Boarding Groups are confusing

Djsfantasi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This whole idea of boarding groups has confused me. With FP+, I have a good idea what my plans for the day will be. I schedule passes about an 90 minutes apart which leaves an hour between each attraction for ADRs, shopping, a show or an attraction for which a FP+ isn’t needed.

The idea that I won’t know my schedule until some big voice announces my Boarding Group is stressful to me.

I’m heading to WDW in a week. I have two days booked at HS. One with Fastpasses; one without. How should I use Boarding Groups?
 

Rosanne

Active Member
This whole idea of boarding groups has confused me. With FP+, I have a good idea what my plans for the day will be. I schedule passes about an 90 minutes apart which leaves an hour between each attraction for ADRs, shopping, a show or an attraction for which a FP+ isn’t needed.

The idea that I won’t know my schedule until some big voice announces my Boarding Group is stressful to me.

I’m heading to WDW in a week. I have two days booked at HS. One with Fastpasses; one without. How should I use Boarding Groups?
Someone needs to explain to me what is a Boarding Group? Never heard of that one.
 

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Someone needs to explain to me what is a Boarding Group? Never heard of that one.

Boarding groups are how Diney Hollywood studios keeps the physical queues for the Rise of the Resistance Ride from snaking across the park. When your group has past the turnstiles and the appropriate time of opening has passed, you can use MDE to join a virtual line broken down into "Boarding Groups". First come, First serve, so you'll need to be at the park at rope drop. When your group is called , you have two hours to get back to the ride to join the physical line.
 

Djsfantasi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ok, that’s what I heard. But I have no control on when my Boarding Group is called, do I?

Somehow, I need to keep up to a two hour window available and I have no idea when I’ll need that time?
 

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
Over-simplified version:

1) You and or your party enter Hollywood Studios
2) You open the app, select from your family and friends list....only those who have entered the Park are allowed in your group
3) your group is issued a Boarding Pass number (you have to be there before 8:00 a.m. to have any chance of getting a Boarding Group before capacity is reached)
4) you can check throughput the day via your app for updates
 

Monty

Brilliant...and Canadian
In the Parks
No
Ok, that’s what I heard. But I have no control on when my Boarding Group is called, do I?

Somehow, I need to keep up to a two hour window available and I have no idea when I’ll need that time?
If your FP plans are set up to allow you at least an hour for shopping between rides, you can go during that hour within the two-hour arrival window they’ll give you when your boarding group is announced.

If your FPs are set an hour and a half apart for their start times, that technically gives you almost 225 minutes to use the second of two. Almost an hour after using the first one, 90 minutes, 60 minutes FP window 15 minutes grace after the end of your window.

Your boarding group has a two hour window to arrive, not two hours you need to keep open. You just need to arrive in the window.
 

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
the first pic is the real time status, the next are the progression of your group throughput the day

You’ll see on the last pic we had to be there by 9:41....that was 41 mins AFTER Park closing.
A second point/reminder is we created our Boarding Group well before 8:00 a.m. and were one of the very last Groups able to Bosrd that day....the system is working much better now...
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Djsfantasi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
If your FP plans are set up to allow you at least an hour for shopping between rides, you can go during that hour within the two-hour arrival window they’ll give you when your boarding group is announced.

If your FPs are set an hour and a half apart for their start times, that technically gives you almost 225 minutes to use the second of two. Almost an hour after using the first one, 90 minutes, 60 minutes FP window 15 minutes grace after the end of your window.

Your boarding group has a two hour window to arrive, not two hours you need to keep open. You just need to arrive in the window.

Way too much math for me! After 50 years of math, I had hoped to get a break when I retired.

Someone tell me why this is better than FP? I just don’t see it. I very very rarely can’t get the FP that I want. And my favorite attraction is FoP, and I get to ride it 2 to 4 times each trip.
 

TiggerDad

Well-Known Member
Way too much math for me! After 50 years of math, I had hoped to get a break when I retired.

Someone tell me why this is better than FP? I just don’t see it. I very very rarely can’t get the FP that I want. And my favorite attraction is FoP, and I get to ride it 2 to 4 times each trip.
This is better than FP FOR DISNEY because the one ride that uses BGs has been subject to irregular down times on a daily basis while they work the kinks out, so this allows them to regulate the inflow of guests to the queue when they get backed up. They just don't call any more BGs until they are ready for them. By changing how many they offer each day, they can manage capacity regularly better than having to honor FPs issued two months ago.

Some people think they are better for them because they put locals and offsite guests on a level playing field with onsite guests. They also don't have a standby option like all other rides have.

The good news for you is you don't have to do the BGs. Of course that means you won't get to ride the cool new ride if you aren't willing to play by their rules.
 

nickys

Premium Member
Way too much math for me! After 50 years of math, I had hoped to get a break when I retired.

Someone tell me why this is better than FP? I just don’t see it. I very very rarely can’t get the FP that I want. And my favorite attraction is FoP, and I get to ride it 2 to 4 times each trip.

It prevents a very long stand-by line, leaving people free to go and spend money elsewhere, whilst waiting in a virtual queue.

It evens out the playing field between onsite and offsite guests, including AP holders.

It is proving an efficient way to manage a huge demand for a new ride at a very busy time of year.

And the technology / systems were put in place initially to manage the expected but actually over-estimated demand for entry to Galaxy’s Edge. It was easily adapted for access to a single ride instead.
 

Rosanne

Active Member
Boarding groups are how Diney Hollywood studios keeps the physical queues for the Rise of the Resistance Ride from snaking across the park. When your group has past the turnstiles and the appropriate time of opening has passed, you can use MDE to join a virtual line broken down into "Boarding Groups". First come, First serve, so you'll need to be at the park at rope drop. When your group is called , you have two hours to get back to the ride to join the physical line.
This is way too much bother for me.
 

