Yep, another RSR rant

[doog71]

I assume the Disney apologists will chime in here with "hey, rides go down...you should have known this would happen...Disney is more than just one ride, etc..." but I feel I have to write this for any other people traveling long distances hoping to get their fill of riding this great ride.

I get it. I know new and technically savvy rides will go down from time to time. But I cannot believe how often this ride has gone down in the last week. I thought it was just the times I was showing up, but when I asked a RSR cast member last night she just cheerily replied, "Yep, it sure hasn't been a good week for us!"

Well, that's nice and all, but would it kill Disney to compensate park visitors in some way when the premiere ride of the resort is down this much? I know our family traveled from Arkansas in large part to experience this ride. We spent money to stay on onsite to get in early sometimes, and spent time in fastpass lines to even get a shot at the RSR lottery.

Let previous day's fastpasses carry over to the next? Add a day to a park pass free of charge? A free churro? Anything at all to acknowledge that "yes, you spent loads of time and money to get here, and sorry, this thing just isn't working, and yes, it's our fault."

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I totally feel your pain but disneyland is not the only theme park this happens to and if I counted the amount of tines this very issue has occurred at any given park with any new ride....well u get my drift....it's a hit and miss and this issue has been going nonstop since it opened and people have been very vocal about letting everyone know that too....the old rocket rods come to mind for me whenever this subject comes up...they never got that one fixed and ended up shutting it down for good and I loved that ride...test track In Epcot still has those issues and its been out for a long time...you just have to go in expecting its gonna be down more than up and if u get on great but u may not..Disneyland has too many guests on a daily basis to be able to compensate guests for ride malfunctions...sorry people you just have to suck it up...I live in ca and have been several times since it opened and this weekend is the first weekend I got to ride it it at all ...too much other fun stuff to do

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[doog71]

I totally feel your pain but disneyland is not the only theme park this happens to and if I counted the amount of tines this very issue has occurred at any given park with any new ride....well u get my drift....it's a hit and miss and this issue has been going nonstop since it opened and people have been very vocal about letting everyone know that too....the old rocket rods come to mind for me whenever this subject comes up...they never got that one fixed and ended up shutting it down for good and I loved that ride...test track In Epcot still has those issues and its been out for a long time...you just have to go in expecting its gonna be down more than up and if u get on great but u may not..Disneyland has too many guests on a daily basis to be able to compensate guests for ride malfunctions...sorry people you just have to suck it up...I live in ca and have been several times since it opened and this weekend is the first weekend I got to ride it it at all ...too much other fun stuff to do

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I hear ya, but all due respect I think it's a little easier to tell folks to "suck it up" when you live in CA and it doesn't cost you thousands of dollars to visit with a family of 5. Do we really have to assume it'll be more down than up? They should put that on the bus ads then - "RSR - now with over a 50% chance of working!"

Disney has put so much thought into how to get folks to spend more money - I think they could come up with a creative compensation plan if they put their minds to it!

 

[bcla]

Last week I didn't actually ride it, but walked to there. There was someone who was getting abusive towards a CM, complaining about how much money he spent and how much time he used to get there for just this one ride. I think his FP might have expired when he couldn't use it because it broke down. The CM was getting to the point where he was threatening to call security.

Personally it sounds to me as if one really shouldn't tie the whole Disney experience to this one ride. It seems to be a lot like eclipse fanatics who travel to exotic places around the world where there's supposed to be a full eclipse. Then their one opportunity is gone because of clouds. Or how people visit Haleakala on Maui to visit possible the world's most incredible sunrise, only to have fickle weather intervene. These things happen.

 

[Miss Peach]

I hear ya, but all due respect I think it's a little easier to tell folks to "suck it up" when you live in CA and it doesn't cost you thousands of dollars to visit with a family of 5.

This argument never really passes the sniff test for me.

If you don't want to live in Arkansas, don't. If you want to move to southern California so you can be a Disneyland local, please do.

But, then, we who live here do not want to hear the complaints about how you pay 5X the mortgage for 1/4 of the property you had in Arkansas!

Everything is a choice.

 

[longhorns2]

Everything is a choice.

Amen. And you have a choice NOT to return to DL if it doesn't work the way you want it to.

 

[disney4cam]

I totally get it. We were there last week and never got a fast pass until Friday. We were excited to finally get to ride together, since we'd only done the single rider line in the past. We waited at our fast pass time, and then the ride went down - for the rest of the day, on our last day. It wasn't enough to ruin the trip, but it was a major bummer. I did speak with a cast member, and he said they would honor the fastpasses the next day. I honestly think that's all you can expect.

