News Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to begin Standby September 23rd

[CaptainAmerica]

But won't opening and Genie coming online be just a matter of days apart? We are at Epcot on Oct 8th, just trying to figure out what the strategy will be then.

Step 1 is the same in either situation. You try to get a (free) boarding group for the Rat virtual queue.

If you're successful, great.

If you're unsuccessful and Genie hasn't launched yet, you're out of luck.

If you're unsuccessful and Genie has launched, you can pay for an Individual Attraction Selection.

 

[zann285]

They should probably start thinking about where to add some of these in the queue.

View attachment 587433

For RotR, CMs take you backstage to some restrooms there. When you’re done, CMs drop you back in through the door closest to your party.

(My preschooler went through a phase where he always had to potty again as he got excited/nervous, even though he went immediately before we got in queue. Got familiar with a lot of Disney’s last minute potty break plans)

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Step 1 is the same in either situation. You try to get a (free) boarding group for the Rat virtual queue.

If you're successful, great.

If you're unsuccessful and Genie hasn't launched yet, you're out of luck.

If you're unsuccessful and Genie has launched, you can pay for an Individual Attraction Selection.

This isn’t directly to you…but when you read this - can the case legitimately be made they haven’t completely overcomplicated what is supposed to be “leisure”?

 

[doctornick]

I think that would be wise.

Kilimanjaro Safaris sticks out as not belonging on that list. It has monster capacity and is very long. It absolutely chews through guests. No need to bog it down. Let it eat.

I also think Space to me seems like it is unneeded. It's such a well established ride that I feel like very few people would pay specifically to ride it, especially with BTMRR and Splash in the same park not to mention "better" roller coasters in RNR and Everest on property.

Ironically, if any park would have more than 2, I would argue for Epcot doing it for Rat, TT and FAE.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I also think Space to me seems like it is unneeded. It's such a well established ride that I feel like very few people would pay specifically to ride it, especially with BTMRR and Splash in the same park not to mention "better" roller coasters in RNR and Everest on property.

Ironically, if any park would have more than 2, I would argue for Epcot doing it for Rat, TT and FAE.

…does it have anything to do with that it opened 46 years ago?

 

[doctornick]

Step 1 is the same in either situation. You try to get a (free) boarding group for the Rat virtual queue.

If you're successful, great.

If you're unsuccessful and Genie hasn't launched yet, you're out of luck.

If you're unsuccessful and Genie has launched, you can pay for an Individual Attraction Selection.

If there's a 1PM drop for BGs, then you do have a choice if IAS is running and you miss out on the AM drop - buy IAS versus trying in the afternoon (when IAS I suppose might no longer be available). Depends on the details.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

This isn’t directly to you…but when you read this - can the case legitimately be made they haven’t completely overcomplicated what is supposed to be “leisure”?

I loathe the virtue queue / boarding group model. Absolutely hate it. If people are willing to stand in a queue for 5 hours, build a big queue and get those bodies off the paths.

 

[DisneyCane]

I also think Space to me seems like it is unneeded. It's such a well established ride that I feel like very few people would pay specifically to ride it, especially with BTMRR and Splash in the same park not to mention "better" roller coasters in RNR and Everest on property.

Ironically, if any park would have more than 2, I would argue for Epcot doing it for Rat, TT and FAE.

At Epcot they should have a paid line for Soarin' that guarantees you'll sit in the middle so you won't see the Eiffel Tower bend in half.

 

[DisneyCane]

I loathe the virtue queue / boarding group model. Absolutely hate it. If people are willing to stand in a queue for 5 hours, build a big *** queue and get those bodies off the paths.

I agree that there should always be an option for somebody who wants to wait to wait even if it is for the whole day. That said, had I waited 3 hours for RotR, I would have been incredibly disappointed with the ride and said it wasn't worth it. I got to ride 4x with BGs. It was worth tapping on my phone screen and then going back to ride and only have to wait a few minutes in line.

 

[lewisc]

It really makes no sense to try on space mountain or safaris…

slinky, test track and mine train aren’t worth it…but some will pay it.

and rise nor rat will warrant pay to go. They’re just modern omnimover rides…

So what was the point of this again?

…oh right…letting capacity fail as crowds increase for 20 years…right

People want to ride new attractions. People make special trips to ride new attractions. New attractions need to be designed to handle more guests per hour and/or run more hours a day.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

People want to ride new attractions. People make special trips to ride new attractions. New attractions need to be designed to handle more guests per hour and/or run more hours a day.

Granted…

but most of that ain’t new

 

[doctornick]

I loathe the virtue queue / boarding group model. Absolutely hate it. If people are willing to stand in a queue for 5 hours, build a big *** queue and get those bodies off the paths.

See everyone is different. I think conceptually a virtual queue is a great idea for a very high demand ride - would be terrible for every ride in a park, but a select few across property is reasonable. Personally, I think asking anyone to wait in a line for 3+ hours is completely ridiculous and there simply will be rides where demand would result in that.

The biggest question to me is how to execute a virtual queue. Any system is going to have winners and losers but I think something could be done that feels less like a lottery and is more "fair" (or at least would tend to spread the wealth to more different guests as opposed to people being able to get multiple rides). I don't pretend to know how to best run such a system, but I think getting rid of VQs altogether is a "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" situation.

