Update from the park today: TL French fries and POTC info + pics/maps

WonkaKid

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
A few notes about the park from my early-morning visit this morning (Sunday). We got to the rope at about 7:45. That’s when we noticed that there was an additional wall (put up since last Sunday) in front of the Astro Orbiter. A few weeks ago a CM I know said the rumor was that they’d get rid of the Tomorrowland French fries (A.K.A. the gold-colored rocks at the TL entrance from Main Street). Today that was confirmed.

We were first on Peter Pan, which is always nice. But what’s even nicer is that we’ve seen a big drop off in the number of runners. There nearly always used to be at least one. For the past two or three weeks there haven’t been any (or nearly any). Some might run for a bit but when CMs ask them not to run, they actually listen. Anyway, since we’re right at the front of the rope, we’ve usually have a decent lead on them.

Speaking of rope drop, crowds were very light for the first hour or so. As I say, we were first on PP, third on Mr. Toad and then Alice and Dumbo were virtually walk-ons.

As we rode POTC today, I began to wonder: do they have to leave the ride running all night so that boats don’t get all blocked up (and then spacing them the following morning becomes a challenge) or do they simply stop the ride. I was interested enough to ask the CM as we climbed out of the ride. She explained that once the park closes, they run all of the boats over the first drop (and perhaps the second?) and then a gate comes up/down, which stops them from going any farther. When they start the ride the following morning, it only takes about five minutes to get the boats spaced properly. So it’s far less complicated than I thought.

There were still problems with a few of the targets on Buzz but not as many as last Sunday (as many as six at once!). So scores above 1.5M are an even bigger challenge. On my first ride of the morning, I walked away with approx. 1.3M. That’s when I learned that was only the second-place score. The first place score was 1.4M. A few rides later I beat it by 1.5M and later still 1.7. Hopefully all of those problems are resolved soon but given how much attention is ever paid to Buzz’s shortcomings and failures, we may be stuck with them for a while.

If anyone would like the new DL Halloween map, shoot me a direct message :-). Also, I replenished my Halloween map supply. Last week several people asked for them and I ran out. The ones that I promised to see to today will be in the mail tomorrow.

A few pics from the park. Hope you all enjoy them!

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If you have time and you happen to remember, and you go on Pirates early again before it gets crazy, would you mind asking the CMs if they can pinpoint the reason the boats always (for the last many years) get backed up in the last scene? I've been going to DL for 40+ years and when I was a kid, that backup didn't happen. Is it just that they load so many people on, or the boats weigh more, or....?
 
If you have time and you happen to remember, and you go on Pirates early again before it gets crazy, would you mind asking the CMs if they can pinpoint the reason the boats always (for the last many years) get backed up in the last scene? I've been going to DL for 40+ years and when I was a kid, that backup didn't happen. Is it just that they load so many people on, or the boats weigh more, or....?

I was wondering the same thing. This seems to be a last 5 years phenomenon. I don't even remember that happening back in 2013ish.
 


If you have time and you happen to remember, and you go on Pirates early again before it gets crazy, would you mind asking the CMs if they can pinpoint the reason the boats always (for the last many years) get backed up in the last scene?
Yup. I've added it to my list. There's a CM there that I'm acquainted with who's always nice and I know he's been there for at least 18 months, so I suspect he'll know. But if he's not there, I'll ask another CM that I've seen on many past visits.
 
Yup. I've added it to my list. There's a CM there that I'm acquainted with who's always nice and I know he's been there for at least 18 months, so I suspect he'll know. But if he's not there, I'll ask another CM that I've seen on many past visits.
I THINK I remember a CM making a comment that during one of the major refurbs in the last few years they changed something about the boats and added like 10 more which caused the backup?
 
I THINK I remember a CM making a comment that during one of the major refurbs in the last few years they changed something about the boats and added like 10 more which caused the backup?
That would make sense. If you have more boats but they are still starting from the loading area with the same gaps as they always have (and I would assume that's true on average), then they have to back up somewhere.
 


That would make sense. If you have more boats but they are still starting from the loading area with the same gaps as they always have (and I would assume that's true on average), then they have to back up somewhere.
And it would also increase ride capacity, even though there's a backlog of boats waiting to get of
 
I love learning stuff like the POC post closing boat protocol- thanks! I would think it would have to be past the second drop for there to be enough room for all the boats...
 
I wonder if adding the boats coincided with the decision to not offer FP for Pirates. Maybe they just decided to increase capacity instead of offering FP.
 
If you have time and you happen to remember, and you go on Pirates early again before it gets crazy, would you mind asking the CMs if they can pinpoint the reason the boats always (for the last many years) get backed up in the last scene? I've been going to DL for 40+ years and when I was a kid, that backup didn't happen. Is it just that they load so many people on, or the boats weigh more, or....?
I was at the park this morning and while on POTC, I remembered that you asked... something. The moment I bumped into the boat ahead of me towards the end of the ride, I remembered what it was ;-). I asked a CM with whom I'm acquainted and he explained that there are 41 boats (as far as he knows, the number hasn't changed) and backups happen with guests are too slow getting in or out of boats at the loading/unloading dock.
 
I was at the park this morning and while on POTC, I remembered that you asked... something. The moment I bumped into the boat ahead of me towards the end of the ride, I remembered what it was ;-). I asked a CM with whom I'm acquainted and he explained that there are 41 boats (as far as he knows, the number hasn't changed) and backups happen with guests are too slow getting in or out of boats at the loading/unloading dock.

My recollection was they added a new design of the boats, commingled with the old boats. You can easily tell them apart by the different style of handles. The new handles are a molded part of the seat-back. It's possible all boats have been replaced by now, but I'm not sure. Of note: Wikipedia says there are 50 boats. But who knows if that is the WDW version. Or maybe it's an old capacity number but they don't run that many.

Speculation I heard/read was the new boats were more buoyant so they could be loaded to capacity with more "confidence". Because of this they travel through the channel at a slightly different speed. Combine that with the loading time issues you mention. Note that anyone using boarding assistance enters through the exit and uses the platform closest to Blue Bayou. When that boat is stopped for boarding the other loading dock cycles boats through, but boats can stack up around the bend to the waterfall lift. If the top of the waterfall lift is full, the lift will not pickup boats. So they stack up at the gunfight scene at the bottom. I think the logjam comes and goes throughout the day.

I have no idea if any of that is true. Just more ideas to piece it together.

I would rather be kegged up at the bottom than stuck on the waterfall. Been there done that, for about 15 minutes in front of Capt. Jack, then about 5 more minutes rriiight at the top of the waterfall. It's not a comfortable angle! Yo Ho.
 

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