TSM standby-less test Oct. 6-9

[mom2rtk]

WDW just posted "FP+ Tips and Tricks" on their Facebook page and I don't think they anticipated the deluge of negative comments they've already started to get.

I don't think it's safe to say that the negative criticism is limited to the DIS. Will be interesting to see the lifespan of that thread.

Gonna be hard to sell corporate on "It's an overwhelmingly positive success!" when it's out there for all to see.......

LOL, it would take a few full-time interns to go through and edit that list. I'm guessing the entire entry will be gone soon enough.

The very fact that they put that out there tells me they are WAY out of touch......

 

[DisneyFive]

I didn't read the bazillion posts, but here's my comment:

Disney has mentioned that they are opening up more FP+'s for TSMM while this test is happening.

My hope is that Disney is using this as a way to remove tiering with the FP system. More FP+'s means more available to prebook, which could take away the need for tiering.

If this is the case, I'm o.k with it. We never rode TSMM standby before anyway, because we just aren't willing to stand in line that long.

If this removes the tiering at HS, then I'm all for it!

Dan

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I've read through the whole thread, so maybe I'm confused, but does the length of the line not seem to be adding up to anyone else? Around noon it was reported that the line stretched out to Pixar Place gate, but by early evening there's very few in line and empty cars? Any speculation as to what happened? Distributed too many early on and too few later? People abandoned tsmm fp+ (doesn't seem likely IMO that masses would)? Can anyone who was there confirm what the line was like through the day?

I would guess later in the day that some people end up not using the FP+ for TSMM. Perhaps they have a kid meltdown and have to go back to the resort, the weather changes, they take a break and elect not to go back to DHS. If they're offering more Fastpasses day of a bunch of people probably picked up times from 5pm on as early as 10am. A lot can change during the day.

Disney will probably "learn" from this test and figure they can release many more Fastpasses in the later day parts due to a greater cancellation rate. Then there will be a random day or days where the stars align and everybody stays in the park and tries to ride TSMM and the FP line will be over an hour.

 

[glamdring269]

But I still book a party of 3 for today for 2:00 or 2:15 at 12:40 p.m.

They should probably change the sign then. I've already got an fp around same time as you so not messing with it now. We'll see how it is when we go for our 4th in a couple of hours...

 

[lugnut33]

Orlando Sentinel article:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/trav...disney-toy-story-fastpass-20141006-story.html

 

[vacationer1954]

Beside the straw man arguments, little has been done to alleviate the original complaints.

Everyone complains. I recently returned home from a trip to Atlanta. Years ago we complained that airline seats were getting too close together. This time around, they are even closer together. We went shopping this weekend and bought coffee. We complained when a "pound" (really: can) of coffee suddenly became 14 oz. There is at least one brand peddling a 10.5 oz. can of coffee. There are lots of things we don't like but that doesn't make them anyone else's problem other than our own.

My point is that WDW could have opened a fifth or even possibly a sixth gate and/or added substantially more capacity to existing parks over the last 5-6 years but instead chose to toy around with software.

I don't spend my money on things I don't need.

Interesting-then go 99% and 1%.

I know that is roughly what I suggested earlier but I wasn't really serious. I think when wait times get beyond a certain point people are going to be unsatisfied far more than not having the opportunity to wait that long.

 

[MickeyMinnie1971]

Messing with crowd psychology a bit... After the TofT 10 miler this weekend, the big stuff at the Studios was open. RnR, ToT, TSMM. All of them - when I was at the attractions - had 45-50 minute wait times. I was determined to ride all three, so I got in line anyway. I didn't wait more than 15 minutes for each. Because there was a special event, there was, of course, no FP+. On Sunday, I spoke to several runners who left the party early, not riding anything, because the posted times were too long. I just think the psychology of it is interesting. you see a crowd, and you're lured. "It must be something good." You see a time attached to the crowd, and you might be turned off enough to walk away.

We were there for that as well. We walked right on RNR, TOT, and TSMM not too long after my husband crossed the finish line. The wait times were posted 10-20 minutes, but we had no wait at all. We just did those 3 rides and left, but I'm not exactly sure what time it was when we left. It sounds like it got much busier later on as more finished the race. I went in HS right at 10:00 and it seemed deserted. It was well worth the cost of the ticket to me.

 

[Laketravis]

I don't spend my money on things I don't need.

Then why did WDW spend $1B+ on MM+? Why did they "need" it?

Again, my point is that WDW knew they had to do something and the something they did is probably turning out to be not the best choice.

And yes, people complain. Just look at today's WDW Facebook page.

The only reason some things ever change is because people complained.

 

[tecdavidt]

Here now, not happy. No warning and daughter in law and our son always take their 3 yr old on it. We are leaving park. Doubt we will renew ap since we have vacation house house and booking 30 days out does not work. Maybe we spend our $ at Lego lan and Univ.Disney you are shutting out AP.

 

[vacationer1954]

Then why did WDW spend $1B+ on MM+? Why did they "need" it?

