Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway - Disneyland

[el_super]

While a fair point about rides not always being available, the difference is those factors are outside of Disney’s control. VQs are Disney’s decision. They are purposefully advertising a new ride and making it inaccessible.

It's not inaccessible to the people getting the boarding groups. Again the same number of people are riding whether it had a standby line or not, so how is it really inaccessible here?

As for your second paragraph, of course some won’t be able to ride MMRR, and those people should be the ones unwilling to wait in line. I believe in meritocracy.

22 yeas ago tomorrow, there was an AP preview for DCA. Halfway thru the day, the line for Soarin over California reached six hours long. Disney has to close off the line to prevent more people from joining because there just wasn't space or cast members to manage it. Shortly after sunset, a fire alarm went off and the building had to be evacuated and a big portion of that six hour wait never got to ride.

Time wasted just standing in line is a tragedy.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Of course they can, and they routinely do this already. No attraction is guaranteed to be available.

When do they do this? (Not allow Passholders to experience an attraction)

 

[el_super]

When do they do this? (Not allow Passholders to experience an attraction)

There are all sorts of scenarios where attractions can close early for CM events, or Club 33 events or media events. Lincoln occasionally will be closed for an off meeting or retirement party. And they're already limiting rides to once per day, so why not expand that to once per week or once per month?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There are all sorts of scenarios where attractions can close early for CM events, or Club 33 events or media events. Lincoln occasionally will be closed for an off meeting or retirement party. And they're already limiting rides to once per day, so why not expand that to once per week or once per month?

None of that singles out passholders from those with general admission. That’s my point.

 

[Dapale]

I think those in favor of VQs aren't considering that standby queues have a built-in "filter" that gives first-time riders the advantage. People who want to re-ride are UNLIKELY to wait more time than first-time riders. VQ gives a "non-waiting" option to those re-riders, allowing them to take up capacity because they aren't forced to weigh the value of waiting in a different standby line.

 

[Professortango1]

Again: somsone has to be excluded from riding. That is the reasonable expectation of running the attraction. As long as the same number of people are riding with the Virtual Queue as without, the chance that I get to experience the ride or not, doesn't really change.

The problem is getting a virtual queue requires very little investment. All you need to do is be there by 8 AM and have a smart phone with enough juice and wifi. That's it. It takes less than 30 seconds.

Compare this to waiting 3-6 hours to ride Indiana Jones Adventure. That huge disparity in required investment to ride creates more demand as it doesn't cost anything to ride. Costing several hours to ride will naturally weed out many guests who just don't find the current value in the attraction.

 

[el_super]

None of that singles out passholders from those with general admission. That’s my point.

You're right, in a lot of instances everyone is restricted. So the easy workaround here is that limit to one ride for the duration of the admission media validity. One day tickets are once per day and Annual Passes are once per year. Everyone then has the same restriction.

 

[el_super]

I think those in favor of VQs aren't considering that standby queues have a built-in "filter" that gives first-time riders the advantage. People who want to re-ride are UNLIKELY to wait more time than first-time riders. VQ gives a "non-waiting" option to those re-riders, allowing them to take up capacity because they aren't forced to weigh the value of waiting in a different standby line.

The problem is getting a virtual queue requires very little investment. All you need to do is be there by 8 AM and have a smart phone with enough juice and wifi. That's it. It takes less than 30 seconds.

Compare this to waiting 3-6 hours to ride Indiana Jones Adventure. That huge disparity in required investment to ride creates more demand as it doesn't cost anything to ride. Costing several hours to ride will naturally weed out many guests who just don't find the current value in the attraction.

There is still a "filter" in order to get a boarding group and that is being in the park early enough to acquire one. That is going to tilt the ease of access toward people with one-day-tickets. Later groups open up for park hoppers and annual passholders in the afternoon. Those who do not get access are the AP holders that show up later in the afternoon (the after work/after school crowd). Additionally, on weekends when early morning/all-day visits for AP holders are easier, they can control AP access via blockout dates/reservation availability.

One system offers preference to able-bodied people willing to give up more time to once experience, and the other prefers guests that are able to be awake early and dedicate a whole day to just being in the park.

 

[CaptinEO]

Let me guess. You have no children, you're able-bodied, and you're in your 20s or 30s.

I like a system where "who gets to ride" isn't determined by a test of physical (and bladder) stamina.


I just can't get my head around this mindset. Nervewracking, really? Over whether you will or won't get to ride a theme park ride? It's not that high stakes. If your reaction to not getting to ride something (for whatever reason... virtual queue, refurbishment, bad weather, etc.) is anything more severe than "hm, bummer, that stinks," then I think you're investing too much emotion into this whole endeavor.

You don't care for the concept of first come first serve?

