Thoughts on new TSM line system

[Stasieki]

I'm sure if they had sprung for Memory Maker that would be even more disappointing since all their ride photos/videos would be separate. Not cool after jumping through all the hoops required to get on that ride in the first place.

This actually kind of happened to us last week. We have Memory Maker and they put DH and DD in another car. I politely asked a party of two if they would mind switching so we could be in the same ride photo. Thankfully, they were fine with it.

 

[alvernon90]

No, they were in rows right beside each other but the CM made the dad ride in the train without his family. His family got on the next train.

Our party of three was in front of this party of three. So they forced the dad to fill the empty seat and the wife and child rode on the next train.

Wow, that is so weird that I almost think it was a mistake. I'm all for filling in empty seats, but they should not split up parties who waited in line together to fill those seats. If there is an extra seat they should look for a single rider, not find the extra person in an odd party and force him to become a single rider. That's pretty bad.

I would have just refused to get on that train -- the CM probably just failed to realize his error.

 

[sls404]

Wow, that is so weird that I almost think it was a mistake. I'm all for filling in empty seats, but they should not split up parties who waited in line together to fill those seats. If there is an extra seat they should look for a single rider, not find the extra person in an odd party and force him to become a single rider. That's pretty bad.

I would have just refused to get on that train -- the CM probably just failed to realize his error.

I agree. I'm sure this was just a fluke and not protocol (hopefully). The dad didn't try to argue with the CM, but if they did that to me I would have.

 

[castleri]

Just wondering how all of these solo travelers get to disney. If they ride on a plane do they expect the seat next to them to be empty so they don't have to sit next to a stranger?
You are not required to carry on a conversation with anyone so why not just enjoy the ride and who knows maybe it will turn out to be a really fun time. Maybe they need to post signs at the entrance stating that single riders will not be seated alone.

 

[BellaBaby]

Since this thread has turned to 7DMT, I''l just mention that they sent my DH in a completely different train as well back in June. I knew going in that one of us would ride with a stranger since we are a party of 5. We had FP+ for two different days we were there. So DH and I decided we would take turns riding with a stranger. He was first and yes they put him on a different train! That to me was weird! We actually laughed when we saw the photos, but if we had actually paid the money for MM; I wouldn't have been happy.

 

[Hummingbird]

I like this new loading. But then again I love efficiency and have much older kids. I do understand people not wanting thier young child to ride with a stranger, but I will say in the scenario of the 5yr twins, 11yr, & 2 parents one parent should sit with twins, I parent with 11yr old. I know parent with twins won't be able to play the game, but as a parent we often make sacrifices for the happiness/safety of our children. Or maybe try rider swap.

I also would be pretty embarrassed if the CM tries to put a stranger with me and the stranger refused/declined to ride with me. To be honest I might not want to ever ride again solo if someone did that to me. It would make me feel like they thought something was wrong with me.

 

[tink20]

I would not mind riding with a stranger on certain rides. However, if I had a young child, I would not want them riding with a stranger.

I wouldn't want to ride Buzz with a stranger, I don't even like riding that one with family, I always volunteer to be solo. DS spins around too much

 

[aVASTGrl]

Just wondering how all of these solo travelers get to disney. If they ride on a plane do they expect the seat next to them to be empty so they don't have to sit next to a stranger?
You are not required to carry on a conversation with anyone so why not just enjoy the ride and who knows maybe it will turn out to be a really fun time. Maybe they need to post signs at the entrance stating that single riders will not be seated alone.

Maybe you should peruse again. Most of the "complaints" or I should say concerns (since I've only seen a few complainers), are from odd-numbered families who don't want us solo travelers sitting next to them. Or from odd-numbered families who don't want to, and shouldn't be, broken up into separate ride vehicles.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

You have one butt so you can take up one seat at F!, on a ride, on a bench. It is not for you to decide what happens to the seat next to you.

Some people have 1 butt the size of 2 or 3 butts though and they encroach upon my space. Why is it okay for them to do that to me?

Also, why is there even a need to mess with the seating on TSM? Wasn't that the point of building a 3rd track?

 

[DisneyOma]

I'm sorry, I don't understand. A 5yo can't ride solo and two 5yo's can't ride together as one has to be over 14yo (per Disney rules. I know every so often you can find a CM who doesn't follow this rule and lets it slip through, but the rule clearly states it's not allowed), which is also why my 11yo can't chaperone one of my 5yo's.
It's an easy fix for a family of three, but not for a family of five or more who has three or more kids under 14yo. In that case the only option, following Disney's rules, is for one of the kids to sit solo as no child under 14yo can chaperone a younger child. Again, neither myself nor my 11yo has an issue with this and we willingly follow the rules, but people are missing the point that one parent riding solo is not always an option for families larger then four.

Your husband rides with one 5 year old, you ride with one 5 year old, your 11 year old rides solo if you are fussy about strangers.

 

[mummabear]

Some people have 1 butt the size of 2 or 3 butts though and they encroach upon my space. Why is it okay for them to do that to me?

Also, why is there even a need to mess with the seating on TSM? Wasn't that the point of building a 3rd track?

