DHS Soundstage 1 Renovation - Toy Storia Mania expansion

[RSoxNo1]

You know I keep hearing that number bantered about 66 to 70% being fastpass. I have a problem figuring out not only how anyone knows, but, how it is beneficial to have that many. Wouldn't that make the Fastpass line basically nothing more then a fancy named standby line. If true, and I'm not saying it isn't, was that much actually gained by having FP instead of not having that extra step. The only thing it does is spread out the crowd a little so not everyone is there at the same time and that is the only thing that makes it go faster. Is that the reason? I have never had to wait more then 5 minutes in a FP line in fact most of the time I just walked up to the entrance and went right in. It just doesn't seem like that would be possible if the percentage were that high.

There is more than enough public information that has been accumulated by @lentesta and his company about Fastpass. I've also seen distribution amounts for Soarin' and other attractions.

For the Fastpass+ window you can prioritize the waves of people that come in via the Fastpass line. At an attraction like Soarin' though you're going to wait longer than 5 minutes on many occasions because the cycle time of the attraction is longer. A continuously loading attraction or otherwise fast loading attraction is more likely to be able to maintain less than a 5 minute wait from Fastpass+. Of course, other factors can change this, but if the person handling the merge point is properly prioritizing Fastpass it should serve to be a 5 minute or less wait.

The majority Soarin's capacity consists of FP+. More so than you think, which is why it makes sense to dedicate theatres to FP+. It's not a matter of how long you wait in a FP line but more about how many FP+ capacity increases. In theory, the standby line shouldn't change much other than getting shorter(more people using FP+ to ride = less in standby).

The majority of any attraction's capacity is Fastpass. I'd argue that in Soarin' especially it makes 0 sense to have dedicated theaters to Fastpass+. The way that merge point is addressed you can distribute guests to each of the three theaters without being pigeonholed into certain theaters being Fastpass+ only. You can still devote 67% of the three theaters to Fastpass, but it's more efficient to spread out that that 67% across the three theaters.

 

[Luxe]

There is more than enough public information that has been accumulated by @lentesta and his company about Fastpass. I've also seen distribution amounts for Soarin' and other attractions.

The majority of any attraction's capacity is Fastpass. I'd argue that in Soarin' especially it makes 0 sense to have dedicated theaters to Fastpass+. The way that merge point is addressed you can distribute guests to each of the three theaters without being pigeonholed into certain theaters being Fastpass+ only. You can still devote 67% of the three theaters to Fastpass, but it's more efficient to spread out that that 67% across the three theaters.

I don't disagree, was just pointing out that most people don't realize how much capacity is taken up by FP+ on most rides.

 

[lentesta]

You know I keep hearing that number bantered about 66 to 70% being fastpass. I have a problem figuring out not only how anyone knows, but, how it is beneficial to have that many.

When we did this last year at the Magic Kingdom, the easiest way was to just ask a CM what the default ratio was. If they said 4:1 (which is fairly common), then it's 80% Fastpass / 20% standby. IIRC, the only major ride that was different was 3:1 at 7DMT, so 75% Fastpass. So yeah, sometimes this job isn't all that complicated.

If the CM doesn't know, you can figure out the FP ratio by knowing the ride's hourly capacity, the number of people in the standby line, and the actual wait in the standby line.

For example, if TSM's hourly capacity is 1000 people, there are 75 people in the standby line, and the actual standby wait is 15 minutes, then it's:

75 people x (60 minutes in an hour / 15 minutes wait ) = 300 people per hour going through the standby line
​

That's a 70% Fastpass / 30% Standby ratio.

Note that to use this technique, you have to wait in the standby line twice. The first time through, you get all the way to the boarding platform, turn around and walk back to the end of the line to count the number of people ahead of you. Then with a stopwatch, you time the actual wait until you reach the boarding platform again.

 

[Herc11]

When we did this last year at the Magic Kingdom, the easiest way was to just ask a CM what the default ratio was. If they said 4:1 (which is fairly common), then it's 80% Fastpass / 20% standby. IIRC, the only major ride that was different was 3:1 at 7DMT, so 75% Fastpass. So yeah, sometimes this job isn't all that complicated.