No one said that there is no reason to add new attractions to the parks, now and then but you were talking about them building two new parks as if there should have been no thought about doing so.

 

[momof2n2]

Here now, not happy. No warning and daughter in law and our son always take their 3 yr old on it. We are leaving park. Doubt we will renew ap since we have vacation house house and booking 30 days out does not work. Maybe we spend our $ at Lego lan and Univ.Disney you are shutting out AP.

:{

Sorry to hear this for you all.

 

[Laketravis]

No one said that there is no reason to add new attractions to the parks, now and then but you were talking about them building two new parks as if there should have been no thought about doing so.

Oh, okay. No, I was just putting that out there as an example of what they could have done with the same amount of time and resources that could have had a more positive effect.

 

[kkyle60]

I've been checking every 30 min or so and at 1:20pm I was unable to get passes for a group of 4 or a group of 2.

 

[mbrittb00]

But I still book a party of 3 for today for 2:00 or 2:15 at 12:40 p.m.

Where are you staying? I've heard reports that people checking back to back and some have seen avaliability and others not. There is a suggesting that where you stay may effect the FP+ avalibility.

 

[heartse]

Quotes from the article that are disturbing:

"Everybody's striving to improve the flow of the guest. That's the wave of the future in our industry," said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services. "It would not surprise me within the next 10 years that we see rides that are totally reserved."

"If it's already the best way to get on anyway, I don't really see the harm in requiring it," she said. "Yeah, it does take away the spontaneity, but realistically, how much spontaneity at Disney do you have any way if you're trying to hit all these rides?"

And I would like to take issue with this quote:

"If visitors have to wait more than an hour, It almost doesn't matter how good the ride is – they're upset," Gerner said.

That's not necessarily true; we just got back from DL. We waited in line more than an hour for Radiator Springs Racers... that ride is AMAZING!!! A perfect example of what a ride should be! Yeah, I got tired waiting... feet hurt... but we were never upset. Rather we were excited about going on that ride. It's the only one that we rode more than once on that trip in DCA.

 

[StarCruiser]

They may have data from pre-FP days, but it is data they can't use now. There is no comparison in attendance between then and what it is currently.

You're probably right. Maybe they can extrapolate, maybe not. I was just trying to come up with a rationale explanation as to why they would do a test with FP+ only. My thought was maybe they wanted information for both extremes.

 

[Laketravis]

Quotes from the article that are disturbing:

"Everybody's striving to improve the flow of the guest. That's the wave of the future in our industry," said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services. "It would not surprise me within the next 10 years that we see rides that are totally reserved."

Here, let me fix that for you:

"Everybody's striving to improve the flow of the guest without having to build more capacity. That's the wave of the future in our industry," said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services.

Now I think he's telling the truth

 

[FLchick415]

Then why did WDW spend $1B+ on MM+? Why did they "need" it?

Again, my point is that WDW knew they had to do something and the something they did is probably turning out to be not the best choice.

And yes, people complain. Just look at today's WDW Facebook page.

The only reason some things ever change is because people complained.

They "needed" it because they had to do something to manage the crowds they already had before building new attractions to bring in even MORE people.

 

[over50visits]

WDW just posted "FP+ Tips and Tricks" on their Facebook page and I don't think they anticipated the deluge of negative comments they've already started to get.

I don't think it's safe to say that the negative criticism is limited to the DIS. Will be interesting to see the lifespan of that thread.

Gonna be hard to sell corporate on "It's an overwhelmingly positive success!" when it's out there for all to see.......

Didn't they learn from the first Facebook fiasco? They deleted those comments, these will likely go the same route.

Disney needs to bring out their copyright survey questions where they control the answers (remember the one they sent out where you could pick from positive answers only). Surely they know the huge (not universal, but huge) dislike of FP+ and this particular experiment. Surely they didn't mean to open up their own Facebook page to this abuse.

Well, maybe not. They could have build some enormous, beautiful, mind-blowing attractions/parks instead of the $1B data mining system. If only there were another major theme park we could point to that would validate this point....

 

[Laketravis]

They "needed" it because they had to do something to manage the crowds they already had before building new attractions to bring in even MORE people.

I suppose that could be true. There are external factors beyond WDW's control that would start to come into play (think road traffic, parking, airport capacity, popularity of other competing attractions) that would begin to limit the increases in attendance on a macro scale. If FP+ was intended to be a five year stopgap measure to facilitate the build of new attractions after that time period, I don't think it's going very well for them.

True, they've boasted about how MM+ has allowed them to increase park capacity by tens of thousands of guests. But I think that is shortsighted as we are finding it's due to guest turnover - many are now three FP and done. They aren't staying in the parks. So while that could be a bragging point for WDW right now in terms of increased park capacity, many of those guests will start to question the value of only spending a few hours in the parks and long term that could have a negative impact.

"Ride Reservation" systems can be attractive when they are an option. They tend to lose their luster when they become the only way.