Lines at the FP+ entrances

[disney4life2008]

Wow.
All that logging on and switching...
What a pain.

No thanks.

I can only imagine the pain by this summer the CMs will face. 2 weeks ago at all the parks - I saw CMs just give up scanning bands because the readers do not read all the time. Just like the rapid fill machines at the resorts (the rfid chip has to be perfectly centered on the black bar) the mickey has to be perfectly aligned to mickey (i.e. the cms are trained to say mickey to mickey). Yes it is a pain.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I think there are a few factors: 1. It definitely takes longer for folks to get into the FP line, but in my opinion it isn't prohibitively long, more just minor irritant long. 2. More people are using FP than before because now it is something you HAVE and get to USE, rather than something you can GET and USE. 3. Cast members haven't yet found out how to be efficient in all cases. If a large family is blocking the path for others, I think the CM should ask the family to scoot over and allow others through.

Just my 2/5s of a nickel.

Actually, at the major FP attractions, less people are entering using Fastpass than before. Instead, attractions that didn't previously have Fastpass, or weren't as high demand, are seeing more Fastpass usage than before.

The reason for the line at the entrance is absolutely because it does take longer to touch the bands. - Many guests don't realize that you have to align the Mickey head on the band to the touch point and actually physically touch it (which I think is a poor design flaw, since the plastic tickets can be read 2 inches from the reader). Then, the reader takes around 3 seconds per band. Before, one person could hold everyone's ticket and the CM could just glance at all of them. Now, each member of the party must "check in."

 

[Redhawk]

I agree that it's a learning curve and an adjustment for CMs as well as guests. Just hope DISNEY learns and adjusts as well.

No one has answered this yet: if you encountered a long wait to scan your FP, did you then wait long in the actual FP queue or move pretty quickly onto the ride?

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

While we were there in November, I found most of the hold ups to be people who were trying to enter a FP line that didn't have a FP for that attraction. Once we were waiting for BTMRR and a family tried to enter who's FP had expired over an hour and half earlier. The CM explained to them they didn't have a valid FP and the woman (I'm assuming the mother) was like "oh come on, just let us through. It's not THAT late" The CM did end up letting them through. Another time was going to Tower, the reader said this family didn't have a FP for that ride that day. The people eventually had to move to the side to pull up their MDE app to "prove" they had it. Personally, I'm glad the CM didn't take their word for it and made them show it on their app. And I hope they crack down on letting people in with expired times. Cause once you let one person through, everyone will be saying "well, I saw a CM let a family through at Space Mountain" or that same family will try it on every ride they are late for.

Once inside, the FP line seemed to move as normal. No real changes there.

 

[bethymouse]

I am just not getting this whole FP+ thing, sadly. But, I guess it's like one said "baby steps".

 

[Master Yoda]

I am just not getting this whole FP+ thing, sadly. But, I guess it's like one said "baby steps".

Did you get the fastpass thing before they added the "plus".

 

[bethymouse]

Did you get the fastpass thing before they added the "plus".

Very true. It did seem rather difficult to manage, but of course it all worked out in the end. I guess it is time for a change. Although reluctant, but I think it will be fine over the next few years.

 

[Master Yoda]

Very true. It did seem rather difficult to manage, but of course it all worked out in the end. I guess it is time for a change. Although reluctant, but I think it will be fine over the next few years.

It is not all that different that the old system. What has changed is how you get them, how they know you have one and how many you can get.

Under the old way you stuck your ticket into a machine and it spit out a paper ticket. The new way allows you to get them on your home computer in advance, on your cell phone or at a dedicated kiosk in the parks.

With the old way you had a paper ticket. With the new way all the data is stored on your wrist band.

With the old way you could keep getting fastpasses until the park closed. The only caveat was you could typically not have 2 fastpasses at once. With the new way you are currently allowed to have 3 per day max.

There are some finer details we could get into it, but that is the bulk of it.

