Rope dropping is becoming a worse experience

[wisblue]

Josh, thank you for offering some objective sanity, as always.

 

[photo_chick]

Thank you for proving my point. The OP was about RD. You basically didn't listen to them at all and used this thread to discount everything they were saying and make the case for FP+. Well done... not.

Well this goes way OT but... Sometimes the conversation in a thread evolves beyond the original post. Personally I often find those to be the most useful threads because it can bring up ideas or experiences that otherwise might not have been discussed.

Back to the OP's original post... I've seen references in your posts to what the crowds were predicted to be. From everything I've been reading the actual crowds have been higher than predicted the last few weeks. It will be interesting to see if that is a trend and contributing to longer lines at RD, if it's just short term because of FP+ adjustment, or what. But I think it's way too soon to say "x factor causes it".

 

[MrsDuck]

We've been going to WDW for 20 years and go pretty much monthly. We always do RD and honestly haven't seen a change.

 

[Silock]

Oh the irony--chastising others for being "rude" so very rudely.

OP's conclusion was that rope drop was "worse" because of FP+. No one is suggesting that OP is lying about the wait time for TSMM; rather, the general conclusion/suggestion that rope drop is no longer an effective touring strategy is being disputed.

And clearly, one's perception of crowds/crowding is somewhat subjective and dependent on the park one is in at the time.

I didn't say it wasn't effective. Not what I said at all. What I said is that it's a worse experience than before. It's still the way to go, which is why we continue to do it. But we haven't been able to get as much done in the same amount of time as we previously did.

 

[crazymomof4]

Well this goes way OT but... Sometimes the conversation in a thread evolves beyond the original post. Personally I often find those to be the most useful threads because it can bring up ideas or experiences that otherwise might not have been discussed.

Thank You. My thought as well.

 

[Silock]

This should be the 5th least crowded week of the year this year. At 10:45am on February 7th. Verify on My Disney Experience:

Today is definitely the best day of low crowds. Part of that I'm sure is due to it raining all morning. But the previous part of the week was nutty.

 

[redrosesix]

Ok - yes -- I took it too far and I apologize...

It wasn't just this thread -- but all of the FP+ threads.

DD14 is also a member and she was watching this thread and others. She said what you were doing was like cyberbullying because you're "piling on". And I agreed. Your one individual post basically saying that OPs post had no credibility might not have been meant to do harm. But imagine starting a thread and having 10 posts in the first 2 pages basically saying that what you experienced wasn't true...

Just imagine that. I'm surprised they came back to post at all.

Going to pack. Chill pills work.

 

[FLchick415]

Cyberbullying? Hardly. Also, unless I missed it, nobody said what the OP experienced wasn't true. People were just offering up THEIR experiences.

 

[crazymomof4]

Ok - yes -- I took it too far and I apologize...

It wasn't just this thread -- but all of the FP+ threads.

DD14 is also a member and she was watching this thread and others. She said what you were doing was like cyberbullying because you're "piling on". And I agreed. Your one individual post basically saying that OPs post had no credibility might not have been meant to do harm. But imagine starting a thread and having 10 posts in the first 2 pages basically saying that what you experienced wasn't true...

Just imagine that. I'm surprised they came back to post at all.

Going to pack. Chill pills work.

I think you were seeing negative intention where there was none (at least not on my part) Everyone was using very passive, non-confrontational, non-accussatory language, just basically stating very bland factual info.
Have a good trip and try to make the most of FP+, accentuate it's positives and not let the negatives bring your trip down. It is what it is and for now, there's nothing much we can do about it but work with it as best we can.

 

[baler31]

Back to wait times at rope drop. IMO wait times in the early am have increased, whether it is higher crowds remains to be seen but with FP+ you can get a time at park opening. Previously with FP- the earliest I would pull was usually 45 to an hour after opening. So, with people boarding immediately at opening in the fast pass line the stand by line will be slowed down. Just my take on visits in early Jan. and MLK weekend.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Maybe they should have left DHS out of FP+? The new system is very ill-suited for that park, because there are not enough rides, and TSMM is by far the most popular. They are creating a bottleneck at that ride which is worse than ever, because people know that they can only snag one fast pass per day for that ride, so hardly anyone will go anywhere else at RD.

At least in the old days, you could grab a fast pass, then go take advantage of the short lines elsewhere. But now, everyone will be jamming that standby line, whether or not they stop at the kiosk first.

