Rise of the Resistance BOARDING GROUPS Superthread Part 1 *No Ride Spoilers Please* *PLEASE READ POSTS 1-4*

[Skyegirl1999]

My only concern is how fast they can get people thru the gates. From following the WDW DHS thread, security/gate seems to go way faster there than it does at DL. It will be terrible if people who had been waiting a long time aren’t able to be in the park when the BGs open because the gate procedure is so slow.

This concerns me because there can be SUCH A DISPARITY between how fast the individual gates process people in the morning (largely having to do with the whole picture-taking system, which is frankly a bit dumb IMO). In the past, this has been annoying... but now it could be the difference between getting on the ride or not, or at least cause a very different BG time.

If five people arrive at 7:15 and get in five different lines, they’ll get into the park at VERY different times, you know? It’s not a very fair system unless you’re literally the first person at a gate. I’ve shared that this summer, we took my BIL and got in line around 7:20, picking a short line with less than 10 people in front of us. Moments before the park opened, the group in front of us was joined by about a dozen people - and they were a complete hot mess of a group who couldn’t find their tickets, couldn’t match up people with their tickets, everyone had issues with their photos... it was kind of a debacle. We just rolled with it, because what else can you do, but if something like that that happens when ROTR opens... I can’t even imagine how stressful that will feel! The rush to enter the park and secure a BG could be brutal.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

This concerns me because there can be SUCH A DISPARITY between how fast the individual gates process people in the morning (largely having to do with the whole picture-taking system, which is frankly a bit dumb IMO). In the past, this has been annoying... but now it could be the difference between getting on the ride or not, or at least cause a very different BG time.

If five people arrive at 7:15 and get in five different lines, they’ll get into the park at VERY different times, you know? It’s not a very fair system unless you’re literally the first person at a gate. I’ve shared that this summer, we took my BIL and got in line around 7:20, picking a short line with less than 10 people in front of us. Moments before the park opened, the group in front of us was joined by about a dozen people - and they were a complete hot mess of a group who couldn’t find their tickets, couldn’t match up people with their tickets, everyone had issues with their photos... it was kind of a debacle. We just rolled with it, because what else can you do, but if something like that that happens when ROTR opens... I can’t even imagine how stressful that will feel! The rush to enter the park and secure a BG could be brutal.

So annoying! And the picture taking at the gates in general is soooooooooooo annoying! Really wish they would come up with a better system. Designated lines for APs would be nice.

 

[twodogs]

My list of questions:

• Will boarding groups open during EMH hours, or will they delay it to the official park opening time?
• Will parties be open to secure boarding passes from either park, or only in Disneyland?
• Will it be possible to secure multiple boarding passes per day?
• Will it be necessary to get a new version of the Disneyland app?
• What is the procedure for guests who don't have cell phones?
• What is the typical highest boarding group number issued, and when do boarding passes run out?

I'm going to be at Disneyland from 1/17 - 1/20, so I'll do my best to answer these once I'm there if someone else hasn't figured it out.

1. No one knows. They only had one morning EMH at DHS, and they opened BGs to EMH guests about 5-10 minutes prior to letting regular guests book BGs. But they made no announcement that they would do it at the time that they did it, so many EMH guests felt screwed by this. Now they have eliminated all morning EMH at DHS for the foreseeable future, so we don’t know. Currently, they let people enter the park before park opening but BGs aren’t bookable until the minute of official park opening.
2. Unknown. In WDW, you have to be scanned into DHS to book a BG (and all members of the party have to be scanned into DHS to join a BG).
3. No, if they do it the same as WDW. They allowed this for the first few days, but turned that functionality off very early. One ride per person per day.
4. I don’t know. Many have had trouble with the app, Wifi, their cell carriers, etc at WDW, so I would be sure to have it updated, but that is just my opinion.
5. In WDW, there are GS members who can book a BG on their ipad for you. Line length may vary depending on how many people are having problems (even if they do have a smart phone).
6. See WDW thread. Varies every single day depending (I guess) on park hours, how the ride seems to be running, downtime’s from day before that may increase riders, etc. There is a chart in the WDW threat showing each day, what group they got through, what back up group they got through, etc.

