Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opening reports and using Boarding Groups at Disneyland

[SuddenStorm]

You are now immersed in Disney's "World Class Customer Service!"

I am wracking my brain trying to think of a similar customer transaction where a company treats their customers like this; Makes them rise before dawn, wait in long lines and barely controlled chaos, enter a lottery to win a Boarding Group, then when the ride breaks down tell's the waiting customers that if they dare leave the queue after an hour of waiting they forfeit all rights to board the ride that day.

Maybe an airline flight cancellation if the engine on your plane won't work and you bought a cheap ticket on a bad airline might be the best analogy to that? Can anyone think of something more analogous?

But I certainly wouldn't have the guts to then claim I am providing "World Class Customer Service" in that situation.

I'm now a month into a career in hospitality, and have been learning the ins and outs of guest care at a luxurious 3-star extended stay hotel. I couldn't imagine if we applied the same logic here.

It's a slow night here at the front desk, so let's play around with this idea a bit.

Feel free to make a reservation! We'll take your money, let you book airfare, ski tickets, etc- but we can't guarantee you a room until the day of. Check-in is at 3, and you have to be inside the hotel lobby on the hotel website at 3 pm exactly to compete with everyone else with a reservation that day. If you're here at 3:05? Too bad. If you don't get your requested room type, or no room in general- too bad! No refunds or exchanges given.

Although check-in is at 3, we don't actually start cleaning rooms until 3:30, so the earliest we can let you into your room is at 4. And if housekeeping has trouble or runs behind, too bad. You lose your room, and since you've already hung out in our lobby for a few hours drinking our coffee we won't exchange, refund, or accommodate you in any way. You're out of luck.

At least I can comfortably say that at my property, $150 will get you a king bed in a studio room with a full kitchen, couch, and TV. With an onsite pool, basketball court, grill, fire pit, and complimentary breakfast. You'd think that at upwards of $150 per person Disney would figure out a way to give the people what they want. If I wanted to gamble I'd go to Vegas.

 

[Disney Irish]

I'm now a month into a career in hospitality, and have been learning the ins and outs of guest care at a luxurious 3-star extended stay hotel. I couldn't imagine if we applied the same logic here.

It's a slow night here at the front desk, so let's play around with this idea a bit.

Feel free to make a reservation! We'll take your money, let you book airfare, ski tickets, etc- but we can't guarantee you a room until the day of. Check-in is at 3, and you have to be inside the hotel lobby on the hotel website at 3 pm exactly to compete with everyone else with a reservation that day. If you're here at 3:05? Too bad. If you don't get your requested room type, or no room in general- too bad! No refunds or exchanges given.

Although check-in is at 3, we don't actually start cleaning rooms until 3:30, so the earliest we can let you into your room is at 4. And if housekeeping has trouble or runs behind, too bad. You lose your room, and since you've already hung out in our lobby for a few hours drinking our coffee we won't exchange, refund, or accommodate you in any way. You're out of luck.

At least I can comfortably say that at my property, $150 will get you a king bed in a studio room with a full kitchen, couch, and TV. With an onsite pool, basketball court, grill, fire pit, and complimentary breakfast. You'd think that at upwards of $150 per person Disney would figure out a way to give the people what they want. If I wanted to gamble I'd go to Vegas.

Hey, let me know where you're working, I'll come get a room....

 

[SuddenStorm]

Hey, let me know where you're working, I'll come get a room....

I got you... Motel 6

 

[SuddenStorm]

Do you charge extra for the coffee in your lobby? Trying to gauge how accurate your analogy is.

In this hypothetical hotel nothing is free except the drinking fountain in the lobby.

 

[Rich Brownn]

I'm now a month into a career in hospitality, and have been learning the ins and outs of guest care at a luxurious 3-star extended stay hotel. I couldn't imagine if we applied the same logic here.

It's a slow night here at the front desk, so let's play around with this idea a bit.

Feel free to make a reservation! We'll take your money, let you book airfare, ski tickets, etc- but we can't guarantee you a room until the day of. Check-in is at 3, and you have to be inside the hotel lobby on the hotel website at 3 pm exactly to compete with everyone else with a reservation that day. If you're here at 3:05? Too bad. If you don't get your requested room type, or no room in general- too bad! No refunds or exchanges given.

Although check-in is at 3, we don't actually start cleaning rooms until 3:30, so the earliest we can let you into your room is at 4. And if housekeeping has trouble or runs behind, too bad. You lose your room, and since you've already hung out in our lobby for a few hours drinking our coffee we won't exchange, refund, or accommodate you in any way. You're out of luck.