Once again, the bigger picture is ride capacity, which is what they should have spent the money on instead of IT.

 

[mom2rtk]

Maybe they should have left DHS out of FP+? The new system is very ill-suited for that park, because there are not enough rides, and TSMM is by far the most popular. They are creating a bottleneck at that ride which is worse than ever, because people know that they can only snag one fast pass per day for that ride, so hardly anyone will go anywhere else at RD.

At least in the old days, you could grab a fast pass, then go take advantage of the short lines elsewhere. But now, everyone will be jamming that standby line, whether or not they stop at the kiosk first.

Once again, the bigger picture is ride capacity, which is what they should have spent the money on instead of IT.

Except DHS was probably the park resulting in the most complaints about legacy FP.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Maybe they should have left DHS out of FP+? The new system is very ill-suited for that park, because there are not enough rides, and TSMM is by far the most popular. They are creating a bottleneck at that ride which is worse than ever, because people know that they can only snag one fast pass per day for that ride, so hardly anyone will go anywhere else at RD...

TSMM is also probably the reason that they would/did implement FP+ in DHS. The most frequent FP- complaints that I have heard from friends is that they were out of TSMM fast passes before they arrived in the parks. The same thing happens with Soarin'. The same thing will happen on the Mine Train when it opens, even with all of the other competing attractions in MK.

It stinks, but I think that they are danged if they do, danged if they don't, so to speak.

 

[lugnut33]

Thanks for the updates Silock. I have a feeling you are having an experience much like I had back in November, where you can still have a good time but you know it's changed and won't ever be the same. In the back of your mind you're thinking, "Is this how my vacation dollars are going to be best spent in the future?"

It's like I've been saying for months, getting there earlier and earlier before rope drop will become more of a priority. Eventually one will want to be in line at least an hour before park open and if you're there during the holidays it will be 2 hours before. That's just what FP+ is going to force people to do if they want to ride a main attraction more than once.

 

[lugnut33]

Josh, thank you for offering some objective sanity, as always.

Contrary to what you might think Josh is not the end all be all on Disney World.

 

[wisblue]

Eventually one will want to be in line at least an hour before park open and if you're there during the holidays it will be 2 hours before. That's just what FP+ is going to force people to do if they want to ride a main attraction more than once.

You've said this many times, and I disagree with it every time.

Getting there early has always been the recommended strategy, and for as long as we have been visiting WDW (over 20 years now), the guidebooks have recommended arriving 30-45 minutes before the posted opening time.

As recently as the week between Christmas and New Year's when we visited, arriving 30-45 minutes before stated opening was plenty early and we were able to do as many things as ever when we entered. The marginal value of arriving an hour early, much less two hours, would probably mean getting through the turnstiles literally one minute sooner, if that.

Maybe the day will come when that 30-45 minute recommendation becomes an hour, but we aren't there now. But, I would bet you right now that getting there 2 hours early will not do much good. There simply are not enough people willing to do that just to get one more ride in.

Time will tell.

 

[summermac]

TSMM has a 70 minute wait on what is the 5th least crowded week of the year? Wowza.

 

[HM]

TSMM has a 70 minute wait on what is the 5th least crowded week of the year? Wowza.

But, was the wait really 70 minutes? You have to get in line and find out. Sometimes 70 minutes really means 40 minutes.

 

[Silock]

But, was the wait really 70 minutes? You have to get in line and find out. Sometimes 70 minutes really means 40 minutes.

In this case, it's definitely the full 70.

 

[lugnut33]

You've said this many times, and I disagree with it every time.

Getting there early has always been the recommended strategy, and for as long as we have been visiting WDW (over 20 years now), the guidebooks have recommended arriving 30-45 minutes before the posted opening time.

As recently as the week between Christmas and New Year's when we visited, arriving 30-45 minutes before stated opening was plenty early and we were able to do as many things as ever when we entered. The marginal value of arriving an hour early, much less two hours, would probably mean getting through the turnstiles literally one minute sooner, if that.

Maybe the day will come when that 30-45 minute recommendation becomes an hour, but we aren't there now. But, I would bet you right now that getting there 2 hours early will not do much good. There simply are not enough people willing to do that just to get one more ride in.

Time will tell.

I realize it's the recommended strategy, it's why we always did it. My point is you are going to have to arrive earlier and earlier in order to be at the front of the line. The importance of early arrival will be even more important under the new FP+ regime. It's already happening as supported by in park reports from Silock.