 

[twodogs]

And PLEASE no ride spoilers on this thread!! The WDW thread has been very good about keeping spoilers out of this thread, and we should try to do the same to preserve the surprises of the ride for everyone (me included!). Someone can start another thread to discuss the ride itself with spoilers once the ride opens, I guess, as they did on the WDW boards, so people who have ridden can compare notes (or those who don’t mind spoilers can read along). I have heard the going into the ride cold is the best experience, so I am trying to avoid all spoilers (as I am sure many others are), but I am also going opening weekend, so I need to be able to read along about the BG process in real time for DLR. THANKS to all who help preserve the ride for others!!

 

[Vysecity]

hoping they let you join a boarding group from DCA since I will be there before park opening due to staying at Paradise Pier.

 

[montreid]

My guess is DL will handle the extra hours a little differently AND joinging BGs since it alternates parks.
My suspicion would be this as something most 'fair' and consistent.

***Must be in park already to secure BG with Single ride restriction in place*** This is consistent with their FP policy and reliably trackable on MDE

1. EMH - usual operations . GE is CLOSED.
2. Open turnstiles 30min prior to 'rope drop' opening and held in mainstreet to allow all early arrivals to get through turnstiles in EITHER park.
3. BGs open on app for entire DLR (both sides) at opening time 800AM/900AM depending on the calendar.

--this makes it easy to understand and move day-to-day as the parks vary the opening times (but both consistently open together).

 

[twodogs]

hoping they let you join a boarding group from DCA since I will be there before park opening due to staying at Paradise Pier.

If it is like WDW, being in either park before opening will not be a real advantage since they open the BG booking process right at regular park opening, not when you enter the park through the gates. So as long as you are inside the park gates (have scanned your ticket) by official park opening, you can book a BG when that opens at exactly park opening time. It remains to be seen if DLR will do this process, which is what they are doing in WDW (though as I said above, they have eliminated morning EMH for now at WDW, so we don’t have that to look at to help predict what they will do at DLR). I think the poster right above me has a pretty good estimate of what they will do.

 

[dieumeye]

If it is like WDW, being in either park before opening will not be a real advantage since they open the BG booking process right at regular park opening, not when you enter the park through the gates. So as long as you are inside the park gates (have scanned your ticket) by official park opening, you can book a BG when that opens at exactly park opening time. It remains to be seen if DLR will do this process, which is what they are doing in WDW (though as I said above, they have eliminated morning EMH for now at WDW, so we don’t have that to look at to help predict what they will do at DLR). I think the poster right above me has a pretty good estimate of what they will do.

The advantage would be basically guaranteeing getting thru the gate before official opening time.

The gates at DL can be slow. It’s not uncommon to be in line to enter when they open the gates prior to official opening... and not actually make it into the park prior to official opening. On a regular day that’s aggravating. On a RotR BG day... it would be infuriating!

It’s actually my biggest concern, and the reason why I really hope they allow joining a BG if you enter thru DCA. I don’t want to wait in line, have them open the gates at, say, 7:30am... and yet not be inside by the time BGs open!

 

[midnight star]

This concerns me because there can be SUCH A DISPARITY between how fast the individual gates process people in the morning (largely having to do with the whole picture-taking system, which is frankly a bit dumb IMO). In the past, this has been annoying... but now it could be the difference between getting on the ride or not, or at least cause a very different BG time.

If five people arrive at 7:15 and get in five different lines, they’ll get into the park at VERY different times, you know? It’s not a very fair system unless you’re literally the first person at a gate. I’ve shared that this summer, we took my BIL and got in line around 7:20, picking a short line with less than 10 people in front of us. Moments before the park opened, the group in front of us was joined by about a dozen people - and they were a complete hot mess of a group who couldn’t find their tickets, couldn’t match up people with their tickets, everyone had issues with their photos... it was kind of a debacle. We just rolled with it, because what else can you do, but if something like that that happens when ROTR opens... I can’t even imagine how stressful that will feel! The rush to enter the park and secure a BG could be brutal.

So annoying! And the picture taking at the gates in general is soooooooooooo annoying! Really wish they would come up with a better system. Designated lines for APs would be nice.

I always get stuck behind someone who wants to argue why they have to get their picture taken, or ask 20 questions on how to use the disney app.

 

[dieumeye]

I always get stuck behind someone who wants to argue why they have to get their picture taken, or ask 20 questions on how to use the disney app.

