New Anna/Elsa standby procedure?

[Mawg]

I don't know why they don't just give Anna and Elsa a restaurant, do it up as Anna and Elsa's Coronation Feast, they could circulate through the dining room like the other Character dining locations...Disney would make a boat load of money, Families would be happier that they did not wait in line 5 hours to see the princesses as it would be handled through ADR, there would be more people out and about in the parks (Which means spending money) rather than filling up an interminable queue...and when the madness dies down, Disney will have made a lot more money, and then Anna and Elsa can get a themed restroom just like Rapunzel... Issue solved!

Which restaurant do you think they should take over?

 

[stevehousse]

Absolutely the wrong solution...

The right solution is one of 2 things..
1) eliminate it completely. If this is a no win scenario for Disney then just dump the whole thing. If you can't serve the demand, then eliminate the m&g and then no one waits.

2) Concentrate the m&g in 1 area. If you put 3 sets of them out in 3 different parks, you stand a decent chance that at least some % of the people will meet with them multiple times. This CREATES demand, not satisfies it.

The issue at MK isn't space, the issue is bodies to play the part. If they had more rooms, with more clones doing the job, they would increase through put and this decrease wait times.

One other point, since this topic seems to be on fire... You get a ticket to the MK, it does not guarantee all experiences. The m&g is a show. Not significantly different than Fantasmic, or the Candle Light Processional. Maybe that is why you went, but when the show has hit capacity, there is nothing more to do. Unless they increase capacity, your are just SOL. Being willing to stand in a 5 hour line for an experience that has already reached its daily capacity is just silly.

This paper "fastpass" system simply fills capacity while reducing the amount of inconvenience as possible... Remember when there was a hot selling concert ticket going on sale? People would stand in line for hours, or even all night. Then they would be given a wrist band with a number, so that they could leave and come back. Same thing. Those concerts sold out in minutes, and only the fanatics who stood in the rain and got their wrist band got tickets. This is the same thing. Once those tickets are gone, the experience is simply unavailable.

I don't think that comparison is accurate at all. Those people waiting in line for concert tickets didnt have to spend $100 to get in line to begin with...

 

[dadddio]

I don't think that comparison is accurate at all. Those people waiting in line for concert tickets didnt have to spend $100 to get in line to begin with...

No, but the people wanting to see Fantasmic after the stadium is already full did.

 

[natatomic]

One other point, since this topic seems to be on fire... You get a ticket to the MK, it does not guarantee all experiences. The m&g is a show. Not significantly different than Fantasmic, or the Candle Light Processional. Maybe that is why you went, but when the show has hit capacity, there is nothing more to do. Unless they increase capacity, your are just SOL. Being willing to stand in a 5 hour line for an experience that has already reached its daily capacity is just silly.

This paper "fastpass" system simply fills capacity while reducing the amount of inconvenience as possible... Remember when there was a hot selling concert ticket going on sale? People would stand in line for hours, or even all night. Then they would be given a wrist band with a number, so that they could leave and come back. Same thing. Those concerts sold out in minutes, and only the fanatics who stood in the rain and got their wrist band got tickets. This is the same thing. Once those tickets are gone, the experience is simply unavailable.

But I don't think the girls are reaching true "capacity." I could be wrong, but are the CMs at the M&G being force extended past park close because there's still a significant line? I don't think they are, but I don't know for certain. If they aren't, (and I believe someone a few pages back said they were very nearly a walk on near park close), then they can still fit more people into the line. Yeah, there might be a 3 hour wait in the middle if the day, but that just means that demand isn't spread out evenly throughout the course of the day, not that it's over capacity.

 

[Pixie VaVoom]

I don't know why they don't just give Anna and Elsa a restaurant, do it up as Anna and Elsa's Coronation Feast, they could circulate through the dining room like the other Character dining locations...Disney would make a boat load of money, Families would be happier that they did not wait in line 5 hours to see the princesses as it would be handled through ADR, there would be more people out and about in the parks (Which means spending money) rather than filling up an interminable queue...and when the madness dies down, Disney will have made a lot more money, and then Anna and Elsa can get a themed restroom just like Rapunzel... Issue solved!

