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

[dieumeye]

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?

You can use EMH on check in day. 5:30 should be plenty of time to check in and get to the park for the EMH line, although who knows how many people will be waiting at the main gate for regular parking opening.

As for monorail, we don’t really know the specifics of how the gates will operate once RotR opens, but I’d doubt that there will be any benefit to entering via monorail, it might be slower, or not open at all.

 

[KPeterso]

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 am in for the thread. We may try to go opening weekend since we are not blocked and I do get MLK day off. But we shall see closer.

So agree about the pictures at the gates. I am always behind the group of 8-10 and there is never any understandable order for who they take pictures of. They will say the name from one of the tickets and without fail that is the person in the back of the group or with the stroller and not the one closest to the gate. And then it continues through the huge group! Ugh - agree there has to be a better way and I am often wishing there was an AP only entrance (or 12) for APs like at WDW.

 

[CastAStone]

I’m wondering how early people are going to show up to line up outside the gates before the turnstiles open.

The parking lots only open 90 minutes early at DLR which should ease things a bit I think.

 

[vharris2828]

How has rider switch worked at Disney World? Does anyone know what they have done for that?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

The parking lots only open 90 minutes early at DLR which should ease things a bit I think.

When SWGE opened, they kept the lots open overnight. I expect that some parking will be available earlier than usual.

 

[midnight star]

The parking lots only open 90 minutes early at DLR which should ease things a bit I think.

I think security opens at like 6am, so people can uber or hotel guests onsite and nearby can line up early.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

We'll be staying at VGC for the weekend of Jan 24th. I'm hoping we'll be able to take advantage of the hotel entrance, although I suspect it would get packed early. I've been following the WDW thread since day one, and it's starting to stress me out. I was hoping DL would give resort guests a slot like they did for the opening, but I guess not. The cynical part of me thinks that after the perceived "flop" of the GE opening that they want a madhouse for the RotR opening.

 

[montreid]

We'll be staying at VGC for the weekend of Jan 24th. I'm hoping we'll be able to take advantage of the hotel entrance, although I suspect it would get packed early. I've been following the WDW thread since day one, and it's starting to stress me out. I was hoping DL would give resort guests a slot like they did for the opening, but I guess not. The cynical part of me thinks that after the perceived "flop" of the GE opening that they want a madhouse for the RotR opening.

Same weekend but off site at Courtyard -- still awaiting our DVC points

My hope is that they will allow both sides to grab a BG to be consistent with the FP procedures. Also alleviates all the gate congestion---just get folk into the park early on all sides and allow for BG capture once scanned in. Open the turnstiles 30min early and hold everyone at the Rope Drop Hub.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Same weekend but off site at Courtyard -- still awaiting our DVC points

My hope is that they will allow both sides to grab a BG to be consistent with the FP procedures. Also alleviates all the gate congestion---just get folk into the park early on all sides and allow for BG capture once scanned in. Open the turnstiles 30min early and hold everyone at the Rope Drop Hub.

That is my hope, too! You are going to love VGC. We've been owners since it opened, and it's the best

 

[JMommyof3]

I've never had a single park ticket but does MP allow you to make FP selection for the park you are not in that day. It seems odd that people would be able to make a FP for a park you are not going to that day. With WDW, you have to physically scan into HS to allow access for the BG, not just scan into any WDW park. I'm just thinking logistically the system would not allow you to book a pass for a park you are not in therefore everyone would need to be in DLR prior to getting their boarding pass. I also think this has more of a potential to be a huge problem for the local, non obsessed DL guest who has no idea about the idea of BG or anything like that. WDW already has BG gone within 30 minutes of opening and I think way more people research there than here, especially when general arrival is around 10am.

 

[Ladyslug]

The more I read about how it the RotR process has been happening at WDW, the more I think they will limit boarding group assignments to people who scan into Disneyland specifically (not DCA) to ensure there is no "advantage" to having a park-hopper. To combat the crowds, they will likely start moving people through the turnstiles an hour before official park opening, hold everyone in and around Main St., and then release boarding group access at official park opening.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I've never had a single park ticket but does MP allow you to make FP selection for the park you are not in that day. It seems odd that people would be able to make a FP for a park you are not going to that day. With WDW, you have to physically scan into HS to allow access for the BG, not just scan into any WDW park. I'm just thinking logistically the system would not allow you to book a pass for a park you are not in therefore everyone would need to be in DLR prior to getting their boarding pass. I also think this has more of a potential to be a huge problem for the local, non obsessed DL guest who has no idea about the idea of BG or anything like that. WDW already has BG gone within 30 minutes of opening and I think way more people research there than here, especially when general arrival is around 10am.

