News Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Standby Line and Boarding Groups at Disney's Hollywood Studios

[Disneyexpertwannabe]

It's getting close to January 30th when I will be going to Hollywood studios. I have been checking everyday, and the opening time is still 8:00 am???? Do you guys think it is still going to change to 7:00am? If so, when????

 

[disneygeek90]

To be fair, there were cheers when the chime came on the PA, followed by the announcement about ROTR and it's BG process....at least when I was there Christmas week.

That was one of the highlights of the BG experience/process for me, other than the actual countdown to park opening when everyone would tap. Everyone is cheerful and happy (while stressing on the inside lol)

Right but I mean the cheers getting a pass. There's a couple announcements that come on prior to them actually open which adds to the stress/anticipation/excitement.

I still have a hard time believing anyone is getting through prior to 7.

 

[drew81]

Guest Relations contingency plan if ROTR doesn’t open at all today?

 

[Parker in NYC]

And we're back to the odd struggles on the weekdays.

Reminds me of Broadway cast members after a holiday weekend. Suddenly, there are a ton of understudies.

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

It's getting close to January 30th when I will be going to Hollywood studios. I have been checking everyday, and the opening time is still 8:00 am???? Do you guys think it is still going to change to 7:00am? If so, when????

You'll just have to check... mine didn't change until a week beforehand. You could potentially see a change in two or so days... or the time is sticking to 8!

 

[Purduevian]

Well people are getting them early, so may not be offical but they are getting them I sure would not wait to 6:59 to start trying, when we went in December they were telling people wait 2 to 5 minutes after everyone in your group is scanned in to try, I ignored that and started trying while my daughter was still scanning in, by the time she walked away from the turnstile I already had us a boarding group.

The system was different in the early days of boarding groups. They randomly would open up the system before park open. This lead to people arriving earlier and earlier and earlier. Disney stopped this by not opening boarding groups until park opening, which is how it is has been for weeks.
It looks like it changed on 12/18?

 

[cdeev8690]

It's just as valuable as a free ticket. You can use that ticket as a gift to a friend/family member (If you are nice about how it doesn't help you as an AP holder guest services might be sweet talked into transferring it.) or use the value of that ticket towards you AP renewal. You can even go when you are normally blocked out. So really, it's even more valuable to an AP than a day guest because they get so much more value out of it.

That's an interesting point. Do we have information that's been shared from any APs whom have been in this scenario or are we just brainstorming? I'm an out of state Premium AP and I'm wondering if they could instead give me a gift card for the value of the 1-day ticket instead.

 

[Rteetz]

Guest Relations contingency plan if ROTR doesn’t open at all today?

Should be opening soon.

 

[BSikor]

Got to DHS a little after 6 this morning. Through the gates pretty quick once they opened. Got boarding group 26. It’s 11:24 and the ride hasn’t opened yet. I spoke to a contact of mine who told me the unofficial ETA of opening. It’s come and gone so I’m just sitting on a rock outside the entrance, waiting to ride for the first time.

 

[jinx8402]

Couldn’t you use up your one day HS ticket in the morning and then when you park hop use the ticket you had originally intended? You’d still get to do both, being able to go back to HS for “free.”

I always thought if they were not park hoppers, you couldn't use two single entry tickets on the same day (otherwise people would upgrade to additional days at a cheaper rate ie, upgrade a 8 day ticket to 10 day ticket is cheaper than adding park hopper)

Across the bottom of every page it says that even regular boarding groups are not guaranteed admission. I think the fastpass alone is enough compensation and the ticket is just gravy.

The issue I am saying is, the FP+ is only good for the next day. What if I don't have park hoppers and my entire day was planned to be at another park? Now that FP+ for ROTR, which I'm sure 99% of people would want to use it for, can't be used for the ride unless I forgo all my plans I made 180 days ago for an ADR and 60 days ago FP selections.

Sure, I agree that the note says boarding group does not guarantee access and just them giving the FP and ticket out is a nice gesture that they don't need to do at all. But the way the two are packaged together seem like they want to give people the chance to retry riding the ride, but it comes at possibly changing your entire trip up.

 

[ThistleMae]

You'll just have to check... mine didn't change until a week beforehand. You could potentially see a change in two or so days... or the time is sticking to 8!

Oh, so it changed one week before, okay. Well two days from now it will be one week till I arrive. I will keep checking. I do hope it remains at 8 a.m. opening so I don't have to get there at 6 a.m. Arriving at 7 a.m. for an 8 a.m. opening would be better for me and for most people, I would think.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It is very interesting to read this page on ROTR and jump over to the same DL page. Seems to be a much tougher crowd at DL. Not a great deal of excitement for the ride and no love for BG's.

That resort has Indiana Jones in the same park, and Radiator Springs next door. Both of those attractions are arguably in the same league as Rise. WDW has nothing to compare.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I always thought if they were not park hoppers, you couldn't use two single entry tickets on the same day (otherwise people would upgrade to additional days at a cheaper rate ie, upgrade a 8 day ticket to 10 day ticket is cheaper than adding park hopper)

2 different scenarios:

Scenario 1 - 2 single day base tickets (separate tickets) - NOT a single combined 2 day ticket - you could use 1 ticket one to enter 1 park and the other ticket to enter another park on the same day, that is not an issue.

Scenario 2 - a single 2-day base ticket - only has 2 admissions on it for 2 separate days - the admissions must be used on separate days, they cannot be used on the same day.

 

[Aschwenker]

Backup groups went considerably quicker today than yesterday, for some reason. Standard groups filled at 7:01 and backups at 7:25.

Once again we are seeing only 85 standard groups, I still can't figure that one out.

Based on the past two days, which certainly isn't enough time for proof but won't stop the conjecture (thus me adding my 2 cents), I would say Disney is slowly eliminating "guaranteed" Boarding Groups.

I can see two reasons for this: reducing comps and switching to stand-by queuing.

Edit:
Or the attraction is facing serious downtime...

 

[DCBaker]

12:05pm - no groups have been called.

 

[DisneyAndADoleWhip]

Driving my family crazy waiting. Group 21. Sticking close by.

 

[disneygeek90]

That resort has Indiana Jones in the same park, and Radiator Springs next door. Both of those attractions are arguably in the same league as Rise. WDW has nothing to compare.

Flight of Passage is definitely in the same league for many.

 

[Rteetz]

Setback looks like my soon report was not soon.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Flight of Passage is definitely in the same league for many.

Definitely a great attraction, but it’s a really good simulator vs. an “immersive dark ride” experience like Indy and Racers.

I don’t disagree with you though, FOP is very popular and avatar land as a whole is extremely impressive.

 

[Vipor51]

Currently RISE has been down all day and boarding groups were assigned.

Anyone out there heard anything from cast members as to what went wrong and an ETA?