That is a fantastic idea. I like it !!

 

[cw1982]

WDW has historically had problems filling face characters roles, especially when you compare it to the CMs that get hired for similar roles to DLR. Often this gets lumped in with the acting/singing/dancing talent pool in Southern Cali that DLR has to draw from, plenty more people out there trying to get a break who can work jobs like this, unlike at WDW. For some reason finding friends for the sisters seemed to be even harder than normal.

Outside of that, where do you propose they put them? AK? Really not even remotely thematically appropriate. Back in Norway? They were crammed in a location that was ill equipped to serve as a M&G location, and had guests waiting for hours unprotected outdoors. DHS? Sure, I'll give you that one, but where?

I'll gladly slam WDW and TDO anywhere appropriate, but they already have taken over half of the princess M&G area just for these two. Short of rushing a dedicated Frozen-land into production (much like DHS this summer) there is only so much that can be done. While this sadly means that some Little Suzy's and Jane's won't get to meet the sisters, it also means that they aren't further cramming something down our throats than is already happening. Back when Lilo & Stitch was the rage, they shoved Stitch everywhere, and got massive blowback from that decision. The same with Pins & Vinylmation. Cramming stuff where it doesn't belong just completely kills the resulting product.

@RSoxNo1 already pretty much answered this pretty much the same way I would have, and I'm pretty sure I had already laid out which parks I would have pushed for in others posts as well, but I'll just say this much, since you were replying to my post: If the sisters were meeting in Epcot (at Norway, since that is where they were before... although I am NOT for having the film take over the entire pavilion), had their meet and greet at MK, and then were also available at HS at least for the duration of the Frozen event, the demand would be much closer to being met. By the time the Frozen event at HS is over, school will be in full swing so the crowds will be much lower, and then the meet and greet at Norway and at MK would be able to pretty much handle the demand. I hardly see this as cramming them down everyone's throats. Many other characters are available to meet in multiple parks, and no one calls that overkill, so I don't see where this would be any different.

 

[Bocabear]

Which restaurant do you think they should take over?

Hmmm Well... they could completely repurpose Pinocchio's Village Haus as a Frozen Banquet Hall but I suspect there is not quite enough room there. Probably take one of the circus tents ( The Meet And Greet One ) , gut it, build a false facade movie set thing like they did for Mickey's Birthday Land, and create a restaurant within the interior of the tent... When their popularity finally wanes in a few years, it can change to something else....or maybe they will decide to build a full permanent Frozen attraction on that space afterwards... continuing the mountain range across the back of the park...

 

[Dwarful]

I was shopping this weekend and went into our local Disney store. They had loads of Frozen stuff, dresses, dolls, toys, Olaf stuffed animals, tshirts, etc., and unlike when we were at WDW in June there was no limit on the number of Frozen items you could buy. I sort of thought maybe the craze had peaked...but I guess not for the M&G.

 

[Cletus]

Word on the street is that they are testing the Standby+ card stock return time at Soarin' starting tomorrow.

 

[Mawg]

Hmmm Well... they could completely repurpose Pinocchio's Village Haus as a Frozen Banquet Hall but I suspect there is not quite enough room there. Probably take one of the circus tents ( The Meet And Greet One ) , gut it, build a false facade movie set thing like they did for Mickey's Birthday Land, and create a restaurant within the interior of the tent... When their popularity finally wanes in a few years, it can change to something else....or maybe they will decide to build a full permanent Frozen attraction on that space afterwards... continuing the mountain range across the back of the park...

How long do you think either of those conversions would take and how long do you think it will take for the fad to die down?

I would convert the Crystal Palace for a lunch or breakfast only and then still have pooh there for the other meal and then convert the Norway restaurant for either breakfast or lunch or Dinner and keep the other princesses there for the other meals. They could both be converted with out any work, just have the characters show up and easy enough to change back.

Edit: But one problem is you can't just change it on people that already have reservations, so no fix for at least 180 days. (Disney kind of screwed themselves with this 180 day reservation crap). But hey, if they can change the standby line procedure and magic hours with just a few days notice, why can't they change this. Not something I would do but they would.

