Observations from the Last Week

[Scuttle]

They have had it there every time we have been down in the past ~5 years.

I thought they took it away in the ~mid 2000's time frame but has been back ever since?

It must come and go because there's been multiple times it hasn't been there the past couple years.

 

[muteki]

It must come and go because there's been multiple times it hasn't been there the past couple years.

I must have gotten lucky then. No cheese at Cosmic Ray's is definite VACATION RUINED material .

Pirates capacity looks to be cut in half. Due to using one side for FP+, when noone is using the FP line every other boat goes out empty.

Why did they not work out a way to do the FP merge before the dock split?

 

[JenniferS]

Pirates capacity looks to be cut in half. Due to using one side for FP+, when noone is using the FP line every other boat goes out empty.

Ridiculous.

 

[JenniferS]

There is typically a cast member directing standby guests to the Fastpass side, but I don't always see this. They must cut it off at some point. I believe Space Mountain will do something similar.

That is what happened in September, when very few people had access to FP+ yet.

 

[jlsHouston]

There are a lot more birds annoying guests then in previous years. They must have acquired the Hitchcock rights from Universal.

I hate those birds and I don't care who knows it and what they think about me for hating them

 

[gwhb75]

Off topic question, will execs in the parks take photos with guests? I would love to get a few but dont want to be rude. Is it ok to ask them or do they prefer to be left alone?

Maybe it will be a back-up FP+ if one of the headliners goes down. "Sorry the FP+ experience you booked is not currently available. Please stop by Tortuga Tavern for a picture with Meg Crofton".

 

[cspencer96]

• We saw the Single Rider line for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster shut off because it matched the Standby wait time. I speculate this is a function of the Tiers causing guests to choose either RnRC or Toy Story

This actually happens very regularly, and has occurred since the introduction of Single Rider to RnRC. CMs tell me that it is due to the nature of the attraction (thrilling, in the dark, loops etc.) affecting the makeup of the groups of people that choose Standby and FP. Many families split up, with the thrill seekers going on and the others waiting at the shop or experiencing other attractions, usually making an even numbered group. Even numbered groups mean long waits for Single Riders, no matter what day of the year. I don't see FP+ really affecting this as it has always happened, other than encouraging more people to choose single rider. As I posted the other day in a separate thread, RnRC's single rider line is at 60+ minutes when there are people gathered outside the building in the queue. If they are indoors, the wait is much lower.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I'm curious if a ride does break down they use to give you a paper FP with the rides it could be used on....What happens when it all goes to MyMagic band?

 

[schuelma]

I'm curious if a ride does break down they use to give you a paper FP with the rides it could be used on....What happens when it all goes to MyMagic band?

Last week Big Thunder Mountain was down for our FP+ time and about 5 minutes after the hour expired I received an email stating that I had a FP+ for Big Thunder or a number of other attractions valid from when the original window expired to park closing.

Eventually used it on Big Thunder when it was back up and it worked perfectly.

Now, if you aren't getting emails pushed to your phone the system wouldn't really work for you, but for me it worked fine.

 

[Figments Friend]

Sounds to me like the few of us still on the planet who do not carry around a cell phone are going to be out of luck.

Must consider alternative plan....
( rubs hands together..)

 

[cspencer96]

Last week Big Thunder Mountain was down for our FP+ time and about 5 minutes after the hour expired I received an email stating that I had a FP+ for Big Thunder or a number of other attractions valid from when the original window expired to park closing.

Eventually used it on Big Thunder when it was back up and it worked perfectly.

Now, if you aren't getting emails pushed to your phone the system wouldn't really work for you, but for me it worked fine.

Heard the same report from others. Hopefully they'll make this a push notification for the MDE app as well. For those who don't have smartphones, they can just do it the way they have always done: ask the CM about it, and they will explain.

 

[discos]

Pirates capacity looks to be cut in half. Due to using one side for FP+, when noone is using the FP line every other boat goes out empty.

I reme

There is typically a cast member directing standby guests to the Fastpass side, but I don't always see this. They must cut it off at some point. I believe Space Mountain will do something similar.

Its a shame because this ride had a great capacity. When I rode last in April there was a CM directing us into the side of the line that people tended not to use (cant remember if it was the left or right side). They'd be smart to always have a CM there directing people into the other side when there are no FP+ guests, just to get capacity back to what it used to be. But I'm sure theres more factors like the new boats...

 

[Bryansworld]

When I was there in Novemeber there was a cast member directing the stand-by guests to both sides. For Both Space Mountain and Pirates.

 

[djkidkaz]

Last time I rode Pirates which was about a month ago there was none directing to the FP line even though it was empty, so every other boat went out empty. Maybe they were shorthanded that evening.

 

[alissafalco]

Last time I rode Pirates which was about a month ago there was none directing to the FP line even though it was empty, so every other boat went out empty. Maybe they were shorthanded that evening.

Ugh!

 

[ABQ]

Ugh!

I could be completely out of my mind, but, when I was there in December the same situation was taking place where the FP line was empty. However, to quell all the zOMGTHISISCOMPLETELYINSANEANDHOWTHEHECKARETHEYDARINGTORUINTHISATTRACTION statements, they had opened the crossover within the queue that allowed them to divert guests over and above the track to come down to the FP side of the queue and were loading guests from both sides to prevent empty boats from going through.
Not saying this takes place each and every time, but that it absolutely does happen. So though the FP+ queue appears empty from the outside, it was not unused on the inside.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Some other thoughts on the capacity issues. Is it possible that because of the MDE app, guests are more aware of wait times and that more than anything is resulting in crowds being dispersed? I also speculate that Disney is issuing more Fastpasses as well.

As for Pirates of the Caribbean, if there is a Cast Member manning the merge point, capacity shouldn't be effected. The wait times have certainly increased though so I speculate this merge point CM isn't always there and only half the ride is being devoted to Standby guests.

 

[Rob562]

I'm curious if a ride does break down they use to give you a paper FP with the rides it could be used on....What happens when it all goes to MyMagic band?

I believe there are still paper "re-admit" passes they hand out to Guests affected by a ride closure.

Those would be for the times where a ride breaks down and they have to clear the queue and ride. Like the time (pre-FP+) RnRC went 101 just as we stepped into the limo at Load. They cleared the queue, unloaded us and unloaded the train sitting at the launch point. Everyone that made it beyond the pre-show room got a paper re-admit ticket to use later. They'd have to do that for everyone, including the people with Bands because once you scan your Band/ticket at the second FP+ post the system marks that FP+ reservation as being "used".

I haven't heard that there's any plans to move those onto the FP+/MagicBand/RFID system, though I'm sure it could be done. Theoretically, they could have the CM's with a handheld scanner where the CM puts it in "give these people a wildcard FP+" and scans each person's Band/RFID ticket as they leave the attraction.

-Rob

 

[emcclay]

Had no problems on PotC yesterday. Both sides were being used with hardly any FP+ users. Boats were not being sent out empty.

The Anglerfish in Nemo has been fixed. (Not sure if that was reported already or not)

Any one staying at a resort, besides CSR, having troubles with pools not being heated to at least 82?..