TSM standby-less test Oct. 6-9

[SirDuff]

Oh man! If I had figured that out, I would've skewed the poll myself!

A woman (man?) after my own heart. I'm an epidemiologist and get annoyed when I can see that a survey isn't going to answer the question it thinks that it is asking.

In real life I mean, I don't tend to analyze DIS polls! In this case, I assume the multiple choice was an accident (is it the default?) as the choices seem mutually exclusive to me.

ETA - since one could have had multiple previous trips to compare against, I suppose that the options aren't mutually exclusive. Perhaps the 2014 was as good as the 2012 trip, better than the 2010 trip, and worse than the 2007 trip.

 

[Silock]

Why would you throw out the category "as good as"?

Oh, wait, I know. Because it lets you twist the results.

No, you throw it out if you want to measure if there's a change. I mean, another way to say "As good as" is "As bad as."

You can interpret the data either way. But if you, the company, spent a billion dollars, wouldn't you want a far higher number of "better" responses, and far less "disappointed?"

Having experienced the MB/FP+ thing myself, I've decided to cancel our yearly trip for the next 2 years, especially with these surprise "FP only" tests happening. Not being given the option to RD a ride on standby? That screws up my whole way of enjoying the parks and my vacation. I'm clearly not the only one.

 

[Josh Hendy]

So wife and I got back from a quick weekend trip a 2 weekends ago and used FP+ at EPCOT. By noon we were done and could only add on the land and spaceship earth for the rest of the day...one after the other..not at the same time. No more soarin or TT. So...if they go to FP+ only...pretty much a waste of a ticket if you're only going to get to ride 3 or 4 rides for an entire day. Seems like poor planning to remove standby. even with 60-90 wait...we could have done 4 or 5 more "good" rides.

This is the big opinion divide IMHO - between the people who liked to get 10-15 rides per day using rope drop, touring plans, FP-, single-rider queues, park hopping, revisiting rides during parades and fireworks, etc. and those who are happy to get 3 or 4 of their favorite rides in a leisurely way, then just like to chill in the park, at a full-service restaurant, or at the resort.

Disney evidently thinks that they will get bigger profits by investing in technology which favors the latter group, by restricting the availability of rides and fastpasses in order to either get rid of the ride-busters, or force them to learn how to chill (and like it). Instead of taking the more obvious (or at least tried and true) path of building more rides and adding capacity.

I think they're taking a BIG chance by trying to radically change the expectations of a large number of their guests in such a short time. It may be a win for Disney profits and a win for the (supposedly) higher profit-margin guests who are not ride maniacs, but it certainly has a lot of other people very worried if not completely riled up.

 

[Josh Hendy]

And BTW, I think it is possible that magic bands were added at the same time as FP+ in order for Disney to better track guest behavior meaning, actual, real-world park touring strategies and spending habits. This is how they will check the results of their behavior-control experiments conducted through the allocation of fastpasses compared to standby seating.

Did the guinea pigs (errr, valuable customers) react to the scarcity of FP+ for TSMM and complete lack of standby queuing by (a) leaving the park (b) hitting the souvenir stores (c) going to a full-serve restaurant or food counter (d) queuing up for RnRC or ToT, or (e) watch Muppets 3D another 3 times to kill time before Fantasmic? That's what magic bands can tell them.

I'm not saying that they DID collect this information, but you would have to be a pretty big fool to implement such a radical experiment and not at least collect the largest possible amount of data about its effects on the customers.

 

[Angel Ariel]

When you consider how reluctant people are to change , I was surprised to see those results however unscientific they may be.

I full plan on having a fantastic vacation in a few weeks, regardless of my thoughts on FP+. Disney is my happy place and I'm not letting anything get in the way of that. So I'm fairly confident that I will have a high rating for my vacation upon my return

Whether that high rating is in any part due to the changes or is in spite of the changes remains to be seen.

 

[wisblue]

This is the big opinion divide IMHO - between the people who liked to get 10-15 rides per day using rope drop, touring plans, FP-, single-rider queues, park hopping, revisiting rides during parades and fireworks, etc. and those who are happy to get 3 or 4 of their favorite rides in a leisurely way, then just like to chill in the park, at a full-service restaurant, or at the resort.

.

I think that a lot of the opinion divide is that some people seem to think that there is no point in between riding 10-15 rides a day and being happy with 3-4 rides a day. I think there are a lot of people who like to do a lot of rides and just happen to think that FP+ helps them do that better than paper FP did.

I think there may also be a divide between people who like to use rope drop, single rider, touring plans, FPs, park hopping, etc to do 10-15 DIFFERENT attractions in a day and those who like to do fewer different attractions multiple times. The second group seems to be more adamantly opposed to FP+ because it makes it much more difficult to get multiple FPs for the most popular attractions.

Although this thread has gotten way too long to go back and check, I'm not sure that there has been anyone who likes the idea of eliminating standby lines at any attraction. I know I don't.