At least I can comfortably say that at my property, $150 will get you a king bed in a studio room with a full kitchen, couch, and TV. With an onsite pool, basketball court, grill, fire pit, and complimentary breakfast. You'd think that at upwards of $150 per person Disney would figure out a way to give the people what they want. If I wanted to gamble I'd go to Vegas.

So let's use your analogy the other way.... you made a reservation for 3pm, but first you have to arrive at 10am and stand in a long queue to register that will probably take till 3. Unfortunately, when you get to the front desk, they announce that the hotel had to close unexpectedly due to an unspecified problem and you'll have to leave. That is essentially what would happen right now with RoTR with standby

 

[SuddenStorm]

So let's use your analogy the other way.... you made a reservation for 3pm, but first you have to arrive at 10am and stand in a long queue to register that will probably take till 3. Unfortunately, when you get to the front desk, they announce that the hotel had to close unexpectedly due to an unspecified problem and you'll have to leave. That is essentially what would happen right now with RoTR with standby

That exact same scenario you described is still happening daily at Rise Before Dawn despite the Boarding Group system as seen earlier in this thread. The line is just lessened a bit. I waited an hour when I rode it a few days ago.

It's far from a perfect analogy since the logistics of a theme park attraction are incredibly different than the logistics of operating a hotel.

But it's the spirit of it that counts. I intended to show how little the boarding group system makes sense if you're viewing Disneyland as a place that provides world class customer service.

Waiting in a standby queue is fundamentally the most fair way of doing it. If you're in line and it breaks you can wait it out. It's the way it's been done for dang near 65 years at Disneyland, and changing it to a lottery system to help disguise the rides poor reliability is far from a perfect system.

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

Wait. Wait. What Motel 6 location are we talking about?

 

[WickedWrench]

I'm glad Disney learned something in those 65 years. Waiting in a standby line for hours sounds like the opposite of world class customer service. Boarding groups are the present, and future of Disneyland. I personally think BGs are great.

 

[Rich Brownn]

That exact same scenario you described is still happening daily at Rise Before Dawn despite the Boarding Group system as seen earlier in this thread. The line is just lessened a bit. I waited an hour when I rode it a few days ago.

It's far from a perfect analogy since the logistics of a theme park attraction are incredibly different than the logistics of operating a hotel.

But it's the spirit of it that counts. I intended to show how little the boarding group system makes sense if you're viewing Disneyland as a place that provides world class customer service.

Waiting in a standby queue is fundamentally the most fair way of doing it. If you're in line and it breaks you can wait it out. It's the way it's been done for dang near 65 years at Disneyland, and changing it to a lottery system to help disguise the rides poor reliability is far from a perfect system.

And yet, when that exact same scenario was in place with Hagrid's with 6-8 hour waits (and still an iffy chance to ride) people complained that they were wasting a whole day in line. The BG basically makes sure you can enjoy your day still rather than standing in a line (and running in and out for bathroom breaks). I'm gonna repost the link with the article that explains it better than me why BG are good:

“Just Open The Line!” “Make It FastPass Only!” Nope. Here’s why Rise of the Resistance’s Boarding Groups Are Here to Stay... | Theme Park Tourist

We’ve all seen it on Facebook, Twitter, or Disney Parks discussion boards: “Just open the line!” “Make it FastPass only!” Would it really be that easy?

www.themeparktourist.com

 

[shambolicdefending]

Waiting in a standby line for hours sounds like the opposite of world class customer service. Boarding groups are the present, and future of Disneyland. I personally think BGs are great.

And yet, when that exact same scenario was in place with Hagrid's with 6-8 hour waits (and still an iffy chance to ride) people complained that they were wasting a whole day in line. The BG basically makes sure you can enjoy your day still rather than standing in a line (and running in and out for bathroom breaks).

The ride was rushed to opening too soon in order to cover for SWGE's other shortcomings, and was not designed with a capacity appropriate for a flagship attraction in the year 2020.

Boarding Groups are probably the best imperfect solution we have to a problem created by poor planning and designing.

 

[DavidDL]

In the parks today. Got in line for Mickey and Friends at 6:20am and was in line for Disneyland by 7:10. Used the Monorail pylon trick mentioned here on the forums.. worked very well! In the park now at 7:30, fingers crossed for a boarding group and good operating day!

Update: Backup boarding group 89.

 

[IMixHits]

Another great start for us today!

