If this is not a blantant money grab, I don't know what is.....

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The Simpsons took over a long time ago.

I know…and it sucks too

 

[maxairmike]

on an isolated basis I can see it being done, though I still don't think its idea. I was speaking more as a general rule, that you can't operate all rides in a park in that matter.

It’s quite literally the rule of how the vast majority of US parks operate, and I made line schedules for rides once upon a time with paper and pencil factoring in expected crowds. It isn’t rocket science, it barely even requires more than minimal common sense to understand how it all works. Heck, my park kept ride lines open until 7 minutes past the scheduled closing time back then as a courtesy, including on rides that typically closed with hour+ waits. It’s all planned for and expected.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It’s quite literally the rule of how the vast majority of US parks operate, and I made line schedules for rides once upon a time with paper and pencil factoring in expected crowds. It isn’t rocket science, it barely even requires more than minimal common sense to understand how it all works. Heck, my park kept ride lines open until 7 minutes past the scheduled closing time back then as a courtesy, including on rides that typically closed with hour+ waits. It’s all planned for and expected.

Not only that…but more rides means more happy people and happy people buy more high margin things in park

It’s how you make money

 

[yensid67]

I love the virtual queue. For us the added stress of it is worth the saved time not waiting in as long of a stand-by queue. Time saved may be close to cumulative time saved using G+ at EPCOT.

Why not just bring back FREE FAST PASS with a return time? They should have never gotten rid of FP in the first place! They could've had FP- Free return times like before, then they could have FP+- a paid to skip the standby line...that is a win-win for the guests and for Disney. But what do you have to do, you have to pay for GENIE to be able to have a chance to get on a ride or buy lightning lanes to GUARANTEE your spot and skip the lines. I guess its the same but it sure feels confusing!

 

[TalkToEthan]

Genie is the wrong character; should have been Dr. Facilier……looking for a quick money grab by magically expediting your waits.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Most attractions don't have a 4 hour wait time, so most standby wait times are a viable choice for most people. And not offering choice to customers is one of the stupidest moves a business could make. And I seriously doubt that using a VQ for all attractions at WDW would allow people to ride more in a day, unless you have some data that proves otherwise. Look how quickly VQs fill up now-imagine waking up at 7:30 am, and the VQs for almost every attraction throughout the day are gone. Do you think that's a good way to run a business? Excluding people completely from even having the opportunity to ride what they want? I really don't think you've thought this through.

Follow the thread. You’re arguing with someone else in most of this post.

We’re not talking about most rides. We’re talking about GotG. And in the beginning, without VQ, you will have had 4 hour waits. Right now, with nothing to back it up, I’m guessing at least 2-3 hour waits early in the day without VQ.

That won’t significantly change anytime soon. 7DMT has less buzz and has been open for several years. You won’t see less than a 30 minute wait until just before park close - sometimes.

I didn’t recommend Disney offer no choices; that’s silly. I said they’re not obligated to. I’m addressing the obnoxious sense of entitlement.

It’s possible the VQ will go away soon. In the meantime, adults need to adult and *understand there are reasons* and that a company can run their business as they see fit. Adults don’t throw temper tantrums over that, nor make up stories about alleged money schemes.

 

[IanDLBZF]

7DMT has less buzz and has been open for several years. You won’t see less than a 30 minute wait until just before park close - sometimes.

And to initially think that I had thought it would go onto G+ with TBA going on VQ+ILL and Tron going on Stand-By with ILL (and maybe Single Rider). Maybe I had underestimated it?

 

[NickMaio]

What I don't understand is the sheer utter lack of backbone in some people who take what they are given no matter what.

Perhaps feeling that they can not voice their dissatisfaction, that others will judge them for voicing their opinions and valid frustrations.

But hey, who am I to judge?

These take anything, roll over on their belly people are probably also a factor in why WDW chooses financial gain over customer satisfaction and enjoyment. Because they know anything pleases them.

These corporate decisions have been pulling the company down, for a loooooong time.
I am really interested to see the summers attendance numbers come Sept......

 

[Tony the Tigger]

What I don't understand is the sheer utter lack of backbone in some people who take what they are given no matter what.

Perhaps feeling that they can not voice their dissatisfaction, that others will judge them for voicing their opinions and valid frustrations.

But hey, who am I to judge?

