Soarin' SB+ test...Fail

[jade1]

This may be off base, but by doing SB+ aren't they actually lowering the capacity of the ride? With regular standby, if you are in line to ride at closing time, you got to ride. So if you get in a 90 minute Soarin line at park closing, you still got to ride. How do they define ride capacity when distributing SB+? Are they trying to get everyone onto the ride by park closing? Is Disney trying to get the parks closed earlier?

I was wondering that as well. Do they leave Gringotts running for 400 minutes after closing? I suppose WDW could move to a QBOT type return for SB, and if the wait is 90 minutes at closing-that could still be your return time.

 

[mom2rtk]

And for you the keys to a new Buick!

As long as it isn't a 1975 model!

Just noticed Soarin' doesn't have a standby time listed today on the My Disney Experience app. It just shows it is open 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Looks like they are giving the test another go.

It will be interesting to see if they tweak it any.

 

[jade1]

Or maybe they now have the opportunity to increase the number of FP+ reservations available by managing the SB line......?

There's more to this than just what it seems. There has to be. Disney is way too smart to try this and risk all the vitriol this is causing for there not to be a broader strategic plan. It hints of desperation if not.

Yep agreed-satisfied with 90 to 300 minute SB's even if it's only 10% to 40% of riders is fine with some folks, but I think WDW is digging into that because it can and should be reduced IMO.

 

[Nanajo1]

I wonder if their entire problem would have been solved if they simply put the "stand-by" time as the time a pass handed out "now" would have gotten you in. So at 4pm it would have said a 4 hour wait- then people wouldn't take the pass, resulting in the big cluster of people not happening in the end. All the pass is doing is letting you pretend to get in line, go wander about, then come back when you are near the front. When the idea came up for Anna and Elsa it was actually a huge relief for me, I don't want to get stuck choosing between not riding and being stuck in a huge line. My kids can't handle the line so when FP are out we are blocked out of a lot of rides.

This sounds like the DAS system

 

[mom2rtk]

Or maybe they now have the opportunity to increase the number of FP+ reservations available by managing the SB line......?

There's more to this than just what it seems. There has to be. Disney is way too smart to try this and risk all the vitriol this is causing for there not to be a broader strategic plan. It hints of desperation if not.

I agree. It's entirely possible that they are just testing the mechanism right now, but have plans of ratcheting it back to move more slots into FP later. I still don't think that matters, because someone is always going to be left out, and people given no options are always angrier than people just given bad options (like a long line).

 

[clsteve]

Yep agreed-satisfied with 90 to 300 minute SB's even if it's only 10% to 40% of riders is fine with some folks, but I think WDW is digging into that because it can and should be reduced IMO.

Well it could work ------ If there was Something Else to ride stand by of comparable quality.

That's the 800 lb gorilla in all of this...

 

[lugnut33]

And now getting to the parks even earlier will be more important to wringing out maximum value. Those of you sleeping in 60 days out or while on vacation are wasting money.

 

[Laketravis]

I'm just now getting caught up on all of this, but my first thought was:

There must not have been a line at Captain EO, so this was their attempt to divert demand.

Sometimes you can take yield management a bit too far.....

 

[mom2rtk]

Well it could work ------ If there was Something Else to ride stand by of comparable quality.

That's the 800 lb gorilla in all of this...

......which is why this is an entirely different creature at Epcot than it is in the MK. This might work to control an attraction with long lines because of some intrinsic insane popularity. This will not work to control an attraction with long lines because there just aren't enough alternatives. How many people race to Soarin at DCA? It's just not the same beast there.

I'm just now getting caught up on all of this, but my first thought was:

There must not have been a line at Captain EO, so this was their attempt to divert demand.

Sometimes you can take yield management a bit too far.....

 

[lugnut33]

Looks like they are testing today:

https://twitter.com/rob_hampson/status/494504817931587584

I wonder if I can use some of my old paper fastpasses?

 

[ucfknight]

All options are on the table except building new attractions. They were very clear that they are not interested in an arms race of rides.

Fine... if you take Disney's ridiculous "arms race" statement as them never building another ride ever here is the best option:

Add 2 more theaters to Soarin' to double capacity. This would probably cost somewhere in the $30 to $40 million range. They wouldn't even need to change the queue line with the way the building is designed and how much backstage space they have. After the merge point where right now you turn left or right depending on which theater you are assigned, they could add 2 more options going straight. Those would lead to the 2 new theaters.

Soarin' problem solved for probably less money than Disney spent on new door locks for hotel rooms for MyMagic+. Very little engineering work involved. Pretty much just construction cost.

 

[Laketravis]

LOL!

Well, I suppose WDW does have a very challenging situation on their hands. I mean, if I only had two cheeseburgers but I threw a sign on the window "All you can eat", I think at some point I'd need to consider how to increase my supply of burgers rather than play diversionary tactics with demand.

 

[HM]

For the first time ever (in over 20 WDW trips), I'm doing a short trip (four days) without park hoppers. If I'd been at Epcot yesterday and had been turned away from Soarin', I'd have been really unhappy. It would have been my only chance to do it this year. Of course, I've experienced it before and I'd have been OK.....but what it had been my first or only planned trip? Wow.

 

[Jennasis]

Tread carefully, Disney. I swear if they take away standby options as a new form of line management I will have no problem selling the brand new DVC we just bought this past spring. FP+ has been enough of a nightmare that I would consider doing SB only if I had to. Take that away and the mouse can pound sand.

 

[KYDisneyDad]

It's easy to jump on the Disney basing bandwagon but I've personally read countless threads on people NOT wanting to wait on lines which was the sole purpose of the thousand FP+ threads that have been created. They probably surveyed people if they wanted to wait on standby for over 60 minutes. The answer was no. Now they issue cards so you don't have to wait and people are saying "but I want to wait!". Just playing devils advocate but it's pretty close to accurate from most of the posts on this board.

And I would have answered the exact same way but I guarantee you had the survey indicated a choice between a 60+ wait time and no option to ride the attraction at all without reservation as in no standby option, the results would have been different.
Forget E ticket or headliner attractions, throw in one or two C or D ticket people eaters and that would do wonders for spreading out crowds..

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

someone is always going to be left out, and people given no options are always angrier than people just given bad options (like a long line).

The whole problem with this test is summed up with this one sentence.

That and no one likes to be told what they can't do. If they decide not to get in a 3 hour line is a whole different ball game than Disney telling them they can't get in the 3 hour line after they've spent the money on their ticket.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I am all for any process that a) allows me to ride what I want and b) doesn't make me stand in a line of any significance at all.

I've always hoped for a full virtual queuing system.

that's why I've always though "line spot holders" and FP runners rejoining their party were totally sensible things.

 

[clsteve]

I'm just now getting caught up on all of this, but my first thought was:

There must not have been a line at Captain EO, so this was their attempt to divert demand.

Sometimes you can take yield management a bit too far.....

Exactly

So when their Yield Management Solution turns into a Capacity Management Nightmare when all those guests at EPCOT hop over to MK once they find out they can't ride anything of value standby because they arrived too late to get an SB+......

Back to square one

 

[Laketravis]

So the way to fix the new FP system is to bring back the old FP system?

This sure looks like a paper FP to me: Come Back Later!




.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Oh wow, it just occured to me: So the way to fix the new FP system is to bring back the old FP system?

Go check out the A & E standby thread and check out the pics lovethattink posted. They are installing "something" there.