Why no long lines at TSMM?

[CandCMommy]

So I came to Disneyland this weekend expecting to wait at least an hour or more to ride TSMM. But to my surprise, we've ridden it four times in the last two days with the wait time averaging about 30-45 minutes. What I don't understand is why are the lines not longer for this attraction? I absolutely LOVE it and I mean, LOVE IT!! I'm just baffled.

Anyone have any ideas as to why this is happening? Is it truly that the ride loads relatively quickly? I mean people are still waiting over an hour to ride Nemo for crying out loud.

 

[DangerMouse]

The main difference between Nemo lines and TSMM lines is the load time. Nemo loads incredibly slow while TSMM can handle a lot more people per hour. Also, from what I have been reading, overall summer crowds are lower than normal this year.
I've read that:

FNSV handles about 1,000 per hour
TSMM handles just over 1,500 per hour

 

[Amy&Dan]

Also Nemo is in Disneyland. TSMM is all the way in the back corner of DCA. DCA just doesn't draw people in the way DL does. If TSMM was sitting where Nemo is, it would be insane.

 

[DoomBugger]

Why ask why? Enjoy the lines being not as long as expected!

 

[pumpkin5156]

Lots of people don't get park hoppers. Seriously. When we used to visit for just one day (we're locals), we would never go to DCA. We only cared about DL. That may be a reason as well.

That's good for us who do go to DCA, though!

 

[tofubeast]

That is so nice to hear!

Was the single rider line open?

 

[CandCMommy]

That is so nice to hear!

Was the single rider line open?

I saw people standing in the single rider line but never saw them actually use someone from it and saw tons of "cars" going out with only one person in them.

 

[Gisele]

Hey no fair, pumpkin, I want a hot hubby too! I am getting tired of waiting........ sorry I could not resist the temptation! yeah, I know, my bad! he he! so if he has a brother let me know or a cousin, or hell, uncle, I don't care the title!........... o.k.

 

[jlmarr]

I saw people standing in the single rider line but never saw them actually use someone from it and saw tons of "cars" going out with only one person in them.

I used the single rider line yesterday, and there were several minutes when nobody from that line got to ride, then the "loader" CM got bumped and the next loader was more tuned in to the existence of the line. So it could be that some CM's are better about using the single rider line than others.

(Note that sometimes they don't run the single rider line at all, I'm guessing if the stand-by line isn't too long.)

 

[ARC]

So, is it smart to go to TSMM first? We are going in September and skip the thrill rides. We want to do Soarin and TSMM so figured those I should do first.

 

[Millenium Mickey]

What is the best time of day to ride TSMM? I'll be there Fri-Sun (Labor Day weekend) and was planning on going to DCA Sat AM.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

What is the best time of day to ride TSMM? I'll be there Fri-Sun (Labor Day weekend) and was planning on going to DCA Sat AM.

We'll be staying there for Half-Marathon, too - cheering on one of our best friends! Early on that Saturday is fine (last year, DCA was pretty quiet) - everyone for the HM will be in the Expo on Saturday and there won't be a lot of crowds in DCA like you'll find across the plaza in DL. If you get in at park opening, you should be able to ride a couple times in a row. Use the GCH or PP entrance for faster access.

This past Saturday, DCA was pretty empty. TSMM still had a 60 minute wait at 3 pm, when normally it slows down in the afternoon. It's a hot queue, since most of it is not shaded. There is a good chunk in shade, but not as much as you would hope.

For ARC: TSMM doesn't have Fast Pass, like in WDW, so you should grab a Soarin FP on the way to TSMM. Soarin FPs will disappear earlier in the day than most. Their single rider line is kind of slow, as an FYI. We do that sometimes while the other watches the kids - who are too young/short.

Nancy

 

[LauraAnn630]

We got there before the park opened. They walked us the long way around the park over to TSM. Once it opened we only waited 10 minutes. Then we went back later in the day and rode it again with a short wait.

We LOVE It!

 

[CandCMommy]

We found the line to about 30-45 minutes the entire days of Thursday-Saturday. Don't know, maybe we just happened to hit it at the right times. We did line up first thing on Friday morning outside of DCA at about 9:20 and went straight over to the line up area for TSMM when they let us in the gates at 9:30. We were pretty close to the front of the line and pretty much never had to stop walking in the queue. That being said, we waited about a total of 50 minutes this way if you think about waiting outside and then in the line to walk back there. However, the advantage to this is they line you up in nice shady areas with a good breeze so it kept us from getting hot. We'd definitely do it this way again. The fast pass machines for Soarin' are open at 9:30 so you could have one person from your group split off and get fastpasses then have them meet back up with you for TSMM.

Enjoy the ride, it's the BEST!

 

[Sherry E]

My friend was there with her son and mom yesterday, and I was pushing them to go on TSMM, because I KNEW they would love it and want to ride it multiple times, and they were only there for one day so they would not get another chance today. I told her the line would be long, and that there is no Fast Pass - it is a brand new ride and it is extremely popular, AND it is the middle of the peak season - but that from what members on this Board say, the line moves fairly fast, and usually the wait is no more than 45 minutes, even if the sign says the wait is one hour. She called me from DCA at 11:00 a.m., saying the TSMM line was "too long." She said they would try back later in the afternoon. I said, "I think, if you want to get on it, you will have to hunker down and just get in the line, and it will probably go faster than you expect." But when they tried back later in the afternoon, again, the line was too long. I don't know what constitutes "too long," but whatever it was, they weren't up for it. Finally, I got a call at 8:45 p.m. My friend and her group had finally just made it on to TSMM, and she said they loved it so much that they were going on it again, even though DCA was about to close! They wouldn't have time to ride it repeatedly because they waited too long to get in the line! She said the line was "still long" at night, but I tried to explain that it was not going to be a short line for a long time to come. It is brand new. Anyone riding it will have to endure some sort of line.

So the bottom line is, even though there are better times of year to go when the crowds are less, and even though there are clever ways to get around long lines on some rides, Disneyland has long lines. There are no two ways about it. I mean, when you go to DL or DCA, expect long lines and crowds. If you do not encounter these things, consider yourself lucky. But, ever since I started going there when I was five years old, there have been long lines, so I know what I am getting into when I go, and if I don't feel like I am up for it, then I just don't go. (I could have gone with them yesterday, but I can't do the combo of crowds AND heat, so I took a pass!) But chances are, if you don't get in some lines, you won't get on any rides!