News PHOTO - Guest Experience Teams deployed throughout Magic Kingdom to help with peak crowds

[xdan0920]

I have to say that I really like this idea, and it's something we should have more of. As a frontline CM, it's heartbreaking to send a guest up to Guest Relations from the back of the park because they are having an account issue or people are linked together. I often don't have the resources/tools that Guest Relations or these CMs have, or, even when I am able to assist, I am likely in a position where I have to be screening for safety requirements, like checking heights, so it can be difficult to have a full conversation with a Guest.

Yes, this is also helpful for people looking for a restroom or other amenity, but I think this is also a really great tool for Guest and CMs to have more "local" support and assistance. I agree, some of the systems may have a bit of a learning curve associated with it for the "average" guest, and maybe it can be a bit too much for planning a trip to Disney, but having someone a few feet away who is able to immediately recover that situation (rather than sending them around the park) helps with the overall guest experience, imo.

This is one thing that Disney does extremely poorly. Only having Guest Relations at the front of the park is crazy town. So I too am glad they are making more Guest Relations locations. I do worry about the long term financial implications of paying these 8 or so CMs $15 an hour in 2021 though. I hope TWDC can stay afloat with these added obligations.

 

[Purduevian]

I don't know how anybody can have a good time during these peak periods. The "light" periods are bad enough with FP+ ruining everything and taking away spontaneity. It has to be miserable when you have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for all but 3 rides AND you can barely move through the hoards of people.

I wouldn't go during the peak days if Disney paid me.

I went on December 26th last year with a family that hasn't been in 11 years. We got on Buzz (FP), Peoplemover, Tea Cups, Little Mermaid (FP), Philharmagic, Thunder Mountain (FP), Splash Mountain (80 mins), Tiki Room, Pirates (FP), and Pooh (FP). We did all that plus watch the Christmas Parade, TS meal, hours of shopping, sword and the stone show, and left at 8:30pm before the fireworks. Was it the perfect Disney day? Of course not. However, this was one of the busiest days of the year, we had an awesome day, and they can't wait to go back.

Disney does not have the capacity that it should, but it is not nearly as bad as people on these forums make it out to be. There was no 25 minute line for the restroom, QS only took about 15 minutes to get food (we did not mobile order), and we rode many smaller attractions without FP which had waits under 30 minutes. I would 100% go during the craziest day of the year if that was the only day that fit my schedule.

 

[larryz]

I do worry about the long term financial implications of paying these 8 or so CMs $15 an hour in 2021 though. I hope TWDC can stay afloat with these added obligations.

Not to worry -- by then, a one-day ticket will be at least $149.99. Eight patrons per day will pay for each added CM.

 

[Kman101]

It's a good offer but at the same time, they should always be staffing guest experience castmembers, IMO. Why did they dump the tip/wait time board? You know a castmember used to stand there and direct guests ... and they have very few castmembers manning the FP+ kiosks.

I think it's a good idea to help ease the crush of guest services, but at the same time, shouldn't something like this always be offered? They dump staff and then scramble when it's busy. So many things wrong with how they run the place. (I also feel they waste a lot of staff; they could do better). I've noticed a massive increase in staff just standing around the shops waiting to help. In the little Tomorrowland shop everywhere I turned was someone yet one person manning a register ... two steps forward, one massive step backwards ...

 

[wdwcastwannabe]

I went on December 26th last year with a family that hasn't been in 11 years. We got on Buzz (FP), Peoplemover, Tea Cups, Little Mermaid (FP), Philharmagic, Thunder Mountain (FP), Splash Mountain (80 mins), Tiki Room, Pirates (FP), and Pooh (FP). We did all that plus watch the Christmas Parade, TS meal, hours of shopping, sword and the stone show, and left at 8:30pm before the fireworks. Was it the perfect Disney day? Of course not. However, this was one of the busiest days of the year, we had an awesome day, and they can't wait to go back.

Disney does not have the capacity that it should, but it is not nearly as bad as people on these forums make it out to be. There was no 25 minute line for the restroom, QS only took about 15 minutes to get food (we did not mobile order), and we rode many smaller attractions without FP which had waits under 30 minutes. I would 100% go during the craziest day of the year if that was the only day that fit my schedule.

This.

Went during Spring Break 2015 for the first time in 12 years. Was incredibly impressed at how much easier it was to get things done during peak times compared to 12 years prior. Thanks to MDE and FP+, we got a lot done despite it being packed every day.

While it's easy to express frustration with MDE, FP+, and the best FPs being taken, objectively they have made things more accessible over the years. Now we can book three FPs instead of having to go across the park to get a paper ticket, hoping they aren't all gone for the day, then coming all the way back to use it. The increased accessibility to wait times makes it easier to see which attractions we can aim for next, catching them at good times.

Everybody has a different planning preference, but for my appetite 3 FPs does not take away that much spontaneity. Lots of time left in the day to take a look and spontaneously decide what to do next.

