TSM standby-less test Oct. 6-9

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Been away from the boards for a few days, not sure what's most impressive:

That this thread is still on the first page
That this thread hasn't been locked
That this thread is up to pg 111 with 1661 replies.

 

[ghtx]

Been away from the boards for a few days, not sure what's most impressive:

That this thread is still on the first page
That this thread hasn't been locked
That this thread is up to pg 111 with 1661 replies.

Just wait until people start talking about Ebola!

 

[flicx]

Some remnant of it will remain. I doubt they get rid of it completely if they can't make it work. "They" are clearly too heavily invested. This could drag out for a while. But I agree, somebody bought the demo. Never buy the demo.

"We are absolutely determined to introduce great product, even if the cost of introducing that product is kind of having your arms around it more than you need to when it's in its steady state. And we've been doing that, we've talked about that on our earnings call, the additional cost we've experienced with the MyMagic+ introduction, whether it was communication about it or the handholding and help that guests get when they're in the park. That will not last forever. Guests will figure it out and we will really start to see the revenue come through. " - Jay Rasulo Goldman Sachs 23rd Annual Communacopia Conference 9-10-2014

http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/con...man-sachs-23rd-annual-communacopia-conference

What I found really interesting about his whole spiel is the lack of a excitement. He knew the question was coming. Borst threw him a slow underhanded pitch right over the plate and he basically whiffed. If he had any good numbers to drop he would have dropped them.

Didn't read the whole thing. Did Rasulo get into any specifics about the no standby line issues at the park? What the end game may be? etc.

 

[faneuil]

Just wait until people start talking about Ebola!

There's a thread for that! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3340505

I wonder how this test would work on Peter Pan's Flight. Talk about a terrible SB line.

 

[cakebaker]

There's a thread for that! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3340505

I wonder how this test would work on Peter Pan's Flight. Talk about a terrible SB line.

Well they are doing some work on the standby line at PPF- , maybe when they open it back up they'll run the test- or ....shhhhhh.....maybe it's going straight to fp+ only!

 

[Angel Ariel]

Hand an iPhone to a 6 year old.

The 6 year old is not the one booking vacations or fp+ reservations

 

[Suvadoo]

I have started a new thread about the financial aspects of FP+

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=52452321&posted=1#post52452321

 

[Silock]

I don't see it that way. There is nothing about FP+ that slows rides down. So each park will have roughly the same number of attraction visits per day. All that changes is how the guests for each of those attraction visits is determined.

The problem I see is that if they do move to a "FP+ only" system at some of the rides, what happens when people miss their window? You don't have a SB line to draw from, and you end up running at way less than capacity, resulting in fewer guests getting to ride per hour. That's a big negative change.

If you release 1k FP+ per hour, how do you prevent all of those guests showing up at the same time or within a say, 5 min window? That could just end up snowballing and cause long lines the rest of the day.

I don't know why I'm defending FP+, but they are released in 5 minute increments, so you do have a small cap on the number of people getting into line at once. But you can still end up with "ripples," where all people in one window show up at, say, 2:09, and then all of the people in the next window show up immediately at 2:10. Then, you start backing up in a wave pattern. It's the same principle that happens when someone slows down and brakes hard on the highway during traffic. It ends up waving all the way back. The traffic isn't a problem until someone slows down, and then it throws everyone off.

 

[magicbob]

The problem I see is that if they do move to a "FP+ only" system at some of the rides, what happens when people miss their window? You don't have a SB line to draw from, and you end up running at way less than capacity, resulting in fewer guests getting to ride per hour. That's a big negative change.

Not to mention all the people who were not able to get a FP for that ride who would be turned away altogether.

Basically, they would be ensuring the wait is capped at 15 minutes or so, but only for those lucky enough to score a FP, by not allowing thousands of people to get in line who would normally be causing the 60 minute waits.

As someone pointed out earlier, capacity has not changed. This means that those not riding in the past were "self-selected" (i.e., those not willing to wait in a line that long). Under a FP+ only model, those who ride will be determined solely by who was able to get a FP, leaving even those who would have been willing to wait an hour "SOL."

Knowing that the ride has seats going empty even though you were prevented from waiting would be a very bitter pill for any guest to swallow.

In order to ensure they maintain capacity, they would need to increase the number of FPs distributed, which in turn would make FP not so fast.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Not to mention all the people who were not able to get a FP for that ride who would be turned away altogether.

