TSM standby-less test Oct. 6-9

[mom2rtk]

This whole process needs a mascot.

I nominate Mr. Money the Guinea Pig...

BRILLIANT! How could it be anything else?

What's funny about this...

I'm in the parks a lot. I see many, many people hanging out in the shops. I don't see a whole lot of people buying. Maybe an ear hat, or a T-shirt for the little one, a Mickey for sure, but not big bags of stuff like in years past.

I'm sure they're still making a killing in the shops, but from appearances, spending looks down.

I notice a lot more ppl just hanging out. Usually waiting for a FP+ appointment.

I love shopping, but there's only so many times you can look at the same Mickey shirt.



I always forget about those, cause I never use them. But yes, those lines will be crazy long. "What did you do at Disney?" "I stood in line for a FP+ appointment".

No problem. Just institute a cover charge for entering the shops. Or better yet, just add a $50 cover charge to everyone's ticket, load it on the magic band and....... WALLA.

Next problem?

 

[mbrittb00]

Local news story about this from last night:

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10662316

Not very informative, but anyway.

Would be interesting to see a follow up news story where they show dozens of empy cars being run, and children crying because they aren't being allowed to ride.

 

[cakebaker]

Again this morning,there are multiple slots open for TSM for at least 3 in a group.

I am in line now for toy story mania and they just opened up the standby line! Pretty sure they figured out that was a dumb idea!

Or this is just part of the test they planned to run. Perhaps they're going to fill the standby queue at park opening as the did with the A&E test.

 

[faneuil]

No problem. Just institute a cover charge for entering the shops. Or better yet, just add a $50 cover charge to everyone's ticket, load it on the magic band and....... WALLA.

Next problem?

HAHAHA. The marketing department would like to interview you at...

Remember years ago, they offered gift cards at a discounted rate? I know I bought more that year - so you might be on to something.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Or this is just part of the test they planned to run. Perhaps they're going to fill the standby queue at park opening as the did with the A&E test.

I believe someone posted yesterday that they did allow the SB queue to fill once at RD, but after that, no one was allowed in.

 

[mom2rtk]

HAHAHA. The marketing department would like to interview you at...

Remember years ago, they offered gift cards at a discounted rate? I know I bought more that year - so you might be on to something.

Hmmmm..... that would do the same thing. I would love to know how that went over. And if it worked well, I wonder why they haven't done it again since.

 

[lugnut33]

I read the OS article on the Yahoo home page about this yesterday. The seemed to indicate that they would be holding a certain number of FP slots available for day guests. Ok, great, BUT, (and this is a huge BUT), if you have to have people show up at rope drop and literally run back to a kiosk to make a FP + reservation, with only times that Disney has given you to choose from, aren't we right back to square one? Isn't this the point of FP+, to get rid of that practice?!?!? This is absolutely ridiculous.

I believe they did hold back some FP+ for today. When I checked yesterday there were no FP+ available for 4 people, however I can get them this morning (I'm not going to since I'm in WI). This is very interesting because previously we had been under the assumption that all FP+ available were put out there right at the 60 day mark.

Or, it's completely possible that since many ride vehicles were going empty yesterday that they dumped a whole load of new FP+ into the system to make sure those vehicles were filled. How would we know if this is the case, if we find out that the FP+ queue is huge today.

 

[clsteve]

BRILLIANT! How could it be anything else?

Yes, I fully expect him to have his own M&G at some point.

Maybe a featured parade, or a special castle lighting ceremony where after Mr. Money the Guinea Pig lights everything up, you see Iger and Rasulo dropping out of the sky in golden parachutes.....

 

[lugnut33]

In a nutshell, that's the problem here.

I'm not sure why people get upset when someone posts they prefer the new system. We do. It works better for us than the old fp system did. I understand that's not true of everyone. That's just the way it is sometimes.

I hope whatever their goal is, it works for us. A reservation based system could work well for us, but time will tell on that one.

That's fine, you guys are OK with a lesser system and never fully got your money's worth prior to FP+.

I think what most people are upset with is a devaluing of our vacation experience and it starts with the whole MDE.

 

[lugnut33]

I believe someone posted yesterday that they did allow the SB queue to fill once at RD, but after that, no one was allowed in.

You are correct

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, I fully expect him to have his own M&G at some point.

Maybe a featured parade, or a special castle lighting ceremony where after Mr. Money the Guinea Pig lights everything up, you see Iger and Rasulo dropping out of the sky in golden parachutes.....

Maybe a ride of his own out in the World Showcase?

 

[cakebaker]

That's fine, you guys are OK with a lesser system and never fully got your money's worth prior to FP+.

I think what most people are upset with is a devaluing of our vacation experience and it starts with the whole MDE.

It's a lesser system for you- it's not for me.

I understand that people are upset that their vacations cannot be what they used to be. I was upset too when I couldn't have ours run the way we wanted them to. Not everyone is going to be happy no matter what Disney does.

