MMRR for your trip, this is one time I (who never likes to pay for vehicles at Disney) would arrange for a 6am pickup and arrive shortly after 6:00.

I think you’ll get into the park no problem with a 6:30 bus but I think the 30 min lead will get you much deeper into the park when the taps open as you’ll be a lot closer to the front of the RD crowd at your ride of selection.

Thanks for your input! While we don’t have to be at the 100% front of the pack... it would be nice to have no more than a 30-40 minute wait upon rope dropping something like Runaway Railway or the few other biggies. No need to be FIRST. However, that said, if even that expectation will require an Uber or Lyft at 6 AM... then I guess, so be it.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

the more I read the worse the anxiety gets...

Yep I get that. Esp since DH is desperate to ride and because of finances this is probably our least trip for at least 3/4 years.

 

[MargeGriff]

The Chart on Post 2 has been updated.

- 101 total BGs were called - 61 Regular and 40 Backups - for an avg 8.4 BG per hour day - "just OK" generally speaking
- BGs being able to book lasted 20 minutes from the 8am park opening


We now have 22 days with 8am park openings / 12 hour park days (there was one day in there they added an hour during the day, but ignoring that detail for these purposes) - over that time the average daily BG count is 105 and the average elapsed time to fill all BGs is almost 14 minutes.

For the visual folks.... over that 22 day period, the # of BGs called by type per day....

And also over that same 22 day period, the elapsed time to fill all BGs per day...

So, ...these are awesome! Thank you so much for feeding us visual folks with straightforward info! Love it!

 

[kpd6901]

All this talk about Boarding Groups. My Southwest Airlines Boarding Group is being called now, and we are anxiously anticipating getting our RotR Boarding Group Thursday morning! Apps are updated, practice has been run by all acquiring parties, backup support from home has been acquired. We are ready! May the Force be with us!

 

[erc]

The Chart on Post 2 has been updated.

- 101 total BGs were called - 61 Regular and 40 Backups - for an avg 8.4 BG per hour day - "just OK" generally speaking
- BGs being able to book lasted 20 minutes from the 8am park opening


We now have 22 days with 8am park openings / 12 hour park days (there was one day in there they added an hour during the day, but ignoring that detail for these purposes) - over that time the average daily BG count is 105 and the average elapsed time to fill all BGs is almost 14 minutes.

For the visual folks.... over that 22 day period, the # of BGs called by type per day....

And also over that same 22 day period, the elapsed time to fill all BGs per day...

Speculation, but do you think they always cap it at about 148 BG reserved on 12 hour days?

 

[caitycaity]

Not trying to rope drop this morning, just trying to get a BG so I left later than normal and took a lyft. However there’s a huge lyft traffic jam that I’ve been stuck in at the entrance for the past 10 minutes. I guess next time I’ll leave early anyways just to avoid this.

 

[cakebaker]

Not trying to rope drop this morning, just trying to get a BG so I left later than normal and took a lyft. However there’s a huge lyft traffic jam that I’ve been stuck in at the entrance for the past 10 minutes. I guess next time I’ll leave early anyways just to avoid this.

Much as I don't want to get up and be on the first bus, the problems I'm reading about lyft or uber is making me re-think it. They really, really need to open up the Skyliner earlier.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Speaking of the above, normally Minnie Vans enter through the main DHS entrance and pick up/drop off right out front of DHS near other rideshare and taxis.

This weekend a Minnie Van driver told me that before 8am, they enter through the bus entrance and drop off in the bus plaza to avoid both the backup entering the main DHS entrance and the ride share backup once inside dropping people off. He said it’s not a major difference, but saves a few minutes getting Minnie Van guests in.

FWIW (and of course things like this can change, so YMMV)

 

[kdfogliano]

Questions about people signing into accounts from out of state to get BG for those in parks- my sister can't sign into my account right? When I've helped plan friends trips and we were getting FP's 60 days out they kicked one of us out if we were both signed in on the same account- so how does that work...

Does she need to be in her own and have us 4 as her party or does it not kick you out for this?

