Mermaid getting fastpass?

[RSoxNo1]

I don't spend enough time in DCA to know: is it their most popular attraction? I know for me it would be second or third (fourth if their Tower of Terror had a 5th dimension scene), but that's saying a lot. DCA has issues that needed to be and are being fixed, but really good top tier attractions are not among them.

Yeah, the attraction line up at DCA is not the issue with that park - Soarin' is probably the most popular attraction in that park because it's right be the entrance and it's a quality attraction.

Tower of Terror does not leave the elevator shaft so it is not as good as Florida's version. The park is far more attraction heavy than Epcot (maybe not quanity wise, but in terms of attractions that would drive attendnace elsewhere). I'd consider the following attractions at DCA capable of driving attendance:
Soarin' Over California
Tower of Terror
Aladdin a Musical Spectacular
Grizzly River Run
California Screamin'
Toy Story Mania

In Epcot attendance is largely driven by World Showcase, Soarin', Test Track and Spaceship Earth

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Wanna talk crazy wait times? I will never understand the 240+ minute Standby wait at Epcot's version of Soarin'. DCA's Soarin' never gets more than a 30 or 45 minute Standby wait, yet Epcot's routinely goes double to triple that length even 5 years after it opened there. I mean, it's a great ride, but really?!?

I don't get it either. They both have Fastpass, although I believe the increments between different time windows at Epcot is considerably shorter (possibly a minute window difference, e.g. one Fastpass will be from 10:00 - 11:00, once those are gone the next one will be from 10:01 to 11:01) compared to DCA, which I believe distributes FP in the standard 'On the 5's' method (e.g. one Fastpass is 10:00 to 11:00, the next set is 10:05 - 11:05).

Might not seem like much of a difference but Epcot's method practically guarantees a constant Fastpass line and boy do they really stick to that 90% FP to 10% SB ratio.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Might not seem like much of a difference but Epcot's method practically guarantees a constant Fastpass line and boy do they really stick to that 90% FP to 10% SB ratio.

Epcot's line of business, unless it's recently changed (as in very recent), is an alteration of 4/1 that's basically 20 FP, one party.

I did the same thing at Pan, as well.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Might not seem like much of a difference but Epcot's method practically guarantees a constant Fastpass line and boy do they really stick to that 90% FP to 10% SB ratio.

Epcot's line of business, unless it's recently changed (as in very recent), is an alteration of 4/1 that's basically 20 FP, one party.

I did the same thing at Pan, as well, and ended up having management like it, though I don't know if it was ever used again. I actually liked it more. It was easy to alter if FP got backed up, while keeping SB moving regularly. People don't like being stopped frequently, but they like it more than watching 40-80 people walk by before they get to go. And I think everyone would agree standing in a line that moves a little frequently is better than standing in a line that moves a lot rarely.

This is barely related to the tangent, though. Soarin' is much busier at Epcot because of the lack of other big time draws and a much higher park capacity.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I don't get it either. They both have Fastpass, although I believe the increments between different time windows at Epcot is considerably shorter (possibly a minute window difference, e.g. one Fastpass will be from 10:00 - 11:00, once those are gone the next one will be from 10:01 to 11:01) compared to DCA, which I believe distributes FP in the standard 'On the 5's' method (e.g. one Fastpass is 10:00 to 11:00, the next set is 10:05 - 11:05).

Might not seem like much of a difference but Epcot's method practically guarantees a constant Fastpass line and boy do they really stick to that 90% FP to 10% SB ratio.

Epcot is 3 minute intervals for Soarin', DCA is 5 minute intervals

 

[TP2000]

Tower of Terror does not leave the elevator shaft so it is not as good as Florida's version.

That's a theme that comes up regularly as the sole reason why WDW's Tower is better than DCA's (or Paris' or Tokyo's) version. And yet, it's something I've never found to be true, and is in fact hilariously funny to think about whenever I'm on WDW's Tower. :lol:

In theory, the 3rd Dimension dark ride portion of WDW's Tower is really cool.