 

[Disney Analyst]

And yet, when that exact same scenario was in place with Hagrid's with 6-8 hour waits (and still an iffy chance to ride) people complained that they were wasting a whole day in line. The BG basically makes sure you can enjoy your day still rather than standing in a line (and running in and out for bathroom breaks). I'm gonna repost the link with the article that explains it better than me why BG are good:

“Just Open The Line!” “Make It FastPass Only!” Nope. Here’s why Rise of the Resistance’s Boarding Groups Are Here to Stay... | Theme Park Tourist

We’ve all seen it on Facebook, Twitter, or Disney Parks discussion boards: “Just open the line!” “Make it FastPass only!” Would it really be that easy?

www.themeparktourist.com

BG, regardless of why they are implemented, are most certainly the present and the future. It’s the best decision for new major attractions. With the technology we have, why make everyone wait in a 10 hour physical line when they can wait virtually, and still shop, dine, and enjoy the other rides?

 

[themeparkchat]

Yesterday was bumpy but Rise is off to its best start ever today, still holding at slightly above 16 groups per hour average for the day so far.

The ride opened at 8:45am today and for the second day in a row used its new system of calling multiple groups at a time to start the day. It started with 11-15, then a minute or two later called 16-20, and soon after that called 21-25. All within minutes of the first group. This new system seems to be working great to fill up the queue and not waste capacity in the morning.

Today I pulled group 12 which turned out to be the 2nd of the day as they started at 11. Entered queue at 9:01am and was off the ride by 9:30 (forgot to check exactly when).

 

[DavidDL]

Got in line at 2:04pm (boarding group was called sooner but we took our sweet time getting there) and off the attraction at 2:38, they were jammin' today! All effects were also working.

 

[TP2000]

Got in line at 2:04pm (boarding group was called sooner but we took our sweet time getting there) and off the attraction at 2:38, they were jammin' today! All effects were also working.

They certainly are jamming today. They are calling almost 16 Boarding Groups per hour, which equates to about 1,500 riders per hour. And yours is just the latest report this week to note that the wait time in the exterior queue and pre-show was only 10 to 15 minutes long before you enter the shuttle craft and go inside the building for the 15 minute long experience.

Wait Time for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland - Thrill-Data

Learn what to ride and when with wait times at Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, Universal Hollywood, Six Flags, Cedar Fair, Cedar Point, and more

www.thrill-data.com

 

[Emmanuel]

As of 6:30 tonight

 

[RobWDW1971]

And yet, when that exact same scenario was in place with Hagrid's with 6-8 hour waits (and still an iffy chance to ride) people complained that they were wasting a whole day in line. The BG basically makes sure you can enjoy your day still rather than standing in a line (and running in and out for bathroom breaks). I'm gonna repost the link with the article that explains it better than me why BG are good:

“Just Open The Line!” “Make It FastPass Only!” Nope. Here’s why Rise of the Resistance’s Boarding Groups Are Here to Stay... | Theme Park Tourist

We’ve all seen it on Facebook, Twitter, or Disney Parks discussion boards: “Just open the line!” “Make it FastPass only!” Would it really be that easy?

www.themeparktourist.com

But that was temporary, was just there a couple weeks ago, wandered up at 1:00, waited about 45 minutes and got on. No planning, no FP, no getting up in the middle of the night, playing a lottery in the dark, etc. Hoping BG is just temporary until ride starts functioning properly.

 

[IMixHits]

But that was temporary, was just there a couple weeks ago, wandered up at 1:00, waited about 45 minutes and got on. No planning, no FP, no getting up in the middle of the night, playing a lottery in the dark, etc. Hoping BG is just temporary until ride starts functioning properly.

I was there a few months back and was stupid enough to wait 5 1/2 hours. Stayed at Universal (on property, room key does not give you express pass or early entry for Hagrid's) for 3 days. Line was that long each and every day. Gave up first two days and toughed it out the last day. Borderline unbearable. And on a day where the hours of operation are 9 am to 7 pm, (10 hours) means I spent more than half of my day in line for one attraction. I'm pleased with how the BG's have worked, probably as they've been favorable to me.

 

[RobWDW1971]

I was there a few months back and was stupid enough to wait 5 1/2 hours. Stayed at Universal (on property, room key does not give you express pass or early entry for Hagrid's) for 3 days. Line was that long each and every day. Gave up first two days and toughed it out the last day. Borderline unbearable. And on a day where the hours of operation are 9 am to 7 pm, (10 hours) means I spent more than half of my day in line for one attraction. I'm pleased with how the BG's have worked, probably as they've been favorable to me.

I wouldn't wait 5 1/2 hours for 1983 Carrie Fisher in her Jabba slave outfit to give me a personal tour of Batuu. Well, maybe 4 1/2.