Onsite Express Redux

[Nan]

I wrote this in my trip report, but I don't know if Earl, IOAtech, CoasterFEV, etc. read them so I am repeating it here. Also, I don't want to start a big wahoo about this, I just had to express (ha!) my opinion and tell my observations.

We were at USO during a very busy time August 1 - 4. I don't know when the actual peak attendance falls, but the parks seemed pretty well packed during this time. Even with the large crowds, the Express lines were basically a walk on. The longest wait time (15 minutes) we had was on Spiderman at 3:00 one afternoon. The Express system seems to be running quite efficiently. I could be wrong, but even with another hotel coming in, I don't see how that would make a huge difference. We were there last year with the original FOTL when there was only one hotel open and no Passes. Then we came back with 2 hotels plus the Express Passes and didn't notice a huge difference. The wait times in the other lines seemed to be about the same as last year, too. Yes, the hotels are fabulous and beautiful. But they are also expensive. (You can't always get a good rate.) If the onsite Express becomes limited, there is not as much incentive to stay onsite.

Anyway, I love USO and the hotels and am hoping for as little change as possible in the Express perk.

 

[Earl]

I'm glad things went well yor your visit. Keep in mind that the parks are running nowhere near capacity. It also depends on the time of day. Your longest wait of 15 minutes is an example. Remember the 15 minute wait is the targeted maximum wait time, so you did experience a line at the desired capacity.

 

[CindyZ]

Earl,

I was someone who complained of park closing times being reduced while it was still the summer season. I was there last week, and while the parks did quiet down somewhat during the evening...it was still packed at closing! The airplanes were full on both my flight down and home, so I think that many people are still heading to Orlando in August! The Port of Entry was packed when we were trying to leave. The park could have easily stayed open passed 8pm! What was worse was that so many restaurants were closed by 6pm!! That was way to early! I was so very dissapointed to have to leave the park just as it was getting dark, I would have loved to see the park at night...it has such a different feel to it. I can only imagine what Marvel Island would have looked like in the night time splendor!

And, even with 3 days to do the parks, and hotel express access there were things we didn't get to do or see. And we couldn't take a break for a rest or swim if we wanted to "see it all!"

I'm sure that the people who didn't have express access missed many things with the park closing so early. Gee, the parks surely seemed PACKED to me...expecially in the middle of the day. What percentage of capacity do you think it is....because it would have been much less enjoyable if it had been much busier! There were still 75 and 80 minute time waits posted for some of the rides, does this seem like less people? I did wait 20 minutes for MIB, and about the same for Dudley Do-Right at one point with the FOTL access. It definately seemed to me that the express line was taken up mostly by people with the paper express passes from the kiosks (sp?)

Do you think that park attendance might have been higher than expected? I did read somewhere that travel and tourism to Orlando was up in the month of August. And what's up with closing the restaurants so early?

OK, still want to express, that even with these dissapointments..I had a most WONDEROUS AND WONDERFUL TIME!!