RotR Planning & Daily Boarding Group Discussion - *CLOSED*

[TigerlilyAJ]

ETA: If you don't like me, just read Blog Mickey below, since he says some of the things, but better. Next time I'll know to save my time and just wait for him to post, LOL.

What are people going to say when someone who was among the first to enter the park doesn't get a BG at all? Under this new system, it is theoretically possible that competing with everyone who was able to enter the park over 30-60 minutes before the BGs open up will result in someone who made the effort to get there early doesn't get to ride at all that day. It might not be the likeliest scenario, but the fact that it is possible means that the "unfair" label looks pretty apt to me.
And no, I am not someone who could possibly get my family there early enough to be in, say, the first 1000 (5000?) people. So you can keep your "self-benefit" aspersions, TYVM.

Those who compare this to the FP system at 60 days out:
1) The stakes are completely different. Not getting a FP for a ride is not the same at all, because you can always wait standby. Not getting a BG means No RotR for you. (Also, whether you're riding FP or standby, people who physically arrive in your specific line before you go before you do and people arriving after you go after you ride.)

2) You find out your FP luck/non-luck (like my 8-day trip that got me ZERO FOP FPs) 60 days in advance, and thus you can plan around it accordingly. For example, we are making a big effort to RD FOP by arriving 60 minutes before park opening, knowing we'll still be in a line. For this, you find out you lost out after you have traveled, arrived, and actually tapped in. I have PHs. If we don't get a BG, I can take my family to another park. But people without PHs will be stuck at a park where they don't get to enjoy its premier ride, even if they arrived hours before opening. Now I have to wonder if we have to go to DHS first every day until we get on a BG, because people who got there after we did might get a BG and we don't on the days I actually planned as DHS days. So now more days might require ungodly wake-up times.
It actually makes me wistful for all the scheduling shuffling, added DHS day, and stressful antics I had to do in 2016 to get my kids into Jedi Training. At least arriving first meant we got a spot and even got to choose when they went.

3) Saying something is like the 60-days-out FP system does not make it look good, fair, or satisfying in any way to me!

This change does not appear to have anything to do with fairness, but rather trying to dissuade people from coming earlier and earlier. All of my experiences with Disney computing services give me zero reason to expect that the BG system is ready to take on so many people simultaneously trying to join BGs when the clock strikes 7:00am. It all sounds more stressful because it is more random.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Here's a more thorough blog from Mike:

https://blogmickey.com/2019/12/late...oarding-group-changes-our-opinion-and-advice/

 

[yulilin3]

So a few questions for speculation:
1) How long do you think this boarding group thing will last?
2) Isn't this boarding group thing just the OLD Fast Pass system ... just done digitally without having to RUN to the Fast Pass ticket machine?
3) When do we think that Rise (and MFSR) will go to the normal Fast Pass system .... or will they ever at this point (because it would be pretty impossible to get a FP unless do it at 60 days with a 6+ day resort reservation)

4) Do we think Mickey's Runaway Railway will be Fast Pass free when it opens? or use a virtual queue as well?

1) as long as Disney sees a need for it
2) In a nutshell yes but the difference is there is no standby line so people willing to wait hours in a queue don't have that option
3)Disney will change it when they see it will be better
4) MMRR doesn't show fp availability on the official site. Not saying that it can't change. Also the CL fp starts at 90 day and as of now it has not been offered

 

[wdw&sonny]

Many have asked about Disney's policy on returning to the ride after a shut-down:
Just spoke to a friend at WDW with his family. They woke at 4:30 AM on Sunday to join the chaos. Entered and were assigned BG 12. RotR broke down while they were in line. They were evacuated and issued paper FPs and told they could return anytime that day to ride.
They returned around 5p and the ride was again down.
They returned the next day, not expecting to ride, but were allowed through the line with (yesterday's) paper FPs. He said the CMs were very accommodating.
The FPs were checked upon initial entry, but not collected.
They were able to reuse the paper FPs several times (his group rode up to 4 times total) before the FPs were collected.
NOTE: This is not to suggest they circumvented the rules. Rather, the CMs were trying to make sure guests had a favorable experience.

 

[Wreckem]

Cruising seems popular in Florida. Can you imagine researching, coming up with a game plan for Galaxy's Edge that you plan to visit after your Disney cruise before you step onto your cruise because you don't plan to pay for a wifi package while on board. Step off your Disney cruise only to find the procedure has all changed.