Personally, I was furious when Uni opened Hagrid's and the only option was standby (especially when the ride opened hours after the rest of the park so a long line formed before it was even running for the day).

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If there's a 1PM drop for BGs, then you do have a choice if IAS is running and you miss out on the AM drop - buy IAS versus trying in the afternoon (when IAS I suppose might no longer be available). Depends on the details.

I believe they’re eliminating the drop time in the afternoon?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

See everyone is different. I think conceptually a virtual queue is a great idea for a very high demand ride - would be terrible for every ride in a park, but a select few across property is reasonable. Personally, I think asking anyone to wait in a line for 3+ hours is completely ridiculous and there simply will be rides where demand would result in that.

The biggest question to me is how to execute a virtual queue. Any system is going to have winners and losers but I think something could be done that feels less like a lottery and is more "fair" (or at least would tend to spread the wealth to more different guests as opposed to people being able to get multiple rides). I don't pretend to know how to best run such a system, but I think getting rid of VQs altogether is a "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" situation.

Personally, I was furious when Uni opened Hagrid's and the only option was standby (especially when the ride opened hours after the rest of the park so a long line formed before it was even running for the day).

The only “fair way” to run a park is that the inclusive ticket can handle the customer load…even if it takes all day to do so.

Bob Iger abandoned that fact. Completely. The minute they started limiting investment and then figured out how to use the shortages against the people in the parks each day…the die was cast.
Any other discussion is coffee house crap.

 

[doctornick]

People want to ride new attractions. People make special trips to ride new attractions. New attractions need to be designed to handle more guests per hour and/or run more hours a day.

Not every ride can be built in a way to handle 3000 guest per hour or whatever. At some point, you have to make a decision whether you want to built the experience you are imagining or not. It's also quite possible/likely that a version of RotR that could accommodate more people would be an inferior product and not have as high demand (also would probably get criticism for not being a good enough ride).

I mean, it's not always a simple as "make capacity greater". There's not unlimited funding or land.

 

[DCBaker]

I believe they’re eliminating the drop time in the afternoon?

"Virtual Queue Required for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

When Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure initially opens, in order to experience the attraction, Guests will be required to join the virtual queue. A standby queue will not be available at opening. The virtual queue will be limited and subject to availability. Each Guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day.

Guests with a valid ticket or pass and theme park reservation who will start their day at EPCOT can access the virtual queue system via the My Disney Experience app and check for an available boarding group starting at 7:00 AM on the day of their park reservation. This can be done before you arrive at the theme park. You'll need to have park admission linked to your Disney account and applicable theme park reservations. If you are unable to join the morning virtual queue opportunity, you may check for an available boarding group starting at 1:00 PM that day after you have entered the park."

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/experience-updates/parks/#drawer-card-epcot

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Personally, I think asking anyone to wait in a line for 3+ hours is completely ridiculous and there simply will be rides where demand would result in that.

But you're going to approach the upper limit of people's willingness to wait no matter what alternative queue you offer.

If you're a random guest walking by a ride and you see a 60 minute standby line, you don't care if it's 2,000 people in front of you loading at 2,000 people per hour or 500 people in front of you loading at 500 people per hour while a virtual queue uses up the other 75% of the capacity. If you're willing to wait an hour, you're willing to wait an hour. If you're willing to wait three hours, you're willing to wait three hours.

That's why "FastPass increased wait times" is a myth. FastPass made the Standby line move slower, obviously, but it also reduced the number of people in the standby line.

If Space Mountain shows a 45 minute standby wait with FastPass running side-by-side, then *poof* FastPass disappears in an instant, initially the standby wait would fall because the line would start to move faster. But as soon as the sign out front refreshes to show a 20 minute standby wait, more people are going to pile into the standby line until it gets back up to 45 minutes because 45 minutes is the equilibrium queue tolerance for the guests in the park that day.

 

[djkidkaz]

I meant it as away to close standby a hour or 2 before closing.

They will have to close the line hours before park close to make sure it’s cleared out for the Guests who will be coming over from the Galactic Starcruiser. If I remember correctly those Guests were supposed to be getting time in Galaxy’s Edge after park close.

 

[DisneyCane]

People want to ride new attractions. People make special trips to ride new attractions. New attractions need to be designed to handle more guests per hour and/or run more hours a day.

100%. All attractions should be designed that on a normal, somewhat busy day, there is enough capacity for the expected percentage of guests who want to ride it to ride at least once during the park hours for the day.

A roller coaster with inversions doesn't need to handle as many people as a simulator because the more extreme ride lowers the number who will wish to ride.

You can't design for the busiest days when the parks are busting at the seams to allow for this because you'd end up wasting a lot of money on capacity that is only needed a handful of days per year.

Additionally, as @Sirwalterraleigh points out, the overall attraction capacity needs to keep up with the crowds so that guests can be doing something that doesn't involve 90 minute+ queues for most of the day. MK is the only park at WDW that is close to being able to handle the crowd that shows up on a "typical" day.

 

[danv3]

At Epcot they should have a paid line for Soarin' that guarantees you'll sit in the middle so you won't see the Eiffel Tower bend in half.

Please do not give them any more ideas.