And yet, in reality, it's a rather cheesy effect and not at all believable (especially 15 years later with WDW's current maintenance and upkeep). You hear and feel your car disengaging from the first elevator shaft, then the car rattles and bumps and kathunks onto the track portion, and then shudders and passes by some very dated 1990's spook house effects where you can still see the mechanicals along the floor, and then you rattle-bump-rattle-kathunk into the second elevator shaft. It's not seamless, it's not smooth, and it's definitely not believable.

On paper it looks like a fabulous effect. But in real life it's a squeaky, rattling, clearly visible ride track that takes your vehicle from one shaft to another.

So why do people think it's so great? :veryconfu

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Yeah, the attraction line up at DCA is not the issue with that park - Soarin' is probably the most popular attraction in that park because it's right be the entrance and it's a quality attraction.

Tower of Terror does not leave the elevator shaft so it is not as good as Florida's version. The park is far more attraction heavy than Epcot (maybe not quanity wise, but in terms of attractions that would drive attendnace elsewhere). I'd consider the following attractions at DCA capable of driving attendance:
Soarin' Over California
Tower of Terror
Aladdin a Musical Spectacular
Grizzly River Run
California Screamin'
Toy Story Mania

In Epcot attendance is largely driven by World Showcase, Soarin', Test Track and Spaceship Earth

Mission: SPACE is actually a bigger draw than you think too...

 

[Thrill Seeker]

That's a theme that comes up regularly as the sole reason why WDW's Tower is better than DCA's (or Paris' or Tokyo's) version. And yet, it's something I've never found to be true, and is in fact hilariously funny to think about whenever I'm on WDW's Tower. :lol:

In theory, the 3rd Dimension dark ride portion of WDW's Tower is really cool.

And yet, in reality, it's a rather cheesy effect and not at all believable (especially 15 years later with WDW's current maintenance and upkeep). You hear and feel your car disengaging from the first elevator shaft, then the car rattles and bumps and kathunks onto the track portion, and then shudders and passes by some very dated 1990's spook house effects where you can still see the mechanicals along the floor, and then you rattle-bump-rattle-kathunk into the second elevator shaft. It's not seamless, it's not smooth, and it's definitely not believable.

On paper it looks like a fabulous effect. But in real life it's a squeaky, rattling, clearly visible ride track that takes your vehicle from one shaft to another.

So why do people think it's so great? :veryconfu

Take into account that it's using mid 90s tech and the ride system is a modified version of the Universe of Energy/GMR with an elevator shaft. The big thing is that it throws you off. Most would suspect that you would go up and then start dropping like you do in the other versions, but it's our forwards section that throws people off. It's also a pretty trippy room too...

 

[Mansion Butler]

And yet, in reality, it's a rather cheesy effect and not at all believable (especially 15 years later with WDW's current maintenance and upkeep). You hear and feel your car disengaging from the first elevator shaft, then the car rattles and bumps and kathunks onto the track portion, and then shudders and passes by some very dated 1990's spook house effects where you can still see the mechanicals along the floor, and then you rattle-bump-rattle-kathunk into the second elevator shaft. It's not seamless, it's not smooth, and it's definitely not believable.

Tons of attractions are built on cheesy effects. Audio animatronics are pretty cheesy to me, but that doesn't stop them from being cool and doing a good job of creating a show.

Give me DHS's every day of the week.

Not to mention the queue line.

So why do people think it's so great? :veryconfu

Because I do it and it is fun and makes me want to do it again and gives me more to enjoy on the attraction than there would be without it.

Take into account that it's using mid 90s tech and the ride system is a modified version of the Universe of Energy/GMR with an elevator shaft. The big thing is that it throws you off. Most would suspect that you would go up and then start dropping like you do in the other versions, but it's our forwards section that throws people off. It's also a pretty trippy room too...

Yes, well put. Pepper's Ghost is a cheesy effect, doesn't stop the Haunted Mansion from being cool. In Soarin' you can see the edges of the screen. Doesn't stop it from being fun. On dark rides, you can see the track and the animatronics often barely fit the definition of animated. And yet a purist will tell us (and I don't necessarily disagree, by the way) that we should revere them.