 

[Kman101]

Great. Now our ticket prices will go up to pay these CMs $15 an hour starting in 5 years. Just great.

They'd go up anyway

 

[Kamikaze]

I think you're thinking of the Samsung Galaxy people:

Blue shirts and khakis is the standard Best Buy uni.

 

[Kman101]

I don't know how anybody can have a good time during these peak periods. The "light" periods are bad enough with FP+ ruining everything and taking away spontaneity. It has to be miserable when you have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for all but 3 rides AND you can barely move through the hoards of people.

I wouldn't go during the peak days if Disney paid me.

The MK is by far the absolute worst with crowds. But TSL packs a lot of them in and it wasn't really fun trying to get around there a few weeks ago at night. Although Aliens was only 20-25 minutes, it was packed and hard to navigate (also kind of absurd they put in such a small quick-service with a line constantly for it and tables all taken). It's really not fun. And this was a random weekend in early December. 50 minutes for Small World? 20 for PeopleMover? No thanks. The parks just can't handle the crowds and anything new is just adding to them. Stagnation isn't the answer but they need to better address this. Although I imagine they don't really care about it if you have to play frogger on a daily basis trying to just get across one place to the next. Those making these decisions likely never step foot in the parks, and if they do, I'm sure it's front of the line service. And having an After Hours for low crowds is "nice" but it's kind of sad they have to do this. They clearly know the park crowding is a problem.

Also they need to overhaul how they park guests. It's a nightmare at times. Especially the MK, again. Where you have three lanes converge into one. It's not very good.

 

[HauntedPirate]

The MK is by far the absolute worst with crowds. But TSL packs a lot of them in and it wasn't really fun trying to get around there a few weeks ago at night. Although Aliens was only 20-25 minutes, it was packed and hard to navigate (also kind of absurd they put in such a small quick-service with a line constantly for it and tables all taken). It's really not fun. And this was a random weekend in early December. 50 minutes for Small World? 20 for PeopleMover? No thanks. The parks just can't handle the crowds and anything new is just adding to them. Stagnation isn't the answer but they need to better address this. Although I imagine they don't really care about it if you have to play frogger on a daily basis trying to just get across one place to the next. Those making these decisions likely never step foot in the parks, and if they do, I'm sure it's front of the line service. And having an After Hours for low crowds is "nice" but it's kind of sad they have to do this. They clearly know the park crowding is a problem.

Also they need to overhaul how they park guests. It's a nightmare at times. Especially the MK, again. Where you have three lanes converge into one. It's not very good.

Why fix a problem when you can charge people more for "workarounds" (i.e. After Hours, EMM)?

 

[Kman101]

Why fix a problem when you can charge people more for "workarounds" (i.e. After Hours, EMM)?

Oh, I know that's how they think, lol

Not to mention charging club level guests $50 for three extra fastpasses. Meanwhile, the rest of us struggle to book the ones hard to come by ...

I also kind of find it funny that DL'rs think the park's charm is being ripped away by lessening some planters ... nah, the park is still charming and they just added the very nice Tropical Hideaway. DL needs all the room they can get. I can't imagine being a local for that park, the congestion is absolutely awful.

 

[fngoofy]

The continued "tiering" of Disney Guest Society.

Yes.... BUT,
If you showed up in New York at Xmas and walked up to a hot Broadway show and said "I want 4 tickets for tonight" and then got all bent out of shape that they didn't have any for you, would you call that a "Tiering" of New York tourism or would it be fair to say you should have planned?
Same with restaurant reservations, you need to plan. I just wish WDW would sync up the timing of their FPs and ADRs so that you could plan your days all at once. It is a real pain to book your sit downs and then not know if you will get FPs for that park that day.

 

[fngoofy]

I don't know how anybody can have a good time during these peak periods. The "light" periods are bad enough with FP+ ruining everything and taking away spontaneity. It has to be miserable when you have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for all but 3 rides AND you can barely move through the hoards of people.

I wouldn't go during the peak days if Disney paid me.

WDW "Spontaneity" is like the "Good old days of the 1950s." The fact is that pre fast pass lines were nasty, brutish and long.
In the late 70s/early 80s when I was a kid, we'd take all day to do Adventureland and part of Liberty Sq.

I will say I miss the old FP system, but only because I knew how it worked and didn't mind running all around the park. I can see how if you aren't a seasoned veteran of WDW that would be confusing and a pain to separate from your party just to go see if you could get a FP for Splash at an unknown time.

And truthfully, now that I am a bit older, I want to plan out what and when I am doing for at least the important part of my day. It's not like we don't still do impromptu things in between our scheduled stuff. Also, you need that planning because WDW is soooo much bigger now than it was in the 80s. WDW needs the organization so they can put on a good show.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Comparing a Broadway show to FastPasses...

