Virtual Line for Hagrid's?

[jenhelgren]

Has anyone questioned why they are not using the virtual line for Hagrid's and if there is any plan to bring it back again? I read that they stopped when the lines were much shorter after school started and if lines went over 60 minutes it would be resumed but Hagrid's has had a pretty solid wait every time I have checked the app the last few weeks, over 60 minutes many times, and I have not seen the virtual line anywhere anymore

 

[ClapYourHands]

When they did the VL for Hagrid’s, the waits were often an hour once you returned. So basically the virtual line was just permission to stand in the physical line. Especially during the COVID social distancing, there simply wasn’t enough space in the queue area to hold that many people and you’d get in line back by the mystic fountain. An hour is pretty common, and doesn’t trigger a return to VL, even when it goes a bit above that. Usually it will go to 75 or even 90 minutes or so for a little while and then drop back to 60ish without triggering the virtual option. Without the pressure to get a virtual time or miss out, people just decide to ride something else until the wait time drops, and thus the wait time seems to find an equilibrium like the other rides in the park.

 

[mamapenguin]

When they did the VL for Hagrid’s, the waits were often an hour once you returned. So basically the virtual line was just permission to stand in the physical line. Especially during the COVID social distancing, there simply wasn’t enough space in the queue area to hold that many people and you’d get in line back by the mystic fountain. An hour is pretty common, and doesn’t trigger a return to VL, even when it goes a bit above that. Usually it will go to 75 or even 90 minutes or so for a little while and then drop back to 60ish without triggering the virtual option. Without the pressure to get a virtual time or miss out, people just decide to ride something else until the wait time drops, and thus the wait time seems to find an equilibrium like the other rides in the park.

So should be back for Columbus week? The VL is definitely the way to go.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Also many of the "60 minute waits" are in reality closer to 30-40min.

 

[ClapYourHands]

So should be back for Columbus week? The VL is definitely the way to go.

Probably it will be back for some peak times, but will probably operate on standby for others. My experience with the "old" VL back in April was that the wait after getting into line was about 60 minutes. I have heard reports that the "new" VL that uses the QR code has lower wait times once you return because it adjusts the time, but I don't have enough first hand experience with it to judge for myself. We only used it one Saturday in August, and still waited about 40 minutes once, and were weather delayed for hours the second time until they let us into line just before park closing, and were able to ride but with no audio (which severely impacted the ride experience).

Also many of the "60 minute waits" are in reality closer to 30-40min.

True, but if you get into line banking on it being shorter, there's also a good chance you'll be disappointed. This weekend, we had one 60 minute wait that we thought might be inflated to discourage riding close to park close, and sure enough, the wait was only 45 minutes. But during most of the day, we found the times to be pretty accurate. Also those times assume the ride continues to function flawlessly. And Hagrid's isn't known for functioning flawlessly. A group in front of us was saying they'd tried to ride earlier, the ride went down, and they waited an hour without moving at all before giving up and leaving the line.

 

[mamapenguin]

Probably it will be back for some peak times, but will probably operate on standby for others. My experience with the "old" VL back in April was that the wait after getting into line was about 60 minutes. I have heard reports that the "new" VL that uses the QR code has lower wait times once you return because it adjusts the time, but I don't have enough first hand experience with it to judge for myself. We only used it one Saturday in August, and still waited about 40 minutes once, and were weather delayed for hours the second time until they let us into line just before park closing, and were able to ride but with no audio (which severely impacted the ride experience).


True, but if you get into line banking on it being shorter, there's also a good chance you'll be disappointed. This weekend, we had one 60 minute wait that we thought might be inflated to discourage riding close to park close, and sure enough, the wait was only 45 minutes. But during most of the day, we found the times to be pretty accurate. Also those times assume the ride continues to function flawlessly. And Hagrid's isn't known for functioning flawlessly. A group in front of us was saying they'd tried to ride earlier, the ride went down, and they waited an hour without moving at all before giving up and leaving the line.

We must have been lucky in July, the longest we waited after our VL time came up was 25 minutes and many times it was less.

 

[ClapYourHands]

We must have been lucky in July, the longest we waited after our VL time came up was 25 minutes and many times it was less.

That’s what I’d read on here, so I was bummed that our August trip was mostly standby. The only day of our trip that had VL was Saturday, and we didn’t get the hoped-for results. But we literally only used VL one time because the weather shut the ride down later for several hours, so I don’t have enough personal experience to know what kind of wait times are typical.

 

[soniam]

We generally saw low waits (<30 and sometimes walk-on) for Hagrids new VQ, not the old one through the app. This was in July. I hope they bring it back for Columbus Day weekend, but who knows.

 

[Tom_E_D]

I believe they suspended the virtual queue sometime in August. When I was there Labor Day weekend, they were using it. I would expect it to return at busier times.