Few rides have flawless presentation, especially once we've had a long time to get use to their technology. I know damn well that I'm not really in space when I'm on Space Mountain, but it's doing a job of setting up what's happening and my imagination carries from there. Similarly, my imagination does a better job of enjoying a ride through the fifth dimension when it's presented to me with the best technology available for the time than it does when it's not presented at all and my maintenance service elevator moves backwards for no apparent reason and is then suddenly in a completely different elevator shaft for no apparent reason.

Or people could just be making things up and they don't really like it, they just like lying about liking it. I don't think anyone would call the 5th Dimension an E Ticket by itself, it just adds more depth, fun and logic to the attraction than there is without it. Just like the extended caves of DL's PotC.

 

[AEfx]

My favorites are those guests who will wait in line if the line is the same wait as it would be if they got a fastpass. If the fastpass times are for an hour and a half later, and the queue is an hour and a half, they'll get in the line, because they figure it's the same thing, and then they commend themselves on their great genius.

I'm sorry, but... HUH?

Yup, it's insane. Get a FP for 40 min out, go on another ride or sit and have a drink in the shade, or wait for 30 min in a line. Hmmm...gee, I wonder which I do.

Given the respective wait times for The Nemo Subs in Disneyland vs. the Omnimover in Epcot, I prefer the Omnimover.

Absolutely agree.

I was so excited to ride Nemo at Disneyland, since I missed out on 20K as a kid (always drained when I visited), and I have to say I had more fun standing at the edge and watching the lagoon. It's cramped, peering out the porthole is uncomfortable, and while it's undeniably neat that it's really underwater...it's still just screens underwater for the characters (and it's a lot more obvious than I would have thought).

All said, I think they are equal - the underwater is cool, but Epcot's is much more comfortable and a much more intimate experience with the sets and the ride. With the Disneyland version, because you are so detached it feels more like watching a ride than experiencing it.


As to the original topic, it's a shame if they are using FP. I love FP when it's appropriate, but a properly loading Omnimover shouldn't need one.

 

[djkidkaz]

I just wish they would put the Soarin Fastpasses outside the LAND pavilion. It really is a pain having to go all the way through, up and down the stairs just to get the FP and then come back 40 minutes later. Usually I ride Living with the Land, but that never has a wait and isn't long enough to eat up the time.

 

[Slowjack]

Yup, it's insane. Get a FP for 40 min out, go on another ride or sit and have a drink in the shade, or wait for 30 min in a line. Hmmm...gee, I wonder which I do.

I think the original poster was talking about standby lines that were short. I saw people getting passes for RnRC when the standby line was ten minutes! Just to be clear, there was no real line; that 10 minutes represents the time to get into/through the preshow and the final part of the queue (all of which happens with Fastpasses anyway). That's something that a lot of people don't factor in when using Fastpass, the fact that you end up waiting some anyway, so it's never standby time versus zero. The line at Midway Mania, for example, moves slowly, so even though you start near the end with a Fastpass, there's still a decent wait (through the most boring part of the queue, too). Add to that the extra time spent walking on the extra trip to get the Fastpass (and in my case, extra time getting the attention of a cast member to tell them a machine ate my card again ), and in many cases people are actually losing time using Fastpass. Then there's the fact that the standby line may be themed in a way the Fastpass queue is not -- I had to agree to take my daughter on Pooh twice so we could go through the Standby line, after she saw it from the Fastpass line!

 

[yeti]

I was so excited to ride Nemo at Disneyland, since I missed out on 20K as a kid (always drained when I visited), and I have to say I had more fun standing at the edge and watching the lagoon. It's cramped, peering out the porthole is uncomfortable, and while it's undeniably neat that it's really underwater...it's still just screens underwater for the characters (and it's a lot more obvious than I would have thought).

Not to mention that sitting under the hatch guarantees you'll be bothered by irritating drops of water on your forehead for the whole of your twelve minute voyage (any D-Ticket over six exceeds my attention span).

+1 vote for WDW.