 

[Mawg]

Word on the street is that they are testing the Standby+ card stock return time at Soarin' starting tomorrow.

Wish I was there, I would purposefully wait until they were gone and then demand my money back from guest relations for changing something without notice. You just can't change this stuff without notifying the customer. But, really I guess they can do what ever they want it's not like they have posted anywhere how a standby line works. It just seems like bad form.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

How long do you think either of those conversions would take and how long do you think it will take for the fad to die down?

I would convert the Crystal Palace for a lunch or breakfast only and then still have pooh there for the other meal and then convert the Norway restaurant for either breakfast or lunch or Dinner and keep the other princesses there for the other meals. They could both be converted with out any work, just have the characters show up and easy enough to change back.

Edit: But one problem is you can't just change it on people that already have reservations, so no fix for at least 180 days. (Disney kind of screwed themselves with this 180 day reservation crap). But hey, if they can change the standby line procedure and magic hours with just a few days notice, why can't they change this. Not something I would do but they would.

They don't really have to give them there own meal just add Anna and Elsa to the princesses at Akershus and get rid of a couple of the ovedrdone princesses like Cinderella and Snow white

 

[bethymouse]

Not to keep diverting this thread off topic, but really, it was/is a sort of legalized cutting, virtual queue or not. Think of the people that would get FPs for big attraction first thing in the morning (say...Space Mountain), and then hop in the standby line immediately after. Once they got off their first ride, they could often get on SM again with their FPs almost immediately. Basically, they were riding twice while waiting only once, essentially. You cannot do that without some sort of system that allows you to jump ahead of other people.

That's just good planning. We do that w/ Test Track because my boys love that ride! I don't consider FP or FP+ cutting in line at all.

 

[bethymouse]

I was shopping this weekend and went into our local Disney store. They had loads of Frozen stuff, dresses, dolls, toys, Olaf stuffed animals, tshirts, etc., and unlike when we were at WDW in June there was no limit on the number of Frozen items you could buy. I sort of thought maybe the craze had peaked...but I guess not for the M&G.

I still can't buy a Frozen snow globe ( glass w/ music). I don't understand why Disney hasn't offered that again! E-bay has them for more than 100$ I wish Disney would consider selling them again.

 

[ECJack]

Word on the street is that they are testing the Standby+ card stock return time at Soarin' starting tomorrow.

It started, and ended, today. They issued cards until they ran out (which was around 5:00). When they ran out and closed the Standby line, not allowing anyone else to ride for the day...it got ugly, and the line was reopened by 5:30. Not sure if the test will continue tomorrow.

 

[Dwarful]

bethymouse I don't know if ours had snowglobes. I wasn't really looking. My girls pointed out that they didn't have a limit on any of the items. The CM said things at this particular store had died down so that keeping items in stock wasn't really an issue.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

It started, and ended, today. They issued cards until they ran out (which was around 5:00). When they ran out and closed the Standby line, not allowing anyone else to ride for the day...it got ugly, and the line was reopened by 5:30. Not sure if the test will continue tomorrow.

From what I heard it is a disaster now as they still have people returning with their cards plus they opened the regular standby line and it currently has a three hour wait.

 

[natatomic]

It started, and ended, today. They issued cards until they ran out (which was around 5:00). When they ran out and closed the Standby line, not allowing anyone else to ride for the day...it got ugly, and the line was reopened by 5:30. Not sure if the test will continue tomorrow.

It got ugly?! What?! You mean people were upset that they were not allowed to wait - in ANY capacity - for one of the most popular attractions in WDW and one of two headline attractions at Epcot?! My goodness, who could have ever predicted such a result? It's not as if any of those guests turned away spent upwards of $100 per person to be there...right? Still, who do these guests think they are, getting upset over being forbidden to ride a ride they paid to have access to?

 

[Carol53000]

I think my next trip will be to Europe. Use my Disney money and see something else for once. All this required plotting and planning is taking the joy out of it for us. I used to love Disney but things are just getting too costly and crowded. Sadly time to move on.

 

[WDWLover#1]

According to reports it indeed got really ugly and they had to open the line for Soarin' at 5:30pm. It was a disaster. But who could've seen that happening?