Soarin' SB+ test...Fail

[tfc3rid]

Or... They could get rid of FP altogether and have the standby lines actually move as they used to in the 1980's and as we saw during the Soft Open for Mine Train back in May.

 

[mom2rtk]

Spot on.

Their biggest miscalculation in all of this mess was that the posted SB Wait Time was it's own natural deterrent to guests. When they could see as they walked up that the posted time was more than they wanted to experience, they moved on.

Now, all they see is that they can't ride at all. But others can. Of course they'd be furious and I'm shocked Disney was shocked by the outcome.

BINGO. I was just about to post this. When the line is long, it's self-limiting. Some will get in it, some will quietly make a value decision to pass it up. What Disney did was take away that limiting factor. Most who were offered the SB+ cards took them, essentially ADDING demand to the most popular attraction in the park.

I can't even imagine how much fun it was to be a CM at the end of that line last night. Or a CM in guest services.

Essentially, a bunch of people passed up an hour line and came back to find a 3 hour line.

I'm also shocked Disney thought this would ever fly. It's sort of telling me though that Disney doesn't really understand their customer. They still think they can nudge people to do what THEY want them to do.

 

[clsteve]

Where are the firings of the execs who even suggested this hogwash?

Everything looks good when you draw it out on a whiteboard, then put the model in a spreadsheet, then into a pretty PowerPoint presentation showing how you can move guests around like pieces on a chessboard.

It's only when you implement it and then those pesky humans with all their wants, needs and silly emotions suddenly don't do what you expect them to, does it fail. It's not the plan - that's perfect - it's those darned guests who make it fail......

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I have a brilliant idea for you, Disney. Stop building more and more DVC guest rooms and hotels and start adding actual attractions to keep up with the crowd levels you are obviously courting. NFL is a start, but there needs to be something else to do in the other parks. EPCOT has a big empty pavilion just waiting to be filled, for Pete's sake.

I'm sorry, but Soarin' has been attraction there for ages. It is old and needs to be re-done. Yet there is a huge uproar to ride it…because there's nothing else to really do except TT! I could not believe they actually force you to pick FPs for lame attractions like Captain EO and Figment and they're trying to say this makes your vacation better than the old way. It isn't.

 

[mom2rtk]

Everything looks good when you draw it out on a whiteboard, then put the model in a spreadsheet, then into a pretty PowerPoint presentation showing how you can move guests around like pieces on a chessboard.

It's only when you implement it and then those pesky humans with all their wants, needs and silly emotions suddenly don't do what you expect them to, does it fail. It's not the plan - that's perfect - it's those darned guests who make it fail......

It must have occurred to SOMEONE. The critical piece is whether they have a corporate climate where people in the room can speak up without fear of reprisal or must all sit in silence because this thing is too big to fail.

 

[mistysue]

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.

 

[shyjade]

Maybe Disney is finally finding the limits of how structured the average guest wants their vacation to be.

Well said, Mesaboy2! Although I would use the term "controlled" over "structured".

 

[clsteve]

It must have occurred to SOMEONE. The critical piece is whether they have a corporate climate where people in the room can speak up without fear of reprisal or must all sit in silence because this thing is too big to fail.

Reason #78 why I parachuted out of Exec purgatory......

 

[PlutoMars]

BINGO. I was just about to post this. When the line is long, it's self-limiting. Some will get in it, some will quietly make a value decision to pass it up. What Disney did was take away that limiting factor. Most who were offered the SB+ cards took them, essentially ADDING demand to the most popular attraction in the park.

I can't even imagine how much fun it was to be a CM at the end of that line last night. Or a CM in guest services.

Essentially, a bunch of people passed up an hour line and came back to find a 3 hour line.

I'm also shocked Disney thought this would ever fly. It's sort of telling me though that Disney doesn't really understand their customer. They still think they can nudge people to do what THEY want them to do.

Actually, second hand reports say that Soarin wasnt at capacity yesterday so people would not have shown back up to find a 3 hour line.

 

[wn01aa]

When we went to the MK to check out the A&E SB+, the cm told us upon return there will be a moderate wait. It was also posted on the return card as "moderate wait". There was no estimate given by cm. The 30 minutes came as reports came in from people using SB+ for A&E. Their waits were approximately 30 minutes.

I think the 30 minutes came about from them cutting the line off in the morning at rope drop once it got to about 30 minutes.

 

[mom2rtk]

Actually, second hand reports say that Soarin wasnt at capacity yesterday so people would not have shown back up to find a 3 hour line.

It would be if people were turned away for an extended period of time and then all of a sudden the line was opened back up.

 

[River Country]

It doesn't have anything to do with FP+. This is their new test, SB+, where they eliminate the SB queue and issue return time tickets instead.

I understand that just wondering why you wouldn't try for a FP instead of trying to go Standby or SB+ I would try for the FP first no? Or am I just confused and I am still waiting for the FP for 20,000 leagues under the sea?

 

[FlipHipster]

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.

I agree. I hate FP+ and pre-booking. When they announced this, my hope was that we would be able to grab SB+ tickets and avoid FP+ as much as possible. Suddenly we weren't locked out of A&E anymore. It's understandable why some are pissed but they are never going please everyone with any type of FP queue skipping solution. There just isn't enough to go around.

Reason #78 why I parachuted out of Exec purgatory......

 

[magicbob]

Actually, second hand reports say that Soarin wasnt at capacity yesterday so people would not have shown back up to find a 3 hour line.

It would be if people were turned away for an extended period of time and then all of a sudden the line was opened back up.

Reports cited by OP indicate that's exactly what happened.

 

[FlipHipster]

I understand that just wondering why you wouldn't try for a FP instead of trying to go Standby or SB+ I would try for the FP first no? Or am I just confused and I am still waiting for the FP for 20,000 leagues under the sea?

If you already booked a FP+ for TT you couldn't book Soarin' even if there were 1000 available.

 

[magicbob]

I am still waiting for the FP for 20,000 leagues under the sea?

I want one of those!

OTOH, the return time is half past never.

 

[jco_direwolf]

I understand that just wondering why you wouldn't try for a FP instead of trying to go Standby or SB+ I would try for the FP first no? Or am I just confused and I am still waiting for the FP for 20,000 leagues under the sea?

Because people ether have there FP+ already booked or there aren't any FP+ left.

 

[PlutoMars]

It would be if people were turned away for an extended period of time and then all of a sudden the line was opened back up.

OK, when you find that report that people had to wait in line for 3 hours yesterday for Soaring, please let me know. Reports that I have read had Soaring at lower than usual wait times and people not showing up for FP+. One report said it might have been the rain yesterday that caused the lower wait times.

Put in perspective. They shut the standby line down for 30 minutes. Their test failed. Now, if they continue to try to implement this at Soarin in the light of this, i think that is more cause for concern. It will be interesting to see how it plays out today.

 

[Mad Hattered]

In case anyone is wondering....Orlando Theme Park News reported this test taking place yesterday on their Twitter account and the comments I posted came from the discussion on WDW Magic forum in the A & E SB+ thread going on over there. I'd post a link but I am challenged by that when posting from my phone. Google is your friend , though.

OTPN said the CMs called it a disaster.

 

[lovethattink]

I understand that just wondering why you wouldn't try for a FP instead of trying to go Standby or SB+ I would try for the FP first no? Or am I just confused and I am still waiting for the FP for 20,000 leagues under the sea?

You have a choice between Soarin' or TT. I guess TT was the choice for those people?

I think the 30 minutes came about from them cutting the line off in the morning at rope drop once it got to about 30 minutes.

Could be.