So are these wait times the new norm for a 5?

[Auntie Sherry]

We are at MK today, and I've been shocked by the wait times. Are these the new norm, even during a slow period in January? Easy WDW had MK listed as recommended park with an overall crowd level of 5. Was the park more crowded than expected? Or are these wait times FP+ normal?

At around 2 this afternoon:
Pirates - 65 mins
Haunted Mansion - 75 mins
Big Thunder - 85
Peter Pan - 85
7DMT - 100

Most other rides were 45-55 mins. I'm not gonna lie. These wait times have been much longer than I had hoped for.

Plus, it was *freezing* this morning, so I'm kind of shocked the weather hasn't scared some people away.

Thoughts?

 

[Auntie Sherry]

 

[Auntie Sherry]

We are at MK today, and I've been shocked by the wait times. Are these the new norm, even during a slow period in January? Easy WDW had MK listed as recommended park with an overall crowd level of 5. Was the park more crowded than expected? Or are these wait times FP+ normal?

At around 2 this afternoon:
Pirates - 65 mins
Haunted Mansion - 75 mins
Big Thunder - 85
Peter Pan - 85
7DMT - 100

Most other rides were 45-55 mins. I'm not gonna lie. These wait times have been much longer than I had hoped for.

Plus, it was *freezing* this morning, so I'm kind of shocked the weather hasn't scared some people away.

Thoughts?

 

[3DisneyFanz]

It's not just new visitors and planning only made things slightly less bad. My husband and I are here for our 2nd trip (first was two years ago). We booked 7 nights at French Quarter, have the dining plan, and have Memory Maker (which hasn't worked and no one has fixed despite us spending several hours trying to get help -- we just got passed around until we gave up). We know how to plan. We know and employee all of the strategies. We use all of the "tools" that everyone mentions. We rope drop. All of it. We deeply regret this trip and very much wish that we had not come at all. It's been awful between indifferent/unhelpful cast members, the crowds, the wait times for attractions, waiting 30-60+ minutes for buses, and lots of other little things. It is to the point that we spent about 5 hours yesterday trying to figure out how to go home four days early. It turned out to be too difficult logistically, but we were willing to lose all of our money and spend the extra $1000 just to get away from here. We will not be back. Our last trip was amazing, but things have changed so much it seems. When we have asked for help/assistance, we have always been nice and polite (we are not confrontational people at all but rather quiet and courteous), but cast members just don't seem to care. People are telling me that "it's just me", but I don't think that's true. Maybe it's because we don't have kids. Maybe it's because I'm a ginger. At this point, I have no idea. Each day gets worse. We both wish that we had stayed home.

Considering the fact that multiple people note the exact same experiences you are expressing its pretty safe to say it's not you.

 

[TippeeCanoe]

It's not just new visitors and planning only made things slightly less bad. My husband and I are here for our 2nd trip (first was two years ago). We booked 7 nights at French Quarter, have the dining plan, and have Memory Maker (which hasn't worked and no one has fixed despite us spending several hours trying to get help -- we just got passed around until we gave up). We know how to plan. We know and employee all of the strategies. We use all of the "tools" that everyone mentions. We rope drop. All of it. We deeply regret this trip and very much wish that we had not come at all. It's been awful between indifferent/unhelpful cast members, the crowds, the wait times for attractions, waiting 30-60+ minutes for buses, and lots of other little things. It is to the point that we spent about 5 hours yesterday trying to figure out how to go home four days early. It turned out to be too difficult logistically, but we were willing to lose all of our money and spend the extra $1000 just to get away from here. We will not be back. Our last trip was amazing, but things have changed so much it seems. When we have asked for help/assistance, we have always been nice and polite (we are not confrontational people at all but rather quiet and courteous), but cast members just don't seem to care. People are telling me that "it's just me", but I don't think that's true. Maybe it's because we don't have kids. Maybe it's because I'm a ginger. At this point, I have no idea. Each day gets worse. We both wish that we had stayed home.

It isn't you but you'll be told by some it is you.