I love to see friendly CMs BUT... I really don’t think the entrance gate is the place for a CM to go into a detailed explanation of stuff like how FP works (what you do is... and you’ll see kiosks near the attractions... let me pull out a map... so, which rides are you interested in...)

Inside I’m like, just let me in, the entrance is right there, I’m at the turnstile, they are already in the park, I can’t move to another line cuz I’m so close, can I just scan myself in, I’m pretty sure I can do it if you just hand me the scanner, oh gosh, how are you still talking, move it along people!

 

[xipotec]

You have to have your picture taken to enter the parks now?

 

[midnight star]

You have to have your picture taken to enter the parks now?

Only if it's your first time entering.

 

[xipotec]

Only if it's your first time entering.

Wow that new? Last visit was 2015 (hard to believe that)

Will they do that in any line?

 

[midnight star]

Wow that new? Last visit was 2015 (hard to believe that)

Will they do that in any line?

Yes I believe any entrance will take a picture. Even the monorail entrance. It's only a one time thing. So say you have a 5 day ticket. You take a picture on day 1, and then the same picture will pop up when you can in the following days. I think this cuts down on people sharing multi-day tickets.

 

[xipotec]

Yes I believe any entrance will take a picture. Even the monorail entrance. It's only a one time thing. So say you have a 5 day ticket. You take a picture on day 1, and then the same picture will pop up when you can in the following days. I think this cuts down on people sharing multi-day tickets.

Wow , learn something new every day here at Disboards.
Thank you!

I assume its not a lengthy process?

 

[midnight star]

Wow , learn something new every day here at Disboards.
Thank you!

I assume its not a lengthy process?

The picture itself takes a few seconds. However, like what PP had mentioned, some CM's are slower than others when scanning. Groups in front of you may not be ready, etc. Sometimes the shortest lines can be the longest in regards to waiting to get in.

 

[xipotec]

The picture itself takes a few seconds. However, like what PP had mentioned, some CM's are slower than others when scanning. Groups in front of you may not be ready, etc. Sometimes the shortest lines can be the longest in regards to waiting to get in.

Well this has always been the case, and my personal curse.....

I am always behind the newbies with the diaper bag, and camera bag and purse, and man bag......

I am also a bit of a privacy nut and hate the idea of anyone “needing” a picture of me for their “records”.....but in this case WDW has a bazillion pics of me already with years of photopass and making stupid goofy poses on ride photos.....

 

[matthewthompson87]

Currently, you can use Maxpass to get a Fastpass for either park as long as you’ve scanned into any park, right?

If so, requiring someone to enter DL to get a RotR Boarding Group (versus being able to get a Boarding Group while scanned into DL *or* DCA) kind of goes against the way people have been “trained” to use the Disneyland App and premium services.


I’m very eager to find out how it’s going to work. I’d be more likely to add hopping to my 3 day tickets and pay the premium to stay at the Grand Californian if I’d be able to obtain a Boarding Group from having entered DCA through the Grand’s dedicated entrance.

 

[magickate]

My list of questions:

• Will boarding groups open during EMH hours, or will they delay it to the official park opening time?
• Will parties be open to secure boarding passes from either park, or only in Disneyland?
• Will it be possible to secure multiple boarding passes per day?
• Will it be necessary to get a new version of the Disneyland app?
• What is the procedure for guests who don't have cell phones?
• What is the typical highest boarding group number issued, and when do boarding passes run out?

I'm going to be at Disneyland from 1/17 - 1/20, so I'll do my best to answer these once I'm there if someone else hasn't figured it out.

Our friends are just back from WDW. They went at 6am to queue for a 7am opening. Got boarding group 68 which was approx 6 hours later. They queued less than half an hour in the actual ride line.
Boarding groups were all gone before 8.30am so getting a second one wasn't possible. There are CMs at a few different stands that can do it for you with your tickets if you don't have a phone and digital display boards showing which groups are being called for boarding if you don't have a way to get notifications.

 

[corgi_monster]

I’ll be staying at the Disneyland hotel from January 18-19. Will I be able to utilize the EMH perk on check-in day? My plan is to arrive at the hotel at about 5:30am, check in, drop off our bags and go straight to the park for a 7am EMH. We’d then refresh our apps like crazy people until BG’s opened up. Is 5:30 early enough?

Also, do you think there’s any advantage to entering the parks via monorail rather than the main gate? Shorter line?