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FP+ only Toy Story Midway Mania
- Thread starter Sparky359621
- Start date
John
Well-Known Member
Not everyone that visits actually have the 30-60 day advance access.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
I said before you get there.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
OK, imagine this: I have the afternoon off work tomorrow, the appointment I had was cancelled and although I have a dinner reservation at 5pm in downtown Orlando, I have nothing to do in the meantime. I know, I'll go to a park. Let's try DAK, and schedule in Kilimanjaro Safaris for 3.30 the next day - doing my duty as a Disney fan and planning in advance.
Now, we get to lunchtime on the day, and oh dear, it's pouring with rain and the weather is freakishly cold. I really don't want to stay in Animal Kingdom to get drenched, and as it's 2pm now I certainly don't want to wait until 3.30 for a washed out rain safari. Where shall I go instead? Wherever the first bus takes me, I think.
So I end up in Magic Kingdom; it's now 2.30pm, and I have two hours exactly. I want to ride Space Mountain, I decide. So I go to the Fastpass kiosk and search for a time before 4.30pm, but nothing is available until 6pm. Too late for me. I'm not in the mood to ride anything else that day, I just fancied a bit of Space Mountaining.
In the old system, no problem, I just go and wait in the standby line... it's rarely more than an hour. Under the new system, tough luck, no rides at all for you today, just a wasted trip.
ThemeParkJunkee
Well-Known Member
Eek! I hope they don't try and pull an unannounced test when I arrive in 11 days. There are a number of attractions I didn't get a FP+ for because I figured I could ride during certain times of the day without needing one. I am so tired of Disney Parks and Resorts (mostly TDO) using guests as guinea pigs for ill-conceived experiments that tax the guests and CMs beyond any comprehension by either.
John
Well-Known Member
TP2000
Well-Known Member
That's a good sign. They are treating the customers with DAS cards just like every other customer, thus following the letter of the ADA law and creating an equal situation for everyone regardless of ability. And they are doing this at the same time a high-profile legal case is working through the court system.
Disney's legal team obviously knows they have solid legal ground to stand on by treating DAS visitors the same as everyone else. That's at least the silver lining to this otherwise troubling "test".
BrianV
Well-Known Member
Are you just making a generic point about the test system or did space mountain move to a new system too? Whatever anyone thinks of any of these, the most complicated part is they keep changing without warning.
We live far away so it is hard for me to comprehend, but do people with an annual pass just go in to disney world for 2 hours? (If only I could do that!!!)
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Agreed. This whole thing has the appearance that TDO thinks of their customers as lab rats for testing rather than invited "Guests".
Can you imagine throwing a dinner party for 10 people and then as your guests arrived you tell them they have to reserve a place at the table that only has six place settings? The last four guests to arrive have to sit in the den munching snack mix while the other party guests eat dinner with the host and hostess in the dining room. Only a cruel sadist, or a complete moron, would try to throw a dinner party like that.
Yet that's exactly what TDO seems to be doing here with this unannounced surprise test at Midway Mania. They are viewing their theme park customers as dumb lab rats, while they dare to call them "Guests" to their faces as they smile and take their money.
It appears as though TDO executives are either sadists who dislike people, or very bad theme park managers who don't know their customers. Perhaps both.
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Bairstow
Well-Known Member
Ok, for the 26 actual human beings who might do this, the new system is less convenient.
I'll concede that.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
No, I'm just extrapolating a world in which standby is eliminated from everything, or at least all the E-tickets.
Yup, many locals and off-duty cast members do that. Maybe 2 hours is a bit short, but certainly it's very common to just do a morning or an afternoon.
ThemeParkJunkee
Well-Known Member
GymLeaderPhil
Well-Known Member
Just wanted to chime in with a ray of hope for those who are lucky enough to be test subjects over the next few days (while the ride cycles without Guests in the vehicles...)
FP+ inventory works differently than the previous distribution rules. Previously, when the FastPasses "booked out", that was it. However with the new model, an allocation of FP+ are saved from Guests who pre-engage and are spaced out and released at the top of the hour. The percentage that are reserved for same day Guests varies.
Coupled with the fact that Guests can modify and cancel their selections, this means that an FP+ experience never technically truly runs out in the traditional sense until you reach either the last hour of operation or it's a parade/nighttime spectacular event with finite capacity.
On another related note I wonder how Dan Cockerell is sleeping tonight and if anyone has posted his phone number yet.
FP+ inventory works differently than the previous distribution rules. Previously, when the FastPasses "booked out", that was it. However with the new model, an allocation of FP+ are saved from Guests who pre-engage and are spaced out and released at the top of the hour. The percentage that are reserved for same day Guests varies.
Coupled with the fact that Guests can modify and cancel their selections, this means that an FP+ experience never technically truly runs out in the traditional sense until you reach either the last hour of operation or it's a parade/nighttime spectacular event with finite capacity.
On another related note I wonder how Dan Cockerell is sleeping tonight and if anyone has posted his phone number yet.
msteel
Well-Known Member
I agree that a "no standby" world is a bad thing. But please, don't jump to the conclusion that this is a test of a world without standby.
Standby is a good thing, and I think Disney is smart enough to know that.
I believe others have said this, but either the posts were not read or they were not understood, so I'll offer my opinion about what the test is trying to determine.
I think that the objective of this test is to determine if fastpass and standby queues can operate without merge.
See, as far as I know, every fastpass ride that currently exists is set up so that standby and fastpass both feed into the same load area(s). This is even true for rides like space mountain where there are two load areas and two tracks, and one is usually dedicated entirely to fastpass. Merge is good for efficiency, because if fastpass demand is temporarily low then standby can use that capacity, and the capacity is not wasted.