If the CM doesn't know, you can figure out the FP ratio by knowing the ride's hourly capacity, the number of people in the standby line, and the actual wait in the standby line.

For example, if TSM's hourly capacity is 1000 people, there are 75 people in the standby line, and the actual standby wait is 15 minutes, then it's:

75 people x (60 minutes in an hour / 15 minutes wait ) = 300 people per hour going through the standby line
​

That's a 70% Fastpass / 30% Standby ratio.

Note that to use this technique, you have to wait in the standby line twice. The first time through, you get all the way to the boarding platform, turn around and walk back to the end of the line to count the number of people ahead of you. Then with a stopwatch, you time the actual wait until you reach the boarding platform again.

Except the ratio that a ride admits fp (merge ratio) has nothing to do with the number of fp distributed for the day. In fact, the distribution ratio can change daily based on the number of forecasted guests and the merge ratio can change by the minute depending on how long the fp line gets.

Every ride is different, but in my experience about 50-60 % of hourly capacity is dedicated to fp, but that may have gone up as operations has acclimated to fp+.

 

[lentesta]

Except the ratio that a ride admits fp (merge ratio) has nothing to do with the number of fp distributed for the day.

I might be thinking of this wrong. Can you give an example over, say, a day, where the number of FPs distributed for the day isn't the ratio for that day?

In fact, the distribution ratio can change daily based on the number of forecasted guests

Agreed.

the merge ratio can change by the minute depending on how long the fp line gets.

Agreed. It's important to make multiple measurements over several days.

 

[doctornick]

When we did this last year at the Magic Kingdom, the easiest way was to just ask a CM what the default ratio was. If they said 4:1 (which is fairly common), then it's 80% Fastpass / 20% standby. IIRC, the only major ride that was different was 3:1 at 7DMT, so 75% Fastpass. So yeah, sometimes this job isn't all that complicated.

Are you saying what the CM's do at the merge point in terms of letting people past? That would be a reasonable approximation if the FP+ line is constantly full, but if it is a ride where the FP+ line gets empty at times and people from standby are just sent by quickly during those times, then it will overestimate the percentage allotted to FP+.

 

[Herc11]

I might be thinking of this wrong. Can you give an example over, say, a day, where the number of FPs distributed for the day isn't the ratio for that day?



Agreed.



Agreed. It's important to make multiple measurements over several days.

Are you saying what the CM's do at the merge point in terms of letting people past? That would be a reasonable approximation if the FP+ line is constantly full, but if it is a ride where the FP+ line gets empty at times and people from standby are just sent by quickly during those times, then it will overestimate the percentage allotted to FP+.

We might be talking about different things. The 4:1 ratio you mentioned is in fact the typical merge ratio for Disney attractions. But the actual ratio of guests coming in with FP is always going to be less than that because of doctornick's point. Several times during the day, there will temporarily be nobody waiting in the FP line. So during those periods, the standby line will be the only ones entering the attraction. And that will throw off the total ratio of FP to standby for the entire day. Theoretically, if an attraction had constant FP demand then the total ratio of FP to standby would approach the merge ratio, but in reality the total ratio will be somewhat lower.

 

[lentesta]

We might be talking about different things. The 4:1 ratio you mentioned is in fact the typical merge ratio for Disney attractions. But the actual ratio of guests coming in with FP is always going to be less than that because of doctornick's point. Several times during the day, there will temporarily be nobody waiting in the FP line. So during those periods, the standby line will be the only ones entering the attraction. And that will throw off the total ratio of FP to standby for the entire day. Theoretically, if an attraction had constant FP demand then the total ratio of FP to standby would approach the merge ratio, but in reality the total ratio will be somewhat lower.

Ah, I get it. If Disney offered FPs that no one took, then yeah, it would throw off the ratio. Totally correct. And there are moment-to-moment fluctuations in arrivals, of course.