You can get fast passes in either park with MaxPass once you’ve scanned into one park.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

The more I read about how it the RotR process has been happening at WDW, the more I think they will limit boarding group assignments to people who scan into Disneyland specifically (not DCA) to ensure there is no "advantage" to having a park-hopper. To combat the crowds, they will likely start moving people through the turnstiles an hour before official park opening, hold everyone in and around Main St., and then release boarding group access at official park opening.

Wouldn’t they want to sell as many park hoppers as they can? Disney makes more money and it spreads out the crowds more. Seems like a win-win.

 

[Ladyslug]

Wouldn’t they want to sell as many park hoppers as they can? Disney makes more money and it spreads out the crowds more. Seems like a win-win.

Well, sure, but you don't want to look like you're *obviously* catering to the people that can spend more money.

 

[matthewthompson87]

Well, sure, but you don't want to look like you're *obviously* catering to the people that can spend more money.

Why start now?

Snark aside... some people are willing to pay tons of money to spend time with characters at meals and take home merchandise. I’d prefer to spend my money on avoiding crowded areas.

How many people can get through the DL front gate per hour at maximum capacity is the real question here. If they can’t keep up with arriving guest demand, it becomes a safety issue... or a courtesy/comfort issue at the very least.

Additionally, when the Boarding Groups fill up and everyone already scanned can’t get a Boarding Group... do you want all those disgruntled guests who didn’t get a BG concentrated on Main Street? Or do you want those guests spread between two parks? I’d say the latter.

 

[Aurora0427]

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.

We have said this 1000 times. Designated lines for APs would be amazing, or as I say, “for people who know what they are doing”

 

[mamapenguin]

We have said this 1000 times. Designated lines for APs would be amazing, or as I say, “for people who know what they are doing”

So they should have a DISboards line?

 

[disneylover102]

I've never had a single park ticket but does MP allow you to make FP selection for the park you are not in that day. It seems odd that people would be able to make a FP for a park you are not going to that day. With WDW, you have to physically scan into HS to allow access for the BG, not just scan into any WDW park. I'm just thinking logistically the system would not allow you to book a pass for a park you are not in therefore everyone would need to be in DLR prior to getting their boarding pass. I also think this has more of a potential to be a huge problem for the local, non obsessed DL guest who has no idea about the idea of BG or anything like that. WDW already has BG gone within 30 minutes of opening and I think way more people research there than here, especially when general arrival is around 10am.

With MP and with FP+ at WDW, you can get a FP from another park (at WDW, the first 3 that you get in advance have to be in the same park but after that they can be in any park if you have a park hopper). I know that with the BGs at WDW, you had to be at HS but there is a significant difference between DLR and WDW- the distance of parks. The only park where you can even walk to HS is Epcot and that’s a half hour walk. But at DL DCA is literally right next to DL. There are also 4 parks at WDW, not 2. Because of this, I think it would be really dumb if people couldn’t get BGs from DCA.

 

[twodogs]

With MP and with FP+ at WDW, you can get a FP from another park (at WDW, the first 3 that you get in advance have to be in the same park but after that they can be in any park if you have a park hopper). I know that with the BGs at WDW, you had to be at HS but there is a significant difference between DLR and WDW- the distance of parks. The only park where you can even walk to HS is Epcot and that’s a half hour walk. But at DL DCA is literally right next to DL. There are also 4 parks at WDW, not 2. Because of this, I think it would be really dumb if people couldn’t get BGs from DCA.

An issue that they might be considering, though, is that they have had special CMs at DHS throughout the park to help people who don’t have a smart phone or who are having trouble with the app and are unable to join a BG. If they allowed folks who have entered either park to book a BG, they would have to have these CMs at both parks. Not that they couldn’t do that, but I am not sure they would want to spend the money to staff up both parks that way.

Does anyone remember if you could join the VQ for the land SWGE from either park, on the one day that they actually used the VQ for the land itself?

 

[Ladyslug]

How many people can get through the DL front gate per hour at maximum capacity is the real question here. If they can’t keep up with arriving guest demand, it becomes a safety issue... or a courtesy/comfort issue at the very least.

That's true. Aside from opening day itself, for which I hope they have a different system worked out, I'm hoping they have the place fully staffed to make sure everyone can get through at a decent clip. However, it's been so long since I've been to Hollywood Studios (or Disneyland, for that matter) that I don't have a good feeling as to the difference in turnstile numbers, ticket processing methods, and CM staffing. It will still be worth it to get in line early at the turnstiles, I expect, which is basically how all rides work.