 

[vacationer1954]

I'm not sure why people get upset when someone posts they prefer the new system.

I agree. It's actually pretty silly for folks to blind themselves to the fact that some things that they personally don't like other people find to be far superior. Case in point:

That's fine, you guys are OK with a lesser system

The point is that we consider this possible new system to be greater, and consider your preference to be the lesser system.

I think what most people are upset with is a devaluing of our vacation experience and it starts with the whole MDE.

There are people who consider the fact that Disney caters to children to be "devaluing" their vacation experience. Different strokes.

 

[StarCruiser]

I wonder how many slots Disney leaves open for a standby line. How would folks feel if FP+ was given all the available slots, and the standby line became a real standby line. The standby lines would probably get longer and longer without anyone being taken in from those lines unless there was a gap due to people not showing up for their FP+ reservations? That would give Disney what they are probably looking for, maximizing the number of guests who can enjoy premiere attractions, while not doing away with the standby line entirely. I think people who like to use the standby line would be even angrier waiting for three or four or five hours and still not getting in on days when the use of the assigned FP+s is high.

I can't understand why Disney doesn't do this. I think people would be happier having the option of waiting in line 3 or 4 or 5 hours vs. having not ability to wait in line. As long as Disney posts a proper wait time for standby, people will know what to expect. They shouldn't really complain that they have to wait 5 hours when the sign said it was a 5 hour wait. The trick is to make sure they overestimate the wait time so that people are waiting less than the posted time (and not more).

As you said, that would also help maximize the number of riders. They could fill in with standby riders during any lulls in FP+ riders.

I think this would solve some of the concerns in this thread.

 

[Sandy321]

Hmmmm..... that would do the same thing. I would love to know how that went over. And if it worked well, I wonder why they haven't done it again since.

My favorite trip to Disney 2008 or '09 They had a "Prince/Princess" Package. For $50 I could get reservations to a few of the 'shows' (I know it was Beauty and the Beast at DHS, Lion King at AK... not sure what else it included, I got a passbook, but had to make the reservations in advance, and the CM on the phone helped me book these)

Now when we got to our resort we were given $50 Disney dollars (yep, the price of the package! so it was a "no brainer") and a bag of "Princess" themed goodies (not expensive, just little cutey things)

and of course, when we went to our reservations, we had assigned seats! It was amazing!

 

[CarolinaBlue]

I read this:Quote:
Inside sources are saying that Toy Story Fast Pass rumor is true but it is only because some construction will be going on in the stand by line area and will have to be closed off til it is done. They are just calling it a test, but that is all that is going on. Don't look for this to last.

I read this: http://wdwnt.com/blog/2014/10/breaking-guests-can-only-ride-toy-story-mania-via-fastpass-this-week/

It is unknown if this test is somehow related to rumors that a third track for Toy Story Mania will be constructed, including rumblings that the new track maybe be used only for guests with FastPass+ reservations, or just a test to see the feasibility of offering attractions via FastPass+ only.

 

[StarCruiser]

I'm seeing a lot of concern about reservation based riding. Folks seem to fail to realize that FP- was reservation based riding. Granted, it was supplemented with Standby. Seems to me there should be some middle ground where both Standby and Reservation are utilized. The trick is optimizing the amount of each. I think that is what Disney should be testing. And perhaps they are working their way there.

I suspect they have lots of data on Standby only from days prior to FP. Now maybe they are trying to get data on FP (Reservation) only?

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm seeing a lot of concern about reservation based riding. Folks seem to fail to realize that FP- was reservation based riding. Granted, it was supplemented with Standby. Seems to me there should be some middle ground where both Standby and Reservation are utilized. The trick is optimizing the amount of each. I think that is what Disney should be testing. And perhaps they are working their way there.

I suspect they have lots of data on Standby only from days prior to FP. Now maybe they are trying to get data on FP (Reservation) only?

The rumbling on this thread is related to an reservation ONLY based system.

 

[vacationer1954]

The rumbling on this thread is related to an reservation ONLY based system.

There was also some rumbling on this thread related to MDE itself.

 

[Laketravis]

I think what most people are upset with is a devaluing of our vacation experience and it starts with the whole MDE.

I have no sympathy for Disney. This whole fiasco has it's roots several years ago when the wait situation became so bad it was national news. All three networks were reporting how families who had spent thousands of dollars on a WDW vacation would find themselves waiting in lines for hours.

Disney had to do something. And MDE/MM+ was born. Instead of spending the next 5? 6? years and billions building substantially more capacity, they played with software.

I'm afraid they are in so deep that they will continue tinkering with software for another 5? 6? years until somebody at Disney realizes they have done nothing to eliminate the original dilemma (people upset with a devalued experience) and has the balls to call it an epic fail. Gentleman, let's build more attractions.

Don't agree? Remember that this friggin' "test" called FP+ has been running for over three years now.