You wouldn't be able to get from the cruise port in Port Canaveral to DHS anytime close to park opening so your point is pretty moot in most scenarios involving a cruise out of Port Canaveral.

 

[sponica]

Just seems odd to go back on Thursday of a holiday week, but hey, schools do weird things!

OT: We've already had 3 snow days, if we didn't go back on the 2nd we'd be in school until July....actually this year is the sweet spot in terms of the holiday break, they gave us Monday the 23rd as a gimme...normally it's 12/24 through 1/1.

But back to boarding groups and the VQ, I think they're still trying to be equitable (which is different than fair) and this is the first time they've rolled out the VQ, so from the outside I'm able to give them a wide latitude while they figure stuff out. I'm sure if I was on the ground I'd feel differently.

 

[kboo]

Sure, if everyone in that first wave of people were essentially put into BG's that opened right away (and the ride could handle it without creating long waits) then it would be fine because everyone could really head straight to the ride. But then you also haven't changed anything.....everyone will still want to be at the front of that pack and line up early.

I do think that if they can spread out BG assignment a bit more, (even if fully assigned 60 minutes after opening rather than 20), it may have the effect of spreading the crowds out a bit and/or people more willing to ride later to arrive later too. Maybe I am just being hopeful. And really, this is going to affect people without PHs or APs the most, since anyone without PH is essentially locked into trying for RotR on their day for HS. (eek)

 

[Opie100]

Here's a more thorough blog from Mike:

https://blogmickey.com/2019/12/late...oarding-group-changes-our-opinion-and-advice/

Beware there are spoiler images on that site.

 

[beesly]

I don't know what to tell you. People have reported quick and painless experiences when they approached a CM immediately instead of trying to mess with their app themselves if something was going wrong.

This post even lists times/BGs posted by DIS users on Sunday (12/15) showing there was no apparent disadvantage to going to a CM vs. using the app.

 

[Opie100]

What are people going to say when someone who was among the first to enter the park doesn't get a BG at all?

That would require 12K+ to enter before the VQ opens. So far, the initial VQ has been open for an hour or more after the tapstiles open before it fills, so it appears is that Disney does not intend to allow that to happen.

All of my experiences with Disney computing services give me zero reason to expect that the BG system is ready to take on so many people simultaneously trying to join BGs when the clock strikes 7:00am.

Today it seemed to work. It sounds like it can handle 5K at once anyway.

P.S. Keep checking for FOP FPs, especially on days when AK changes opening and closing times.

 

[Disneylover99]

What are people going to say when someone who was among the first to enter the park doesn't get a BG at all?

They are going to say, there isn’t much chance of that happening, plus this way, is more fair for more people......unless of course it happens to them.

 

[Bobbob]

Rght - I think I agree with you, that everyone who taps in in that half hour window is now on the same footing. But I am also saying that IF the ride runs more efficiently and at full capacity, and that that group will get assigned a BG that gets called right at or a few minutes after 7, that that's ok. For the others who tap in after 7, it's still going to mimic first come, first serve, it will (hopefully) just be spread out a little more.

Opening the BG later than park open causes two big problems:

1) It means you could potentially show up first in line for the park and not get a BG if they go before the park opens.

2) it means a free for all hammering of the app leading to crashing and frustration.

Neither is good and I hope they stop this practice.

 

[tomlpf]

We just got back and the "Boarding Group Plan" is the best plan Disney has ever used for the opening of a new ride! Get there early and know how to use Disney +

 

[tomlpf]

When I made our FP, I didn't know about the ROTR opening date. It just so happens we have a 12/5 10:30 am Oga's reservation. I had also picked a FP for Rockin' Roller at 9:45. Being the likely opening date, is that gonna totally blow us out of the park? I don't want to cancel Oga's but is the park gonna just be crazy....as in we're gonna have to get there a bazillion hours early just to get in the park to meet our reservation/FP times???

Oga's was awesome

 

[Orsino]

The various opinions are all fine. "Fair" is a matter of perspective. That said, if I had gone to DHS today I'd be absolutely livid. The people that got up early today for Rise of the Resistance will not get any guff from me about being mad.