Djsfantasi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This is way too much bother for me.
It prevents a very long stand-by line, leaving people free to go and spend money elsewhere, whilst waiting in a virtual queue.

It evens out the playing field between onsite and offsite guests, including AP holders.

It is proving an efficient way to manage a huge demand for a new ride at a very busy time of year.

And the technology / systems were put in place initially to manage the expected but actually over-estimated demand for entry to Galaxy’s Edge. It was easily adapted for access to a single ride instead.

And Disney adapted the system because they could, because they didn’t think it out and because they are becoming arrogant and are sacrificing Walt’s vision by implementing procedures that improve the company’s experience at the expense of their guests!

For example, whose brilliant idea was to even the playing field between onsite and offsite guests! I pay for onsite accommodations just for these perks. With an even playing field, I’ll stay offsite and Disney loses accommodations fees, dining income and income for other amenities. Their pools will become underutilized and become an expense rather than in income source. Pool bars will shut down, losing alcohol income.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is a brain dead idea, that will hurt Disney and their guests in the long run.
 

nickys

Premium Member
And Disney adapted the system because they could, because they didn’t think it out and because they are becoming arrogant and are sacrificing Walt’s vision by implementing procedures that improve the company’s experience at the expense of their guests!

For example, whose brilliant idea was to even the playing field between onsite and offsite guests! I pay for onsite accommodations just for these perks. With an even playing field, I’ll stay offsite and Disney loses accommodations fees, dining income and income for other amenities. Their pools will become underutilized and become an expense rather than in income source. Pool bars will shut down, losing alcohol income.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is a brain dead idea, that will hurt Disney and their guests in the long run.

There is no shortage of people wanting to stay onsite, which is why they are building new resorts (Gran Destino Tower, Reflections).

When a ride like this one opens, there was always going to be an insane demand to ride it. Boarding Groups are similar to the old FP system, and as @TiggerDad explained above, it allows them to balance that demand with the actual operational capacity of the ride.

There were concerns about how reliable the ride was; it’s been said the engineers wanted another 1-4 weeks of testing before opening. If they had allowed FP booking for it, they faced the prospect of many of those people not being able to ride and the backlash. And/or an insanely long queue a la Hagrid’s at Universal.

A virtual queue promises nothing, and allowed them to give those that were in a Boarding Group that was not able to ride one day a pass to come back the next day. And they could adjust the BGs the next day to allow for that backlog. If they had 300 with FPs every hour and the ride was down for 4 hours, that’s 1200 people wanting to ride the next day on top of those that had FPs booked that day.

It’s a short term measure. FPs and a stand-by line will be introduced at some point.
 

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
For example, whose brilliant idea was to even the playing field between onsite and offsite guests! I pay for onsite accommodations just for these perks. With an even playing field, I’ll stay offsite and Disney loses accommodations fees, dining income and income for other amenities. Their pools will become underutilized and become an expense rather than in income source. Pool bars will shut down, losing alcohol income.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is a brain dead idea, that will hurt Disney and their guests in the long run.
If you wanted to, you could get a Boarding pass for everyday of your trip. The Boarding Group is much easier to obtain than a FP for your favorite ride FoP. Why limit riding it 2-4 times when you could ride it everyday?
@nickys Makes a great point pertaining to onsite accommodations below.....
There is no shortage of people wanting to stay onsite, which is why they are building new resorts (Gran Destino Tower, Reflections).

It’s a short term measure. FPs and a stand-by line will be introduced at some point.
The FP scanners are already in place....you have to scan twice before entering the que......
 

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
This is way too much bother for me.
It IS a bother to get there that early! We were able to get a Boarding Pass each time we attempted, a total of 4 times.

Do want to point out:

1) you don't have to stick around if you don't want to. Two of the days we left DHS and headed to other Parks. We came back and rode it once, and didn't bother to return on the other (Stayed at Epcot for the Tuesday EME)
2) Having a boarding Pass does not change or limit and FP you have, or the ability to obtain FPs after joining a Boarding Group.
 

Djsfantasi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I just don’t get BGs? They already have FP in place. It could also be adapted for this situation, without requiring new software and procedures. A new app requires several months of effort. An adaptation of FP only requires a few weeks of effort. A win for Disney (lower cost of implementation) and a win for guests (no need to learn new features).

FYI, I know what I’m talking about. I ran a hospitality web site for close to 30 years. In fact, my company was almost contracted for by Disney to provide web services. That contract was for services that became “My Disney Experience”. As Disney often does, after soliciting proposals for software, and learning what they can from a contractor, they don’t sign the contract. They say that they have decided to develop the software in house... with the knowledge stolen from their bidder.

Beware!
 
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nickys

Premium Member
I just don’t get BGs? They already have FP in place. It could also be adapted for this situation, without requiring new software and procedures. A new app requires several months of effort. An adaptation of FP only requires a few weeks of effort. A win for Disney (lower cost of implementation) and a win for guests (no need to learn new features).

FYI, I know what I’m talking about

But it was developed for Galaxy’s Edge, the code was all there already. And it can be used at DL too, who don’t have the FP+ system.

And the FP system isn’t infallible, and would also have needed it’s capability enhanced.🤷‍♀️
 

Djsfantasi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
But it was developed for Galaxy’s Edge, the code was all there already. And it can be used at DL too, who don’t have the FP+ system.

And the FP system isn’t infallible, and would also have needed it’s capability enhanced.🤷‍♀️

No system is infallible. And the fact that it was already developed for GE, is irrelevant. Basically, the development effort for GE was a waste of time. FP was entirely capable.
 

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