A bigger bummer for us was the monorail being down! We were at the Disneyland Hotel, so it's super convenient with the monorail. Both Thursday and Friday night when we, especially the kids, were barely struggling to make it, we walked all the way back to the monorail only to find it closed. Then we had to walk all the way back, plus through Downtown Disney.

That being said, stuff happens. I think it's okay to vent frustration, because it's warranted, but it's not worth letting it take away from a fun trip and a great place. I agree that people who frequent Disneyland and don't look at it as a major vacation don't understand. It's kind of like if you went to DC and found the Smithsonian and White House were closed.

Peach - really? C'mon.

 

[DharmaLou]

I totally get it being a bummer, but it it what it is.

If it's being shut down for safety reasons, I'd much rather they work out kinks and figure out what's going on rather than chance it and let my kid on it and she gets hurt.

It's disappointing for sure, I totally get that.

And I do agree with Peach to an extent as well.

 

[Miss Peach]

That being said, stuff happens. I think it's okay to vent frustration, because it's warranted, but it's not worth letting it take away from a fun trip and a great place. I agree that people who frequent Disneyland and don't look at it as a major vacation don't understand. It's kind of like if you went to DC and found the Smithsonian and White House were closed.

Peach - really? C'mon.

Hi!

I never said he/she didn't have the right to vent their frustration. I just do not believe that if you paid more for your visit you have a bigger right to vent.

He/she had me until he/she claimed that their time spent was more valuable than anyone who lives locally.

For a lot of local Califonians that $5000 spent on a trip to Disneyland is two months of mortgage differential.

Once you start telling me how much you paid, and therefore... You have lost me.

And, yes, I have traveled on vacations, expensive and on the cheap, outside of California. And, yes, things have been unexpectedly closed. Children have fallen ill. Road closures have made us miss ticket times, etc. but although it was disappointing I never felt I should be compensated at a different rate than someone living locally.

Have you ever been to a Broadway show and the lead has fallen ill? I have never seen people from out of town get better compensation than a person who lives in NYC and could return more conveniently.

And for the future, check the ride closure board at the Hub before you walk back to the Monorail Station.



I am still waiting for my free churro from when the Library of Congress was closed on my DC trip!

Not sure where I got the $5000 ?!?!

 

[SA mom]

We came from Texas this summer to Disneyland. We did not set our hearts on riding RSR. It was the second week it was open and were already hearing about how often the ride is down. We also did not plan to go to Disneyland Resort with the main purpose of riding any particular ride. We came to experience the whole. It is one ride in a whole land of awesomeness. Just walking through the town and watching the neons go up was such a treat. I will always treasure the look on peoples faces as the music began to play, the neons lite up and people started to dance. That is Disney magic.

I do not believe we deserve any compensation when a ride goes down, but it would be nice if fastpasses could be honored the next day. Surely the system could be adjusted.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Hi!

I just do not believe that if you paid more for your visit you have a bigger right to vent.

 

[sheetz]

I agree with Peach. I have traveled many times to expensive destinations and have had disappointing things happen. Yet I never felt any resentment towards the locals that I see a lot of times on this forum.

 

[Love Tink]

I never said he/she didn't have the right to vent their frustration. I just do not believe that if you paid more for your visit you have a bigger right to vent.

I don't think that's in any way what the OP said.

The OP said that if you are disappointed, it is probably easier to get over it if you are local. If you are from far away and spent a lot to come on the trip - i.e. if you know this may be your only chance for the experience - your disappointment is probably more intense.

And I completely agree. I live near Washington, DC and if the Library of Congress or Smithsonian was closed, it would be disappointing and annoying, but I would tell my kids, "We can come back." But if I lived thousands of miles away, it would seem like a much bigger deal.

 

[Miss Peach]

I hear ya, but all due respect I think it's a little easier to tell folks to "suck it up" when you live in CA and it doesn't cost you thousands of dollars to visit with a family of 5. (snip)

Disney has put so much thought into how to get folks to spend more money - I think they could come up with a creative compensation plan if they put their minds to it!

I don't think that's in any way what the OP said.

I think that IS what the OP wrote.

 

[disney4cam]

And for the future, check the ride closure board at the Hub before you walk back to the Monorail Station.

Hmmmm, yeah, I tried that, but it was shuttered closed.