Going forward, I'm okay if Disney sticks to the 'free for all' at opening rather than 'early bird gets the worm' opening. It is, essentially, saying get here by opening, and you have equal chance. This is consistent with how Disney handles other sign-up things, I think. My only other experience with Disney for this is DVC Moonlight Magic, where as long as you get on the website by a certain time, you get equal chance at your spot in the queue when bookings open. I like that system, so I think I like RotR adopting it.

There was a trend in the 90's where you could get front row seats at Broadway musicals on the day of, 2 hours before the show for a very low price. Lines formed early. Then earlier. And then crazy early. They had to shift to a lottery because people were camping out all night. Hamilton uses an online lottery.

I get that early birds won't like it, but I think overall it is a sufficiently fair system. But everyone there today gets to complain as much as they want.

 

[tomlpf]

Opening the BG later than park open causes two big problems:

1) It means you could potentially show up first in line for the park and not get a BG if they go before the park opens.

2) it means a free for all hammering of the app leading to crashing and frustration.

Neither is good and I hope they stop this practice.

Disney fixed this and now you can't get a BG before posted park opening times

 

[xApril]

I hope they either change it back, or they wait to open the turnstiles until 7am.

When I go tomorrow, my boyfriend is using a comp ticket and he has no other way into the park for awhile since my family will be blocked to get him into DHS until they lift CM blackouts. We have to leave the park shortly before 3pm to meet our friend so we can go see the movie. This is basically the same as families having to leave to go to the airport. We're sacrificing our sleep, just like other guests are so that we can get that earlier boarding group. We've all been anxiously awaiting this and preparing to wake up early so we can get the earlier boarding group and this all just throws a wrench into our plan. If we get a higher boarding group and the ride doesn't have a great operating day, we're basically not going to get to ride and will have wasted a paper comp ticket.

I understand the whole making it fair but how is it fair if you were towards the beginning of the line and someone else just happens to have a faster phone connection?

 

[Opie100]

Disney fixed this and now you can't get a BG before posted park opening times

This was changed today but still unclear if it was temporary due to the event in GE this morning.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

E

Even if the park is advertised as opening at 7am, 8am... people will still turn up at 4.30 am, to be at the front. If the staff are willing to do it, or for safety reasons they will want people in. They want people to get their tickets worth/start spending in the park. It’s a pain if the opening times are all over the place, but the amount of people outside will determine opening & if it is an issue. Perhaps things will calm down a little over the next few months? It seems they are still trying to figure out what works best. Unfortunately they need guinea pigs to figure stuff out.

People will show up whenever they want, but that doesn't mean WDW has to start operating DHS at some random time prior to published opening because the mob demands it. It is, IMHO, patently unfair to start ride operations prior to published opening time. Even at MK where they open Main St. (and select venues on Main St.) an hour prior to opening to control crowding in the entrance area, ride operations do not commence until published park opening. Everyone gets the exact same ticket value that way. Your ticket is good from published opening until published close. Not random-whenever-we-feel-like-opening until close. At the end of the day, I have to believe WDW wants to take the reigns on when, exactly, they open operations at DHS and not be dictated by a mob every morning.

 

[tlmadden73]

1) as long as Disney sees a need for it
2) In a nutshell yes but the difference is there is no standby line so people willing to wait hours in a queue don't have that option
3)Disney will change it when they see it will be better
4) MMRR doesn't show fp availability on the official site. Not saying that it can't change. Also the CL fp starts at 90 day and as of now it has not been offered

I guess my question (for speculation) ..

Are we seeing how WDW will handle the opening of ALL the new big rides? (MMRR, Ratatouille, eventually Tron and Guardians) or are we seeing the potential phasing out of FP+ .. (maybe for at least for the top tier attractions?). I just wonder which way they will go. Either ALL standby (like MFSR) or no standy line at all (like Rise).

I mean .. you'd probably get tons of complaints and traffic issues if either Star Wars attractions went normal Fast Pass (like SDD and FoP did). You'd see people not being able to Fast Passes (even at 60 days) .. you'd see 3-4 hour lines potentially (because FP guests slow the standby line down) .. etc. Just like FoP. Now .. at least with DHS .. there are more attractions to spread the crowds out (part of the problem of FoP at AK is it is one of only a few rides at the park and the secondary ride in Pandora isn't worth a FP for).

I mean .. I'd love to see a boarding group thing for FoP rather than trying (and failing) to get a 60-day fast pass for it like has been the case for the last 2 1/2 years .. or having to do a mad dash at Rope Drop or wait in 1 hour (or usually longer) line.