 

[smittycuse]

What are the wait times like in the regular lines? Have they decreased at all on average now that FP+ has been rolled out?

 

[bethymouse]

What are the wait times like in the regular lines? Have they decreased at all on average now that FP+ has been rolled out?

Yes- I'd like to know this data too.

 

[ABQ]

Yes- I'd like to know this data too.

Seemed about the same for me when there. Further, the backup at the FP+ entrance queue didn't impact the total time it took me to get on any attraction. In the past, you'd walk by the CM at the FP entrance, sometimes with a family of 9 all rushing through too with a handful of paper fast passes, but then, you'd just end up with a backup at the other end of the line waiting to board. Now, you get the backup at the FP+ entrance but it works to meter the load area. There's still some backup, but not as much as in the past. This could have all changed in the last week or as I'm sure will happen, someone else will post an exact opposite experience and tell me how there were 102 people waiting at the FP+ entrance and 203 more waiting at the load area. However, that was not at all what I saw.

 

[Redhawk]

Further, the backup at the FP+ entrance queue didn't impact the total time it took me to get on any attraction. ... Now, you get the backup at the FP+ entrance but it works to meter the load area. There's still some backup, but not as much as in the past.

I have a feeling that it will be as you described, a line at the first FP scanner and then almost no line to actually get on the ride, maybe a slight delay at the second scanner where guests again have to line up their MBs (plastic RFID tickets are read much faster).

Thus, the FP line ends up being outside the area where the FP lines were originally designed to be (the switchbacks that usually go alongside the standby lines) and instead spill out into the walkways near the attraction. That's a problem.

 

[msteel]

What are the wait times like in the regular lines? Have they decreased at all on average now that FP+ has been rolled out?

Yes- I'd like to know this data too.

I hereby invoke @lentesta because if anybody here can tell us, he is the one

 

[msteel]

We will take it slow just like when we transitioned you from reel to reel to CD's.

Wait...you mean he skipped 8-track, cassette, DAT, and MiniDisc and went straight to CDs?

 

[Master Yoda]

Wait...you mean he skipped 8-track, cassette, DAT, and MiniDisc and went straight to CDs?

It was a tough love weekend.

 

[lentesta]

I hereby invoke @lentesta because if anybody here can tell us, he is the one

Our statisticians are looking at this now. So far it looks like whatever impact there is, is mild. Give them a week and I'll post the results.

 

[brea]

Also, it was easy under the old system to spot the issue--now, the machine doesn't say "10 minutes early" or "wristband misread" or "never actually had a Fastpass attached to this wristband." It's up to the CM to deduce this. In a hectic theme park environment. Often with guests whose first language is not English.

Wait do you mean the magic bands don't speak "tour group"?!?! I actually get why there's so many issues if that's the case. Magic Bands have no concept of someone putting up a flag and 30 people suddenly get in line behind it.

 

[Disneyfamily4]

It definitely takes longer for the machine to scan the bands for each member of your party, then it does for the cast member to look at a piece of paper as you pass.

With the paper fast passes, you show the pass to the first cast member, then you have to present again at the end of the line. Does anyone know if you have to swipe your bands twice as well. And if not, what is stopping people from hopping over from the stand by que line?

 

[PrincessMia]

"Redhawk,Yes, I agree. We went to Toy Story and they made us come back 5 minutes later because we were early. Seriously, 5 minutes. So, yes, they can see all the details.

 

[GhettoJetta5]

It definitely takes longer for the machine to scan the bands for each member of your party, then it does for the cast member to look at a piece of paper as you pass.

With the paper fast passes, you show the pass to the first cast member, then you have to present again at the end of the line. Does anyone know if you have to swipe your bands twice as well. And if not, what is stopping people from hopping over from the stand by que line?

Yes, you have to scan twice... In my experience, sometimes the second CM will only require one from each party to scan a MB... This varies though...