No more Stanby line for A&E?

[monique5]

I just have to say that we are going to ride Gringotts as much as possible by taking advantage of EE. I read recent reports of onsite guests riding it 3 times before the line grew to 180-200 minutes by taking advantage of the single rider line. We will hit it first thing every.single.day for the duration of our trip. We are playing the "early bird gets the worm" card just like we are accustomed to.

If we decide we want to stand in a 2 hour line later then so be it. I will be damned if I spent $100 on admission and was then told I couldn't wait in line if I wanted. Pfffft.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Just make sure you are at the turnstiles at 5:30/5:45 am. So really 2 hours either way.

The park opens at 9am and school is back in play. I won't need to be there anywhere near the time you state. This isn't my first rodeo.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Dunno but even the low end is a ton of money. Richard Branson spent <$500m and built a spaceship. Not a simulator, a real live freakin spaceship that will carry tourists into space. Just think Disney could have a fleet of spaceships launching out of Epcot every day. Mickey would be all like, "Harry who?"

I just hope they work out the FP+/not really FP-/SB+/DASy thing in less than 120 days.


spaceship!

Really...a spaceship. ..how cool would that be. I need it worked out in like 89 days tho...or really 29 so it's done by the time I pick my FP+. Wishful thinking I know.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Really...a spaceship. ..how cool would that be. I need it worked out in like 89 days tho...or really 29 so it's done by the time I pick my FP+. Wishful thinking I know.

I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about. They already offer a mission to Mars.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about. They already offer a mission to Mars.

Touche

 

[Mad Hattered]

Well...apparently it started today. I think the following comments sum up what happens when you pull this stunt on an actual ride.

It started, and ended, today. They issued cards until they ran out (which was around 5:00). When they ran out and closed the Standby line, not allowing anyone else to ride for the day...it got ugly, and the line was reopened by 5:30. Not sure if the test will continue tomorrow.

From what I heard it is a disaster now as they still have people returning with their cards plus they opened the regular standby line and it currently has a three hour wait.

And then a response...

It got ugly?! What?! You mean people were upset that they were not allowed to wait - in ANY capacity - for one of the most popular attractions in WDW and one of two headline attractions at Epcot?! My goodness, who could have ever predicted such a result? It's not as if any of those guests turned away spent upwards of $100 per person to be there...right? Still, who do these guests think they are, getting upset over being forbidden to ride a ride they paid to have access to?

Yep. Sounds just like Qbot.

 

[wn01aa]

Well...apparently it started today. I think the following comments sum up what happens when you pull this stunt on an actual ride. It started, and ended, today. They issued cards until they ran out (which was around 5:00). When they ran out and closed the Standby line, not allowing anyone else to ride for the day...it got ugly, and the line was reopened by 5:30. Not sure if the test will continue tomorrow. From what I heard it is a disaster now as they still have people returning with their cards plus they opened the regular standby line and it currently has a three hour wait. And then a response... It got ugly?! What?! You mean people were upset that they were not allowed to wait - in ANY capacity - for one of the most popular attractions in WDW and one of two headline attractions at Epcot?! My goodness, who could have ever predicted such a result? It's not as if any of those guests turned away spent upwards of $100 per person to be there...right? Still, who do these guests think they are, getting upset over being forbidden to ride a ride they paid to have access to? Yep. Sounds just like Qbot.

Well, that doesn't sound very promising for SB+. But, who says that they didn't see that coming once they were out of tickets.

