Long lines at FP return queue

[GrumpyFan]

We visited WDW 10/17 thru 10/20 and witnessed on several occasions long lines at the FastPass return queue. They moved pretty steadily, but tended to block the flow of traffic in the area at times. I attribute this mostly to the new usage of the Magicbands and people getting used to them. But, I think there seems to be a lot more FP usage as well. Rides we noticed the back up were mostly all of what would be considered "E-ticket" attractions, like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, BTMRR, etc. I wonder how this will be during the holidays?

 

[Clamman73]

There was a pic of today's Soarin fp line being ridiculously long.

 

[75disney]

Great! Another thing to worry about with Magic Bands. I guess the Magic part is that they make queues longer!

 

[danv3]

I can't think of anything better they could have spent $1B+ on! Way to go TDO!

 

[RandomPrincess]

So is the line just backed up with people scanning their bands?

 

[GrumpyFan]

For the most part, I think it's due to the newness of MB and people scanning, or trying to scan. I have noticed that there are some scanners that you have to press the flat part of the band (with Mickey on it), directly up against the scanner, but others are a little different and you just have to pass the band right in front, either that, or some may just be faster than others. Of course, this could also be a network communications issue where the network or servers were busy and it took longer. It does seem like more people are using FP now though, and this may also be a part of the equation.

On a related note, we had a CM at the FP entry point of the queue at Kilimanjaro Safaris, tell us that only one member of our group needed to swipe our band for entry. No other FP queue CMs did this during our time.

 

[No Time To Say Hello Goodbye]

We used MBs on our trip a couple weeks ago. It really seemed silly to me that we had to scan our bands twice. If if turns green at the outside point, why have us scan it again? I what happened to you at Kilimanjaro Is what will happen more in the future. I don't know that scanning twice would effect the FP line backing up, since if I am reading it correctly it was more a backup at the first MB reader, not the second. But still, I know it annoyed me since I had two DDs who would not wear their bands so I had to scan mine and theirs.....twice at each ride.

 

[doctornick]

We used MBs on our trip a couple weeks ago. It really seemed silly to me that we had to scan our bands twice. If if turns green at the outside point, why have us scan it again? I what happened to you at Kilimanjaro Is what will happen more in the future. I don't know that scanning twice would effect the FP line backing up, since if I am reading it correctly it was more a backup at the first MB reader, not the second. But still, I know it annoyed me since I had two DDs who would not wear their bands so I had to scan mine and theirs.....twice at each ride.

I think they do that to prevent "line jumpers" from the standby line into the FP line. If they only scanned the MB at the outside, then there would be no check to catch people who might jump the ropes into the FP line. They check paper FP twice for the same reason.

 

[Texas84]

I didn't see any long FP lines Columbus Day weekend. Just the usual goofballs in the way waiting for their times.

 

[G8rchamps]

I commented somewhere else on here that they may have to move the Mickey's back into the FP que area. The FP lines create a mess for the flow of traffic at some of the big attractions. Toy Story can back up to Captain Jack at times. What a mess!

 

[RandomPrincess]

If only one person scans couldn't the other people jump on their phones and switch to another FP+ choice? If the policy was only one person needs to scan per group we could each pick our own FP+ times and take turns scanning in for our group.

 

[Rob562]

If only one person scans couldn't the other people jump on their phones and switch to another FP+ choice? If the policy was only one person needs to scan per group we could each pick our own FP+ times and take turns scanning in for our group.

I doubt it's the policy, though I could possibly see the system being able to look up the person who scans their Band and check to see which of their Friends & Family have the same time and mark them all as checked in... The system would have to display to the CM how many people are coming in as part of that group. It'd be the same as one person holding all of the FP paper tickets when they get to the ride.

The one problem for that would be if someone *isn't* there using their FP+ reservation they'd lose that FP+ time slot for future use.

-Rob

 

[G00fyDad]

I think that the reason we are seeing higher FP return lines right now is because A) Disney still allows band users to use a KttW card for FP's, and B) Disney did not reduce the amount of FP's available each day for each ride, yet. Now you have the same amount of paper FP users AND you have an additional amount of FP+ users.


Oh, and yes, there are a fair amount of morons at the front of the lines that cannot seem to get the concept of "Mickey to Mickey". They need to come out with a t-shirt with that saying on it "Mickey to Mickey folks!" they can sell them right next to the "What time is the 3:00 parade?" shirts.

 

[GrumpyFan]

If only one person scans couldn't the other people jump on their phones and switch to another FP+ choice? If the policy was only one person needs to scan per group we could each pick our own FP+ times and take turns scanning in for our group.