 

[cakebaker]

I full plan on having a fantastic vacation in a few weeks, regardless of my thoughts on FP+. Disney is my happy place and I'm not letting anything get in the way of that. So I'm fairly confident that I will have a high rating for my vacation upon my return

Whether that high rating is in any part due to the changes or is in spite of the changes remains to be seen.

I think that some might be surprised just how anti-fp+ I was just a few months ago when we started planning our trip. My daughter is the one who told me about it and I had nothing good to say- I was sure I'd hate it, I thought the pre-planning was ridiculous and after spending a few hours on the dis, my fears were confirmed.

Then we started the actually planning and no, it wasn't as hard as I thought, but I was still sure it was going to be a disaster in the parks. But it wasn't.

I think you just have to try it and see. Some people hate it before and after, some don't even question it and love it from the start and some are like me- went in kicking and screaming and came back a convert.

I really hope you have a great trip- because of or in spite of fp+ either way!

 

[Angel Ariel]

I think that some might be surprised just how anti-fp+ I was just a few months ago when we started planning our trip. My daughter is the one who told me about it and I had nothing good to say- I was sure I'd hate it, I thought the pre-planning was ridiculous and after spending a few hours on the dis, my fears were confirmed.

Then we started the actually planning and no, it wasn't as hard as I thought, but I was still sure it was going to be a disaster in the parks. But it wasn't.

I think you just have to try it and see. Some people hate it before and after, some don't even question it and love it from the start and some are like me- went in kicking and screaming and came back a convert.

I really hope you have a great trip- because of or in spite of fp+ either way!

Thanks

I've gotten to the planning part, and that has frustrated me more. I just don't like the level of planning it has required.

I am holding out hope I'll love it once I'm there...that will make the dislike of the planning part worth it at least, and make it easier for me to deal with disliking the preplanning on future trips

I just miss *enjoying* the preplanning, then being done with it and just looking forward to the trip. With not being able to get fp+ for some things, I have to stalk the.app to try and get them..with all the unannounced tests, I feel like I have to be here everyday so if something is run on our trip, like the BOG fp+ test they just started that is messing with our planning, that I at least know about it and can plan around it.

Normally by now I'm.sitting back and just getting excited. I.miss that.

 

[Suvadoo]

And BTW, I think it is possible that magic bands were added at the same time as FP+ in order for Disney to better track guest behavior meaning, actual, real-world park touring strategies and spending habits. This is how they will check the results of their behavior-control experiments conducted through the allocation of fastpasses compared to standby seating.

Did the guinea pigs (errr, valuable customers) react to the scarcity of FP+ for TSMM and complete lack of standby queuing by (a) leaving the park (b) hitting the souvenir stores (c) going to a full-serve restaurant or food counter (d) queuing up for RnRC or ToT, or (e) watch Muppets 3D another 3 times to kill time before Fantasmic? That's what magic bands can tell them.

I'm not saying that they DID collect this information, but you would have to be a pretty big fool to implement such a radical experiment and not at least collect the largest possible amount of data about its effects on the customers.

You musn't forget option F: run through a maze in search of the cheese!

 

[MillauFr]

You musn't forget option F: run through a maze in search of the cheese!

The obvious answer is just go to Disneyland instead.

 

[lugnut33]

Polls are always subject to interpretation.

I just expected to find, with all the complaining I read, a huge number saying they had a miserable time. The comments explaining their votes seem to confirm the positive feelings and while I haven't read them all, I didn't catch any that said they voted better than because the last one was lousy.

Again, it's not in any way scientific and all it says is the people that voted felt the way they felt- it is no more indicative of how the general public feels as a whole than say..uhh..facebook comments.

As I was reading through an AKL construction update I got to thinking that I barely see anyone complain about the construction. All the construction walls obviously impact a vacation. Heck, the new Harambe addition is universally touted. So it's not just a bunch of negative Nellies here. You seem to think we just want to be negative and cannot clearly judge the current situation.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

As I was reading through an AKL construction update I got to thinking that I barely see anyone complain about the construction. All the construction walls obviously impact a vacation. Heck, the new Harambe addition is universally touted. So it's not just a bunch of negative Nellies here. You seem to think we just want to be negative and cannot clearly judge the current situation.

You must have missed the post where it was said that some must just be ready to be upset. Like you go along for 5, 10, 15 years of loving Disney, visiting every year and encouraging your family and friends to visit, but now, a group of those lovers are just ready to be upset with Disney.

 

[famy27]

I think that a lot of the opinion divide is that some people seem to think that there is no point in between riding 10-15 rides a day and being happy with 3-4 rides a day. I think there are a lot of people who like to do a lot of rides and just happen to think that FP+ helps them do that better than paper FP did.

I think there may also be a divide between people who like to use rope drop, single rider, touring plans, FPs, park hopping, etc to do 10-15 DIFFERENT attractions in a day and those who like to do fewer different attractions multiple times. The second group seems to be more adamantly opposed to FP+ because it makes it much more difficult to get multiple FPs for the most popular attractions.

Although this thread has gotten way too long to go back and check, I'm not sure that there has been anyone who likes the idea of eliminating standby lines at any attraction. I know I don't.