What would you like to see happen? Larger people being banned? Unable to ride? Dont get me wrong on an airplane for example I think if your body cannot be contained in one seat that you should have to buy another (at possibly a somewhat lower cost unless they give you two meals and 2 sets of luggage allowance) but that there needs to be regulations to keep the seat size at a reasonable

 

[gzmtlock]

I haven't read the entire thread, but wanted to share my experience on 7DMT earlier this month.

I was behind a father with two small girls - I would guess 6 and 4. I don't think he had ridden before, as he was telling his girls they might all get to sit together. When they got close enough to see the train, he realized they would not. And spent the rest of the time in line negotiating (in an age appropriate way) with the older daughter to ride alone. He was willing to leave the line, if she truly didn't want to ride alone. At this point, he didn't realize (nor did I, having never ridden solo) that she wouldn't be allowed to do so. She decided that she wanted to ride badly enough that she would be brave enough to go alone. I was so proud of both papa and daughter for how they handled the unexpected!

Only then it got even more unexpected. I realized they were going to pair me with the older daughter. I quietly warned Dad. His eyes got big. As the CM went to pair me with her, I asked if she could ride alone and was told no. When she had moved a little farther away, I tried again, explaining a little more, and was told no again.

So I simply didn't board with her. I waited for the next train. Flummoxed the CM a bit, but she got over it. And Dad and his two young daughters got to ride the ride they had waited 45 minutes in line for. (BTW, Mom was not riding but was caring for 3rd DD, about 2 I'd guess.)

Flame away, if you are so inclined! But I just felt that little girl needed to be rewarded for overcoming her fear of riding alone without then being forced to ride with a stranger. It's the only time I can ever remember that I didn't follow a CM's directions. I wish the CM had been a little more sensitive. I agree with many of the comments about 11 year olds, most of whom should be able or ready to ride with someone they don't know. But 6 is a far cry from 11!

 

[loves to dive]

Just wondering how all of these solo travelers get to disney. If they ride on a plane do they expect the seat next to them to be empty so they don't have to sit next to a stranger?
You are not required to carry on a conversation with anyone so why not just enjoy the ride and who knows maybe it will turn out to be a really fun time. Maybe they need to post signs at the entrance stating that single riders will not be seated alone.

I think some of the surprise is over the fact that this is a fairly new practice on TSMM, single riders or a single person from an odd number group have been riding solo. For me, and this is just me, I usually go either with a party of 3 or solo, since the party of 3 is DS and DIL, I'm usually the odd man (or woman in this case) out. I don't mind riding the roller coasters like SM solo, everyone does in a way and I don't mind riding TT or Soarin or Figment or most of the other riders with another solo rider. In the case of TSMM and Buzz Lightyear, you are sitting pretty close to the person in the car with you and you sort of interact with them. I'm not anti-social and don't even mind the getting squashed by another person (sometimes on the roller coasters it's a little embarrassing because I'm not a large person and do get flung around and even with bracing myself with my feet and arms I do get pushed into the person I'm riding with) but for some reason I would feel uncomfortable on those two rides being with a stranger. Don't ask, don't know why. I certainly would never make a big deal about it and since I now know that the practice is to pair people up, I simply won't ride the ride, I usually only ride it because DS loves it so I can wait or go do something else while they ride. I can see the issue for parents with younger kids, again on roller coasters you kid is within your eyesight at all times, no so much on TSMM. Yes, the odds are very small that something is going to happen to your kid but parents are funny people, we tend to be protective of our kids. Silly people.

 

[Mamapapa]

Your husband rides with one 5 year old, you ride with one 5 year old, your 11 year old rides solo if you are fussy about strangers.

Um, yeah. You are totally mis-quoting me as I never said I was fussy about strangers. You should read all the posts before quoting mine incorrectly. That quote was a response to someone who had only two children and therefore didn't understand how it was possible that the only option for some is for a child to sit with a stranger with these new no one rides alone rules and I was explaining my family as an example. Again, I'm not the OP, and I have no issue with my kids riding solo or with strangers. Not sure why people in this thread keep labeling me as the paranoid parent afraid of strangers around my kids since that's the opposite of every post I've posted on this thread....

 

[Mamapapa]

I do understand people not wanting thier young child to ride with a stranger, but I will say in the scenario of the 5yr twins, 11yr, & 2 parents one parent should sit with twins, I parent with 11yr old. I know parent with twins won't be able to play the game, but as a parent we often make sacrifices for the happiness/safety of our children. Or maybe try rider swap.

I'm the family you're referring to and for us, the best way to ride this ride without sacrifices for anyone is for my 11yo to ride with a stranger. He's 11yo, just starting middle school and can learn a lot from social interactions with strangers. Disney is a very safe place for this! Even those strangers with no kids are there to be a kid and are kids at heart so those are the people I would want around my son anyways! He needs to learn to use his voice as others have said if he is uncomfortable and to get used to these type of situations he will be dealing with long into adulthood. As for me, I made enough sacrifices for my twins on the last trip with the amount of times they forced me to ride the carousel with them!!