New Return Procedure at Soarin'

[stevehousse]

I like how even the Cms know this is a disaster and won't work...I also like how one person, and only 1 person on this thread keeps defending this crap plan...

And @dadddio , who goes to a theme park and thinks long lines are a problem? That's the part of going to a theme park that everyone deals with. Sure, people would love to walk onto every ride instead of waiting, but that's just not a reality at any theme park across the globe...

This is an epic fail and turning guests away just so a few can wait in a shorter line is not acceptable...you can't simply think turning guests away is a good idea or good customer service...

I am so glad this is an epic fail!

 

[Oddysey]

I agree; while the characters have a lot to deal with, dealing with some of the stuff guests pull can make being an attractions CM just as bad.

You have never been an Attractions CM, have you.

You totally missed my point. I am not saying that one job is more difficult than the other or that one requires significantly more skill than the other. What I was alluding to is simple mathematics regarding the number of employees available to fill each position. The auditions and requirements of becoming a face character are far more stringent than becoming an attractions CM because a face character has to have unique physical features similar to the character they are presenting, sound a certain way, and be able to emulate the actions of who they are portraying. I know of this process because my wife went through it some years ago.

Because of this there are far more attraction CMs available when compared to face character CMs. When a certain attraction exceeds demand there are more CMs or workers to spread hours amongst more evenly so Disney can more easily avoid overtime pay and/or CM exhaustion. If an attraction runs really late one night, the CMs who were working it can have hours cut later in the week (to avoid overtime) because they can be more easily distributed to the higher population of other available attraction CMs . Moreover, it is easier for Disney to hire additional attraction CMs when needed because they do not need to meet stringent physical requirements. Since there are less face characters it is harder to distribute hours evenly to avoid overtime payments or burn out of the face character. Again, I am not saying one job is easier or harder than the other. I am simply saying that it is more exceptable to manage a face character standby line differently than a ride standby line due to the differences in the challenges presented to management.

 

[dadddio]

Presumably the controlled number amounts to more than 3 per person now, since I've been hearing reports of people successfully using the new feature.

I'm trying to understand your post, but I'm failing. I think that it's because you misunderstood mine.

My point was that TPTB didn't open up FP+ reservations to allow an infinite number of FP+ reservations to be assigned. Rather, they have a hard limit on the number of FP+ available for any slot. Therefore, under the current system, they can keep both lines moving at a known rate. From a CM point of view, that basically means that they pull people from the two lines following a basic ration, say ten FP+ guests for every six SB guests. (This ratio is probably wildly incorrect, but it's just an example to help explain my post, so roll with it.) Maintaining this ratio allows the FP+ line to keep to the same basic wait time and it generally allows a steady number of SB guests to pass.

 

[dadddio]

Again: where did you see that?

One of the threads describing how the test was going to work.

 

[muteki]

I am so glad this is an epic fail!

Reading the article previously posted doesn't make me think this is that much of a failure (fortunately/unfortunately). Seems like the first day or two was pretty bad for an hour or so, and the third day the powers that be just threw people at the problem and forced the test to go through. If there is another day of testing I imagine that is what they will do again.

Personally I think the decision has already been made and the test was not to decide to do it or not, but to gauge the amount of passes to hand out.

 

[cw1982]

One of the threads describing how the test was going to work.

Everything I read said that the reason the lines opened back up was because guests were pitching a fit... not because that was the plan.

ETA : I also read that this turned into a disaster because then people with return times were in line with people who just walked up, causing even worse congestion than normal and undermining the whole process.

 

[Mike S]

Disney is basically taking away the guest's freedom. First of all I think it's absolutely ridiculous how EVERYBODY looks exactly the same wearing the stupid magic band like a little dog collar around their wrist. It's just not right IMO. FP+ takes the whim out of your day at the parks and with this line testing crap we are basically being told what we can and cannot do. Why? All probably for a few more dollars in the gift shops and food courts. I mean we all know Disney is not hurting in any way in that department. It's time for Disney to just BACK OFF and don't break things that don't need fixing!!!

What's funny is that all this just makes me want to spend less, not more.

Saw this on twitter:

"At 5:30 guests were near riot level refusing to leave and the CM's were threatening to all quit. Reopened standby - made return holders mad."

"Second day, orders came down to "stick to the plan" and the queue closed again around 5pm. At 6:40 CMs began walking off refusing to work."

Is it just me or does Epcot look more packed in that video, especially around the attractions and spaces that are now not nearly as popular? One could only wonder why

 

[dadddio]

And a solution that prevents other guests from experiencing it at all doesn't fix it.

Interest exceeds capacity. Therefore, some people will not be able to ride the ride. The test didn't change that reality in any way.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

I did not read all 11 pages...

How far away is the day that as one enters a Disney park, they will be given a map and a timed schedule(predetermined by Disney of course) for all of your rides for that day? No longer ANY standby lines. Oh and I am sure Disney will schedule time allowances, but only at certain times, for potty breaks. Perhaps they will tell you where and when you have to eat as well.