As for money spent, I think it's all relative. I have friends who can drop $5k without blinking, but for me that takes a year of saving. It's easy for people with money to think money shouldn't matter. Obviously, you can afford the mortgage differential, which is your choice. Some people DO NOT HAVE THAT choice. Do you really think people can just afford to live in a very expensive area because they want to? If you truly believe that, then you socal folks really are out of touch.

I don't think the OP should be berated because they are disappointed. What is the harm in ranting? Yes, expecting a churro or free day is irrational, but honoring fast passes the next day for a extended outage is reasonable - and that's what Disneyland did. I'm guessing the OP didn't know that. If you don't want to read about someone *****ing about a ride being down for almost a full day - then don't read the post.

 

[Miss Peach]

Hmmmm, yeah, I tried that, but it was shuttered closed.

As for money spent, I think it's all relative. I have friends who can drop $5k without blinking, but for me that takes a year of saving. It's easy for people with money to think money shouldn't matter. Obviously, you can afford the mortgage differential, which is your choice. Some people DO NOT HAVE THAT choice. Do you really think people can just afford to live in a very expensive area because they want to? If you truly believe that, then you socal folks really are out of touch.

I don't think the OP should be berated because they are disappointed. What is the harm in ranting? Yes, expecting a churro or free day is irrational, but honoring fast passes the next day for a extended outage is reasonable - and that's what Disneyland did. I'm guessing the OP didn't know that. If you don't want to read about someone *****ing about a ride being down for almost a full day - then don't read the post.

Wow! Okay, boss!

 

[AddictedtoDoleWhip]

Since this is a discussion board people are allowed to post their feelings or rant if they want, at the same time other people are allowed to post about how they feel about the situation and just because some people didn't respond in a way that someone wanted them to doesn't give them the right to not post in a thread .

I understand that you are angry OP, but you are not entitled to free things just because a ride is down. It sucks that it was down, but that happens. If you base your trip around one single ride than you will be disappointed, that's just how life goes if you center your vacation around one ride.

And just because someone lives in CA doesn't mean that they can go to DL whenever they want, there are plenty of people who cannot afford to go to Disneyland and they live in the state . When I went on a few vacations there were a few things closed, that shouldn't have been since "it's such a big part of the tourism experience", should I have demanded that I get a free night? a free vacation? free food? No, that's just how things go sometimes. It sucks, but it happens. You can be angry, but don't try to pull this card about how you deserve more because you paid more, that gives this entitlement feeling.

 

[furb & dez]

I agree with Peach. I have traveled many times to expensive destinations and have had disappointing things happen. Yet I never felt any resentment towards the locals that I see a lot of times on this forum.

This. I don't care how much you've spent on something, that doesn't make your inconvenience any greater than mine.

Also, machines go down. Particularly when they are new and relatively advanced.

Wanting "compensation" for this just shows you as having a ridiculous sense of entitlement. I suppose you're (general you) of the mindset that if a ride is out for refurbishment, you should get discounts on admission as well? Again, entitlement issues...

 

[Malcon10t]

Let previous day's fastpasses carry over to the next?

We've had them do this for us a few times. We've even been given a FP for another ride.

Add a day to a park pass free of charge? A free churro? Anything at all to acknowledge that "yes, you spent loads of time and money to get here, and sorry, this thing just isn't working, and yes, it's our fault."

I wouldn't have expected an extra day or even a churro, but I have seen people get very irrational, demanding their 5 day park hoppers refunded as they only rode RSR twice because it was down.

If they comped EVERY PERSON in the park after the ride went down (which if you deserved to be comped, why shouldn't everyone else), it would cost a small fortune.

 

[mianmike]

I’ve never ridden the ride, but after taking a virtual ride via a video, it seems the ride is more advanced than Test Track, but not to such a degree that I would call it breakthrough cutting edge and expect frequent mechanical breakdowns. But I could be wrong and I hope to find out for myself at the end of this month.

I hope Disney recognizes the “on time” percentage of the ride is completely unacceptable and critically reassesses their engineering and development departments for future ride development.

As an example, we rode Harry Potter The Forbidden Journey shortly after opening and we were impressed at the reliability of the new cutting edge ride. From my layman’s point of view, RSR seems to be down too much given their prior development experience with Test Track. I say Disney can do better and I think they will.

Sadly, I don’t expect Disney to offer any sort of compensation for a hugely popular but poorly mechanically designed ride’s failures. The law of supply and demand dictates Disney can raise ticket prices and still see unprecedented attendance at CA regardless of RSR’s failings.