PARK ENTRY EXPERIENCE:
MB's have a visible impact on queuing, being much slower than the previous card insertion/fingerprint read process. The MB read is the slower component of the two as the fingerprint read takes the same amount of time as before.
Furthermore, the multiple reader stations physically setup in a one-behind-the-other are not queue efficient and compound the delay. Often, the line stops behind the person at the first reader while the next reader is vacant. This requires CM's to constantly prod the line. The design team clearly felt it would be more efficient to have 4 readers to 1 CM in much the same fashion 4 self-checkout stations are monitored by 1 cashier at the grocery store. But in practical use the process is much slower because there is now 1/4 the resource available at a time for assistance. Yes, it's cheaper in terms of labor - but it does increase the cycle time.
And since there is now only one CM per four possibly simultaneous access requests, that labor savings is destroyed because the high percentage of failed reads requires a second group of escalation CM's manned with iPads who divert failures from the queue for a more time consuming process of troubleshooting. This would be extremely concerning as a static number of troubleshooters are always required even if there are no errors for a period of time (wasted resources).
The entire process is visibly much less efficient than the legacy turnstyle stations and requires much more administrative overhead. An unintended consequence is now the lack of a physical barrier to entry; while not currently a huge issue now, I did on more than one occasion see individuals walk right past the readers and into the park (out of frustration, not fraud) while the CM was busy asking another guest if that was the same finger they've been using.
A couple of questions and comments about the park entry process. Maybe this will be less controversial because it has nothing to do with FP+.
Do you know how many "tapstile" entry points there are now as compared to the number of turnstiles there were before?
The old way, the turnstiles were side by side and, from my experience, there was usually one CM monitoring two turnstiles. The tapstiles are now in groups of 4 (2 left, 2 right). It is possible that there are more of them (not necessarily twice as many) as there were turnstiles. So, while it might take each person a couple of seconds longer to get through, there may be more total people entering per minute than otherwise. I don't know.
The old process required someone to put their ticket in the slot, scan the finger, and pick up the ticket on the other side of the slot before pushing through the turnstile. Also, anyone with a stroller, wheelchair, or
scooter, had to be allowed in by opening the swing gate to the side of the turnstiles. This exercise also held up the line. With the new process, I can scan my band that is on my left wrist while poising the finger on my right hand for the scan. Once I get the green light I can walk on without having to scoop up my card. The difference in time is minimal, if anything.
I personally had more entry problems with the magnetic stripes (presumably because of fingerprint scan issues) than I have had with RFID cards and MBs (where I have had no problems in a couple of dozen park entries over the past year.) At park opening I have not noticed the entry process being longer, and at other times it hasn't been an issue because there have never been more than one or two people ahead of us.
Do you know if the number of problems with entry is higher or lower than it was with the old system? I don't, but I know that our experience has been better with RFID.
Obviously park entry is all about efficiency and getting people through the gates and has nothing to do with squeezing more money out of people. The issue for a person is how long it takes to get from getting in line at the gate to getting through the gate. If there are more tapstiles than turnstiles, that time may be shorter, even if it takes each individual a few more seconds to get through.
Again, do you know what the number of entry points is and how that affects how many people are able to pass through the gates per hour or per minute? That is the real measure of the efficiency of the entry system.