Wait time mistakes

[MaryKatesMom]

We had a wonderful trip but on a few rides I found the wait times posted were seriously off.

Test Track listed 10 minutes, easily at least a half hour. Space mountain had 5 minutes and was at least 20 minutes.

I know they are estimates but I was wondering if anyone knows how often they send the red tags through the line?

I also noticed that on both of these rides they line up people right before the entrance, make them wait and then let them inside. It makes it impossible to even guess if the wait time is correct.

 

[Bill From PA]

It's been my experience that the posted wait times tend to be a little longer than the actual wait. We did have one exception this Jan. when the Jungle Cruise boat ride in MK was posted at 10 but took more like 45, way off. Also, in Jan. I saw numerous red tags being handed out and was given one myself at Buzz Lightyear. The practice you saw of holding folks outside a ride is called stacking and it's done to give the illusion that a line is longer than it really is. They'll do this near closing time to discourage people from getting in line.

Bill From PA

 

[goofy4tink]

I've had the same experience as Bill has had. THe wait times have been much shorter than the boards would have you believe. Only one time did we have a longer wait and that was at Kali becuase they had some kind of malfunction and we waited over an hour.

 

[golfgal]

What are the red tags and what do they do with them?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Oooh. I love the new picture Bill.

The red tags are given to someone entering the attraction and then handed back to the CM at the end of the line to monitor wait times.

I knew there was a particular reason they "stacked" people. I really noticed it at Test Track. The 5 minute wait and the 50 minute wait looked exactly the same.

We were there at 9:05AM with a 5 minute wait time and they still held people at the entrance.

Interesting.

 

[SueM in MN]

What are the red tags and what do they do with them?

The red tags are red plastic tags they use for estimating the wait. Sometimes they are used to estimate whether the time posted for a line is accurate.
We got a red tag twice during our trip earlier this month. A CM hands it to you when you enter a line (or the part of the service they want to measure). When you get to the actual "service point", you hand it to the CM there and the time is marked down. So, they can tell how long something actually took.
One was given to us at a restaurant at AK, right as our order was being taken. We were asked to give it to the CM when our last food item was handed to us.
The other was given when we entered a queue. We were told to give it to the CM when we boarded.
Our experience is that the posted wait times are usually less than what it posted - except that once we get to the boarding area, we usually have to wait a few extra minutes because we need extra assistance baording (or sometimes have to wait for a wheelchair accessible car).
One thing people need to remember is that the posted time is from when you are even the sign, so if the sign says a 15 minute wait, but the line extends out of the ride way past that, you will wait however long it takes to get to that point and then wait 15 minutes after you get to the line.

 

[Stitch Inside]

We had a wonderful trip but on a few rides I found the wait times posted were seriously off.

Test Track listed 10 minutes, easily at least a half hour. Space mountain had 5 minutes and was at least 20 minutes.

I know they are estimates but I was wondering if anyone knows how often they send the red tags through the line?

I also noticed that on both of these rides they line up people right before the entrance, make them wait and then let them inside. It makes it impossible to even guess if the wait time is correct.

I don't think I've ever stepped up to Test Track without it breaking down. I'm a Test Track jinx. This could have been the reason for your wait times being off. You were in line with other jinxes.

 

[Stitch Inside]

It's been my experience that the posted wait times tend to be a little longer than the actual wait. We did have one exception this Jan. when the Jungle Cruise boat ride in MK was posted at 10 but took more like 45, way off. Also, in Jan. I saw numerous red tags being handed out and was given one myself at Buzz Lightyear. The practice you saw of holding folks outside a ride is called stacking and it's done to give the illusion that a line is longer than it really is. They'll do this near closing time to discourage people from getting in line.

Bill From PA

And Bill, I think you may have a problem. Every time I see you, you have an alcoholic beverage in your hand. Have you looked into any 12 Step Programs? Has there ever been a DISintervention?

 

[Bill From PA]

Thanks, MaryKatesMom, it took me long enough to get it posted. Just bought my airfare for our March 2006 trip so we'll get to observe my ageing process when I post from that vacation.

Hey, Stitch Inside, that not a problem, that's a solution! I'm pretty sure it's exactly 12 steps from the table where we sat to the corner of the R&C bar.

Bill From PA

 

[caitycaity]

It's been my experience that the posted wait times tend to be a little longer than the actual wait.

this is generally our experience as well.