 

[yulilin3]

Questions about people signing into accounts from out of state to get BG for those in parks- my sister can't sign into my account right? When I've helped plan friends trips and we were getting FP's 60 days out they kicked one of us out if we were both signed in on the same account- so how does that work...

Does she need to be in her own and have us 4 as her party or does it not kick you out for this?

No, multiple people can be signed into the same account at the same time. You can try it now, have multiple people sign in and try booking a dining reservation, for example, no one should get kicked out
Ive helped numerous friends to book a bg using their accounts while I'm at home
Make sure to read post 1

 

[mrsap]

Ive helped numerous friends to book a bg using their accounts while I'm at home

I'd start charging if I were you! I’d pay! You have the magic touch!!

 

[wisblue]

If you REALLY want to be at the front of the RD crowds, given the newness of MMRR for your trip, this is one time I (who never likes to pay for vehicles at Disney) would arrange for a 6am pickup and arrive shortly after 6:00.

I think you’ll get into the park no problem with a 6:30 bus but I think the 30 min lead will get you much deeper into the park when the taps open as you’ll be a lot closer to the front of the RD crowd at your ride of selection.

I would add to this that if you are going the week after MMRR opens, there will be some opportunity to see what actually happens when MMRR opens. That’s what I’ll be doing for our trip starting March 21.

The opening of MMRR will presumably add a 4th holding point once the park opens and that could spread things out a little. Also, it looks like FPs for MMRR aren’t starting until 9:30 and that would help the standby line move more quickly for the first 1-2 hours.

If actual experience shows that arriving at 6:30 gets you on MMRR within 5 minutes, but arriving at 7 means a wait of 15-20 minutes, I would probably choose the later arrival. with the huge lines that form immediately for headliners at DHS these days, you’re probably only going to get one headliner in with a reasonable wait regardless.

 

[yulilin3]

I'd start charging if I were you! I’d pay! You have the magic touch!!

I have not always been successful, in one try the party in the park got it first

 

[iheartglaciers]

Not trying to rope drop this morning, just trying to get a BG so I left later than normal and took a lyft. However there’s a huge lyft traffic jam that I’ve been stuck in at the entrance for the past 10 minutes. I guess next time I’ll leave early anyways just to avoid this.

What time do you recommend leaving? We’re coming from Bay Lake Tower this weekend and plan on taking an Uber/Lyft. We don’t care about rope dropping any rides, but I keep hearing about ride share jams.

 

[Mermaidtails1323]

Here with plenty of time. Got our Jedi training time we wanted. My daughter just found a “lucky penny”...sitting and waiting...

 

[caitycaity]

What time do you recommend leaving? We’re coming from Bay Lake Tower this weekend and plan on taking an Uber/Lyft. We don’t care about rope dropping any rides, but I keep hearing about ride share jams.

well I was supposed to arrive according to lyft app at 7:05 (that’s what time I got to the parking gates) and didn’t actually get out of the lyft til 7:17. However, it was still fine. I’m in and waiting for coffee atm. So if you really don’t care about rope drop, I’d say getting in later is fine. I’m just prone to anxiety and have never seen a ride share jam like that.

 

[smilesx4]

Strategy question, As I sit here waiting to "practice" I was thinking. I saw somewhere that having a person off property also try to get a BG is a great idea as well. I have no one at home that could do this but I will have one of my son's staying back at the hotel that morning that can. Is that a good idea? I am assuming the thought process is to have a person that is in a fast internet area give it a try.
Also, can anyone point me to the page or at least close to it where this is talked about?
Thanks!

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Strategy question, As I sit here waiting to "practice" I was thinking. I saw somewhere that having a person off property also try to get a BG is a great idea as well. I have no one at home that could do this but I will have one of my son's staying back at the hotel that morning that can. Is that a good idea? I am assuming the thought process is to have a person that is in a fast internet area give it a try.
Also, can anyone point me to the page or at least close to it where this is talked about?
Thanks!

It's part of Post 1 on the first page Scroll down a bit