But I think that in the context of TSMM, they would like to build the third track so that the queues are totally independent. Maybe it saves a pile of money if they can build it that way. But they can't just build it that way and hope it will work. So they test it now over a few days, find out what they need to know and then get building.
Or, maybe I'm wrong and Disney IS trying to ruin people's vacations and not let them wait in line even if they want to wait.
Standby is a good thing, and I think Disney is smart enough to know that.
I believe others have said this, but either the posts were not read or they were not understood, so I'll offer my opinion about what the test is trying to determine.
I think that the objective of this test is to determine if fastpass and standby queues can operate without merge.
See, as far as I know, every fastpass ride that currently exists is set up so that standby and fastpass both feed into the same load area(s). This is even true for rides like space mountain where there are two load areas and two tracks, and one is usually dedicated entirely to fastpass. Merge is good for efficiency, because if fastpass demand is temporarily low then standby can use that capacity, and the capacity is not wasted.
But I think that in the context of TSMM, they would like to build the third track so that the queues are totally independent. Maybe it saves a pile of money if they can build it that way. But they can't just build it that way and hope it will work. So they test it now over a few days, find out what they need to know and then get building.
Or, maybe I'm wrong and Disney IS trying to ruin people's vacations and not let them wait in line even if they want to wait.
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CarlFredricksen
Active Member
My mom, brother and sister decided 6 weeks ago to head down this week as they will be on their college fall break. They leave on Wednesday. TSMM had zero FP+ available for the week when they booked their somewhat impromptu trip, so they planned to arrive at DHS early on two of the days to ride first thing.
Now they can't ride at all and are being punished for not booking their trip 6months in advance when ample FP+ were available? And even if they've added additional FP+ reservations, what about all the other FP+ and dining reservations they've made? The new system forces you to plan your days weeks/months in advance, so they've done that. Now who knows they'll do. The system that forces you to plan your trip ahead of time decides to announce last minute the only way you can ride is FP+....and they do this last minute? They may have to shuffle their days and sacrifice a dining reservation to accommodate a TSMM FP+ time...if any are available. What a joke.
Just typing this makes me angry, and upset for them. This is THE marquee ride at DHS and highlight of so many's trip. And the opportunity and choice for them to wait in line is taken away? Whoever made this decision within the company, if they actually think this is a good idea, even to trial, should attach their name to it so we all know who needs to be fired.
Now they can't ride at all and are being punished for not booking their trip 6months in advance when ample FP+ were available? And even if they've added additional FP+ reservations, what about all the other FP+ and dining reservations they've made? The new system forces you to plan your days weeks/months in advance, so they've done that. Now who knows they'll do. The system that forces you to plan your trip ahead of time decides to announce last minute the only way you can ride is FP+....and they do this last minute? They may have to shuffle their days and sacrifice a dining reservation to accommodate a TSMM FP+ time...if any are available. What a joke.
Just typing this makes me angry, and upset for them. This is THE marquee ride at DHS and highlight of so many's trip. And the opportunity and choice for them to wait in line is taken away? Whoever made this decision within the company, if they actually think this is a good idea, even to trial, should attach their name to it so we all know who needs to be fired.
ThemeParkJunkee
Well-Known Member
Okay, I am starting to think that WDW is purposely setting themselves up for a completely planned, scheduled, vacation and really don"t care about day guests whatsoever. With the buildout of DVC and tests and tracking and ...well you know. I think I will not be going to WDW after this planned trip (and I do mean planned beyond anything reasonable). Done for now after my obsessively planned trip.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
It's one rule for us, another rule for them.
Disney demands guests give them advance notice of exactly which attractions they want to ride and when, weeks in advance, but aren't in the slightest concerned with returning the favour and giving guests advance notice of closures and restrictions.
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
Personally, I would rather see another dark ride added than another track. Another track will help decrease the line, but it’s not adding anything new. So if you have a 7 year old who isn’t a fan of “scary” rides and won’t ride ToT, RNRC or StarTours, what else do you have left for rides? GMR and TSMM. And a couple of shows. If they add new rides, it gives guests more to choose from and they will stay in the park longer, possibly even spend money at the shops between rides. Lack of rides means you could be in and out of that park by 1pm if there are only a select few rides that you're interested in. Go back to the pool, take a nap... Or even worse (for TDO) you could take that day you would have have spent at DHS and visit another Orlando area theme park like Universal or Sea World where there could be more there that that you're interested in. DHS needs MORE rides that are family friendly, not an additional track for a ride that’s currently there.
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
I'm with you there. We have tried DCL and visited Disneyland in the last year and it makes me sad to say it, but both were head and shoulders better than any WDW vacation we have had lately. We didn’t have to make ADRs 60 days in advance at DLR, nor did we have to book FP. We just simply walked up to the machine and got them then, just like the good old days at WDW. And DCL was just so relaxing. No ridiculous amounts of planning other than booking excursions. It was great!! If we didn’t have 2 nights booked post cruise at POFQ next month with MVMCP tickets, we would just cancel those 2 nights and fly back right after the cruise. But we paid for the tickets and airfare already and the airfare is too expensive to change now. We’re still thinking of skipping MVMCP though. Yes, we will be out $70 a person, but between the food and souvenirs at the party, we would probably spend about $70 a person, so if we skip it, it’ll be a wash. We also have another cruise booked for next year plus another trip to DLR. Add on our cruise next month and that’s 3 trips we would have spent at WDW but won’t because of the way things have changed. Some people say WDW isn’t for everyone and I’m beginning to think it’s no longer for us.