 

[Terry S]

Acutally the wait time should not be from the sign on all rides. With a ride like test track. The CM will wave the red tag in front of the little computer box which will record the time, then walk it to the back of the line. Once that person gets to the front of the line the CM takes the red tag and waves it in front of the electronic box again recording how long that person stood in the line. So if the person stood in line for 40 minutes, the wait time is basically 40 minutes old.

 

[ccgegg]

And Bill, I think you may have a problem. Every time I see you, you have an alcoholic beverage in your hand. Have you looked into any 12 Step Programs? Has there ever been a DISintervention?

Notice in the photo though that Bill's wife seems to be out-drinking him. Unless he's already lapped her.

 

[Bill From PA]

Quote:'Notice in the photo though that Bill's wife seems to be out-drinking him. Unless he's already lapped her.'

ccgegg, Mary always gets the first one down faster than I do, but I make up the lost ground quickly.

Bill From PA

 

[Stitch Inside]

Notice in the photo though that Bill's wife seems to be out-drinking him. Unless he's already lapped her.

I had assumed that he was double fisting, and only set the first beer down to put his arm around his wife for the picture. Come on Bill, fess up to the truth.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Acutally the wait time should not be from the sign on all rides. With a ride like test track. The CM will wave the red tag in front of the little computer box which will record the time, then walk it to the back of the line. Once that person gets to the front of the line the CM takes the red tag and waves it in front of the electronic box again recording how long that person stood in the line. So if the person stood in line for 40 minutes, the wait time is basically 40 minutes old.

I was thinking along those line, meaning if Test Track say's 50 minutes, then that was true - 50 minutes ago, unless they give the red tag out every 5-10 and then it would or should creep up to 50 minutes.

Anyone know how often they pass out the tags?

Bill - How many of the R&C yard arms do you own BTW?

 

[Bill From PA]

First, back on topic. The red tags are a fairly recent thing, I can't remember seeing them before our March 2004 trip. Based on my observations this Jan., either they hand them out a lot or I just happened to see a lot of this by chance.

Quote:'How many of the R&C yard arms do you own BTW?'

Actually never bought one, but I saw a lot of usage by others in Merry Olde England in Jan. While the R&C is our favorite watering hole in WDW, we like to wander around WS and sample the wares of other countries. I was disapointed to discover that Norway dropped Ringnes.

Bill From PA

 

[chamonix]

As soon as I saw your first post Bill I wanted to say I loved the new pic. Great to see the Mrs.

Of course, I really enjoyed reading the rest of the posts about Bill too, LOL. I'm right there with you, Bill. Love my booze, love my Disney, love 'em both together best. Remember people, we're on vacation here. Photos might actually show some of us at WDW relaxing. We're not all vacation commandos.

One last thing I just wanted to tell everyone that I spotted Bill once in the World, and he was on his way into the R&C!! I am not lying! How funny is that?!

 

[chamonix]

Oh wait, and back to the OP--I find waits are usually less than posted but sometimes conditions change just after you get in line. I watched dh walk past the wait time sign for TOT when it said 20 and it jumped to 45! There was no way to get him back from that, he was already in line.

As to the red cards, they used to use white cards but I don't think they were computerized or recognizable by computers at all. I have been given the white cards several times before.

 

[Bill From PA]

Hey, chamonix, I remember you mentioning that. March 2004, right? I wish you grabbed me by the lapels then, I've only spoken with another DISer at WDW once, jj721 from the Chicago area this Jan. Guess where we met? Would've loved to have met you, too. Is March 'your time' ? We're going again in 2006 from 3/2- 3/11.

Bill From PA

 

[minmate]

Thanks, MaryKatesMom, it took me long enough to get it posted. Just bought my airfare for our March 2006 trip so we'll get to observe my ageing process when I post from that vacation.

Hey, Stitch Inside, that not a problem, that's a solution! I'm pretty sure it's exactly 12 steps from the table where we sat to the corner of the R&C bar.

Bill From PA

12 steps to the corner... Love it!

OP- were you considering some of the pre-shows as part of wait time? Just wondering... b/c that is not considered into the wait times posted. That's considered part of the attraction. We had such great short waits last week that by the end of the trip, I caught myself complaining about the long pre-shows b/c we'd be walking right into pre-shows all the time and I started kind of considering them as a "wait" instead of part of the attraction! lol...