Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[lentesta]

Enough people wear Magic Bands that they could put a reader at the entrance to an attraction and a reader as you get on the ride. That would give a constant flow of information that would be really accurate. Of course medical or mechanical issues notwithstanding. Marie

They tried this and it failed spectacularly.

The problem (as it was explained to me) was that the readers were not calibrated properly to only to read MBs within a certain distance. So the reader at Jungle Cruise also captured MBs in line at Magic Carpets and Enchanted Tiki Room.

I was told that two-thirds of the data collected were wrong, and they didn't know how to programatically identify which two-thirds it was.

The way they came up with the two-thirds estimate involved a data scientists watching security cam footage of specific guests' walking paths, and matching that to the data they had.

I'm sure it could've been fixed by now. I think UOR has gone with AI software and cameras.

 

[Tha Realest]

Yeah. I’m pretty sure it was a break down. Which is an entirely different issue. Over two days, I had 7 rides break down. Navi River Journey the animatronic just stopped moving right as I was about to pass it, dinosaur broke down when I was in line, got escorted off test track, spaceship earth stopped mid ride for about 25 min, Pooh broke down and I was escorted off, and pirates broke down while I was in line as well. At least I got a few free genie + for undesirable rides

It’s almost as if monetizing line skipping has

1) induced bad actors to take advantage of set asides for those with , and
2) there’s a disincentive to take rides offline for necessary servicing

 

[wannabeBelle]

They tried this and it failed spectacularly.

The problem (as it was explained to me) was that the readers were not calibrated properly to only to read MBs within a certain distance. So the reader at Jungle Cruise also captured MBs in line at Magic Carpets and Enchanted Tiki Room.

I was told that two-thirds of the data collected were wrong, and they didn't know how to programatically identify which two-thirds it was.

Oh my word....... You would think a short range reader would work, not something that can span that distance between attractions. Thank you for the insight though, it definitely made me chuckle. Marie

 

[JoeCamel]

I don't think they do. If they do, it's not the primary means of estimating wait times; it's a backup or check against another means.

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[networkpro]

They tried this and it failed spectacularly.

The problem (as it was explained to me) was that the readers were not calibrated properly to only to read MBs within a certain distance. So the reader at Jungle Cruise also captured MBs in line at Magic Carpets and Enchanted Tiki Room.

I was told that two-thirds of the data collected were wrong, and they didn't know how to programatically identify which two-thirds it was.

The way they came up with the two-thirds estimate involved a data scientists watching security cam footage of specific guests' walking paths, and matching that to the data they had.

I'm sure it could've been fixed by now. I think UOR has gone with AI software and cameras.

Facial recognition at the admission turnstile for a rough bio signature than then can be linked by time and location by camera number. Rf Spectrum is dirty especially when your sensors are crude and can't log field strength as a data point. No need for humans in the loop when your clustering algorithm can build your point of density from the data.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

You'd think they would know at this point that is the standby line is back to a certain point and the LL is back to a certain point then the standby line will take X minutes .... Can't be any more off than they tend to be as is

 

[CntrlFlPete]

There is no logic as to why the posted wait time at the start the day would be 80 min.

Are they posting random numbers at the start of the day or are the times left over from the previous evening?

wouldn't the opening wait time be impacted by the number of early park admission folks still in the queue when the park opens?

 

[Disstevefan1]

wouldn't the opening wait time be impacted by the number of early park admission folks still in the queue when the park opens

My thinking is that at park open there is literally no one at the attraction.

I just checked the app.
Hollywood studios opened at 8:30 AM
I checked the app at 8:33 AM
Smugglers Run stand by is 110 minutes.

So it seems the standby numbers are arbitrary?

Or is this due to early entry folks?

 

[Andrew25]

My thinking is that at park open there is literally no one at the attraction.

I just checked the app.
Hollywood studios opened at 8:30 AM
I checked the app at 8:33 AM
Smugglers Run stand by is 110 minutes.