That might work at the initial entry point, but most of the second FP scanner points we saw, they made everybody scan their band. Plus, even if they don't, I haven't seen where there is any kind of tie back to the time to take it off your list, once you've used it. The system seems to just allow 3 unique choices for that day. So, I would think that you might be able to change a time for a ride and maybe to another ride, but only if the time to enter hasn't been reached.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Oh, and yes, there are a fair amount of morons at the front of the lines that cannot seem to get the concept of "Mickey to Mickey". They need to come out with a t-shirt with that saying on it "Mickey to Mickey folks!" they can sell them right next to the "What time is the 3:00 parade?" shirts.

I wouldn't be so quick to judging and calling names. On our recent trip I experienced and saw numerous times where the scanners were just very picky about the orientation of the band and required it to be placed precisely before it would pick up. Other times, at other scanners, it didn't seem so picky. Plus, I saw times where even after it scanned, the circle went around as many as 3 times before it came back and lit up green, indicating to me that it was a busy network or server. Makes me wonder what kind of redundancy they have built in and what happens to people's FP when the system or network drops and scans don't work?

 

[SyracuseOrange]

That might work at the initial entry point, but most of the second FP scanner points we saw, they made everybody scan their band. Plus, even if they don't, I haven't seen where there is any kind of tie back to the time to take it off your list, once you've used it. The system seems to just allow 3 unique choices for that day. So, I would think that you might be able to change a time for a ride and maybe to another ride, but only if the time to enter hasn't been reached.

If they didn't do it at the second point, though, you and your party members could have different FP+ reservations all together - no need to change anything, just have different ones from the start. They better be scanning everyone's bands, otherwise people will abuse it.

And I was expecting long lines as they first rolled them out, as people get used to them - I wonder if Disney will also cut down on the number of available reservations in the pool to limit these lines.

 

[SyracuseOrange]

I wouldn't be so quick to judging and calling names. On our recent trip I experienced and saw numerous times where the scanners were just very picky about the orientation of the band and required it to be placed precisely before it would pick up. Other times, at other scanners, it didn't seem so picky. Plus, I saw times where even after it scanned, the circle went around as many as 3 times before it came back and lit up green, indicating to me that it was a busy network or server. Makes me wonder what kind of redundancy they have built in and what happens to people's FP when the system or network drops and scans don't work?

I've been wondering that too - we've seen what happens when the ride goes down, which seems like a pretty easy fix. If the system went down, though, I'd imagine they would just have to take your word for it and let you on. You'd still get on the ride at the time you reserved, and you wouldn't be able to go on and change to a new experience, getting you an extra FP+, since the ride time has already started.

The only drawback here is that if people find out the network is down for however long, those in the know could essentially jump into ANY FP+ line and say they have a reservation.

 

[twag1]

We also had to scan only one of our party of four at the first checkpoint to the Safari. We encountered one - maybe two - others that did the same thing - although off the top of my head I can't remember which ones. All four of us did have to scan at the second checkpoint. The first checkpoint line was a bit longer at Safari, but moved fairly well, thanks in part I'm sure to that method.

So if someone did "tailgate" through #1 - - they'd get pinched at #2.

Not sure why those particular CMs on those particular rides were authorized to tell us to proceed that way while the balance of the rides made all guests scan at the initial gate....unless they authorized themselves or something.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Not sure why those particular CMs on those particular rides were authorized to tell us to proceed that way while the balance of the rides made all guests scan at the initial gate....unless they authorized themselves or something.

Sounds like maybe a training issue, either that or their manager told them to do it that way to clear up the exterior waiting. Regardless, it's still a training issue, and more CMs need to be brought up to speed on this to cut down on the long lines at the first scanner.

 

[G00fyDad]

I wouldn't be so quick to judging and calling names. On our recent trip I experienced and saw numerous times where the scanners were just very picky about the orientation of the band and required it to be placed precisely before it would pick up. Other times, at other scanners, it didn't seem so picky. Plus, I saw times where even after it scanned, the circle went around as many as 3 times before it came back and lit up green, indicating to me that it was a busy network or server. Makes me wonder what kind of redundancy they have built in and what happens to people's FP when the system or network drops and scans don't work?

I'll stop calling them morons when I stop witnessing each one touching the wrong side of the band to the Mickey head even after the CM tells them three or more times "Mickey to Mickey".

Oh... and it would help if the morons actually had a FP for the ride. They seem unable to read. The sign above them says FAST PASS RETURN, not Stand By.

AND... It would help if they didn't assume that the bands give them unlimited FP's. Many of these geniuses never bothered to get a FP because they thought they were automatic.

The first day or so in the parks it was kind of funny seeing these completely confused people standing at the front of the line slapping the wrong side of the bracelet to the pole, pushing the Mickey head with their finger, not even having their band/card out when they got there, or not even having a FP at all. However, after 4 or 5 days of this insanity it got to be a bit much.


I never once had an issue with the bands working well on the FP poles. I saw plenty of people in front of me using them just fine, but the morons that kept touching the closure side of the band or any one of the numerous examples I have mentioned really bogged the works up.