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

[rich_84]

I was at HS at 5:30am during the Holidays, with the park opening officially at 6am. They allowed you to pass through the main gates and congregate towards a roped/ CM line. The CM I was stood next to confirmed that the BG are randomly selected, that if you are there for park opening and in the park you have as much chance as anyone in getting a BG, and as long as the ride works well that everyone who is there for park opening will no doubt get a BG and get onto the ride at somepoint during the day. I think this happened and didn't hear any complaints.
I personally left the park after getting a BG for my whole family (who were still in the villa fast asleep!), and then came back later, getting onto ROTR by 12:30pm.

Just to say... the ride is mindblowing! And I am not a Star Wars fan at all. If you are, I think you will be amazed with it

 

[EmJ]

I was at HS at 5:30am during the Holidays, with the park opening officially at 6am. They allowed you to pass through the main gates and congregate towards a roped/ CM line. The CM I was stood next to confirmed that the BG are randomly selected, that if you are there for park opening and in the park you have as much chance as anyone in getting a BG, and as long as the ride works well that everyone who is there for park opening will no doubt get a BG and get onto the ride at somepoint during the day. I think this happened and didn't hear any complaints.
I personally left the park after getting a BG for my whole family (who were still in the villa fast asleep!), and then came back later, getting onto ROTR by 12:30pm.

Just to say... the ride is mindblowing! And I am not a Star Wars fan at all. If you are, I think you will be amazed with it

You were able to get a BG for your whole family even though they hadn’t entered the park? Did WDW change the rules? For as long as I was following the WDW threads, every person assigned to a BG had to have physically scanned into the park.

Also interesting that BG assignments are random!

 

[EmJ]

Here’s a question. I have two cell phones because I am weird. They have different cell carriers (ATT and Verizon), and which phone works best in any given location may change. Can I log into my own account on *both* phones, scan our tickets into both (or just one if it’s the same account? I’m not sure how this works) and then hand one of the phones to DH to try and get a BG while I try on the other one?

In other words, does having tickets scanned into multiple devices still work if it is the same Disney account on all of them?

 

[rich_84]

EmJ: I went in on my own pass, totally forgot that the app wouldn't see the family as 'in the park' if they had not been scanned in. Ran back through the crowds, found a nice CM, buzzed the cards of my family and then I could do it. I wouldn't suggest this course of action, but it is what I did.

And on your second question around the cell phones; my wife was logged into the app on my login details, same as I was, and we could both search FP and make FP bookings etc, so I would imagine it would work the same for the BGs. I can't totally confirm that though.

 

[disneylover102]

Here’s a question. I have two cell phones because I am weird. They have different cell carriers (ATT and Verizon), and which phone works best in any given location may change. Can I log into my own account on *both* phones, scan our tickets into both (or just one if it’s the same account? I’m not sure how this works) and then hand one of the phones to DH to try and get a BG while I try on the other one?

In other words, does having tickets scanned into multiple devices still work if it is the same Disney account on all of them?

From what I understand, this would work. The tickets will be on the same account but multiple devices can be logged in (with Maxpass, this is the case) and each person would need to select one ticket to get a BG. The only problem is you wouldn’t be able to ride together.

 

[CastAStone]

Here’s a question. I have two cell phones because I am weird. They have different cell carriers (ATT and Verizon), and which phone works best in any given location may change. Can I log into my own account on *both* phones, scan our tickets into both (or just one if it’s the same account? I’m not sure how this works) and then hand one of the phones to DH to try and get a BG while I try on the other one?

In other words, does having tickets scanned into multiple devices still work if it is the same Disney account on all of them?

It did for me at WDW. I have a VeriPhone for work and a personal phone on T-Mobile and did this to check for dropped FPs all the time and constantly got different options on the two phones.