So it seems the standby numbers are arbitrary?

Or is this due to early entry folks?

"Hey folks, I know you want to ride the Falcon... it's only a 35-minute wait.. but we don't want you to crowd SWGE so do something like Star Tours which is only 5 minutes!"

I think it's just a way for them to move crowds somewhat. That and Falcon could just be running 1 pod lol

 

[Splash4eva]

When i was there i was at HS early for breakfast so they allowed us in during early entry and SDD was sitting at 45 minutes walked over there barely a line. MMRR was at 20 another walk on. There is no logic anymore to wait times other than a random inflation to potentially drive Genie sales…

 

[CntrlFlPete]

My thinking is that at park open there is literally no one at the attraction.

I just checked the app.
Hollywood studios opened at 8:30 AM
I checked the app at 8:33 AM
Smugglers Run stand by is 110 minutes.

So it seems the standby numbers are arbitrary?

Or is this due to early entry folks?

I'm just spit balling, but I assume it would be wise to factor in how many LL are scheduled in that 1st hour.

I mentioned early entry for I know I see it w/ UNI and Haggard's -- most early entry folks go there so it has a long wait time right from general public opening.

 

[JD80]

They falsely reduced wait times to sell party tickets

I was at the party on 12/19 and all the wait times were 10m than actual. I recorded all my times of enter, merge, load. Consistently across all headliners. Only ride i didn't go on was Space.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I was at the party on 12/19 and all the wait times were 10m than actual. I recorded all my times of enter, merge, load. Consistently across all headliners. Only ride i didn't go on was Space.

10 minutes lower, higher or within 10 minutes of the posted time? Marie

 

[el_super]

Enough people wear Magic Bands that they could put a reader at the entrance to an attraction and a reader as you get on the ride. That would give a constant flow of information that would be really accurate.

Yeah, but if you know that someone waited 45 minutes before they got to the loading point, all you really know is that the wait time was 45 minutes.... 45 minutes ago.

Facial recognition at the admission turnstile ...

Sometimes queues go beyond the turnstiles and I think that's where you are seeing the most difficulties with the wait times estimates. I actually do suspect that they are using cameras to measure physical distance of queues and estimating the number of people (which truthfully is what they have done for 60 some odd years). A human can tell when a group of people standing outside an attraction are actually intending to line up or just hanging out... but a computer can't.

 

[Disney Dead Head]

Yeah, but if you know that someone waited 45 minutes before they got to the loading point, all you really know is that the wait time was 45 minutes.... 45 minutes ago.




Sometimes queues go beyond the turnstiles and I think that's where you are seeing the most difficulties with the wait times estimates. I actually do suspect that they are using cameras to measure physical distance of queues and estimating the number of people (which truthfully is what they have done for 60 some odd years). A human can tell when a group of people standing outside an attraction are actually intending to line up or just hanging out... but a computer can't.

Where we got screwed on our last trip was on Jungle Cruise. Right after the fireworks, we scampered over to Jungle Cruise, posted 45 min. We got in line just as they were putting people into the Expanded Hell Que! but we were the 2nd group in. What happened next was 115 minutes of BS. First, they started just to load boats with G+ folks, then after about 10 boats, they did 15 G+ and then 4-5 standby. It was complete BS when we finally got off the G+ line was up to the Treehouse.

 

[seabreezept813]

I do think Epic can be a game changer. I had the pleasure going to Nintendo world in Japan this past summer. OMG that park was awesome! We easily spent half the day in that one small area. Add to it the rumored Ministry of Magic from Harry Potter..., those two world alone can carry the entire park.