 

[wn01aa]

Well...apparently it started today. I think the following comments sum up what happens when you pull this stunt on an actual ride. It started, and ended, today. They issued cards until they ran out (which was around 5:00). When they ran out and closed the Standby line, not allowing anyone else to ride for the day...it got ugly, and the line was reopened by 5:30. Not sure if the test will continue tomorrow. From what I heard it is a disaster now as they still have people returning with their cards plus they opened the regular standby line and it currently has a three hour wait. And then a response... It got ugly?! What?! You mean people were upset that they were not allowed to wait - in ANY capacity - for one of the most popular attractions in WDW and one of two headline attractions at Epcot?! My goodness, who could have ever predicted such a result? It's not as if any of those guests turned away spent upwards of $100 per person to be there...right? Still, who do these guests think they are, getting upset over being forbidden to ride a ride they paid to have access to? Yep. Sounds just like Qbot.

Lol, maybe they will move to having 3 lines. The FP+ line which gets you onto the ride in less than 5 minutes, SB+ which gets you into the ride in about 30 minutes, and then a regular standby with no time guarantees (enter at your own risk).

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Dunno but even the low end is a ton of money. Richard Branson spent <$500m and built a spaceship. Not a simulator, a real live freakin spaceship that will carry tourists into space. Just think Disney could have a fleet of spaceships launching out of Epcot every day. Mickey would be all like, "Harry who?" I just hope they work out the FP+/not really FP-/SB+/DASy thing in less than 120 days. spaceship!

Lol!

 

[BigAlsGal]

Does anyone else find it slightly funny that people are mad that disney is trying to keep people from having to stand in line? "Gosh dang it if I want to stand in a 200 minute line that's my right!! I paid $100!" Lol. Idk. I'm tired and.....things seem funnier.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Does anyone else find it slightly funny that people are mad that disney is trying to keep people from having to stand in line? "Gosh dang it if I want to stand in a 200 minute line that's my right!! I paid $100!" Lol. Idk. I'm tired and.....things seem funnier.

I'm pretty sure it's the fact that they aren't given a choice, regardless of whatever ridiculous wait time is posted.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I'm pretty sure it's the fact that they aren't given a choice, regardless of whatever ridiculous wait time is posted.

Yeah I get it. It's still funny.

 

[Planogirl]

I still don't think you can make both arguments. If you think a shorter wait is great-then more people are in other lines. Doesn't matter if it's from FP+ or SB+ IMO, both are shorter waits which you say is good.

It has merit, but shorter is always better for headliners IMO. The result otherwise is what is being seen at Gringotts, and what was being seen at A&E EPCOT. What is being missed IMO is not waiting 3 hours on e-ticket attractions gets you through more attractions overall-and the less popular attractions may have an increase in SB-but even those you can use FP+ for if you want. If TGMR is 45 minutes-how many are really riding SB compared to FP+? Maybe it's 90% FP+ doing it in 10 minutes again. Either way-that same guest probably will be enjoying some e-ticket waits of 10 minutes.

IMO making guests wait 2 hours plus minutes SB (while most use FP+) is an unnecessary penalty/punishment this day in age. Others have a right to prefer those guest are out of the other lines I suppose.

I agree that someone who would wait in those crazy lines might get to ride more with Standby+. However (and I admit that this is selfish), those of us who decide to just ride the middling rides and avoid the busy rides might not find as many middling rides to go to. I guess that in this process more people get equal access though.

As for Gringott's, that will die down just like FJ did and hopefully Universal won't have implemented any new ways to wait in line or at least that's my hope. As clsteve observed, at WDW it will be whatever it will be. I'm very curious to see what the final product will be.

 

[ziravan]

From what I heard it is a disaster now as they still have people returning with their cards plus they opened the regular standby line and it currently has a three hour

I haven't seen this posted about SB+ for Soarin yet, but it absolutely would be a disaster if they copied what they did for A&E.

At A&E you have a meet and greet that most people could only want to do once per day. They let single people take multiple tickets.

Soarin is an E ticket attraction. If they followed the same rules as A&E, an enterprising individual could get six tickets at a time, and (with a buddy or two) run through the lines multiple times, and end up with 20 or more turns at Soarin that day. Even DD6 wouldn't want to see A&E that many times.