 

[montreid]

We use one MDE account for both WDW and DLR. No problem with grabbing FP in general or BG . Yes FP load and disappear THAT fast and show differently. Same for that pesky red button for join. My s10 crushed both 11max of the family at HS ROTR

 

[SirBill]

I have not seen much discussed about this. Just people talking about having wi-fi or app problems, and ending up with higher BG's, or even as a backup group. Will there be CM's capable of getting you into a group? Wouldn't the best idea be to stick like glue to one of them, and then still have the option of trying on your phone as well?

Didn't Disneyland have kiosks set up when they intended to use them for Galaxy's Edge Boarding Groups? Was anyone there that 1st morning? Were there also CM's with hand held devices?

I was there the first few mornings - they didn't have kiosks, only CM's with iPads that could help people for people who either didn't have apps or were having other problems.

In fact the very first morning they didn't even tell anyone (at least near me) we needed boarding groups (just that we should have the Disney app up and working), I found out by entering the park, seeing people lining up at CM's, then checking the Disney app to see what was going on and saw the page to sign up for a boarding group... lots of people were hurrying up to the front, not yet realizing they needed to get a boarding group.

Hanging around a CM that could check you in might be a pretty good plan as a backup in case the app fails.

They were all hanging around Main Street, not sure if any of them were inside Galaxies Edge at all.

 

[Jkpark]

A couple questions that we may not know the answers to yet, but maybe some of you with WDW experience at this can help:

(1) I am traveling with my family (DH, DD14 and DD12) and 6 friends. I know how to add friends and family on MDE at WDW, but for the DL App, do I need to scan my friends tickets into my app (and vice versa) so we can be trying to BG for ROTR on more than 1 device? We would want to be searching for the whole group at once as it would be devastating if 2 or 4 of us got a BG and the rest did not. Last time we traveled with friends I do think I scanned their tickets into my app, but I think I controlled the whole thing as they were new to DLR so they weren't trying to do anything on their own accounts/devices.

(2) Is there any possibility of changing BG if you have conflicting plans? We have a Oga's reservation around 11:30 and then 3 in our group are building droids at 1:10. If we happen to get a BG of 11-1 or something similar - what flexibility do we have? This is our first time to GE and likely only visit for the next year+. I would hate to have to cancel either of those experiences. Usually this isn't a big deal with FP bc you do have some control over what FP time you select and an attraction takes maybe 15 minutes with FP queue and attraction time - at the most. This is very different. Anyone have any guesses or experience from WDW? We will be in the parks 3 days so will be trying for BG each day, but these reservations are for Day 1 so there would be no way of knowing if we would be successful with BG for ROTR on future days. For someone who knows how to do the parks, this is really stressing me out...

 

[montreid]

@Jkpark - IF the BG work like Maxpass and MDE on WDW --- scan everyone's ticket onto your MDE - that's your 'party'. MDE will recognize who's in the park or not when you try to grab a FP (and presumably BG too---not confirmed!!!).

From WDW reports - reservations were able to be adjusted by CMs --- at DLR there's several locations like WDW's GET CMs blue umbrellas. DLR uses Maroon ones usually -- DL: Central hub, Dumbo, Tomorrowland outside Star Tours Giftshop exit; and HH.

 

[Jkpark]

@montreid - thanks for the feedback - that makes me feel better

 

[dina444444]

@montreid - thanks for the feedback - that makes me feel better

At Disneyland you need to scan all the tickets into each persons app. It doesn’t link you the way that the mde app does, where if I add you to my account we are done. At Disneyland we would each have to scan each other’s park admission into our app.

 

[twodogs]

@Jkpark, BG’s do not give you a time to return, so not a window like 11am-1pm as asked about above. It just gives you a number. Depending on how the ride is operating on that day, that BG number will be reached at (hopefully) some point in the day. When it is, you get (theoretically) a push notification in the app that your group has 2 hours from then to go to the ride. If you don’t get the notification, you can see what boarding groups are currently being called in the app anytime (look at the WDW app right now if you want to see what that looks like). There are charts on the WDW ROTR thread with some approximate times that BGs have been getting called, but all bets are off on a new ride opening weekend at DLR. In any case, you will generally know if your BG may overlap with Oga’s etc based on the number that you get. If it looks like it will (even though you do have a 2 hour window to return to ride ROTR after your group is called, so you may be able to finish Oga’s and then head over for example), you can talk to the CM at Oga’s or wherever and they have been able to help move your reservation there, at least at WDW.