 

[ArwenMarie]

It's not just new visitors and planning only made things slightly less bad. My husband and I are here for our 2nd trip (first was two years ago). We booked 7 nights at French Quarter, have the dining plan, and have Memory Maker (which hasn't worked and no one has fixed despite us spending several hours trying to get help -- we just got passed around until we gave up). We know how to plan. We know and employee all of the strategies. We use all of the "tools" that everyone mentions. We rope drop. All of it. We deeply regret this trip and very much wish that we had not come at all. It's been awful between indifferent/unhelpful cast members, the crowds, the wait times for attractions, waiting 30-60+ minutes for buses, and lots of other little things. It is to the point that we spent about 5 hours yesterday trying to figure out how to go home four days early. It turned out to be too difficult logistically, but we were willing to lose all of our money and spend the extra $1000 just to get away from here. We will not be back. Our last trip was amazing, but things have changed so much it seems. When we have asked for help/assistance, we have always been nice and polite (we are not confrontational people at all but rather quiet and courteous), but cast members just don't seem to care. People are telling me that "it's just me", but I don't think that's true. Maybe it's because we don't have kids. Maybe it's because I'm a ginger. At this point, I have no idea. Each day gets worse. We both wish that we had stayed home.

I'm sorry. We had a trip like that once, it was just a disaster due to a beyond cruddy Disney resort experience and issues that they refused to fix. We did leave early, one morning I just woke up and said, I'm done and we got in the car and headed out to MCO. Disney was "nice" and let us out of paying the extra nights, whatever. Our next trip was better.

Sorry it's been such a downer. I hope you either get home earlier or things look up a bit for you.

 

[JimmyV]

It's not just new visitors and planning only made things slightly less bad. My husband and I are here for our 2nd trip (first was two years ago). We booked 7 nights at French Quarter, have the dining plan, and have Memory Maker (which hasn't worked and no one has fixed despite us spending several hours trying to get help -- we just got passed around until we gave up). We know how to plan. We know and employee all of the strategies. We use all of the "tools" that everyone mentions. We rope drop. All of it. We deeply regret this trip and very much wish that we had not come at all. It's been awful between indifferent/unhelpful cast members, the crowds, the wait times for attractions, waiting 30-60+ minutes for buses, and lots of other little things. It is to the point that we spent about 5 hours yesterday trying to figure out how to go home four days early. It turned out to be too difficult logistically, but we were willing to lose all of our money and spend the extra $1000 just to get away from here. We will not be back. Our last trip was amazing, but things have changed so much it seems. When we have asked for help/assistance, we have always been nice and polite (we are not confrontational people at all but rather quiet and courteous), but cast members just don't seem to care. People are telling me that "it's just me", but I don't think that's true. Maybe it's because we don't have kids. Maybe it's because I'm a ginger. At this point, I have no idea. Each day gets worse. We both wish that we had stayed home.

After you get back home, you should capture all of these thoughts into an email and send it to Disney's Customer Relations department. They should and need to hear this type of feedback. Disney is one of the very few companies that has a loyal fan base that is capable of drowning out dissent so the powers that be lose sight of the fact that there are areas where customers are being let down. There is only one way to counter that, and that is to tell them what you have told us.

 

[cindyfan]

We recently got back and the wait times sure did seem much higher than our previous visits. I don't know if it's because there are that many more people in the park or if it's because (I've heard) more people are using multiple sets of bands to get additional FP's. If more people are getting 6 or 9 or more FP's each by using multiple sets of bands that could certainly push the standby times up yet provide reports from people saying they hardly ever waited in line.

How is it possible to use multiple bands?? They'd have to purchase multiple tickets and walk thru the tap point with them?!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I don't think people understand what the crowd calendar tells you. The parks are more crowded and the lines are longer every single day now than they were 5 years ago. So a crowd level 5 today is much different (more crowded) than a crowd level 5 in 2011. And the difference is even more drastic when you compare to the 1990s and early 2000s. The crowd level of 5 is an indicator of how crowded it is during THIS 12 months. It is not a comparison to how crowded it was in 2011.

Maybe some posters are right that things will get better when the other parks have more appeal. I know we have had 2-3 trips in the past few years where we only went to Magic Kingdom.

 

[mom2rtk]

How is it possible to use multiple bands?? They'd have to purchase multiple tickets and walk thru the tap point with them?!

Bands will work for FP whether they have been used for admission or not. People doing this are not redeeming their admissions to use the FP entitlements. Some are using bands from friends or family members with APs. Some are using bands with no tickets to get SDFPs in the parks.