No way they could do SB+ on a headliner without AT LEAST adding back in the legacy fastpass restrictions on how many and how often.

And now, we've really come full circle.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm pretty sure it's the fact that they aren't given a choice, regardless of whatever ridiculous wait time is posted.

I agree that a lack of choice is one of the big problems plus it's inevitable that a lot of people don't know about this and would show up just to be sent away. I bet that there were also a few people a little relieved not to have to wait though.

 

[Planogirl]

I haven't seen this posted about SB+ for Soarin yet, but it absolutely would be a disaster if they copied what they did for A&E.

At A&E you have a meet and greet that most people could only want to do once per day. They let single people take multiple tickets.

Soarin is an E ticket attraction. If they followed the same rules as A&E, an enterprising individual could get six tickets at a time, and (with a buddy or two) run through the lines multiple times, and end up with 20 or more turns at Soarin that day. Even DD6 wouldn't want to see A&E that many times.

No way they could do SB+ on a headliner without AT LEAST adding back in the legacy fastpass restrictions on how many and how often.

And now, we've really come full circle.

You make a great point. If CM's are just handing out passes and as many as people want, how could they tell how many times the same group is getting these passes? If my group goes, I could get a set and then DH could get a set and so on....

 

[cel_disney]

Well...apparently it started today. I think the following comments sum up what happens when you pull this stunt on an actual ride. It started, and ended, today. They issued cards until they ran out (which was around 5:00). When they ran out and closed the Standby line, not allowing anyone else to ride for the day...it got ugly, and the line was reopened by 5:30. Not sure if the test will continue tomorrow. From what I heard it is a disaster now as they still have people returning with their cards plus they opened the regular standby line and it currently has a three hour wait. And then a response... It got ugly?! What?! You mean people were upset that they were not allowed to wait - in ANY capacity - for one of the most popular attractions in WDW and one of two headline attractions at Epcot?! My goodness, who could have ever predicted such a result? It's not as if any of those guests turned away spent upwards of $100 per person to be there...right? Still, who do these guests think they are, getting upset over being forbidden to ride a ride they paid to have access to? Yep. Sounds just like Qbot.

I think the biggest problem here is that they didnt communicate in advance or probably at the park entrance that the system/process would work differently today. By not setting the expectations or providing notice for those that care to react accordingly, there are bound to be some ugly situations.

 

[magicbob]

At the moment these paper cards are being used to handle a surge in guests at a particular attraction (in this case A&E). It is similar in the sense to legacy FP that you get a slip of paper with your return time and a virtual queue, but it is currently not a permanent fixture in the park like the legacy FP machines were, as of now.

Universal is doing something similar with the popularity of the new Harry Potter attraction (though that might have more to do with the fire code/space and sheer number of people) but essentially when there is a huge surge of guests they can activate machines which spit out a ticket with a return window for later on in the day. Then you are free to explore the rest of the parks at your leisure.

Ok. That makes sense. I remember when WWoHP (phase 1) first opened, we got in early but they "closed" the area and gave people return time tickets. I guess they're doing the same to handle the demand for phase 2.

So, essentially, this procedure works "like" a FP (in that you go do something else until it's your time to get back in a more reasonable line), but it only kicks in if the wait exceeds a certain limit. I still see some aspects of this that could result in unwanted second and third order effects, but I don't have time right now to really analyze that in depth. I've got to get back to packing for a cruise!

 

[lovethattink]

I hope someone reports back about today. Where did you find info about guest reaction from last night?

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I think the biggest problem here is that they didnt communicate in advance or probably at the park entrance that the system/process would work differently today. By not setting the expectations or providing notice for those that care to react accordingly, there are bound to be some ugly situations.

ITA. In my opinion communication regarding the whole rollout has been poor. I got caught up in the FP+ only no back up KTTW card at Pop last Dec. I didn't receive any notification from Disney about this...found out here. Not to mention the change in EMH a month or so ago....that was poor taste.