If some parent who has kids can't get there at 7am it shouldnt be the fault of a 20 year old who is willing to wake up early and wait in lines.

By trying to "help everyone" sometimes you hurt people too. That's what virtual queue does. Disney's "solution" to a problem that never existed created more problems (that they monetize on).

"Didn't win the lottery, pay us 20 dollars per person to go on the ride we advertised for a year that you paid to be here for". "Want to wait in line instead? You can't! Don't worry we stole 10,000 spots on this ride each day just to make extra money off of you"

 

[CaptinEO]

The problem is getting a virtual queue requires very little investment. All you need to do is be there by 8 AM and have a smart phone with enough juice and wifi. That's it. It takes less than 30 seconds.

Compare this to waiting 3-6 hours to ride Indiana Jones Adventure. That huge disparity in required investment to ride creates more demand as it doesn't cost anything to ride. Costing several hours to ride will naturally weed out many guests who just don't find the current value in the attraction.

Exactly this! Nemo subs were 5 hour waits when they reopened. You think 100% of the people are going to wait again to go on Nemo their next visit or later in the day?

At Epcot I went on the new Guardians ride twice because I didnt even have to wait. I'm sure this happens every day. They just let anyone re-enter this lottery every day with zero commitment.

Demand is a natural thing that will die down eventually for any new ride. I waited 2 and a half hours for Winnie The Pooh the month it opened with my family and 90 minutes for Monsters Inc around the time it opened. Nothing wrong with wanting to go on the new ride and being willing to wait for it.

I'll tell you this much, I would not pay money for a ticket to only have a chance to go on a new ride. I hope Disney's marketing people realize this. Paying customers deserve a fair chance to go on their rides without resorting to gambling.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You don't care for the concept of first come first serve?

A virtual queue is still first come, first served. There are differences between the two systems, but that isn't one of them.

 

[CaptinEO]

A virtual queue is still first come, first served.

When everyone has different devices, networks, and even automated software this is not the case.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think we've quite clearly established that whether virtual queues are a positive or negative impact on the guest experience is a matter of opinion.

We have? People do like crowding and waiting more in other places? People complain about the situations caused by virtual queues. It’s the issue Volcano Bay ran right into.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

When everyone has different devices, networks, and even automated software this is not the case.

We've already proven in less than a week that BGs are readily available for those who want them and that the instantaneous sellouts were an anomaly of opening weekend.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We have? People do like crowding and waiting more in other places?

Virtual queues are good if you're good at virtual queues.

 

[CaptinEO]

We've already proven in less than a week that BGs are readily available for those who want them and that the instantaneous sellouts were an anomaly of opening weekend.

ROTR had instantaneous sellouts for months even after it reopened post pandemic.

I used to as an individual be able to make the choice to show up and wait hours for the new ride opening weekend, now that choice is gone.

Disney is not letting me enjoy the parks how I want to.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

ROTR had instantaneous sellouts for months.

I used to as an individual be able to make the choice to show up and wait hours for the new ride opening weekend, now that choice is gone.

Disney is not letting me enjoy the parks how I want to.

I can make the choice to ride Cosmic Rewind, Ratatouille, Test Track, Soarin, and Frozen Ever After all in the same day with close to zero wait.

Disney is enabling me to enjoy the parks how I want to.

 

[mickEblu]

We've already proven in less than a week that BGs are readily available for those who want them and that the instantaneous sellouts were an anomaly of opening weekend.

Is it not possible they adjusted the ratio of virtual queue to LL because they heard some of the complaints on social media? Or perhaps had a specific plan of LL to virtual Q spots that was predetermined for opening weekend only. I mean it very well could be an opening weekend anomaly. I’d say it’s the most likely but there could be some other factors at play.

I’d love to know if anybody else has gotten the upsell message in the last few days. With that said, there wouldn’t be really anyway to prove that those messages stopped due to lower demand or for other reasons.

EDIT: it could also just be a weekend only thing for a few weeks/ months. Not necessarily just opening weekend.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I used to as an individual be able to make the choice to show up and wait hours for the new ride opening weekend, now that choice is gone.

Disney is not letting me enjoy the parks how I want to.

Also... WHAT!?

Old way: Show up and wait hours. Ride the new ride.

New way: Show up and don't wait hours. Ride the new ride.

How is that worse!? They're not taking away the privilege of riding the ride, they're taking away the burden or waiting in line to do so.

 

[CaptinEO]

I can make the choice to ride Cosmic Rewind, Ratatouille, Test Track, Soarin, and Frozen Ever After all in the same day with close to zero wait.

Disney is enabling me to enjoy the parks how I want to.

You don't get the choice to ride Cosmic Rewind but the chance to go on it. That's what bothers me.