These take anything, roll over on their belly people are probably also a factor in why WDW chooses financial gain over customer satisfaction and enjoyment. Because they know anything pleases them.

These corporate decisions have been pulling the company down, for a loooooong time.
I am really interested to see the summers attendance numbers come Sept......

Again, you can act like an adult, or you can throw a tantrum.

 

[TalkToEthan]

. I’m addressing the obnoxious sense of entitlement.

Disney owes us a happy experience hahaha

 

[UNCgolf]

As a generality I see where you’re at with this. But I would’t say it’s entirely devoid of commitment. Getting up at 6:45(I can’t imagine one waking from a slumber at 6:58 and being alert enough to jump right on the VQ and start refreshing like a rabid monkey) to many is not fun, not fun in the slightest. But I do hear ya.




But when the repeaters failed to show up to the ride why would that necessarily adversely affect first timers. If Disney was sending out empty(or partially filled) 8 seat transports then of course that’s unforgivable.
But for every non show doesn’t that mean that there is one more spot for another?

No, because the VQ spots are already distributed. It doesn't mean they're sending out ride vehicles with empty seats (although they probably do early in the day and late in the day), but there's no way to allocate one of those spots to someone who was unsuccessful in their attempt to get one.

If 25 people who received a boarding group don't show up, then those 25 spots are just gone for the day. The people who missed out on getting a spot don't have any way to claim one.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

We’re not talking about most rides. We’re talking about GotG. And in the beginning, without VQ, you will have had 4 hour waits. Right now, with nothing to back it up, I’m guessing at least 2-3 hour waits early in the day without VQ.

There is some argument for VQ when it’s brand new - especially when it’s unreliable. Once it’s open and running there is no reason to keep it on mandatory VQ. On most days it might peek at 2 hours, possibly up to 3. Not sure why that’s an issue… people wait that long for slinky dog.

 

[NickMaio]

There is some argument for VQ when it’s brand new - especially when it’s unreliable. Once it’s open and running there is no reason to keep it on mandatory VQ. On most days it might peek at 2 hours, possibly up to 3. Not sure why that’s an issue… people wait that long for slinky dog.

Slinky is a HOT wait......yet people do it all summer.
None of the que is inside.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

It’s quite literally the rule of how the vast majority of US parks operate, and I made line schedules for rides once upon a time with paper and pencil factoring in expected crowds. It isn’t rocket science, it barely even requires more than minimal common sense to understand how it all works. Heck, my park kept ride lines open until 7 minutes past the scheduled closing time back then as a courtesy, including on rides that typically closed with hour+ waits. It’s all planned for and expected.

Does pepperidge farm remember that?

Jking slightly, and not meant as a shot at your personally, I just like that meme.

But seriously, and not to insult your past experience, which is much more first hand than line, but times have changed, technology has changed, society has changed, and sop's are and will continue to change with it. Businesses used to do hand written double book entries and keep actual physical books on budgets and expenditures. No one does that anymore. Fast food restaurants were designed to maximize effiencency with quick customer ordering at several registerers, and then food service. With mobile ordering, and kiosk ordering, the entire design of the front of house and back of house are being changed to reflect 1) new technologies that allow mobile ordering, and 2) the increased use of them as people don't want to "waste the time" sitting in line inside the store or the drive through. Brick and mortar stores are being redesigned to reflect changes in buying patterns, online shopping, and even in person more targeted shoppers who aren't just taking afternoons to window shop and browse.

So while I am not arguing about what was done in the past at WDW, nor at other parks (though I couldn't care less about them) its largely irrelevant. If anyone thinks designs in any industry that involve customer interaction today are the same as they were in the 60's and 70s prior to internet, mobile, app, smart phones, then honestly its not worth the discussion. If anyone truly is trying to argue that people's attention spans, capacity for waiting, willingness to invest time without some form of immediate satisfaction is the same as it was in the 60's 70's, then again its really not worth the time discussing the matter. If anyone is trying to say we shouldn't use modern technology to its fullest in implementing designs, then again i don't think its worth the conversation.

Now if you want to argue one way is "better" than another, sure that's a discussion that might be worth having. If someone wants to discuss the virtues of long drawn out static line as a form of anticipation/back story building for a ride, sure, but I am not sure what that gets you other than just subjective opinions.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

There is some argument for VQ when it’s brand new - especially when it’s unreliable. Once it’s open and running there is no reason to keep it on mandatory VQ. On most days it might peek at 2 hours, possibly up to 3. Not sure why that’s an issue… people wait that long for slinky dog.