 

[Kman101]

WDW "Spontaneity" is like the "Good old days of the 1950s." The fact is that pre fast pass lines were nasty, brutish and long.
In the late 70s/early 80s when I was a kid, we'd take all day to do Adventureland and part of Liberty Sq.

I will say I miss the old FP system, but only because I knew how it worked and didn't mind running all around the park. I can see how if you aren't a seasoned veteran of WDW that would be confusing and a pain to separate from your party just to go see if you could get a FP for Splash at an unknown time.

And truthfully, now that I am a bit older, I want to plan out what and when I am doing for at least the important part of my day. It's not like we don't still do impromptu things in between our scheduled stuff. Also, you need that planning because WDW is soooo much bigger now than it was in the 80s. WDW needs the organization so they can put on a good show.

And the standby lines are still just as long almost anytime you go, barring a lucky circumstance.

 

[Missing20K]

Yes.... BUT,
If you showed up in New York at Xmas and walked up to a hot Broadway show and said "I want 4 tickets for tonight" and then got all bent out of shape that they didn't have any for you, would you call that a "Tiering" of New York tourism or would it be fair to say you should have planned?
Same with restaurant reservations, you need to plan. I just wish WDW would sync up the timing of their FPs and ADRs so that you could plan your days all at once. It is a real pain to book your sit downs and then not know if you will get FPs for that park that day.

NY tourism is incredibly tiered, as much as any destination on earth.

I also don't get bent out of shape. But my Wookie does.

 

[Kman101]

I've never understood those who just "show up" anywhere and don't do any research what-so-ever. But to each their own

I still think it's a tad overblown how much you have to plan but they've convinced everyone you just HAVE to get on at 180 days and book everything. Imagine if everyone DIDN'T do that and actually tried to not plan so far ahead? Sure, if you TRULY want to do something, plan ahead and secure it. But they've conditioned people where you "have" to do it. I kind of hate that. With a family on a once in a lifetime trip, sure I get the uber-planning. But they've really overdone it. And many of us have shown that it's possible (though not necessarily the norm) to get day of things. Maybe it's not Frozen or Mine Train, but it's not like you can't choose to wait standby. No one's denying you access to these things.

Anywho ...

 

[DisneyCane]

WDW "Spontaneity" is like the "Good old days of the 1950s." The fact is that pre fast pass lines were nasty, brutish and long.
In the late 70s/early 80s when I was a kid, we'd take all day to do Adventureland and part of Liberty Sq.

I will say I miss the old FP system, but only because I knew how it worked and didn't mind running all around the park. I can see how if you aren't a seasoned veteran of WDW that would be confusing and a pain to separate from your party just to go see if you could get a FP for Splash at an unknown time.

And truthfully, now that I am a bit older, I want to plan out what and when I am doing for at least the important part of my day. It's not like we don't still do impromptu things in between our scheduled stuff. Also, you need that planning because WDW is soooo much bigger now than it was in the 80s. WDW needs the organization so they can put on a good show.

However, as a passholder, I no longer have the ability to decide a day or two before or the same day to go for a quick visit. I'm forced to guess at least a few weeks in advance to get any decent FP+. Because of what FP+ has done to the standby lines, it is pointless to go at all without them reserved.

 

[peter11435]

However, as a passholder, I no longer have the ability to decide a day or two before or the same day to go for a quick visit. I'm forced to guess at least a few weeks in advance to get any decent FP+. Because of what FP+ has done to the standby lines, it is pointless to go at all without them reserved.

You can can get FP for nearly all attractions a day or two before or day of for most days throughout the year.

A quick visit to MDX shows that I can still get FP for my party for every attraction in the MK for tomorrow except Peter Pans Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and meeting Mickey. And that’s three days before Christmas.

Two days from now I can get everything except Mine Train. That’s during one of the busiest weekends of the year.

 

[Kman101]

However, as a passholder, I no longer have the ability to decide a day or two before or the same day to go for a quick visit. I'm forced to guess at least a few weeks in advance to get any decent FP+. Because of what FP+ has done to the standby lines, it is pointless to go at all without them reserved.

Yep.

I sometimes go without anything or have some things as backup, but it's very hard 30 days out to get the most coveted ones. I never can. Frozen and River Journey seem to be a little bit better now and even Alien seems to be more available at times, but it's still very very hard if not impossible.

 

[Kman101]

You can can get FP for nearly all attractions a day or two before or day of for most days throughout the year.

A quick visit to MDX shows that I can still get FP for my party for every attraction in the MK for tomorrow except Peter Pans Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and meeting Mickey. And that’s three days before Christmas

They said "decent" which I assume means the headliners often left unavailable. You often can't get big headliners day of. Sometimes you can luck out if you check enough. They never said nothing was available, I can usually do fairly well but the 'big ones' are pretty impossible even 30 days out. On a brutally packed day, of course selection will be slim, and that's becoming more of the norm, actually. And I used to defend that you could still get many day of, which is true to an extent.