 

[landauh]

If an attraction runs really late one night, the CMs who were working it can have hours cut later in the week (to avoid overtime)

Sorry but you are incorrect again.

Overtime rules are more than 8 hours in a day and/or more than 40 hours in a week. If I work more than 8 hours today I get overtime. If I then have my hours cut (which only rarely happens) and log 40 or fewer hours in the week I still get the overtime pay for the day I worked more than 8 hours.

 

[dadddio]

Saw this on twitter:

"At 5:30 guests were near riot level refusing to leave and the CM's were threatening to all quit. Reopened standby - made return holders mad."

"Second day, orders came down to "stick to the plan" and the queue closed again around 5pm. At 6:40 CMs began walking off refusing to work."

If that's true, I imagine that some CMs lost their jobs. Hopefully those who complained about it to guests were also terminated.

 

[Mike S]

If that's true, I imagine that some CMs lost their jobs. Hopefully those who complained about it to guests were also terminated.

And yet the stupid execs who push this crap keep their jobs and people like you defend every decision as if your life depended on it. The world we live in.

 

[Oddysey]

Sorry but you are incorrect again.

Overtime rules are more than 8 hours in a day and/or more than 40 hours in a week. If I work more than 8 hours today I get overtime. If I then have my hours cut (which only rarely happens) and log 40 or fewer hours in the week I still get the overtime pay for the day I worked more than 8 hours.

No not incorrect. This means that the management of attraction CM hours is poor. Schedule shorter shifts, shifts that account for possible overruns, and have other CMs scheduled on call to meet demands of a possible pending overrun. It is much easier to manage these types of issues with a larger volume of attraction CMs when compared to a much lower volume of face characters by simply paying attention. To put it in even simpler terms, larger volume of workers equals more management options for distributing hours. Lower volume of workers equals less management options for distributing hours.

 

[dadddio]

Here's a well detailed article about the test yesterday...

http://themeparkuniversity.com/critical-studies/standby-return-test-continues-soarin/

That sure is a different take on it from the drama in this thread.

 

[cw1982]

If that's true, I imagine that some CMs lost their jobs. Hopefully those who complained about it to guests were also terminated.

Really? You would have people unemployed for saying something to guests that doesn't make them look blind with pixie dust? Yes, they should be representing Disney appropriately, but let's remember that no one is perfect and in a situation where so many guests are undoubtedly yelling at them for something they can't control, it would be easy to get tired and say something to show guests that they (the CM's) don't like this either.

 

[Fishbait]

Really? You would have people unemployed for saying something to guests that doesn't make them look blind with pixie dust? Yes, they should be representing Disney appropriately, but let's remember that no one is perfect and in a situation where so many guests are undoubtedly yelling at them for something they can't control, it would be easy to get tired and say something to show guests that they (the CM's) don't like this either.

Didn't you get the memo? Anything that goes against the brand should be eliminated.

 

[cw1982]

Didn't you get the memo? Anything that goes against the brand should be eliminated.

Missed that somehow lol. My mistake.

 

[dadddio]

I like how even the Cms know this is a disaster and won't work...I also like how one person, and only 1 person on this thread keeps defending this crap plan...

And @dadddio , who goes to a theme park and thinks long lines are a problem? That's the part of going to a theme park that everyone deals with. Sure, people would love to walk onto every ride instead of waiting, but that's just not a reality at any theme park across the globe...

I am not defending the plan. I'm defending the idea that finding a solution to the problem of long lines is worthwhile. Of course, I realize that anyone who doesn't fall into step with the 'every decision is horrible' mantra that some have around here
is painted as a 'defender' or whatever.

This is an epic fail and turning guests away just so a few can wait in a shorter line is not acceptable...you can't simply think turning guests away is a good idea or good customer service...

I am so glad this is an epic fail!

I have no idea if the test was a failure or a success, because I don't know what the criteria of a success is. Honestly, I don't much care if it was a failure or a success. It's over. It isn't likely to have any effect on any of our trips, so why in the world should I get bent out of shape about this test?

 

[flynnibus]

Really? You would have people unemployed for saying something to guests that doesn't make them look blind with pixie dust? Yes, they should be representing Disney appropriately, but let's remember that no one is perfect and in a situation where so many guests are undoubtedly yelling at them for something they can't control, it would be easy to get tired and say something to show guests that they (the CM's) don't like this either.

That's the way it works with Disney... because they don't trust or respect the front-line CMs.

Customer starts beating you up? Fight back? Fired. Customer tears into you.. and you get nasty back? Fired.

 

[dadddio]

Everything I read said that the reason the lines opened back up was because guests were pitching a fit... not because that was the plan.

ETA : I also read that this turned into a disaster because then people with return times were in line with people who just walked up, causing even worse congestion than normal and undermining the whole process.

It didn't undermine the process, necessarily, because if this was a test to determine the number of passes to be given out, as someone opined, then they simply would only use the data from when the queue was 'pass only'.