 

[cindyfan]

It's not just new visitors and planning only made things slightly less bad. My husband and I are here for our 2nd trip (first was two years ago). We booked 7 nights at French Quarter, have the dining plan, and have Memory Maker (which hasn't worked and no one has fixed despite us spending several hours trying to get help -- we just got passed around until we gave up). We know how to plan. We know and employee all of the strategies. We use all of the "tools" that everyone mentions. We rope drop. All of it. We deeply regret this trip and very much wish that we had not come at all. It's been awful between indifferent/unhelpful cast members, the crowds, the wait times for attractions, waiting 30-60+ minutes for buses, and lots of other little things. It is to the point that we spent about 5 hours yesterday trying to figure out how to go home four days early. It turned out to be too difficult logistically, but we were willing to lose all of our money and spend the extra $1000 just to get away from here. We will not be back. Our last trip was amazing, but things have changed so much it seems. When we have asked for help/assistance, we have always been nice and polite (we are not confrontational people at all but rather quiet and courteous), but cast members just don't seem to care. People are telling me that "it's just me", but I don't think that's true. Maybe it's because we don't have kids. . At this point, I have no idea. Each day gets worse. We both wish that we had stayed home.

I am sorry you had a poor experience your 2nd trip! But.... it's NOT just you! ....
I did laugh when you said "Maybe it's because I'm a ginger"! (I am also a ginger....) and this is what I said last summer when we returned and also had a not-so-magical time. But having visited WDW many times over the last 20 years I composed an email. Disney is a business... yes.... they are trying to make a profit... yes! But they know where their focus should be..... and they WILL listen to what you have to say!
When they read my email they contacted me several times.... email and phone! to discuss the things that I brought to their attention. They seemed very interested in the things I said.... maybe because I have gone so many times and have seen the changes. Maybe they are getting this kind of feedback alot!
Anyway.... like someone else posted.... you should compose an email and send it! They will listen!

 

[Boski]

Bands will work for FP whether they have been used for admission or not. People doing this are not redeeming their admissions to use the FP entitlements. Some are using bands from friends or family members with APs. Some are using bands with no tickets to get SDFPs in the parks.

Just so I understand.....They have different MDE accounts? Go into park with "active" bands, use those FPs, get 2nd day ones on those bands, and then switch over to old MDE account with old bands and are able to get 2nd days fps on those?

 

[TippeeCanoe]

How is it possible to use multiple bands?? They'd have to purchase multiple tickets and walk thru the tap point with them?!

No. You can use extra magic bands not tied to your MDE to get day-of fastpasses. No ticket media needed.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Just so I understand.....They have different MDE accounts? Go into park with "active" bands, use those FPs, get 2nd day ones on those bands, and then switch over to old MDE account with old bands and are able to get 2nd days fps on those?

You can get a second set of same day FP's on a second set of bands linked to a different MDE whether or not that second MDE has ever had tickets linked to it. So you book 3 Fp's in advance on MDE with bands linked to tickets. Use those bands to get into the parks. Then go to a FP kiosk and use the second set of bands to book 3 more FP's for the day. those FP's are linked to a different MDE account. You can pick up 4th FP's after you use the first 3 on both sets.

ETA: the second set of fastpasses will likely not include headliner rides (TSMM, SDMT, ect) as those are gone early.

 

[JimmyV]

You can get a second set of same day FP's on a second set of bands linked to a different MDE whether or not that second MDE has ever had tickets linked to it. So you book 3 Fp's in advance on MDE with bands linked to tickets. Use those bands to get into the parks. Then go to a FP kiosk and use the second set of bands to book 3 more FP's for the day. those FP's are linked to a different MDE account. You can pick up 4th FP's after you use the first 3 on both sets.

ETA: the second set of fastpasses will likely not include headliner rides (TSMM, SDMT, ect) as those are gone early.

This is correct. You don't have to use your pre-booked FPs in order to start loading FPs onto your second (or third, or fourth) band. If you have 4 magic bands, each associated with a different MDE account, you can waltz into the MK at 9:00 with 3 pre-booked FPs, and then immediately head to a kiosk at 9:01 and put 3 FPs each on the other 3 bands. So by 9:05 a.m., you could have 12 FPs booked throughout the day. But as noted, those "same day" FPs that you book at the kiosk at 9:01 are going to be "while supplies last" FPs and won't be for the attractions that sell out in advance. That makes the extra bands of little value in any park other than the MK. But in the MK, there is plenty of FP availability at 9:00 a.m., so you can easily double or triple up on FPs for major attractions. Each one of your bands can have a Space Mountain FP on it, and you can ride that ride 4 times during the day, all by way of FP.