You honestly don't think it is an issue to waste 2-3 hours in a line? Subjectively you must not have much going on that you can see 2 hours+ wasted standing around for anything as not being an issue, when there is an alternative to doing so.

Objectively, for a party of people who don't visit Disney regularly, and are taking a week long trip, with lets just say an average of 1 full day at each park, you don't see it being an issue wasting 20% of a 10 hour day standing around for 1 ride? In the dark ages before mobile electronics maybe you didn't have a choice in the matter, but now you do. Why in the world would anyone choose to spend 2 hours waiting to do ANYTHING, as opposed to being able to do something else while you wait.

 

[el_super]

These take anything, roll over on their belly people are probably also a factor in why WDW chooses financial gain over customer satisfaction and enjoyment. Because they know anything pleases them.

I'd put myself in the camp of people that don't mind paying more money for shorter waits. What's wrong with that?

These corporate decisions have been pulling the company down, for a loooooong time.
I am really interested to see the summers attendance numbers come Sept......

They will be fine. Don't worry about the attendance, keep an eye on the revenue.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I'd put myself in the camp of people that don't mind paying more money for shorter waits. What's wrong with that?

And I’m in the camp of people that don’t mind saving money for a longer wait.

In a perfect Disney world we can both be happy! Haha.

 

[el_super]

And I’m in the camp of people that don’t mind saving money for a longer wait.

In a perfect Disney world we can both be happy! Haha.

Maybe... I think for most, they don't understand the value proposition at all. That getting in a long standby wait means choosing to wait Y minutes in order to save X dollars... they just get angry that the line is too long. Every guest's preferred starting position is to wait 0 minutes and pay $0 and Disney knows that isn't a reasonable place to be, so it's just about finding the place that is going to disappoint people the least.

And I really do think in some cases that means telling people they can't wait in line at all.

 

[Weather_Lady]

And I’m in the camp of people that don’t mind saving money for a longer wait.

In a perfect Disney world we can both be happy! Haha.

I'd submit that it's hard to be "happy" either way -- at least, not as happy as in the pre-ILL/G+ days.

When I don't have G+, I feel constantly frustrated, anxious, and demoralized, watching every G/ILL purchaser and wait-impaired person (x4) get shunted ahead of me, to the point where I actually begin to feel resentful of them, in a way I never used to when FP+ gave us all a few turns in the fast lane. When I do have G+, I feel guilty and like an entitled schmuck as I walk by everyone in the standby line, ashamed for letting Disney entice me to purchase an add-on service that I hate, and annoyed that I had to spend hours staring at my phone instead of enjoying my family, just to feel like I got the most bang for my grudgingly-relinquished buck.

In my view, G+/ILL has made the touring and queuing experience objectively and significantly worse for every single stakeholder, regardless of their approach.

 

[NickMaio]

I'd submit that it's hard to be "happy" either way -- at least, not as happy as in the pre-ILL/G+ days.

When I don't have G+, I feel constantly frustrated, anxious, and demoralized, watching every G/ILL purchaser and wait-impaired person (x4) get shunted ahead of me, to the point where I actually begin to feel resentful of them, in a way I never used to when FP+ gave us all a few turns in the fast lane. When I do have G+, I feel guilty and like an entitled schmuck as I walk by everyone in the standby line, ashamed for letting Disney entice me to purchase an add-on service that I hate, and annoyed that I had to spend hours staring at my phone instead of enjoying my family, just to feel like I got the most bang for my grudgingly-relinquished buck.

In my view, G+/ILL has made the touring and queuing experience objectively and significantly worse for every single stakeholder, regardless of their approach.

Disney has clearly created a class system within their customer base.
This did always existed, club 33 and private tours.
But giving all customers a FP+ option gave the other customers something to feel special about.

However now with genie and ILL ......
The base customer just feels cheated and of little value in Dis eyes.
The stand by is almost always at a constant stand still while LL lanes flow by.

What is the ratio......30 -40 LL guests for every 10 or so stand by guests.
I see CMs with clickers so it must be a ratio.

They had a great system going. Giving everyone something special.

Now it feels very lop sided.