Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway confirmed

[Hawg G]

I formally nominate Mousekemasochism as an early entry for the WDWMagic Word of the Decade Award. There's time yet, but I suspect in 2029 we'll still see it in the running.

People I know in the real world turn to me for advice with their WDW Trip planning given my long history of relatively frequent visiting, and at this point the least I feel right doing is sitting down with them and actually helping them plan the trip. These days WDW planning isn't kind to folks who have never been before or haven't been in a while, and even being someone with enough knowledge to make it work doesn't make me glad for it. To me THAT'S a bigger problem than the lines being too long. Guests have ALWAYS come despite lines being long, but they've spent the money by that point - the further up in the guest experience that you push the problems the more likely you are to see people turn away. Right now you definitely have people overwhelmed by their trips 60 days before they even get there.

If the trip planning gets worse you're gonna have more people giving up before they even start. Which works with the current notion that you can account for fewer people just by charging more to the people who are coming . . . until it doesn't. By which point it will be haaaard to win back that lost goodwill.

I do agree that the length of lines should be addressed, and that waiting 20-30 minutes to get on Rise of the Resistance felt great . . . but only after I'd blocked out the fact that I had to get up at 5:15 that morning for the privilege. It ain't an elegant solution to any problem but the unique ones Rise has. And hopefully they will go away soon. At which point long lines will still be ripe for another sort of solution. May I recommend that it be one that actually puts the guests first, Disney?

Yeah. Folks are getting up at 530 am, rushing to DHS, then standing just inside the park waiting for 7 am to come so they can play the lottery so they can hopefully wait around for hours for their BG to come up. THEN, it only takes about 20 minutes to ride! That’s awesome! Only 20 minutes!

 

[UpAllNight]

Well we’re now all discussing what we all predicted would happen with the opening of the new additions, yet Disney couldn’t see it.

Back in 2015 and 2017 I had some of my most unenjoyable days at theme parks ever at DHS. Rock n Rollercoaster was at 2 hours by 9am on a none-EMH on a mid week day in May. I have little interest in seeing shows I saw 15 years previously. The whole day was spent walking around wondering if I wanted to see these shows which I had little interest in, or join 2 hour queues for a 2-5 minute experiences. Tower of Terror saved the day from being an absolute disaster, and to be fair the night shows ended the days on more positive notes.

Fast forward a few years and DHS is undoubtably in much better shape ride wise. As of next month there’ll be 5 new rides vs 2017, 2 new themed lands, and you can add the cars show to the mix. Yet it isn’t anywhere near enough. This park was over capacity in 2017. To add rides that increase demand, didn’t solve the issue, it just raised the overall experience bar.

Most Disney Parks have distractions to make you feel like you’re getting value when you’re not on a major ride. MK has more entertainment, and side attractions with little to no wait. In Epcot you can explore the entertainment, shopping and dining of all the different countries. Likewise, there’s smaller attractions (films) that can add value. In Animal Kingdom there’s obviously the Animal exhibits. What’s the draw in DHS? If it’s shows, then why on earth haven’t they been changed in 25 years?

They needed to go further. I’d be interested to hear from @marni1971 if the third planned, but ultimately not fulfilled land would have helped at all? Or was it so small-scale it wouldn’t have moved the needle.

 

[marni1971]

They needed to go further. I’d be interested to hear from @marni1971 if the third planned, but ultimately not fulfilled land would have helped at all? Or was it so small-scale it wouldn’t have moved the needle.

Cars Land (without RSR as we know it) would’ve helped, but that’s a moot point since we got TSL instead. Indy Land - for want of a better name - would have had an E. But I dare say even more would have been needed. Tangled replacing Mermaid was one option earlier in the last decade. They still had the troublesome Monster and Superstar theatres, which although troublesome could have been turned into huge potential with the right concept. And of course MMRR could have added capacity to the park had it been executed to its full potential.

Maybe they should have dusted off the Movieland and Rogers plans too. Add more physical space.

 

[nickys]

Cars Land (without RSR as we know it) would’ve helped, but that’s a moot point since we got TSL instead. Indy Land - for want of a better name - would have had an E. But I dare say even more would have been needed. Tangled replacing Mermaid was one option earlier in the last decade. They still had the troublesome Monster and Superstar theatres, which although troublesome could have been turned into huge potential with the right concept. And of course MMRR could have added capacity to the park had it been executed to its full potential.

Maybe they should have dusted off the Movieland and Rogers plans too. Add more physical space.

I don’t understand why they haven’t already started creating that extra space between RnR and the Animation Studios. I assume a lot of that is used for backstage areas, which could be relocated. Then they could be ripping it down and building there, all behind “closed doors” out of the way of park guests.

They need to get moving on the demolition now, whilst looking at all the options; all the options you listed could be back on the table (with modifications to account for the new area), along with new ones. But just get on with the demolition part now, not waiting another four years whilst they endlessly debate what to do next.

 

[marni1971]

But just get on with the demolition part now, not waiting another four years whilst they endlessly debate what to do next.

Four years? Try 29. That’s when Sunset phase two was mooted.

 

[Timothy_Q]

I don’t understand why they haven’t already started creating that extra space between RnR and the Animation Studios. I assume a lot of that is used for backstage areas, which could be relocated. Then they could be ripping it down and building there, all behind “closed doors” out of the way of park guests.