 

[twodogs]

EmJ: I went in on my own pass, totally forgot that the app wouldn't see the family as 'in the park' if they had not been scanned in. Ran back through the crowds, found a nice CM, buzzed the cards of my family and then I could do it. I wouldn't suggest this course of action, but it is what I did.

And on your second question around the cell phones; my wife was logged into the app on my login details, same as I was, and we could both search FP and make FP bookings etc, so I would imagine it would work the same for the BGs. I can't totally confirm that though.

So your family had not entered the park at all when the CM gave you all a BG? Or were they just further back in the crowd, and by that time, they had scanned in and the CM added them to your group? What does that mean “buzzed the cards” of your family members? Just wanted to see what happened as I understood that everyone had to be scanned into the park, no exceptions, to get a BG, even with a CM help.

 

[montreid]

Sounds like rich got VERY lucky and CM made a big exception. Quite a few days of no thumbs scans so a simple tap in would have had the 'person' in the park. We were tempted to do this for our 2nd party of 4 that elected on sleeping in and forego ROTR -- we had their MBs with us, but decided against it as good faith of WDW for us to tap them in and use their BG! Would have been fun, but we were happy to be wet and tired with our single ride.

 

[Dustyb]

You were able to get a BG for your whole family even though they hadn’t entered the park? Did WDW change the rules? For as long as I was following the WDW threads, every person assigned to a BG had to have physically scanned into the park.

Also interesting that BG assignments are random!

Same at Disneyland, I believe all tickets have to be scanned at entrance to do MaxPass, etc. For BG don't all tix need to be scanned too?

 

[rich_84]

As it was so busy and they were just getting people into the park quickly there was no fingerprint required. I just used our tickets (we had cards for our 14 day tickets rather than a magicband) and went back to the entrance and swiped them through the gate.
In hindsight I was very lucky with how it all worked out as if they required fingerprints it couldn’t have happened. So I lucked out and managed to find a way for it to happen.
Just being open and honest, in no way boasting. I ‘got away with it’ rather than planning it well!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

As it was so busy and they were just getting people into the park quickly there was no fingerprint required. I just used our tickets (we had cards for our 14 day tickets rather than a magicband) and went back to the entrance and swiped them through the gate.
In hindsight I was very lucky with how it all worked out as if they required fingerprints it couldn’t have happened. So I lucked out and managed to find a way for it to happen.
Just being open and honest, in no way boasting. I ‘got away with it’ rather than planning it well!

I’m sort of thinking that couldn’t really happen at DL since your photo pops up when you scan in.

 

[Dustyb]

I’m sort of thinking that couldn’t really happen at DL since your photo pops up when you scan in.

Yeah, Probably not. But clever idea.

 

[SirBill]

...
(2) Is there any possibility of changing BG if you have conflicting plans? We have a Oga's reservation around 11:30 and then 3 in our group are building droids at 1:10. If we happen to get a BG of 11-1 or something similar - what flexibility do we have?

Don't forget that you also possibly have the options to change the time you go to Ogas or build a droid - my last trip to WDW I had a later Ogas reservation but went in much earlier as they had a really short line in the morning - they just removed my reservation (make sure to let them know if you do that so they can adjust). I've just walked into build a droid before, so it's also likely you could go at some other time if you talk to them about it... they also mentioned at Ogas that even if I showed up after my reservation, they wouldn't charge me a fee as long as I went in the same day, but if you show up later the line may be very long. Between being able to go in at some other time, and the two hour boarding group window you should be able to pretty easily cope.

I would try to show up earlier rather than later for your boarding group just in case the ride runs into issues and has to shut down for a bit. I'm really hoping Disneyland is smoother in that regard than WDW as they've had a ton of time to learn what needs to be done to make things stable without guests getting in the way of alterations.