I’m an English teacher who grew up with Harry Potter and reads it yearly and I still haven’t done Universal since I was a kid in the 90s. I’ve wanted to see HP world don’t get me wrong, but raising my stepdaughter who is now 20 and raising my own young girls, I’ve always assumed it wouldn’t fit our family until my littles are teens, which isn’t soon. But my 5 year old asking when she can go to Mario World is going to do me in.. for the first time ever we’ve discussed doing Universal once it opens. That land I think has the potential to compete with the magic Disney monopolizes with little kids. For some reason, Mario has been able to engage them at ages 2 and 5 just as much as princesses or other interests. For me, Mario was more middle school because of the gaming. But now it’s a true brand. My daughter got 3 different Mario board games aimed at young kids for Christmas. I think it will finally make those parks young kid friendly. And I assume families with little kids have long been Disney’s bread and butter.

 

[Splash4eva]

I’m an English teacher who grew up with Harry Potter and reads it yearly and I still haven’t done Universal since I was a kid in the 90s. I’ve wanted to see HP world don’t get me wrong, but raising my stepdaughter who is now 20 and raising my own young girls, I’ve always assumed it wouldn’t fit our family until my littles are teens, which isn’t soon. But my 5 year old asking when she can go to Mario World is going to do me in.. for the first time ever we’ve discussed doing Universal once it opens. That land I think has the potential to compete with the magic Disney monopolizes with little kids. For some reason, Mario has been able to engage them at ages 2 and 5 just as much as princesses or other interests. For me, Mario was more middle school because of the gaming. But now it’s a true brand. My daughter got 3 different Mario board games aimed at young kids for Christmas. I think it will finally make those parks young kid friendly. And I assume families with little kids have long been Disney’s bread and butter.

Funny you say that because my GF daughter (6) is a huge fan of Mario/Luigi as is her son (4). My daughter (10) a fan too. This year during Halloween i saw more Mario costumes then i did as a kid when it became popular. I truly feel that IP is going to draw real attention to the kids and will be telling mommy & daddy. Hey i wanna go there. If Uni is smart they will hype and advertise the new park and anchor it with the Mario IP as the headline to get kids buzzing.

 

[celluloid]

I’m an English teacher who grew up with Harry Potter and reads it yearly and I still haven’t done Universal since I was a kid in the 90s. I’ve wanted to see HP world don’t get me wrong, but raising my stepdaughter who is now 20 and raising my own young girls, I’ve always assumed it wouldn’t fit our family until my littles are teens, which isn’t soon. But my 5 year old asking when she can go to Mario World is going to do me in.. for the first time ever we’ve discussed doing Universal once it opens. That land I think has the potential to compete with the magic Disney monopolizes with little kids. For some reason, Mario has been able to engage them at ages 2 and 5 just as much as princesses or other interests. For me, Mario was more middle school because of the gaming. But now it’s a true brand. My daughter got 3 different Mario board games aimed at young kids for Christmas. I think it will finally make those parks young kid friendly. And I assume families with little kids have long been Disney’s bread and butter.

Mix this with the fact that Dreamworks and Illumination are the strongest animation brand trust for kids and families right now, and you have a good future for Universal's broadening family appeal again.

The funny thing is, in the 90s, there really were no height requirements.(at studios) Ironically ET and the two motion simulators were one of the few of the early years, and now, it is one of the most accessible due to thrills.

That being said once the child hits 42 inches there is so much to do and after 44 and 48 there are only a few big thrills to hold out for and you absolutely should go.

 

[JD80]

10 minutes lower, higher or within 10 minutes of the posted time? Marie

Sorry, actual wait times were 10m shorter than posted during the party.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Funny you say that because my GF daughter (6) is a huge fan of Mario/Luigi as is her son (4). My daughter (10) a fan too. This year during Halloween i saw more Mario costumes then i did as a kid when it became popular. I truly feel that IP is going to draw real attention to the kids and will be telling mommy & daddy. Hey i wanna go there. If Uni is smart they will hype and advertise the new park and anchor it with the Mario IP as the headline to get kids buzzing.

I saw mostly Mario costumes! The next was a witch or wizard. I think Mario Land is going to be BIG!