They need to get moving on the demolition now, whilst looking at all the options; all the options you listed could be back on the table (with modifications to account for the new area), along with new ones. But just get on with the demolition part now, not waiting another four years whilst they endlessly debate what to do next.

The debate is probably more along the lines of IF they even have to do anything else to DHS in the short term, or if the park can get by without any extra expansions in the next decade

 

[nickys]

The debate is probably more along the lines of IF they even have to do anything else to DHS in the short term, or if the park can get by without any extra expansions in the next decade

That really shouldn’t a debate though. They still need more at DHS.

 

[nickys]

Four years? Try 29. That’s when Sunset phase two was mooted.

I did say another four years! I’ll give them some benefit of the doubt. Or maybe not!

 

[UpAllNight]

So are there any future plans for DHS or is that it now for the foreseeable?

 

[Goofyernmost]

It doesn't matter. All the parks are overcrowded, and severely lacking top tier rides, especially brand new ones. If you don't think this exact same thing would happen for TRON, a very basic, minimally themed roller coaster, you're crazy. You essentially can't get a Dwarf Hill FP+ without staying on site. How long has that ride been open? I'd guess if it had boarding passes, they'd be gone in single digit minutes every day. Maybe a half hour due to it's fairly dependable operations. And again, that's for like a 5 year old ride.

I have never had a FP for 7DMT and have ridden it 4 times (every time I tried) with no wait. Timing is everything. P.S... I don't do rope drop, but I have done it once after an early breakfast at "Be our guest". Walked out of the restaurant and directly on the ride.

 

[Timothy_Q]

I have never had a FP for 7DMT and have ridden it 4 times (every time I tried) with no wait. Timing is everything. P.S... I don't do rope drop, but I have done it once after an early breakfast at "Be our guest". Walked out of the restaurant and directly on the ride.

So the 3 other times you rode 7DMT with no wait and not at rope drop, what magic times of the day / year were they?

 

[Steph15251]

I don’t understand why they haven’t already started creating that extra space between RnR and the Animation Studios. I assume a lot of that is used for backstage areas, which could be relocated. Then they could be ripping it down and building there, all behind “closed doors” out of the way of park guests.

They need to get moving on the demolition now, whilst looking at all the options; all the options you listed could be back on the table (with modifications to account for the new area), along with new ones. But just get on with the demolition part now, not waiting another four years whilst they endlessly debate what to do next.

There is a ton of backstage area between sunset and animation like office buildings that I am not sure they use anymore and a parking lot.

 

[SJN1279]

It doesn't matter. All the parks are overcrowded, and severely lacking top tier rides, especially brand new ones. If you don't think this exact same thing would happen for TRON, a very basic, minimally themed roller coaster, you're crazy. You essentially can't get a Dwarf Hill FP+ without staying on site. How long has that ride been open? I'd guess if it had boarding passes, they'd be gone in single digit minutes every day. Maybe a half hour due to it's fairly dependable operations. And again, that's for like a 5 year old ride.

We have gotten more new attractions this decade, than any previous decade. This is a very good time to be an Orlando theme park fan.

 

[SJN1279]

Yeah. Folks are getting up at 530 am, rushing to DHS, then standing just inside the park waiting for 7 am to come so they can play the lottery so they can hopefully wait around for hours for their BG to come up. THEN, it only takes about 20 minutes to ride! That’s awesome! Only 20 minutes!

I rather wait 7 hours enjoying the park, than 3 hours in a queue without a restroom.

 

[peter11435]

Yeah. Folks are getting up at 530 am, rushing to DHS, then standing just inside the park waiting for 7 am to come so they can play the lottery so they can hopefully wait around for hours for their BG to come up. THEN, it only takes about 20 minutes to ride! That’s awesome! Only 20 minutes!

They don’t have to wait around for their boarding group. They are free to enjoy the rest of WDW while they wait. This better than any other alternative.

 

[Steph15251]

We have gotten more new attractions this decade, than any previous decade. This is a very good time to be an Orlando theme park fan.

Yes ,but it should not stop at that.

 

[UNCgolf]

They don’t have to wait around for their boarding group. They are free to enjoy the rest of WDW while they wait. This better than any other alternative.

Forcing people to be at the park at 6-6:30 AM just to have a chance (still no guarantee you'll get a boarding group) to ride the headliner ride is a pretty terrible solution. It's possible it's better than any other alternative, but I don't buy it.

 

[Kman101]

We have gotten more new attractions this decade, than any previous decade. This is a very good time to be an Orlando theme park fan.

And while that's true, it's also true they neglected the WDW parks for about a decade or more and now they're paying for it, both in terms of crowds and literally having to pay for things that should have been 5-10-15 years ago.

 

[peter11435]

Forcing people to be at the park at 6-6:30 AM just to have a chance (still no guarantee you'll get a boarding group) to ride the headliner ride is a pretty terrible solution. It's possible it's better than any other alternative, but I don't buy it.

You don’t need to be in the park at 6. Just in before 7. And nobody is being forced even then. If you want to ride you need to do what it takes. Do you have any suggestions for a better system or just criticism?

 

[DarkMetroid567]

You don’t need to be in the park at 6. Just in before 7. And nobody is being forced even then. If you want to ride you need to do what it takes. Do you have any suggestions for a better system or just criticism?

He said 6-6:30, which is the usual suggestion for a good shot to get in. You're being unfair.