 

[yeti]

Tons of attractions are built on cheesy effects. Audio animatronics are pretty cheesy to me, but that doesn't stop them from being cool and doing a good job of creating a show.
Give me DHS's every day of the week.
Not to mention the queue line.
Because I do it and it is fun and makes me want to do it again and gives me more to enjoy on the attraction than there would be without it.

Yes, well put. Pepper's Ghost is a cheesy effect, doesn't stop the Haunted Mansion from being cool. In Soarin' you can see the edges of the screen. Doesn't stop it from being fun. On dark rides, you can see the track and the animatronics often barely fit the definition of animated. And yet a purist will tell us (and I don't necessarily disagree, by the way) that we should revere them.
Few rides have flawless presentation, especially once we've had a long time to get use to their technology. I know damn well that I'm not really in space when I'm on Space Mountain, but it's doing a job of setting up what's happening and my imagination carries from there. Similarly, my imagination does a better job of enjoying a ride through the fifth dimension when it's presented to me with the best technology available for the time than it does when it's not presented at all and my maintenance service elevator moves backwards for no apparent reason and is then suddenly in a completely different elevator shaft for no apparent reason.
Or people could just be making things up and they don't really like it, they just like lying about liking it. I don't think anyone would call the 5th Dimension an E Ticket by itself, it just adds more depth, fun and logic to the attraction than there is without it. Just like the extended caves of DL's PotC.

I usually don't go for single-sentence-member-appreciation posts, but....well said.

 

[RSoxNo1]

That's a theme that comes up regularly as the sole reason why WDW's Tower is better than DCA's (or Paris' or Tokyo's) version. And yet, it's something I've never found to be true, and is in fact hilariously funny to think about whenever I'm on WDW's Tower. :lol:

In theory, the 3rd Dimension dark ride portion of WDW's Tower is really cool.

And yet, in reality, it's a rather cheesy effect and not at all believable (especially 15 years later with WDW's current maintenance and upkeep). You hear and feel your car disengaging from the first elevator shaft, then the car rattles and bumps and kathunks onto the track portion, and then shudders and passes by some very dated 1990's spook house effects where you can still see the mechanicals along the floor, and then you rattle-bump-rattle-kathunk into the second elevator shaft. It's not seamless, it's not smooth, and it's definitely not believable.

On paper it looks like a fabulous effect. But in real life it's a squeaky, rattling, clearly visible ride track that takes your vehicle from one shaft to another.

So why do people think it's so great? :veryconfu

It's certainly a matter of opinion, but to me the difference is substantial. Tower of Terror at DCA is a very good ride - I love the line "Wave Goodbye to the Real World", but it's that holy $@&% moment that comes from leaving the elevator shaft that really makes DHS's version work for me.

Take into account that it's using mid 90s tech and the ride system is a modified version of the Universe of Energy/GMR with an elevator shaft. The big thing is that it throws you off. Most would suspect that you would go up and then start dropping like you do in the other versions, but it's our forwards section that throws people off. It's also a pretty trippy room too...

Exactly - I would also argue that the theming on Florida's version is "tighter" meaning that it's more thorough. In California I feel that the building is painted to look old and worn, whereas in Florida, it actually has that appearance beyond the paint job.

Mission: SPACE is actually a bigger draw than you think too...

It's hard to gauge because it's capacity is higher than that of Test Track and Soarin', but I think most Disney people would say that it wasn't the gate busting attraction that they expected. Having said that, it probably drives attendance more than Spaceship Earth.

I just wish they would put the Soarin Fastpasses outside the LAND pavilion. It really is a pain having to go all the way through, up and down the stairs just to get the FP and then come back 40 minutes later. Usually I ride Living with the Land, but that never has a wait and isn't long enough to eat up the time.

I couldn't agree more. At the very least, the Fastpasses for Soarin' should be on the first floor, but there's enough room outside The Land where a covered area could house the Fastpasses for Soarin' and The Land.