I think I must fall in the in between camp. And I have worked the heck out of FP+. I am a power-user. I've used 12 FP+s in one day in MK in June (prime season with long SB). I'm a power FP+ user moreso than I ever was with paper FP. But if Disney switched back to paper tomorrow, I'd be doing a dance of joy.

I'd mostly come to terms with FP+, with the addition of the 4th FP option. Prior to the 4th FP, I had no use for it at all. But then I tried to plan a trip two weeks prior to departure, and I started tipping back to anti-FP+. And then, I saw this test, and it threw me firmly back in the anti-FP+ crowd. The weird thing is that I've never once even been in the SB queue for TSMM. I've always used FPs for the ride. But it's the precedent that this establishes that scares me. I just missed the Anna and Elsa no-SB test by a day or two on my last trip, and reading about people waiting an hour in the FP line was filling me with dread. These continual unannounced tests and changes make planning even more stressful.

For me, the three biggest negatives to the current FP system are the tiers, only pre-booking in one park, and the structure/pre-planning/lack of flexibility that I find FP+ creates for the way I tour. The planning is by far the worst. To me, it offsets the benefits of FP+ for arrival day and for not having to do the RD running of the bulls. I'd go back to the system in a heartbeat, because I knew what to expect. I hate playing a game where I have no idea what the rules are (or where the rules are constantly changing). I won't let my DD change the rules in the middle of the game, so it really irritates me when Disney tries it.

 

[wdwfan66]

I couldn't possibly read this entire thread so here are my comments/opinions. Going without standby lines & moving to FP+ ONLY is kind of like saying that when everything is urgent, nothing is urgent. So when everyone has a fast pass, then all of those fast pass people have to stand in a long line, which use to be standby, thereby not reducing wait times by much in the long run. All or nothing in this case will not work. Whatever their thinking is, I can see this blowing up in their faces when people get disgusted with paying all the money they do for vacationing there and only be able to ride 3 FP rides per day (which wouldn't allow them to ride their favorite rides several times per day). They just may end up with less people vacationing there which equals less profits. I think this is a big mistake for a business decision but time will tell. Hopefully they'll come up with a better idea for whatever they're trying to accomplish.

 

[ucfmcdonald]

It's each guests perogative if they want to wait 60/90/120 mins to experience something.

 

[Planogirl]

Others may have given their input but, for what it is worth, here's what I observed at the park last week:

1. There were at least 20 Disney employees outside the ride to deal with upset guests. This included the regular ride employees, additional HS employees, guest service representatives (the outfits they wear when they are taking VIP guests around the park) and executives (in business suits).

2. When I entered the park, a sign was posted (inside the park, after you had already paid and entered) that said "Toy Story Mania has reached capacity for the day."

3. People were very angry and children were crying outside the ride. This was the last day of the "test" and the employees looked tired and worn out.

4. We got to ride (long story). As were were getting in our ride vehicle, I looked at the employee helping us and said "I bet you're ready for a new week, huh?" (S)he (being vague because I don't want to get anyone in trouble) gave me a half-hearted smile and said that (s)he was. I said "Why are they doing this?" (S)he replied "They are testing out a system to make every ride only available via fast pass. The goal is for everyone to stand in line less than 15 minutes for every ride in every park." (For what it is worth, I would be shocked if this was the real reason for the test as it doesn't even make sense -- but I'm just telling you what (s)he told me.) (S)he also made a comment that (s)he didn't know the test was happening "until the night before when our managers gathered us together to inform us of what would be happening the next morning."

The ride broke down while we were getting off of it. Not only did they clear everyone off the ride, they made everyone in the queue leave the building. It was right before the park closed so I felt terrible for those people as I highly doubt they got to come back inside!

I agree that the reason you were given makes no sense at all. There will still be the same number of people in the park so if you don't allow them to wait in standby then they will just wait for something else and cause that line to be longer. It's all very bizarre.

 

[flicx]

They were- there are some people who believe Disney skews their polling and data to get the results they want.

Personally, I find the notion ridiculous.

Sorry was away all day so I am late responding. You find the notion ridiculous even though it was shown in black and white on this very site? No one said every survey, just some. Also not sure what poster was dismissive of them taking down negative feedback. That too has been verified by many posters on here! Honestly some people don't want to face facts!

 

[Planogirl]

Never mind. Not worth debating one whose meaning changes from post to post. The thread has long outlasted it's usefulness anyway.

I am ~unsubbing.

Me too. The passive aggressive manner of posting by some is doing me in. I don't think that there is a way to reach common ground.

 

[Planogirl]

Sorry was away all day so I am late responding. You find the notion ridiculous even though it was shown in black and white on this very site? No one said every survey, just some. Also not sure what poster was dismissive of them taking down negative feedback. That too has been verified by many posters on here! Honestly some people don't want to face facts!

This topic has been brought up countless times here and by many people. I can vouch for that.

 

[flicx]

This topic has been brought up countless times here and by many people. I can vouch for that.

Thanks just wanted to state that I believe what people have stated and the survey that was actual posted on the site. Thanks good evening!