[The explanation above is in no way an endorsement of the system or an admission that I have ever done this. (I still don't even own my first Magic Band...it should be arriving soon though. I have always used the hard plastic tickets instead.) Indeed, this loophole outlined above is one that I hope gets closed sooner than later. IMO, Magic Bands should not be "activated" for FP usage unless they have been used at an entrance tapstile that day. And they should not be tapped at a tapstile unless there is a valid ticket associated with that Band.]

 

[book_junkie]

Part of the inaccurate wait times is the way the time it- using the lanyards is iffy at best and it's not consistent. They need to update it to work with the magic bands and then digitally update the wait time every 20 minutes or so like toll roads.

Part of the larger times right now is the larger than expected crowd- there are a lot of people that got their plans scrambled with Storm Jonah, and they've been in the parks as they extended their time while trying to get flights out. I was talking to one family on Saturday who were having to reschedule, and the first non-standby flight they could get was Thursday.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

No. You can use extra magic bands not tied to your MDE to get day-of fastpasses. No ticket media needed.

Yeah, the key there is that they have to be tied to a different MDE account to be active. That means that a family can book one vacation under one person's name and get MBs. Book the next vacation under another party's name within the group and get another set of MBs associated with different MDE accounts. Same group of people - 2 sets of MBs and MDE accounts.

Of course, the ones without ticket media cannot be used to book anything except at a FP+ kiosk, by which time all of the premier ride FPs have been taken.

 

[crazedprincess]

It's not just new visitors and planning only made things slightly less bad. My husband and I are here for our 2nd trip (first was two years ago). We booked 7 nights at French Quarter, have the dining plan, and have Memory Maker (which hasn't worked and no one has fixed despite us spending several hours trying to get help -- we just got passed around until we gave up). We know how to plan. We know and employee all of the strategies. We use all of the "tools" that everyone mentions. We rope drop. All of it. We deeply regret this trip and very much wish that we had not come at all. It's been awful between indifferent/unhelpful cast members, the crowds, the wait times for attractions, waiting 30-60+ minutes for buses, and lots of other little things. It is to the point that we spent about 5 hours yesterday trying to figure out how to go home four days early. It turned out to be too difficult logistically, but we were willing to lose all of our money and spend the extra $1000 just to get away from here. We will not be back. Our last trip was amazing, but things have changed so much it seems. When we have asked for help/assistance, we have always been nice and polite (we are not confrontational people at all but rather quiet and courteous), but cast members just don't seem to care. People are telling me that "it's just me", but I don't think that's true. Maybe it's because we don't have kids. Maybe it's because I'm a ginger. At this point, I have no idea. Each day gets worse. We both wish that we had stayed home.

Maybe it's because I'm a ginger....

 

[ArwenMarie]

Maybe it's because I'm a ginger....

Why is that so funny?

 

[epcotty]

This is correct. You don't have to use your pre-booked FPs in order to start loading FPs onto your second (or third, or fourth) band. If you have 4 magic bands, each associated with a different MDE account, you can waltz into the MK at 9:00 with 3 pre-booked FPs, and then immediately head to a kiosk at 9:01 and put 3 FPs each on the other 3 bands. So by 9:05 a.m., you could have 12 FPs booked throughout the day. But as noted, those "same day" FPs that you book at the kiosk at 9:01 are going to be "while supplies last" FPs and won't be for the attractions that sell out in advance. That makes the extra bands of little value in any park other than the MK. But in the MK, there is plenty of FP availability at 9:00 a.m., so you can easily double or triple up on FPs for major attractions. Each one of your bands can have a Space Mountain FP on it, and you can ride that ride 4 times during the day, all by way of FP.

[The explanation above is in no way an endorsement of the system or an admission that I have ever done this. (I still don't even own my first Magic Band...it should be arriving soon though. I have always used the hard plastic tickets instead.) Indeed, this loophole outlined above is one that I hope gets closed sooner than later. IMO, Magic Bands should not be "activated" for FP usage unless they have been used at an entrance tapstile that day. And they should not be tapped at a tapstile unless there is a valid ticket associated with that Band.]

Wow, didn't know all this. If it's underestimated here and it truly is a lot of people doing this no wonder wait times are so high