 

[Mansion Butler]

It's certainly a matter of opinion, but to me the difference is substantial. Tower of Terror at DCA is a very good ride - I love the line "Wave Goodbye to the Real World", but it's that holy $@&% moment that comes from leaving the elevator shaft that really makes DHS's version work for me.

To me it's massive. If someone tried to tell me DCA's ToT was better, or even close, I would take it the same way as someone telling me WDW's PotC is better or even close: the only possible way I could see someone thinking that is sticking to party lines and defending the property they like.



Exactly - I would also argue that the theming on Florida's version is "tighter" meaning that it's more thorough. In California I feel that the building is painted to look old and worn, whereas in Florida, it actually has that appearance beyond the paint job.

 

[lazyboy97o]

To me it's massive. If someone tried to tell me DCA's ToT was better, or even close, I would take it the same way as someone telling me WDW's PotC is better or even close: the only possible way I could see someone thinking that is sticking to party lines and defending the property they like.

I actually do prefer the new ride system that lacks the 5th Dimension room. Maybe I have never experienced it on a good day, but the whole thing has always looked quite hokey to me. Nothing ruins the illusion of moving ominously like the path of the vehicle plainly visible on the floor.

 

[TP2000]

I actually do prefer the new ride system that lacks the 5th Dimension room. Maybe I have never experienced it on a good day, but the whole thing has always looked quite hokey to me. Nothing ruins the illusion of moving ominously like the path of the vehicle plainly visible on the floor.

Thank you, that explains it perfectly.

It's not that I don't like the concept of the 5th Dimension room in Florida. It's just that the execution is so obvious and rickety and undisguised. You aren't entering the 5th Dimension so much as you are witnessing your ride vehicle engage and disengage from a clunky track system. It's jarring in that it takes you out of the show, and you're made very aware that your elevator is really a ride vehicle traveling along on a track.

If they could smooth it out and really polish it up, it would probably be truly believable and impressive. But in its current state, it's exactly as you say... hokey.

I do love the exterior of WDW's version though. Only the Tokyo version surpasses it for intricate detail and soaring scale.

 

[Mansion Butler]

I actually do prefer the new ride system that lacks the 5th Dimension room. Maybe I have never experienced it on a good day, but the whole thing has always looked quite hokey to me. Nothing ruins the illusion of moving ominously like the path of the vehicle plainly visible on the floor.

The path is plainly visible on the floor of the Haunted Mansion.

What is the story logic on the California version? How does your elevator end up in the regular shaft? Why does it move backwards when you first get in? Maybe I just missed it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The path is plainly visible on the floor of the Haunted Mansion.

What is the story logic on the California version? How does your elevator end up in the regular shaft? Why does it move backwards when you first get in? Maybe I just missed it.

But The Haunted Mansion shows you the omnimovers in line from the very beginning. At no point is there a presentation of a big "WOW!" moment that is dependent on not being able to see the track. On the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror the whole construct of the 5th Dimension Room is that you are doing something an elevator is not supposed to be doing, but as soon as those doors open you see the guideway right in front of you and hear and feel everything as it all locks into place and then disengaged your ride vehicle. The best part is the end, where, for some reason, you do not hear everything locking your ride vehicle down, and you see the door opening as if you are entering another elevator, but instead drop. That part is brilliant.

I did not find the backwards movement to be that big of a distraction. It is just a second or two and it is not accompanied by the obvious signs of movement, all downplayed as never having happened. It is also a sign start as it is something an elevator should not do, a sort of disarming in which one asks "Did that just happen?" before shooting upwards to the first scene.

My first couple of trips, I did not notice the hallway that I walked across as I entered the elevator. That is definitely the new ride system's biggest weakness. Also, what is up with the transition from the drop shaft into the unloading area in the original? Why is there luggage inside of an elevator shaft?

But like I said, maybe I have just had bad luck when it comes to riding the original. It would be an amazing scene if the floor and disengaging were not so apparent.

I do love the exterior of WDW's version though. Only the Tokyo version surpasses it for intricate detail and soaring scale.

I completely agree. What is even more interesting about the Tokyo DisneySEA version is that it has the same basic profile as the attraction at Disney's California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park.