Basically, they would be ensuring the wait is capped at 15 minutes or so, but only for those lucky enough to score a FP, by not allowing thousands of people to get in line who would normally be causing the 60 minute waits.

As someone pointed out earlier, capacity has not changed. This means that those not riding in the past were "self-selected" (i.e., those not willing to wait in a line that long). Under a FP+ only model, those who ride will be determined solely by who was able to get a FP, leaving even those who would have been willing to wait an hour "SOL."

Knowing that the ride has seats going empty even though you were prevented from waiting would be a very bitter pill for any guest to swallow.

In order to ensure they maintain capacity, they would need to increase the number of FPs distributed, which in turn would make FP not so fast.

An wouldn't some people cancel their trips if they couldn't get a FP and knew that they wouldn't have the option of riding standby?

 

[mom2rtk]

An wouldn't some people cancel their trips if they couldn't get a FP and knew that they wouldn't have the option of riding standby?

We are toying with the idea of a quick trip to the MK next summer just to try out the Mine Train. If they make it all FP+ and we don't get one......... I'm out.

 

[magicbob]

We are toying with the idea of a quick trip to the MK next summer just to try out the Mine Train. If they make it all FP+ and we don't get one......... I'm out.

Just pray they don't decide to have an unannounced test during your visit.

Some people have expressed skepticism about the given justification for the recent test (i.e., gathering data for a third TSMM track). I sincerely hope that IS the reason (seems to make sense if the proposed third track will be dedicated to FP holders) and that this doesn't portend some rides becoming FP+ only.

mom2rtk, that's one prediction I hope you are dead wrong about.

 

[mom2rtk]

Just pray they don't decide to have an unannounced test during your visit.

LOL, wouldn't that be just my luck.

Hopefully they'll be done with their testing by then.

 

[grimley1968]

Just pray they don't decide to have an unannounced test during your visit.

I posted something like this about 1,000 posts ago on this thread, but I'm scheduled to be at WDW during the same week next year as the week this took place. Who knows what they'll pull then? To me that's the biggest problem: those people who visited DHS last week expecting standby lines that have existed as long as parks have had rides and having the rules changed on them during their visit did not have a chance to reschedule or cancel. Regardless of how one views FP+, standby, etc. that was a terrible way to treat guests.

 

[magicbob]

I posted something like this about 1,000 posts ago on this thread, but I'm scheduled to be at WDW during the same week next year as the week this took place. Who knows what they'll pull then? To me that's the biggest problem: those people who visited DHS last week expecting standby lines that have existed as long as parks have had rides and having the rules changed on them during their visit did not have a chance to reschedule or cancel. Regardless of how one views FP+, standby, etc. that was a terrible way to treat guests.

Par for the course since the advent of FP+. Remember the unannounced changes to certain resorts having access to FP+ only, etc.

 

[Ellwood970]

Just pray they don't decide to have an unannounced test during your visit. Some people have expressed skepticism about the given justification for the recent test (i.e., gathering data for a third TSMM track). I sincerely hope that IS the reason (seems to make sense if the proposed third track will be dedicated to FP holders) and that this doesn't portend some rides becoming FP+ only. mom2rtk, that's one prediction I hope you are dead wrong about.

They dont need a test for that anyone can see they need a third track.

 

[magicbob]

They dont need a test for that anyone can see they need a third track.

I agree (in fact, I think I said exactly that dozens of pages ago). But IF the third track is to be used for FP+ only, then they need to test how to distribute the FPs to maximize the efficiency of that third track. Otherwise, they will run into the situation where cars are going out empty.

 

[Ellwood970]

I agree (in fact, I think I said exactly that dozens of pages ago). But IF the third track is to be used for FP+ only, then they need to test how to distribute the FPs to maximize the efficiency of that third track.

I remember you saying that. I just think with the demand for that ride it will "self-maximize" i dont understand what needs to be tested.

 

[ArwenMarie]

An wouldn't some people cancel their trips if they couldn't get a FP and knew that they wouldn't have the option of riding standby?

Definitely.

But looking at it the other way, the more FPs that they dump into the FP bucket, even if it means all of them for the popular rides, the more people that prebook those FPs, the more people they potentially "lock in" before they leave home.

 

[magicbob]

I remember you saying that. I just think with the demand for that ride it will "self-maximize" i dont understand what needs to be tested.

If the third track is dedicated for FP+, and there's no way to divert the standby guests to fill any gaps in the FP+ flow, then they need to ensure they distribute enough FPs (and for the correct times) to ensure that those gaps in the FP line don't form.