When we talk FP ratios in the book and on the site, we generally assume full FP update and ride demand >= ride capacity.

 

[t3techcom18]

When we did this last year at the Magic Kingdom, the easiest way was to just ask a CM what the default ratio was. If they said 4:1 (which is fairly common), then it's 80% Fastpass / 20% standby. IIRC, the only major ride that was different was 3:1 at 7DMT, so 75% Fastpass. So yeah, sometimes this job isn't all that complicated.

If the CM doesn't know, you can figure out the FP ratio by knowing the ride's hourly capacity, the number of people in the standby line, and the actual wait in the standby line.

For example, if TSM's hourly capacity is 1000 people, there are 75 people in the standby line, and the actual standby wait is 15 minutes, then it's:

75 people x (60 minutes in an hour / 15 minutes wait ) = 300 people per hour going through the standby line
​

That's a 70% Fastpass / 30% Standby ratio.

Note that to use this technique, you have to wait in the standby line twice. The first time through, you get all the way to the boarding platform, turn around and walk back to the end of the line to count the number of people ahead of you. Then with a stopwatch, you time the actual wait until you reach the boarding platform again.

Awesome work, but false.

All attractions are under the same exact ratio. It's a system that's incredibly flawed, but it's true. The way it depends on how many people are pumped through are via the Phases: 1, 2 and 3. Basically, the higher the number, the higher number of FP parties come through.

 

[Herc11]

Ah, I get it. If Disney offered FPs that no one took, then yeah, it would throw off the ratio. Totally correct. And there are moment-to-moment fluctuations in arrivals, of course.

When we talk FP ratios in the book and on the site, we generally assume full FP update and ride demand >= ride capacity.

It's really not even people not taking the FP, it's about the typical ebb and flow of guests coming in. Say an attraction gives out 50 FP for each 5 minute increment (9:00-10:00, 9:05-10:05, etc.). So at any one time up to 600 people have access to the FP line. These people are not going to come at a regular rate. You might get 400 people show up between 9 and 9:15, and then only 25 between 9:15 and 9:30. So for the first 15 minutes you might let in 400 FP and 100 standby. But during the second you let in 25 FP and 475 standby. So over that half hour you've actually let in more standby than FP even though you have held to the ratio as much as possible. Sure, there are phases where you might actually let in FP at even higher ratios, but generally the maximum ratio is 4:1. The average ratio will be quite a bit lower.

I have worked at some of the busiest attractions in WDW, and we had nowhere near 80% of our guests coming from FP. Even 60% would be extraordinarily high.

 

[wdwmagic]

Third track opens memorial day weekend.

 

[gmajew]

Third track opens memorial day weekend.

Took a long time but surprised actually it is opening before construction is all done.

 

[TangledUpInKnots]

Third track opens memorial day weekend.

Oh of course it is the week after I leave...just like everything else this trip. Please tell me they aren' shutting down the ride the week before to add the track because that's gonna suck if so.

 

[danlb_2000]

Took a long time but surprised actually it is opening before construction is all done.

There was little doubt the third track would open before TSL was built.

 

[gmajew]

There was little doubt the third track would open before TSL was built.

LOL I know, it was just a quiet surprise it was in time for summer.

 

[JohnWD]

LOL I know, it was just a quiet surprise it was in time for summer.

I understand the confusion! We can count on closing dates, but opening dates are total mysteries!

 

[marni1971]

So no one else has posted that the TSMM third track has been under third shift testing this week?

Suppose I will then.

 

[matt9112]

So no one else has posted that the TSMM third track has been under third shift testing this week?

Suppose I will then.

Is it literally a clone marni or are there any small differences ? Layout ect?

 

[bhg469]

So no one else has posted that the TSMM third track has been under third shift testing this week?

Suppose I will then.

I'm sure someone, somewhere is impressed at their ingenious attempt to lower crowds by making attractions bigger

 

[YodaMan]

Didn't they publicly say that the third track opens next weekend? They'd better damn well be doing testing by now.