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

[LizzyS]

After doing this for three days, this is my biggest tip:
Have someone in your group download the AtomicClock - NTP Time app on their phone. Have that open at the same time as the person getting the BG. Already have the DL app open and on the “my status”/“join boarding group” page. RIGHT AT 8:00:00 click on “my status” and then “join boarding group”. This has gotten us BG 14, 16 & 26.

i have an iPhone.

Thanks for the advice! The last couple of times I've played along at home (Android phone), I've had to tap My Status as the Join Boarding Group button didn't light up red at all until they were distributing backup groups.

 

[LizzyS]

Played along from home today. On my Samsung phone, I had to click "Find Out More" and then the "My Status" button to get the Join Boarding Group button to light up. I went back and forth from the home screen several times and this was the only way I could have scored a Boarding Group. Strangely, right about 8:01, presumably when it went to back up boarding groups, the Join Boarding Group button on the "Find Out More" screen went red and I could then join (likely for a back up group) from that screen. I tried it several times from the home screen to "Find Out More" and the Join Boarding Group button was red on that page for me after 8:01. It grayed out around 8:13.

YES

I played along at home Saturday and Sunday and had this same experience as well. I'm going to sit on the "Find out More" screen and hit "My Status" at 8:00, I think.

 

[manicmonkey]

Random thoughts... do you think the people playing at home are adding to the stress on the distribution system? I know they can't actually get them, but I would think it would have some impact. Also, why do they not always start at BG 1? This annoys the statistician in me

 

[LizzyS]

I have zero knowledge about how this ride works, but could it be they run test cycles some mornings and those are the first groups that are not distributed?

 

[montreid]

That is the working theory - and the amount of groups is lowering from 10 to 9 to 8 to run those tests as is the time to open. before it was 10 groups and about an hour. Lately ~30minutes and less groups overall.

 

[HydroGuy]

We're heading into the parks next week. How long is it taking everyone to get through security??? We're going next Tues-Thurs and we have magic mornings on Tuesday plus a pre-opening breakfast reservation on Wednesday. I'm wondering how much time I should allot for getting through security since clearly it's not business as usual at the moment. We will be entering at Harbor.

It depends on bag vs. no bag line of course. From what I have gathered (I have not done this myself for ROTR - just reading here) I would plan to hit security at least 30 minutes early for MM or your early breakfast days. If you do NOT have MM, I would make that at least 60 minutes early (before official park opening) - if you want to be inside for ROTR BGs.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Random thoughts... do you think the people playing at home are adding to the stress on the distribution system? I know they can't actually get them, but I would think it would have some impact. Also, why do they not always start at BG 1? This annoys the statistician in me

I had always wondered the same about ‘playing’ and asked @ironband74 and this was his response:
BG Booking Explained

 

[brightlined]

Random thoughts... do you think the people playing at home are adding to the stress on the distribution system? I know they can't actually get them, but I would think it would have some impact.

I really doubt it. You've got several thousand trying in the park versus maybe a few hundred trying at home. (I strongly doubt that a lot of people are "playing-at-home" on a regular basis - mostly just high-interest folks like people here.)

The most taxing part on the server(s) is what happens after you select tickets and submit, which the at-home people can't do. The big struggle in the park is the strain of all of those simultaneous transactions on the mobile network(s) and/or wifi, which would not be impacted by at-home folks.

I strongly believe that the vast overwhelming number of problems are caused within the app itself, such as the caching of the Find Out More page that stops people from being able to book a BG. That wouldn't be affected by at-home folks, either.

 

[jouster]

So if tomorrow is an 8am opening with no early hour, what time do the gates actually open? With the early hour everyone can get in before 8 and be ready with the app, how does it work without early morning?

 

[Aurora0427]

I strongly believe that the vast overwhelming number of problems are caused within the app itself, such as the caching of the Find Out More page that stops people from being able to book a BG. That wouldn't be affected by at-home folks, either.

I agree. The app is so glitchy. I’m not a tech person at all, but I think sometimes it’s your phone too. When I had my old iPhone 6s, I couldn’t even get it to work and it was so slow and the app would shut itself off. The only we even got a BG is because my dad has one of the new super fast iPhones. I just bought a new iPhone 11 so it’ll be interesting to see how much better the app works overall when we go to the parks tomorrow!

 

[IsleofDisney]

So if tomorrow is an 8am opening with no early hour, what time do the gates actually open? With the early hour everyone can get in before 8 and be ready with the app, how does it work without early morning?

They've been scanning guests in at least 30 minutes before published opening time and sometimes earlier depending on how crowded the esplanade becomes.

 

[JWelch62]

So far on pace for a good day, into the backups already.

Really seems like they are managing the BG call rate to keep it along a preferred slope. Almost looks like a control feedback loop (says the circuit designer AKA nerd).

 

[MonocularVision]

The most taxing part on the server(s) is what happens after you select tickets and submit, which the at-home people can't do. The big struggle in the park is the strain of all of those simultaneous transactions on the mobile network(s) and/or wifi, which would not be impacted by at-home folks.

I can confirm this. In examining the network activity of the app, I can see that when you tap on the button the join a boarding group from outside the park, the server responds with the list of folks in your party but in that response it states who is in and not in the park.When you continue from the party selection screen, there is no additional network call made, the client just displays the error that people aren’t in the park yet.

Here is the end of the response. I crossed out the 6 guest IDs (my family) because I have no idea how secret those should remain.

 

[Mark_E]

Been called and in queue now!

 

[JWelch62]

At this rate, if Mando can keep the Jawas away, we'd hit 150 in about 2 hrs (7 PM). 160 by 8. Park is open to 11 tonight. I wonder how many BGs were distributed.

 

[brightlined]

"postedSummonReturnWindowMinutes": 60

Is it possible the answer was under our noses the entire time?

Is it possible that regular groups get 2 hours and backup groups get 1 hour?

(At the very least, this code implies the length of the return time is decided at park open when the BGs are distributed, rather than later in the day.)

 

[jouster]

So what time does security open to get in to the main lines on a morning with no early hour like tomorrow?

 

[Mark_E]

That was super swift!
There was nobody even waiting in the inside queue before boarding. Straight on.

 

[JWelch62]

That was super swift!
There was nobody even waiting in the inside queue before boarding. Straight on.

Which lends credence to the theory that the late BGs are called faster than the early BGs because folks have already left for the day. This, IMO, is one of the biggest flaws with the virtual queue. Not everyone has the flexibility, or patience, to wait all day.

 

[JWelch62]

At this rate, if Mando can keep the Jawas away, we'd hit 150 in about 2 hrs (7 PM). 160 by 8. Park is open to 11 tonight. I wonder how many BGs were distributed.

Looks like the Jawas may have made a late appearance. I can't believe that they'd be closing down for the night at this point.